The Garret Pro-Pointer is worth every penny.

[mr helton]

I've been using the pointer that comes with the F2 since I got it a week ago, and it's been alright, really just good for poking through loose dirt after I pull it out of the ground.

Anyway today my Pro-Pointer came in and I couldn't be happier with it. I can't believe the range. Probably 50% of the holes I dug before getting it ended up empty because I couldn't find the loot with the Fisher pointer. Today I found the object in every single hole I dug! I can't believe it, this is gonna be game changing!

 

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[SusanMN]

Be sure you keep a spare battery on you or in the car. The Propointer will start making noise, staying on and generally acting goofy with no forewarning. And if you are like me, if the Propointer isn't working, I'm done hunting.

 

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[kickit]

I use the same trick but with my ring that i always have on anyway rather than a coin. Works the same and almost doubles the depth.

 

[Minrelica]

I guess it depends on how you look at it. The whole point of a pin pointer is to tell you with more precision, the location of a target, that your detector and eyes, could not. Knowing "exactly" where in the side of hole my target actually lies vs. where I thought it was, allows me to focus any additional amount of effort, in the right place. Can make for faster retrieval and help prevent scratching up a find.

The procedure might sound complicated, but I tuck the coin in cuff of my glove and it takes me 7-8 seconds to do.

What I'm getting at is this... You pinpoint a target with your detector, you dig a plug and your pinpointer doesn't beep. This only means that you didn't dig deep enough (or the object is in the plug). So logically, I would dig a deeper plug but you are saying to pull out a coin, do yer trick to get more depth out of your pinpointer and then..... dig deeper? I see no practical use for the method. What other result is there besides dig deeper? Abort?

I just don't understand where you're coming from.

 

[Jesse James]

Just picked my Propointer up at Cabelas a few weeks ago. Amazing. Can't dig without it now.

 

[JRMan]

Be sure you keep a spare battery on you or in the car. The Propointer will start making noise, staying on and generally acting goofy with no forewarning. And if you are like me, if the Propointer isn't working, I'm done hunting.

I was in a local park the other day when my Pro Pointer stopped working (dead battery). My 30 seconds a hole went to 3-4 min. I had forgotten to pack an extra battery.. Left the park and went get a very expensive one at the convenience store.. Back in action.. I just don't even like hunting if my Pro Pointer is not working..

 

[scaupus]

There's always a party crasher, and I guess that's me. I am looking forward to getting the pro-pointer some day, and am convinced I shouldn't buy any other that might cost 80, 50 or even $40.

But, I did buy the $17 pinpointer sold at Harbor Freight. It works. My white's spectrum eagle pinpoints pretty good, then the HF pointer gets me the rest of the way there. You can adjust the sensitivity of the HF pointer with a knob on top, to conveniently narrow down the target area if its responding all over the hole, or to increase sensitivity if no response. In addition, I drilled a hole in the case, so that I could do gross adjustment of the sensitivity screw adjustment, as it seems to be more sensitive in hot weather, and less in cold, so much so that it can go out of range when temperature change is great. If target is deep, I keep checking with the detector to make sure it's still in the hole, and that I'm actually in the right vicinity.

One issue is that the on/off contact gets dirty and operation becomes erratic. I tried keeping it in a bag, but that was not convenient inside a hole, then I made a hole in the bag for the wand, and that was better, but I do like going bare, lol., so I just cleaned the switch with wd-40 when it started getting hinky, and it's working perfectly again. I'm not sure if that will screw it up eventually.

Another problem is that the temptation to use the wand to push dirt...to dig...is hard to beat, hole after hole. It's a bad habit, like using a knife as a screwdriver, only it's a more constant temptation than that. That will kill it, as there is just one screw in plastic holding the wand down, and once that no longer can hold tight, the tiny gauge wires that attach to the wand won't make it. The trick is self discipline, which is hard when you're in the heat of a coin or ring chase. But even just the action of sweeping it around a hole in contact with the dirt may, I think, eventually mess it up, the way the wand is fixed is just not industrial enough. And pressing it against the dirt improves the signal, so I always end up doing that.

 

[finderskeepers]

What I'm getting at is this... You pinpoint a target with your detector, you dig a plug and your pinpointer doesn't beep. This only means that you didn't dig deep enough (or the object is in the plug). So logically, I would dig a deeper plug but you are saying to pull out a coin, do yer trick to get more depth out of your pinpointer and then..... dig deeper? I see no practical use for the method. What other result is there besides dig deeper? Abort?

