I Could Use A Lesson In Pinpointing

[Critterhunter]

I've always pinpointed with a double D coil by using the tip or tail of the coil to find the target. That works fine for most targets but I find that when the target is real deep I have trouble finding it. I mostly PP in discriminate these days but do use PP mode some times. I could use advice on learning to use the center of the coil to PP so that I don't have any trouble finding deeper targets. How do you guys go about doing that? I never really have given it much of a try because like I said I've always used the tip or tail of the coil.

 

[tomtomnc]

The reason why i hesitate is because I find myself turning to you for most of my information on the subject of the Sov GT. You are without a doubt a guru on the topic of metal detecting with the GT.There are many facets in this hobby of ours some we are strong at and others we can improve in kudos to you. Most of all I know I have learned from this forum and you and I thank you for that... here we go. When I pinpoint deep small targets I try to pinpoint the best i can in disc then I flip over to all metal and try to locate the target there. Sometimes you may have to turn up the threshold a little louder to pick up the location of the target.I find that if I'm in a iron infested area I have to train myself to stay within a square foot area of the initial search so not to pick up a different undesirable shallower target a foot and a half away from my desired target. I find the ability to concentrate on the sound of the threshold in all metal mode is key to pinpointing the very deep targets.Tight fitting quality headphone helped me the most in pulling up the deep ones.I hope this helps and HH.

 

[Critterhunter]

Thanks but there are others with much more experience on the Sovereign than me. My problem with using the tip or tail of the coil is that some real deep targets won't show up that way and can only be heard with the center of the coil. In other words, if something is very deep it isn't sounding off to the very edge of the coil and is now sounding off further into the coil. That's why I need to figure out how to PP using the center of the coil. I could use a basic explaination as to using the center line of the coil to PP.

 

[tomtomnc]

You may want to switch pinpointing style .I pinpoint with the 10" tornado coil by using the blue sticker sign right in the center of the coil.(beneath the tornado sticker) I do this on shallow targets as well as intermediate target so when it comes to deep targets nothing changes but the strength of the signal. That's when I do the steps above.Try pinpointing with the sticker as a primary style and use the heel and toe style as a backup .Give it a few hunts to get use to it,you won't regret it. HH

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Critter,I usually use the 800 Tornado coil which isn't as critical on pin pointing as the larger Tornado coil.My sight point on this coil for my target is the word Tornado on the little square decal,which will usually put me right on top of my target. HH Ron

 

[pamlicopanther]

I first learned to detect using a Tesoro with the 8 x 9 concentric coil. Doing an X pattern over the target with the center of the coil as target spot is the only way I know. With that said, when I got my Excalibur with a 10" tornado coil I found I could use this same technigue. I also find the sticker in the center to be my spot. This is the best way I have found though the tornado can still be tricky. I can't find a target very well at all with the toe and heel method.

 

[Rick(ND)]

Pinpointing with the tip of the coil works good on targets that are not deep, but on all the deeper targets or iffy ones I will go to pinpoint and go slide to side to center the signal, but not forward or backwards. Now when I find the center i will push the coil to the ground so it don't move from that spot and turn myself 90 degrees and pinpoint again going side to side again and when you find the center where the signal is the loudest the target will be in the very center of the coil now. I suppose to can do this in disc too if you are careful, but I find in pinpoint I can see if the target moves indicating iron or another target next to the one I am trying to pinpoint.
Now when trying to pinpoint in disc and using the tip of the coil on the ones not real deep I will move the coil back to where I don't get the signal and forward until I do then come at it from a different Angle and do the same. Now depending on the coil you are using you will know where the spot is in the tip of the coil where the signal is coming from so by coming at it from 2 angles or more you can pinpoint right on most of the time other than the target is at a angle as the signal can be off a bit in disc, but in pinpoint it should be right on if you did the pinpoint right.
I also like this for those iffy signal you are not 100% sure of as after I did the pinpoint in all metal to find the center I will hold the coil over that spot as the target is in the center of the coil and switch back to disc and slightly wiggle the coil, if the threshold increases or don't change I will be digging, but if it is nulling i know it is a iron object.
I also use a Sun Ray S-1 pin pointer as i can dig a plug as small as 2-3 inches diameter and put the probe in the hole in all metal and will get a signal a good 4 inches away and 90% of the time it is in the very center of the hole I dug the plug out. I find the recovery is fast when you take the time to pinpoint correctly before you dig. This also helps when doing nice lawns as I can dig a small diameter plug and go deep, but in most cases where I detect i dig about a 4-5 inch plug, then use my S-1 probe in the hole and can hear where it is and go deeper or to the side a little, recover the target and back detecting.

Rick

 

[opa81]

I do not wast any valuable searching time by switching to the PP mode and then back to the Disc mode again

When I see some of the video's here I see several people take forever before they start digging. By the time they start digging I'm already on my way to the next target.

Perhaps it is a matter of changing your digging technique. Why not start digging in the disk mode and take 1 scoop more out of the hole.

Think that will save you some valuable searching time.

Andre

 

[park pirate]

I never pinpoint with the sovereign even when its deep, in fact the deeper the target the easier it is to pinpoint i just wiggle over the target and the center will be under the tornado emblem on your coil every time for me, or just in the side of the hole. And i do the same with my explorer.

 

[Birdseed]

Critter

Welcome back,
I have been out of circulation for about 3 months, see my post "Blocked from Findmall" yesterday.
I pinpoint in Disc for bigger signals but for the iffy weak ones I revert to the "Sovereign Manual's" method of Xing the signal at 90 degrees through the center of of the coil. Just sweep a couple of times and visualise the axis thru the coil where the signal is loudest the turn 90 degrees and do it again. Where the imaginary lines intersect is going to be pretty close to the "epicentre" above the target. This said, after 4 years with the Sov I still get fooled by steel crown seal bottle caps off beer bottles, I assume you have then in the U.S.. These often give a lovely signal, but on digging they are usually "Off-center" from where I pinpoint them. They may also sound off with a slightly broken signal and may register differently to various direction of sweep. If I switch to "pinpoint and all metal" the target bottle cap will be located accurately but in disc it will often be a big signal off to one side. I find them very frustrating.
If I don't dig them I may be leaving something valuable in the ground. Sometimes I could swear I'm digging a bottle cap and ultimately un-earth a corroded coin or a couple of them together.
It's all about learning and listening to others, I find your comments insirational at times, keep up the good work

Best of luck

Pete downunder