Pinpointers: What do you use, recommend, and why?

[Mayo South Elgin]

OK I'm about ready to bite the bullet and get a pinpointer.
I really know little to nothing about them other than they make target locating a lot faster.

What do you use, what do you like or dislike about it, where can I get one, and average price I should expect to pay?

I will mostly be using it on my Etrac and maybe occasionally on my Explorer XS.

Any replies would be appreciated!
If this has already been discussed, just post the link and we won't have to go over it again.

 

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[diggin jimmy hoffa]

A friend of mine had a Sun-Ray Probe on his E-Trac so I gave it a try on mine for about an hour. That was all I could take of it. I felt the added weight was more than I would want to handle for a day of detecting. When I say a day it is around a good 5-7 hours of hunt time.

The Garrett Pro-Pointer is a good one to use and I did not find any problems of conflict with it and my E-Trac. I did notice that it would start chirping sometimes erratically before it got near a target. I thought the battery was bad so I replaced it. That did not correct the problem so I sent it back to Garrett for a replacement.

While I was waiting on the replacement Pro-Pointer I borrowed my buddy's White's Bulls-Eye II pinpointer. That one I did not like. I felt the vibration was to light when it would indicate a target. The Pro-Pointer has a much stronger vibration. The Garrett is also alot more sensitive and it has audible tone. You can cover up the little speaker with black tape so it is not to loud. It will pickup a coin at 3". Sometimes you don't have to cut a plug if the target is shallow.

I am currently using a Vibra-Probe 580 and like it, but it isn't a Garrett. I think I will stick with the Vibra-Probe for awhile, but most likely will go back to the Garrett.

Hope this helps and if it sounds like I am siding with the Garrett, you're absolutely right.

Good Luck in your decision and Happy Huntin'

DJH

 

[kimsdad]

Mayo, I bought my SE used with a Sunray attached. I transferred it to the E-Trac and use it all the time. I didn't like it too much at first, but I really do now.

I still have a Harbor Freight cheapie that I use when I'm out with my DFX or Bounty Hunter and I'm cladding for poppable coins. I carry it in my bag and once in a while use it with the E-Trac when the target is real small. It will pick up a staple. The Sunray took a little while to get used to. I had it on the SE and would use it to get close to the target, then use the HF to actually find it. Old habits die hard for me. Now I am used to the Sunray and use it almost exclusively.

The Sunray is always right there, it doesn't have a battery to wear out and need replacing, and gives you the tone ID of what it's hitting on. Ask Watercolor - I'm always dropping things - you can't lose the Sunray unless you lose your whole detector because it's attached. I lost a V4 pinpointer in the woods last fall...

If we get a chance to swing together, you are welcome to give mine a try. Some guys have theirs mounted to the rear to help counterbalance the coil weight. Mine is up front. Adding the Sunray makes it heavier, but the E-Trac and SE are heavier than White's to begin with. I guess I just got used to it.

 

[twistidd]

Sunray all the way.

I've used a Vibraprobe, which was OK, and a Bullseye 2, which was sucky...decided to try the Sunray and I will never go battery-powered again! The added weight is something you should get used to in a few hunts.

Most people will agree that once you go Sunray, you'll never go back. Still, a lot of people use the battery-powered pinpointers and have great results. All depends on what you're looking for. If you'd like a pinpointer that works just like your detector, never gets lost, and is always there when you need it, try a Sunray. I've seen the Garrett pinpointer, it looks good too.

Joe

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I use the detectorpro Uniprobe, you will not find a better probe, a little expensive, but worth every dime. It easily detects 4+ inches deep. I bought mine used at a great price, $220. I have used it by itself to hunt under metal bleachers and metal monkey bars where I could not swing my detector.
http://www.detectorpro.com/uniprobe.htm

Now when combined with the EZ-Dig-R system, I can recover a target and when done leave no sign I was ever there digging.
EZDigR Ststem

 

[AmericanCoinHunting]

OK I'm about ready to bite the bullet and get a pinpointer.
I really know little to nothing about them other than they make target locating a lot faster.

What do you use, what do you like or dislike about it, where can I get one, and average price I should expect to pay?

I will mostly be using it on my Etrac and maybe occasionally on my Explorer XS.

Any replies would be appreciated!
If this has already been discussed, just post the link and we won't have to go over it again.