I just don't understand where you're coming from.

Sorry don't understand what you don't understand. You've used the word "trick" in both your replies to me. I don't know you, but it's not unreasonable for me to wonder if you feel like I'm trying to deceive you or anyone else.

If every single target you dig is textbook and you and your detector are never wrong,congratulations and yes, waste of money and waste of time. This is not a technique that I use all the time and I'm sure the ProPointer could end up being a crutch for those who are sloppy with their detecting and pinpointing. I've had a year to practice and I feel I've become very good at pinpointing with my DFX. That being said... I have 6 different coils and hunt in some very varying ground. Pinpoint isn't always as exact as I strive for.

If I was content pulling quarters and dimes 2-3" deep from the local park, I feel confident enough in my abilities to ditch both the pin pointer and a digger and just flip em up with a screwdriver. I'm not content with that type of hunting. As a newcomer to this pursuit, I recognize that I have much to learn. I've come to realize that in many cases, I'm probably swing my my coil over soil that has been swung over many times before. As I gain skill and confidence, I'm much more likely to spend time investigating a signal that isn't WHAM-BAM obvious, but has some positive element(s). One that others less skilled or caring may have passed over all these previous times.

Sooo many variables involved, so I'll just use a couple scenarios to illustrate my way of thinking.

Local park: "strange" signal...VDI @ +25 -+28 sweeping from several directions, also a +74 - +76 popping up(repeatable, but not every sweep). Pinpoint tells me it is 5" deep.
Ok, so very likely a pulltab BUT, might also be a ring. I'm in the park so "large" plugs are both unwarranted(unless I'm sloppy) and unwelcome. I cut a 3-4" wide plug down to 5" and flip it up. I find the pulltab after moving a little bit of the soil. I dutifully check the hole with my PP before filling back in and notice a random weak chirp or 2. So, something else is here!?! Where? I remember the other tone and the other silver I've found not far from here.

Sure I can pull out the Lesche and "investigate". +74- +76 is where silver dimes ring and 5- 6 1/2" depth gives a little more credence to that that likelihood. Why wouldn't I spend just 7 or 8 seconds to verify that YES there is a merc dime sitting 2" below and 1" off the side of that hole and I didn't scrape across the face of it, investigating with my Lesche.

Relic hunting: what does a straight razor buried in 1840 show for a VDI @in mini soota? Is there a formula or technique you are willing to share that I can use to give me a 100% accurate depth on such such and un-coinlike object? Sometimes out in the middle of the woods here in MA, I find myself digging signals that I have NO IDEA of what they may be. Although my experience is limited, it hasn't been as hard as rocket science for me to figure out that my pin pointing "may" be off on some of these targets. Yeah digging a "big" plug, just in case might solve some of the issue, but breaking it apart can be pretty time consuming also.

It may not have been so clearly stated before, but I find my technique to helpful sometimes in striking a good balance between speed of retrieval and reduced risk of damaging a find.

In any case, whether in the woods or the park, my personal preference is to cause minimal disruption to the "enviroment". This just feels more respectful to me for fellow citizens (past and present) the artifact and the land. While bigger plugs and more digging might always be better/easier for some...I'm gonna try to keep it at only when absolutley needed for me.

My original intent was to pay it back and pass along something that I have found useful to another community member. I hope to be here for a long time to come, learning and sharing.Maybe that's a hidden benefit of being so new...I am more than willing to hear advice from others and apply to my own situation if it seems to make sense or disregard it if it doesn't.

 

[Minrelica]

There's always a party crasher, and I guess that's me. I am looking forward to getting the pro-pointer some day, and am convinced I shouldn't buy any other that might cost 80, 50 or even $40.

But, I did buy the $17 pinpointer sold at Harbor Freight. It works. My white's spectrum eagle pinpoints pretty good, then the HF pointer gets me the rest of the way there. You can adjust the sensitivity of the HF pointer with a knob on top, to conveniently narrow down the target area if its responding all over the hole, or to increase sensitivity if no response. In addition, I drilled a hole in the case, so that I could do gross adjustment of the sensitivity screw adjustment, as it seems to be more sensitive in hot weather, and less in cold, so much so that it can go out of range when temperature change is great. If target is deep, I keep checking with the detector to make sure it's still in the hole, and that I'm actually in the right vicinity.

One issue is that the on/off contact gets dirty and operation becomes erratic. I tried keeping it in a bag, but that was not convenient inside a hole, then I made a hole in the bag for the wand, and that was better, but I do like going bare, lol., so I just cleaned the switch with wd-40 when it started getting hinky, and it's working perfectly again. I'm not sure if that will screw it up eventually.

