Gang Please tell me how probes are beneficial

[Mat Hastings]

Hi gang, say how in the world does the probe help out when your digging? Is it worth getting one? I'm not at all familiar with these things. I finally got out and did some detecting cause like Cherokee said the snow melting is finally hitting Bucky country. Thanks for sending the warm weather Cherokee. Well I found 5 pennies from the 80's and 90's and yes the ground is still very frozen in a lot of areas yet. Have a good day and if you can help me out I'd appreciate it.

 

[dirt jockey]

Matt, this is purely my personal opinion, which by the way, is worth about 3 pull tabs and 1 screw cap. Like metal detectors, they are a matter of personal choice. When I seriously began this hobby I got caught up in the hype and was convinced I need one. I actually own two of them and don't use them at all. To me, they are one more thing I have to carry around and not worth the effort. I will admit, there have been a few times I wish I had taken the effort to bring it along. Those times when you know it's there and you can't find it to save your life. As a result I have become very efficient at pinpointing and using my trusty 9 inch narrow screwdriver. Some people will swear by them and that's great, personally, it's just another accessory I can do without. My advice (remember the 3 pull tabs and 1 screw cap) is continue to learn the hobby, and if at some point you really feel you need one, ask around, do your homework, and get one that you feel good about.

 

[Wayne/TX]

Matt, like dirt jockey said, it's mostly personal opinion. If you're good at
pinpointing with your detector then you don't really need one. But if
you're not quite sure of a coin's location, then you can push the probe down
until you feel it touch the coin with solidity. If you use one, make sure it's
the brass shaft type so as to not scratch a valuable coin. I've still got a
good one but seldom use it. Oh yes, it can also be good for judging depth
of a coin if your detector has no depth indicator.
..W

 

[GRAY GHOST]

well mat, i'll put it to like this: if you dont feel good about your pinpointing skills on your machine, then you need a pinpointer... or do you? i have to side with dirt jockey on this, make sure you take the time to learn your machine and the hobby first. ive never owned a pinpointer, and probably never will. never felt the need for one. and ive been quite successful without one. when you and your machine become one unit, youll know it. theres a cool little place that time and experience with your machine will take you to - intuition city. and theres not a pinpointer on the face of the earth that can duplicate that. just my two cents, hh,

 

[BH-LandStar]

Using a pinpointer saves me time when digging...I never got the grasp of using a probe...I could jab the thing in the ground 10 times and not find my target... The pinpointer on the other hand is invaluable to me...I am good at pinpointing with the detector...I then dig a flap if in grass, and a plug if in hard dirt...I dig down to the depth that the detector said, then if I cannot find my target, I use the pinpointer to find the object in the flap, or the hole..watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XoKFGYeyCg

HH,

BH-LandStar

 

[Mat Hastings]

WOW, thanks again guys for all the info. I will check that off my training list here.

 

[dobbie]

how much does a pinpointer usually cost and where would i get one?

 

[BH-LandStar]

Pinpointers can run anywhere from $40.00 to $400.00 depending on model, features, and where you get them.

Try here for starters:

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/indexmain.htm


HH,

BH-LandStar

 

[Indiana-FH]

I agree with BH-Landstar... even as I get better and better Pinpointing with my MD... My probe has been a great benefit in this hobby......It cuts down my digging time and
locate and recover my target....

 

[gordygroover]

Here is a dumb question......
How can we determine if a conversation is about probes or pinpointers??
I think of a probe as a device used to push into the undesturbed ground to make contact with a target and I believe a pinpointer is a electronic tool that signals when a target is in close contact.
We have to figure some way to understand what it is we are talking about here folks.

 

[southon37]

I've used a probe since I started metal detecting in early Nov07. I have a Sherlock pin pointer and I found a multiple ring tabs a several coins. It's not easy looking for something on edge .Everyone does what best suits them and I respect that but for me I do use one. Happy Hunting!