Pinpoint with the Etrac

how u do n · Apr 6, 2009

I was reading Andy's book on the Etrac and it looks kinda of hard to pinpoint with it

Is that true? Or is there a little trick to pinpointing?
I have my Etrac coming to me on Wend and I'm worried I will not be able to pinpoint to good with.
Any tips?
ty hh dan

lasttoknow (Tim) · Apr 6, 2009

Mine pinpoints dead center every time.

RigDean · Apr 6, 2009

Bluefin1959, hello and congrats on the new machine! :thumbsup:

here's what i've learned so far,(not much). there are several ways to pinpoint with your new e-trac. you'll just have to experiment and get some hands on to decide what works best for you.(i use a combination of methods) once you have detected a target you would like to dig, make a mental note of where the signal is, now swing the coil a little to the side of target and engage pinpoint mode(i use normal-preference)now in pinpoint sweep over target using gradually smaller sweeps until the action icons are blacked in up to the target symbol. Once again, take note of this location where the middle of the coil is. the target is somewhere under this line. i used a pair of sticks at first to help with this process. place a stick on the ground where this line is, now rotate 90 degrees and repeat this process. generally the target should be where your X is. note: dig around the X :wink:

lemme know if this is what you were looking for. there's also some good videos on mlotv and youtube

gibsondan · Apr 11, 2009

I had trouble pinpointing with my E-trac, but now I've got it figured out. This detector is my first Minelab and it's different than other detectors I've used (Whites, Fisher, Garrett). This is also the first detector I've ever used with a double-d coil. There is a learning curve you must hurdle if you too have never used an E-trac. Andy Sabisch's book was a big help...but the best thing for me was to get out there and hunt. Practice makes perfect.

obxguy2000 · Apr 12, 2009

I have the Safari which I would think pinpoints like the E-trac. Most of the time it pin points from the center, but I usually dig a 6" diameter circle to make sure I find the target in 1 plug. However, the other day, I hit a very solid silver and flutey sound, like I rarely here. I knew I hit something good. I dug down about 16 inches and made the hole about 10 inches around and never found a thing. The depth gauge said it was only about 4 inches and pinpointed dead center of the hole. I have no clue what it was picking up on...

gibsondan · Apr 13, 2009

obxguy2000 said:
I have the Safari which I would think pinpoints like the E-trac. Most of the time it pin points from the center, but I usually dig a 6" diameter circle to make sure I find the target in 1 plug. However, the other day, I hit a very solid silver and flutey sound, like I rarely here. I knew I hit something good. I dug down about 16 inches and made the hole about 10 inches around and never found a thing. The depth gauge said it was only about 4 inches and pinpointed dead center of the hole. I have no clue what it was picking up on...

Do you have a probe? I use the Sunray X-1 and it is awesome. Can't imagine detecting without it. A probe to would have sniffed out that target which may have been off center due to being a coin on edge. It might have been hiding in the side of the hole or in the clods of dirt or it could have fell out onto the surface but was invisible due to being encased in soil. If it was a large target it could have been deeper. A probe is a valuable tool that will allow you to spend a lot less time digging, clawing at dirt and guessing.

obxguy2000 · Apr 14, 2009

gibsondan,
Yes, I have a automax precision v4 pinpointer and would be lost without it. The hole was completely cleared out and I ran that pinpointer around the sides the bottom and everywhere could not find what the detector was picking up on. I will go back to that spot and try again to see what it was.

RigDean · Apr 14, 2009

Happens to me all the time obxguy2000. it's a phenomenon i encounter all too often, and i've declared them... ghost signals :icon_scratch:

I'm sure i'll find some today, as i'm going to a ghost town :thumbsup:

I'll be sure and let you know if i figure out anything. HH

gibsondan · Apr 14, 2009

Just read in another forum that some old iron that has been in the ground for a very long time develops a conductive halo which disintegrates to nothing when dug. The signal will completely disappear. I've never heard of that before but it could explain that. But if after digging the signal repeats, then there must be something there somewhere.

Iron Patch · Apr 16, 2009

gibsondan said:
Just read in another forum that some old iron that has been in the ground for a very long time develops a conductive halo which disintegrates to nothing when dug. The signal will completely disappear. I've never heard of that before but it could explain that. But if after digging the signal repeats, then there must be something there somewhere.

It's not that it's just a halo, it's an iron target with a halo that when the halo is disturbed it is enough for your disc. to knock out more of the sound which seems as if the signal has disappeared. That's why the sunray probe is such a good tool, even if you're fooled you don't have to dig the hole out just to make sure, you simply put the probe in and it tells the story. This is what I do at my better sites when all the good targets are gone and I have to start guessing to find more.

PS... The same type thing happens when you chase an iron target and get it to the surface, but then it's a real pain to find. It's your disc. that made the difference from in-ground to out.

Nick A · May 5, 2009

I use both the pinpoint feature and the X method to pinpoint, sometimes both. With a little practice, both are easy and reliable to use. Have no fear. I highly recommend the Sunray probe, or some type of pinpointer too. Good luck with your new machine, it's a nice one!