Another problem is that the temptation to use the wand to push dirt...to dig...is hard to beat, hole after hole. It's a bad habit, like using a knife as a screwdriver, only it's a more constant temptation than that. That will kill it, as there is just one screw in plastic holding the wand down, and once that no longer can hold tight, the tiny gauge wires that attach to the wand won't make it. The trick is self discipline, which is hard when you're in the heat of a coin or ring chase. But even just the action of sweeping it around a hole in contact with the dirt may, I think, eventually mess it up, the way the wand is fixed is just not industrial enough. And pressing it against the dirt improves the signal, so I always end up doing that.

If the Harbor Freight pinpointer works for you then that's awesome. I'm glad that it's been doing the job for you. My personal opinion however is that they are complete garbage and every one operates differently... no consistency whatsoever. Again, this is just my personal opinion from my personal experience with them.

 

[christo000]

Sorry don't understand what you don't understand. You've used the word "trick" in both your replies to me. I don't know you, but it's not unreasonable for me to wonder if you feel like I'm trying to deceive you or anyone else.

If every single target you dig is textbook and you and your detector are never wrong,congratulations and yes, waste of money and waste of time. This is not a technique that I use all the time and I'm sure the ProPointer could end up being a crutch for those who are sloppy with their detecting and pinpointing. I've had a year to practice and I feel I've become very good at pinpointing with my DFX. That being said... I have 6 different coils and hunt in some very varying ground. Pinpoint isn't always as exact as I strive for.

If I was content pulling quarters and dimes 2-3" deep from the local park, I feel confident enough in my abilities to ditch both the pin pointer and a digger and just flip em up with a screwdriver. I'm not content with that type of hunting. As a newcomer to this pursuit, I recognize that I have much to learn. I've come to realize that in many cases, I'm probably swing my my coil over soil that has been swung over many times before. As I gain skill and confidence, I'm much more likely to spend time investigating a signal that isn't WHAM-BAM obvious, but has some positive element(s). One that others less skilled or caring may have passed over all these previous times.

Sooo many variables involved, so I'll just use a couple scenarios to illustrate my way of thinking.

Local park: "strange" signal...VDI @ +25 -+28 sweeping from several directions, also a +74 - +76 popping up(repeatable, but not every sweep). Pinpoint tells me it is 5" deep.
Ok, so very likely a pulltab BUT, might also be a ring. I'm in the park so "large" plugs are both unwarranted(unless I'm sloppy) and unwelcome. I cut a 3-4" wide plug down to 5" and flip it up. I find the pulltab after moving a little bit of the soil. I dutifully check the hole with my PP before filling back in and notice a random weak chirp or 2. So, something else is here!?! Where? I remember the other tone and the other silver I've found not far from here.

Sure I can pull out the Lesche and "investigate". +74- +76 is where silver dimes ring and 5- 6 1/2" depth gives a little more credence to that that likelihood. Why wouldn't I spend just 7 or 8 seconds to verify that YES there is a merc dime sitting 2" below and 1" off the side of that hole and I didn't scrape across the face of it, investigating with my Lesche.

Relic hunting: what does a straight razor buried in 1840 show for a VDI @in mini soota? Is there a formula or technique you are willing to share that I can use to give me a 100% accurate depth on such such and un-coinlike object? Sometimes out in the middle of the woods here in MA, I find myself digging signals that I have NO IDEA of what they may be. Although my experience is limited, it hasn't been as hard as rocket science for me to figure out that my pin pointing "may" be off on some of these targets. Yeah digging a "big" plug, just in case might solve some of the issue, but breaking it apart can be pretty time consuming also.

It may not have been so clearly stated before, but I find my technique to helpful sometimes in striking a good balance between speed of retrieval and reduced risk of damaging a find.

In any case, whether in the woods or the park, my personal preference is to cause minimal disruption to the "enviroment". This just feels more respectful to me for fellow citizens (past and present) the artifact and the land. While bigger plugs and more digging might always be better/easier for some...I'm gonna try to keep it at only when absolutley needed for me.

My original intent was to pay it back and pass along something that I have found useful to another community member. I hope to be here for a long time to come, learning and sharing.Maybe that's a hidden benefit of being so new...I am more than willing to hear advice from others and apply to my own situation if it seems to make sense or disregard it if it doesn't.

