Only Weak Link In Pro Pointer- On/Off Button "Failure". Jamming? Not Turning On/Off? Rubber Switch Cover Falling Apart? Got A Potential Easy Fix Anybo

[Critterhunter]

Most of us know that the Pro Pointer is very reliable. You hardly ever hair of failures. In fact, I've dropped my from a good height onto hard cement about two or three times in the past. I was sure it was toast, but the thing still works like brand new. Some guys report it falses on them. The longer you leave one on it'll drift out of tune, so it can start falsing.

Others have said (rarely) that it will false as soon as it's powered up. What I suspect is going on is people are pushing the tip hard into the dirt trying to hear a target, and over time this distorts the coil windings in the wand, which then leads to instability even on power up. You won't get more depth by putting force on the tip. It will sound off when you do that but only because you are distorting the windings.

Far as I know the windings in it are not encased in epoxy like they are in most coils to prevent misalignment, so you don't want to be abusing the thing by pushing hard into the ground in the hopes that you think it'll make it go deeper. If it sounds off it's not even going to be the target, but rather you distorting the windings.

But anyway, otherwise the Pro Pointer is said to be a very hardy unit, with this one exception- By far the most common failure, which still seems pretty rare, is that the on/off switch goes "bad". People report it not being able to turn on or off. Recently a friend's Pro Pointer started doing this, and I knew what I suspected was really going on with the switch. I wasn't sure yet, until I investigated, but I offered to try to fix the switch for him since it was out of warranty. Since it was, what did he (or I) have to lose?

I was going to do a you-tube video on my exploration and possible fix for the problem, but then decided I could just as easily write a little how-to on it, and that pictures or a video wasn't really needed. It's a simple fix, and easily explained, so let's get to it...

First, the disclaimer. If your Pro Pointer is under warranty then this may very well void it. And, as with all things in life, you might end up damaging it more than just a bad switch by mucking around with things, so all the risk is your own, to you, your property, burning down your house, creating a black hole in the universe, changing reality as we know it, and so on. In other words, don't cry to me if things go "bang" or you end up making the thing an interesting paperweight. OK, that out of the way, let's get down to business...

First and foremost, REMOVE THE BATTERY and put it somewhere FAR AWAY from your work area! We are dealing with a highly flammable contact cleaner here, so don't smoke or work around batteries or anything electrical for that matter. Put a good stack of newspapers on the table to hopefully prevent the solvent from leaking thru and destroying your table top.

Once the battery is removed and placed far away from where you're working, leave the end cap off the Pro Pointer until the job is completely done. I would wait until at least a day later to put it back on to insure the solvent is dry (although the one I'm using dries is seconds) and that any vapors from the later fix are gone (more on that later), which means no end cap for a good day or so should be put back on it.

OK, end cap removed? Battery far away? Not smoking or burning "mood candles" for atmosphere around you? Then let's move on...You want to pick up a can of NON-RESIDUE & NON-LUBRICATING electrical contact cleaner. Also, it should be rated as not being prone to melt plastic (and thus probably won't melt rubber too then). If you use something like WD-40, that might work, but it leaves a residue and also lubricates, which in the long run probably means it's going to draw dirt and grime like a magnet. Not a good idea to use anything that has residue/lubricant for that reason when working with switches or other electronics for that matter.

The stuff I used, costing $8 a can, is called CRC's QD Contact Cleaner From Home Depot, found in the electrical isle. It meets although the criteria above, such as saying it won't melt plastic. Make sure the can you pick up has a spray stray on the side and wasn't lost. You'll need it. And make sure you don't pick up the other cans, all of which I saw were lubricating/residue leaving types.

Now, before we go further, first thing to do is clean out the speaker slits. Those slits get caked with mud and dirt and will cause the volume to drop. I hate it when that happens. I used a toothpick to pick the dirt out, but like cleaning your ear you need to be careful in case poking further might cause damage. I don't know what kind of speaker or piezo buzzer they have in there (probably a sealed peizo buzzer), so just the same be careful. I then went ahead and sprayed (with the stray) some contact cleaner into both slits just to flush it out better. Keep the Pro Pointer standing on the table upside down so as to let any dirt or grime drain out the bottom.

Now spray down your entire Pro Pointer with the stuff on the outside, and QUICKLY wipe off any dirt or grime. You need to do it quick, because this stuff evaporates in a matter of seconds. You might want to use soap/water instead, but be careful not to get any in the speaker hole or into the switch or the battery chamber. Wash the battery end cap inside and out too. Take particular notice of the O-ring on the battery end cap (it's on the threads). Is it in good shape? If not, replace it with another from a home improvement store.

I just used the contact cleaner to clean the end cap inside and out, like I did the Pro Pointer's outside, but then I noticed the little round flat foam thing glued to the bottom inside of the cap to snug the battery down was de-glued. No big deal, a dab of super glue and it was back in proper place. If you are missing that thing, sticking some double sided foam tape (like used for insulating) in the bottom of the cap will probably do the job just fine.