Hi Mayo, Over the last 12 years or so I have owned 2 whites bullseye pp....Wore one out........bought #2.......Then I tried the pistol Probe........Still have it in case of emergency........Now I use the SunRay Probe on my Etrac...
Likes and dislikes ? First the Bullseye PP.... It is light ,and can give a vibration signal or audio beep....I prefered the audio beep.........Then the Pistol Probe.....Same Same.........Both are Pulse Induction like most beach hunting machines it will beep on EVERY nail and bottle cap as well as coin & gold....The bad about both are they have no nail discrimination.....So with the Bullseye,,,I could find a nail about an inch deep,,,,with the pistol Probe,,,,I could find that nail at 3-5" deep,,,or a bb or pellet gun pellet at about 1 1/2 - 2"........THAT will drive you nuts.......But the Pistol probe will stay my #2,,even tho it takes (2)9volt bats to the (1) 9volt bat of the Bulseye....and the Pistol probe CAN be mistaken for the weapon its named after.....
I hunt with an SEF coil which is 5 oz heavier than the Pro coil....But I will put up with that extra weight....Now for the Sunray... ,,,,,and Yes The SunRay makes the machine heavier....But..........When you dig a dime signal that pinpoints 5"....You have dug a plug about 4"-6" deep...The dime will be in the plug or in the hole right ?......If you check the plug and the hole,,,and the target is in neither....it was either a small silver/copper object only maybe 2" from the top of the plug,,,,,or its a Larger than coin size target that was 6"-8" deep instead of the pinpointed 5"...........Turn the Manual sens on and max to 25-30 sens (highest while staying stable) then it can pp up to 3".........Stick that sunray in the hole....and if it sings high audio you know your dime is in there......if it sings low in one part of the hole keep moving the probe around the hole,,,,it may Null out on a
rusty iron nail.....keep moving the probe till you hear that high fluty silver audio,,,,once you have located it ....You can push the pinpoint button on your E-Trac,,,and narrow it down to the excact spot........
I found 1,073 old coins so far this year (791 of them were wheat cents) ....with the help of my SunRay Probe Able to Quickly locate my target.....I am up in 10-15 seconds or so ,after digging the plug...with a goody in my pouch,,,and hunting sometimes a minute or so faster than my competition.........Time is money when your hunt with 007, GOIO,& T-manfromtexas,or Chicago Ron...Mike,orJim P,& the Rockford boys,,in competition for the goodies..
I do not remember what I paid for the Probe and new upper shaft ,,but I think it was around $200.........
But.....My heavy Pinpointer & heavier coil....is worth the extra pain and $$$ to me.

 

[Pocket Spill]

Here has been my experience

1) Had a Fisher F point. It is pretty much worthless.

2) Got a pistol probe. I can't get it to work correctly when I am hunting with my Etrac as I get interference. Doesn't matter how much I try to adjust the threshold or frequency. If I turn my detector off or move it about 3 feet away it works fine but obviouslly not how you want to hunt. I have had one other person tell me of a similar experience with their etrac and a pistol probe regarding interference. I have used it with my Fisher F70 when I have been hunting in a plowed field and it worked well. The other issue with it is that if you are hunting in a trashy area, it will pick up the other trash in or near your hole, i.e pull tabs, nails, etc. and all the signals sound the same.

I plan on getting a sunray probe for my etrac, even though it will add extra weight.

 

[Mayo South Elgin]

Hey thank you everyone for your responses so far! This is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping to get.

 

[olepossum]

stop reading about those other trinkets get the garrett propointer pin pointer thats all i will ever use i have had a bounty hunter pin pointer and the bulls eye2 and now the garrett i wished i would have gotten the propointer to start with ever heard nothing runs like a deer well nothing sounds off like a garrett i have used it by itsself when working sidewalk edges have gotten targets at 3-4 inches using just the propointer .nuff said BUY A GARRETT PROPOINTER

 

[mikewaz]

I bought the ProPointer in March and it's the best accessory I ever bought. I just changed the battery on Saturday after all this time and only because I thought it might be time for a new one. It's light, water resistant, and built like a tank.
Mike

 

[DPBOB]

Sunray all the way.



Most people will agree that once you go Sunray, you'll never go back. All depends on what you're looking for. If you'd like a pinpointer that works just like your detector, never gets lost, and is always there when you need it, try a Sunray.

Joe

Ditto. Ditto.

Whats a couple of ounces? to a heavy machine....SUNRAY all the way...You won't lose it and you won't regret it....

 

[DPBOB]

stop reading about those other trinkets get the garrett propointer pin pointer

so you can lose it and then replace it with a Sunray in line probe....