Yes & im also one of the many WHO has tried this out & yes it does work very well gives me an idea if I should dig a foot more or just an extra inch my opinion works & works well in all enviorments

 

[finderskeepers]

Hey Christo...I appreciate the support LOL but where I'm coming from it seems less about whether it "works"...try it and see. Your pointer is either more sensitive or it is not. Simple!
If it is...can you use this tool/technique to give you an advantage? Like most of the other great advice I have found here, the answer is absolutely, positively MAYBE! It depends on a lot of different things. There are several options that come to mind when your machine steers you wrong on a pinpoint. This is one technique that you MAY or MAY NOT find helpful.

I am one who will gladly invest a handful of seconds to minimize damage to a find in almost every case. Again a 1973 quarter in the park...who cares scoop it and go. A 1901 Morgan Dollar or 200 year old button from Yankee commanders sleeve... anything less than really careful digging could quickly change it from treasure to

If you have already committed to the pinpoint, your on your knees, dug your hole/plug and come up empty...this could be a quicker way to find a target that lies nearby (or in your big plug) .

If you've dug a hole 8" across and 8" deep and find no target, is it so impossible to think that this might also be faster than scraping the sides of the entire hole and busting up the plug to check further? Trying to determine, with more precision, where investing any more time and effort might produce results, doesn't seem like a dumb thing to do.

 

[team sidewinder]

Love my Garrett ProPointer BUT here is the story. Only had my ProPointer a couple of months ( which I had taped up so it still looked brand new ) and it worked great but went into a prospectors shop and they had a Minelab ProFinder 25 which was calling my name and after a demo in the shop I thought it worked better than my ProPointer so sold the old reliable pointer for the new razzoo Minelab ProFinder 25. Now here is where it gets good. The Minelab quit working a half hour and a couple of miles out of the store so back I go to get a refund and my old ( really new ) Garrett back. Try as he may the store saleperson couldn't couldn't get the Minelab to work either. Got a refund and my old Garrett back which the saleperson had already put a $80 over what he gave me for it price tag on it.

Never again will I forsake my good old ( new ) ProPointer'

 

[scotty544]

Love my Garrett ProPointer BUT here is the story. Only had my ProPointer a couple of months ( which I had taped up so it still looked brand new ) and it worked great but went into a prospectors shop and they had a Minelab ProFinder 25 which was calling my name and after a demo in the shop I thought it worked better than my ProPointer so sold the old reliable pointer for the new razzoo Minelab ProFinder 25. Now here is where it gets good. The Minelab quit working a half hour and a couple of miles out of the store so back I go to get a refund and my old ( really new ) Garrett back. Try as he may the store saleperson couldn't couldn't get the Minelab to work either. Got a refund and my old Garrett back which the saleperson had already put a $80 over what he gave me for it price tag on it.

Never again will I forsake my good old ( new ) ProPointer'

$80 over that sounds about right! That's awesome! And that's why I use kellyco.

 

[team sidewinder]

Well the prospectors shop salesperson gives me $50 for my 2 month old Garrett towards the new $169 Minelab ProFind 25 and when I have to come back to the shop a short time later that same day with the now non-working Minelab I see he has my Garrett ProPointer already on the shelf with a sticker on it for $120. Any way it all worked out with me getting my working Garrett ProPointer back and the price difference refunded.

Just disappointed with the Minelab ProFind 25 quality and not sure what made it quit working in the such very short time I tried to use it. I use a Minelab X-terra 705 and have never had a problem with which is why I thought I would get the Minelab ProFinder instead of the Garrett ProPointer. I was way wrong.

 

[catfisherman]

Who has the best deal on the pro pointer seen one on ebay for 120 is there a better deal out there

 

[finderskeepers]

Well the prospectors shop salesperson gives me $50 for my 2 month old Garrett towards the new $169 Minelab ProFind 25 and when I have to come back to the shop a short time later that same day with the now non-working Minelab I see he has my Garrett ProPointer already on the shelf with a sticker on it for $120. Any way it all worked out with me getting my working Garrett ProPointer back and the price difference refunded.

Just disappointed with the Minelab ProFind 25 quality and not sure what made it quit working in the such very short time I tried to use it. I use a Minelab X-terra 705 and have never had a problem with which is why I thought I would get the Minelab ProFinder instead of the Garrett ProPointer. I was way wrong.

hmmm... full retail on the minelab, 37% on the trade-in but then marks it up to 96% of retail? Maybe he was gonna let someone offer 20% less when they bought it. You know just to build goodwill and maybe gain a returning customer. Oh, wait...he already had that opportunity. Hope you have other choices for your future purchases.

