Pinpointer Technology

[dkellerz]

I have been investigating for my up coming purchase of a pinpointer.

I have seen some listed as being Pulse Induction Technology.
I understand the difference between PI and LFO and that LFO requires 2 coils.
I have been looking at YouTube videos of people repairing their pinpointers
and almost all of units being worked on have a coil with just 2 wires.
Does this mean the are using Pulse Induction?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Bucket Lister]

I have been investigating for my up coming purchase of a pinpointer.

I have seen some listed as being Pulse Induction Technology.
I understand the difference between PI and LFO and that LFO requires 2 coils.
I have been looking at YouTube videos of people repairing their pinpointers
and almost all of units being worked on have a coil with just 2 wires.
Does this mean the are using Pulse Induction?

Watch out for those rabbit holes! 🤓

What (kind of) metal detector do you have/will you be getting/using, and what kind of detecting will you be doing? That will usually have some bearing on choice of a pinpointer.

Most hobby MDs are VLF; there are reasons for that. IMO, they're more... versatile, while PI is more... specific. Unless you'll be doing a lot of beach, underwater, gold shooting, and/or something specific, I think you'll likely want a more general purpose VLF detector and pinpointer.

One of the "pluses" of PI tech is ostensibly greater depth. Greater depth is desirable in a MD, but may be a double-edged sword when it comes to pinpointers. I don't mind digging an extra inch or two, but I don't want to be digging another foot or more! 😝

 

[pennysucker]

I bought a pin pointer from China. Works really well But!!!!!!!!!!! It produces a pulse on 10 kcs. That is one of the frequencies my Vanquish 540 uses. I have to keep the pin pointer at least 8 feet away from the Vanquish or they both don't work. Needless to say I can't use the pin pointer with the Vanquish 540.

 

[Bucket Lister]

I bought a pin pointer from China. Works really well But!!!!!!!!!!! It produces a pulse on 10 kcs. That is one of the frequencies my Vanquish 540 uses. I have to keep the pin pointer at least 8 feet away from the Vanquish or they both don't work. Needless to say I can't use the pin pointer with the Vanquish 540.

This is an example where the detector (specs) would (or should have) influenced the choice of pinpointer. I hope you can still use it as a spare, or loaner or something...

Good admonition though! Avoid cheap knock-offs... caveat emptor... all that 💩!

You're lucky it was only 8 feet. I've put my detector down to get something from my car, and I can still hear the detector through the headphones from over 100 feet away and around a building--it's almost comical. But I digress (as I am wont to do... 🙄)....

Choosing a pinpointer from the same mfr. as the detector should avoid any problems like above, but I don't know that for fact, and it isn't necessary. Lots of folks still swear by their "carrots" regardless of what they're swinging.

dkellerz, in order to help...

• What detector do you have, or are you considering?
• What kind of pinpointing? (beach, park, gold...)
• Power: batteries or USB?
• Wired or wireless?
• Pairable with MD/headphones?
• Any other MUST HAVE features?
• Any "deal killers"?
• Price range?

 

[dkellerz]

Watch out for those rabbit holes! 🤓

What (kind of) metal detector do you have/will you be getting/using, and what kind of detecting will you be doing? That will usually have some bearing on choice of a pinpointer.

Most hobby MDs are VLF; there are reasons for that. IMO, they're more... versatile, while PI is more... specific. Unless you'll be doing a lot of beach, underwater, gold shooting, and/or something specific, I think you'll likely want a more general purpose VLF detector and pinpointer.

One of the "pluses" of PI tech is ostensibly greater depth. Greater depth is desirable in a MD, but may be a double-edged sword when it comes to pinpointers. I don't mind digging an extra inch or two, but I don't want to be digging another foot or more! 😝

I have a FISHER Gold Bug Pro running at 19.2KHZ with an 11" Double-D coil.
Most of my detecting will be done in parks, school yards and on the beach (I am only 10K away from White Rock). Battery powered is just fine and since I am doing this as Grampa/Grandson activities and not my goal in life, keeping the cost down is preferred. I was looking at one on Aliexpress, it's waterproof to 15M,Runs at 56khz and uses Pulse Induction technology. All for just $24 (all inclusive).

 

[Bucket Lister]

I have a FISHER Gold Bug Pro running at 19.2KHZ with an 11" Double-D coil.
Most of my detecting will be done in parks, school yards and on the beach (I am only 10K away from White Rock). Battery powered is just fine and since I am doing this as Grampa/Grandson activities and not my goal in life, keeping the cost down is preferred. I was looking at one on Aliexpress, it's waterproof to 15M,Runs at 56khz and uses Pulse Induction technology. All for just $24 (all inclusive).

Thanks, now I get why you're looking at PI.

IME, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Caveat emptor.

Years of forum discussions suggest cheap Asian pinpointers are a crapshoot at best. You may get a pinpointer worth $25, or you may get a plastic wand with a vibrator and some wires--maybe an LED.

Personally, I'd try to stick to a recognized brand (unless it's a throwaway). I might try CL et al and the Marketplace here.

Others here may have better suggestions.

 

[pepperj]

I have a FISHER Gold Bug Pro running at 19.2KHZ with an 11" Double-D coil.
Most of my detecting will be done in parks, school yards and on the beach (I am only 10K away from White Rock). Battery powered is just fine and since I am doing this as Grampa/Grandson activities and not my goal in life, keeping the cost down is preferred. I was looking at one on Aliexpress, it's waterproof to 15M,Runs at 56khz and uses Pulse Induction technology. All for just $24 (all inclusive).

Just remember you get what you pay for.
Best of luck.

 

[Carl-NC]

First of all, what is "LFO"?
If a PP coil has 2 wire it could be PI, or it could be "energy theft" which is a proximity method. The Garrett ProPointer is an energy theft type.
If the PP from China runs at 56kHz it is definitely not PI.

 

[Bucket Lister]

First of all, what is "LFO"?

Low Frequency Oscillation

 

[TreasureHunter34]

Can anyone letthere metal detector be borrowed? Can i borrow?

 

[Bucket Lister]

Can anyone letthere metal detector be borrowed? Can i borrow?

Better to ask this in the Philippines forum. Anyplace else, round-trip shipping may cost more than the detector.

If there are any metal detector shops/dealers near you, ask about renting one.