 

[treasurefiend]

I started out using a Whites Bullseye and it was nice as it was the 1st time I had ever used one, then I moved onto a Tinytec pinpointer, that was good to but that quickly change as it was built cheaply and died half the time so I missed a few silvers thinking it was just a ghost signal so I moved on (Joe got them). The I got the SunRay In-line pinpointer. I will never go back to a hand held pinpointer again!!!! It is so nice to be able to hear a good target from a bad target that are in the same hole. Its like having a 1" coil and it runs through your detector so you hear the same exact sounds as you would with your big coil. As for the weight, its only like 8 or 10oz so you will get used to it like on your 2nd hunt, and above all you never have to worry about loosing it or it running out of batteries as it runs off of your detectors batteries.

Oh I forgot - You can also Pinpoint with the SunRay, just hit the pinpoint function on your detector and use it like a 1" coil to find you target!!!! Best accessory you can buy for any machine!!!

 

[Mayo South Elgin]

Question about the Sunray pinpointer...
Since a few people have mentioned the weight, and I have bad shoulder joints...
Why do people mount it on the detector? Can it be hip or belt mounted so that you don't have to swing it around while detecting?

 

[tmanfromtexas]

OK I'm about ready to bite the bullet and get a pinpointer.
I really know little to nothing about them other than they make target locating a lot faster.

What do you use, what do you like or dislike about it, where can I get one, and average price I should expect to pay?

I will mostly be using it on my Etrac and maybe occasionally on my Explorer XS.

Any replies would be appreciated!
If this has already been discussed, just post the link and we won't have to go over it again.

Hi Mayo, Over the last 12 years or so I have owned 2 whites bullseye pp....Wore one out........bought #2.......Then I tried the pistol Probe........Still have it in case of emergency........Now I use the SunRay Probe on my Etrac...
Likes and dislikes ? First the Bullseye PP.... It is light ,and can give a vibration signal or audio beep....I prefered the audio beep.........Then the Pistol Probe.....Same Same.........Both are Pulse Induction like most beach hunting machines it will beep on EVERY nail and bottle cap as well as coin & gold....The bad about both are they have no nail discrimination.....So with the Bullseye,,,I could find a nail about an inch deep,,,,with the pistol Probe,,,,I could find that nail at 3-5" deep,,,or a bb or pellet gun pellet at about 1 1/2 - 2"........THAT will drive you nuts.......But the Pistol probe will stay my #2,,even tho it takes (2)9volt bats to the (1) 9volt bat of the Bulseye....and the Pistol probe CAN be mistaken for the weapon its named after.....
I hunt with an SEF coil which is 5 oz heavier than the Pro coil....But I will put up with that extra weight....Now for the Sunray... ,,,,,and Yes The SunRay makes the machine heavier....But..........When you dig a dime signal that pinpoints 5"....You have dug a plug about 4"-6" deep...The dime will be in the plug or in the hole right ?......If you check the plug and the hole,,,and the target is in neither....it was either a small silver/copper object only maybe 2" from the top of the plug,,,,,or its a Larger than coin size target that was 6"-8" deep instead of the pinpointed 5"...........Turn the Manual sens on and max to 25-30 sens (highest while staying stable) then it can pp up to 3".........Stick that sunray in the hole....and if it sings high audio you know your dime is in there......if it sings low in one part of the hole keep moving the probe around the hole,,,,it may Null out on a
rusty iron nail.....keep moving the probe till you hear that high fluty silver audio,,,,once you have located it ....You can push the pinpoint button on your E-Trac,,,and narrow it down to the excact spot........
I found 1,073 old coins so far this year (791 of them were wheat cents) ....with the help of my SunRay Probe Able to Quickly locate my target.....I am up in 10-15 seconds or so ,after digging the plug...with a goody in my pouch,,,and hunting sometimes a minute or so faster than my competition.........Time is money when your hunt with 007, GOIO,& T-manfromtexas,or Chicago Ron...Mike,orJim P,& the Rockford boys,,in competition for the goodies..
I do not remember what I paid for the Probe and new upper shaft ,,but I think it was around $200.........
But.....My heavy Pinpointer & heavier coil....is worth the extra pain and $$$ to me.

Dave, I dont think I could have said it better myself. Having the ability to hear the sunray in the headphones, hearing the same tones and nulls is worth every penny I paid for BOTH my sunray's that are on my etracs (yes I have two due to living here and having my place in TEXAS). There is a little weight addition but after using it a few times, I couldnt tell a difference, and that is coming off using an F75 which was the lightest machine I have ever owned. TMAN...