 

[finderskeepers]

oops,the maths are off, I had remembered you saying $80 over in your original post.

 

[team sidewinder]

My bad. My math was off.

 

[Minrelica]

Sorry don't understand what you don't understand. You've used the word "trick" in both your replies to me. I don't know you, but it's not unreasonable for me to wonder if you feel like I'm trying to deceive you or anyone else.

If every single target you dig is textbook and you and your detector are never wrong,congratulations and yes, waste of money and waste of time. This is not a technique that I use all the time and I'm sure the ProPointer could end up being a crutch for those who are sloppy with their detecting and pinpointing. I've had a year to practice and I feel I've become very good at pinpointing with my DFX. That being said... I have 6 different coils and hunt in some very varying ground. Pinpoint isn't always as exact as I strive for.

If I was content pulling quarters and dimes 2-3" deep from the local park, I feel confident enough in my abilities to ditch both the pin pointer and a digger and just flip em up with a screwdriver. I'm not content with that type of hunting. As a newcomer to this pursuit, I recognize that I have much to learn. I've come to realize that in many cases, I'm probably swing my my coil over soil that has been swung over many times before. As I gain skill and confidence, I'm much more likely to spend time investigating a signal that isn't WHAM-BAM obvious, but has some positive element(s). One that others less skilled or caring may have passed over all these previous times.

Sooo many variables involved, so I'll just use a couple scenarios to illustrate my way of thinking.

Local park: "strange" signal...VDI @ +25 -+28 sweeping from several directions, also a +74 - +76 popping up(repeatable, but not every sweep). Pinpoint tells me it is 5" deep.
Ok, so very likely a pulltab BUT, might also be a ring. I'm in the park so "large" plugs are both unwarranted(unless I'm sloppy) and unwelcome. I cut a 3-4" wide plug down to 5" and flip it up. I find the pulltab after moving a little bit of the soil. I dutifully check the hole with my PP before filling back in and notice a random weak chirp or 2. So, something else is here!?! Where? I remember the other tone and the other silver I've found not far from here.

Sure I can pull out the Lesche and "investigate". +74- +76 is where silver dimes ring and 5- 6 1/2" depth gives a little more credence to that that likelihood. Why wouldn't I spend just 7 or 8 seconds to verify that YES there is a merc dime sitting 2" below and 1" off the side of that hole and I didn't scrape across the face of it, investigating with my Lesche.

Relic hunting: what does a straight razor buried in 1840 show for a VDI @in mini soota? Is there a formula or technique you are willing to share that I can use to give me a 100% accurate depth on such such and un-coinlike object? Sometimes out in the middle of the woods here in MA, I find myself digging signals that I have NO IDEA of what they may be. Although my experience is limited, it hasn't been as hard as rocket science for me to figure out that my pin pointing "may" be off on some of these targets. Yeah digging a "big" plug, just in case might solve some of the issue, but breaking it apart can be pretty time consuming also.

It may not have been so clearly stated before, but I find my technique to helpful sometimes in striking a good balance between speed of retrieval and reduced risk of damaging a find.

In any case, whether in the woods or the park, my personal preference is to cause minimal disruption to the "enviroment". This just feels more respectful to me for fellow citizens (past and present) the artifact and the land. While bigger plugs and more digging might always be better/easier for some...I'm gonna try to keep it at only when absolutley needed for me.

My original intent was to pay it back and pass along something that I have found useful to another community member. I hope to be here for a long time to come, learning and sharing.Maybe that's a hidden benefit of being so new...I am more than willing to hear advice from others and apply to my own situation if it seems to make sense or disregard it if it doesn't.

I read the first line, saw how you reacted to the term "trick" and knew exactly what I was in store for... Recited VDI's that mean absolutely nothing and the always priceless "flipping coins with a screwdriver"... I also like how you take offense to the word "trick" yet you keep the coin in your cuff.. So much for nothin' up my sleeve.. Does it work, Yes... Waste of time? IMO.. YES. If you think that all I'm digging is shallow clad then go pull up some of my threads and educate yourself.

You go back to the laboratory and calculate the precise formula for extracting metal targets from the earth and I'll go out metal detecting and actually enjoy myself.

Please do keep giving your input, that's what makes the forum go-round...

 

[finderskeepers]

Sorry all that went over your head...you'd think I would have learned by now that when you get over 1,000 posts, your opinions become more valuable.