 

[kimsdad]

Question about the Sunray pinpointer...
Since a few people have mentioned the weight, and I have bad shoulder joints...
Why do people mount it on the detector? Can it be hip or belt mounted so that you don't have to swing it around while detecting?

Because your coil plugs into the sunray switchbox, the switchbox connects to your detector (where the coil would connect if you didn't have the Sunray). When you flip the switch to activate the Sunray, you are bypassing your main coil and activating the tiny coil in the Sunray probe. I suppose it could be done with the right extension wires/connectors, but you'd be tethered to your machine by wires and it would be impractical. I don't know about you, but I have enough trouble just keeping the headphone wire from getting caught on things.

Hook up with one of us who has one on the E-Trac, Mayo. Give it a try. It really isn't that bad for the performance you get.

 

[olepossum]

buy the best no need to use the rest quit second guessing your self BUY A GARRETT PROPOINTER

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

The Uniprobe will detect 4-6 inches deep on coins, I know of no other pinpointer that will detect that deep. Plus it works on all detectors, no need to buy a pinpointer for each detector you own like the Sunray.

 

[AmericanCoinHunting]

Posted by: Treasure_Hunter
Insert Quote
The Uniprobe will detect 4-6 inches deep on coins, I know of no other pinpointer that will detect that deep. Plus it works on all detectors, no need to buy a pinpointer for each detector you own like the Sunray.
Posted on: Today at 02:15:51 PMPosted by: olepossum
Insert Quote
buy the best no need to use the rest quit second guessing your self BUY A GARRETT PROPOINTER

What Do You work for Garrett L.O.L.


If you own an E-Trac...odds are you don't use any other machine (except maybe your Explorer)for Land hunting!
SunRay CAN get your target up to 3" if adjusted properly,,,,A N D ....it will give you the same tone for that target with the probe as you heard threw the coil....You will also hear a lower tone if a pop top is in the hole,,,or it will null on iron in coins mode....
I have the pistol probe that is very simular to the Uniprobe yet the pistol probe has been seen (on a You Tube video) to find a target @ 6"...& is adjustable to be less sensitive down to about an inch...........Both are PI Pinpointers as well as the Garrett Propointer......
I can not understand prefering to voluntarily dig a nail or bottle cap just because your PP cannot tell the difference between iron ,and silver ,or Gold.......SUNRAY CAN tell the difference........
If you took a poll of E-Trac users....I would be willing to wager that as much as 80% use the SunRay X-1 exclusively...
Why downgrade to a P.I. Pinpointer,,and dig the 3 iron targets before you dig the silver dime.....WASTE OF TIME !
Cut your recovery time more than 50% and get a SunRay.......You will never go back to your old P.I. PP...(Voluntarily

 

[treasurefiend]

Posted by: Treasure_Hunter
Insert Quote
The Uniprobe will detect 4-6 inches deep on coins, I know of no other pinpointer that will detect that deep. Plus it works on all detectors, no need to buy a pinpointer for each detector you own like the Sunray.
Posted on: Today at 02:15:51 PMPosted by: olepossum
Insert Quote
buy the best no need to use the rest quit second guessing your self BUY A GARRETT PROPOINTER

What Do You work for Garrett L.O.L.


If you own an E-Trac...odds are you don't use any other machine (except maybe your Explorer)for Land hunting!
SunRay CAN get your target up to 3" if adjusted properly,,,,A N D ....it will give you the same tone for that target with the probe as you heard threw the coil....You will also hear a lower tone if a pop top is in the hole,,,or it will null on iron in coins mode....
I have the pistol probe that is very simular to the Uniprobe yet the pistol probe has been seen (on a You Tube video) to find a target @ 6"...& is adjustable to be less sensitive down to about an inch...........Both are PI Pinpointers as well as the Garrett Propointer......
I can not understand prefering to voluntarily dig a nail or bottle cap just because your PP cannot tell the difference between iron ,and silver ,or Gold.......SUNRAY CAN tell the difference........
If you took a poll of E-Trac users....I would be willing to wager that as much as 80% use the SunRay X-1 exclusively...
Why downgrade to a P.I. Pinpointer,,and dig the 3 iron targets before you dig the silver dime.....WASTE OF TIME !
Cut your recovery time more than 50% and get a SunRay.......You will never go back to your old P.I. PP...(Voluntarily

I agree 100% - Get the SunRay!!!!