OK, everything so far is clean, so now it's time to do a little surgery. Grab the switch cover at one corner and pull gently to try to remove it. Don't force things, as that might cause it to tear or rip. You might try a small flat head screwdriver to get it started. Just be gentle and take your time. The one on my friend's Pro Pointer came out real easy, which ain't good. These switch covers are like a rubber grommet, only with no hole in the middle. In other words, they have two lips on them, one to seal the cover to the outside of the Pro Pointer, and one to seal it to the inside wall as well.

Wash the cover well (I used the electrical cleaner and a Q-tip). Now inspect it closely. My friend's had two tears at the edges of the outer lip, which I didn't see one of them until I bent the lip upward as I worked my way around it to check all sides. Clean these rips or tears out well. Also, while your at it, clean the Pro Pointer's shell where the boot cover sat, to remove the crud you are going to find there. It took a toothpick and a Q-tip for me to remove the hard packed gunk where that covers outer lip sat. Do a good job of cleaning that area and the cover well, as it's key to preventing future problems.

While I'm thinking of it, one of the tears when I pulled it apart to inspect for grime, had some white plastic sticking out of it. What's this? Thinking it was a tiny plastic cap that sat inside the two walls of the switch cover, to prevent the pointy end of the push button on/off switch (more on the switch later) from eventually poking through the switch cover.

So, in other words, inspect the switch cover for any hole through the center, as you might have one. Not really important if it does, or if there are tears in the switch cover like my friend's had, because one fix is going to take care of all of that, even if your switch cover is so far gone that it won't even sit in the hole anymore (more later). Just make sure to get all that clean- the cover, and the lip/edge of the Pro Pointer where it sat, and while we're at it- make sure the top surface a good one inch all the way around the switch hole is very clean for what we are going to do later here.

So now we get to the real problem. Obviously, if you haven't surmised it yet, what has happened is dirt, mud, or moisture got past the switch cover, and thus down into the Pro Pointer, and eventually found it's way into the switch. Look into the hole. See that white thing? It's a push button switch. Not what you expected, eh? I didn't either. I thought it would be a much bigger push button style. Obviously there is a lot of pressure at that tiny little point jabbing at the switch cover, thus the plastic cap I think the cover had between it's inner and outer walls.

Anyway, before cleaning the switch, we want to get any dirt or grime out of the Pro Pointer, so just spray with the straw all around in there as best as possible. Before doing that, shake the Pro Pointer and try to shake out any loose dirt or such. Now go ahead and blast some spray in there. Make sure the Pro Pointer is standing upside down, so all dirt and grime washes out the battery holder area.

OK then, time to get to the real crux of the problem- That switch is probably grimed up with dirt, and might not even be popping up and down when you press it because it's so jammed up. Notice the left/right sides of the shaft have a small gap on the side? Stick the straw in there and blast it well. Don't go gentle on the button on the can. You want a full press down of the can's spray nozzle to really blast hard. Do this blast at each of the 4 sides of the switch, so that it insures dirt is blow out from each side. You want the stray stuck right at the same between the upper (moving) and lower part of the switch.

Here and there as you spray, start pressing the button up and down to work out any more dirt, and continue to give it strong but short blasts of contact cleaner. is the button now moving up and down freely? If not, then might want to try to use needle nose plies to push/pull on it a bit, as that might unjam it, but don't force it! Push, then pull a few times. Spray some more.

Then take a Q-tip (fast, while the switch is wet), and rub around the outside top sides, and the lower switch's half on all four sides to get any stubborn dirt away from the switch. Spray it again on the outside, then go ahead and spray just around inside the switch hole a bit more to insure all dirt is being washed out the bottom of the battery chamber (with the Pro Pointer standing upside down like it should).

Shake the Pro Pointer to help any grime to wash out with the spray before it dries so fast. Now Leave the Pro Pointer standing in the upside down position for about 5 minutes until it gets dry, then lay it on it's side and let it air out the fumes for another several minutes or so. Fumes are highly combustible even if the cleaner has dried out, so don't go throwing a battery in there. One spark and you might have a problem.

Alright then, time to see if it's fixed...Stick the battery in the end (don't put the cap on though) and if the Pro Pointer comes on without doing anything then obviously it was in the on position, so don't panic. Try pushing the button on and off. Working? Test the depth on a dime. Seems normal? Then good news, you fixed it and you didn't do any other damage to it. My friend's I just did is now coming on/off with ease, with no jamming or refusing to shut off or on. So far so good. Now let's make sure it never gets jammed up with dirt again...

Set the battery aside again and still don't put the battery cap on. You don't want that back on to prevent fumes building up with what we are doing next. Put the switch cover back in place. Wiggle/push at the edges from different directions to make sure the two sealing lips are seated as they should. If you don't have a switch cover that is even in good enough shape to sit back in place then I'd probably get some thick rubber like from a bicycle inner tube. Cut it bigger than the hole and just lay it over the hole. No need to glue it down (unless you want, but make sure it doesn't get into the Pro Pointer and on the switch or something).

Now take some thick (you don't want stuff that will run on you, risking it getting into the Pro Pointer) clear silicone of some type. Shoe Goo (found at most retail stores, and either sold in the glue department or near the shoes) is a thick, clear, and flexible rubber cement type deal that works well for jobs like this.

Although, I didn't have any laying around, so I used some clear silicone (thick too) from a caulking gun that I just happened to have just bought and used to seal a windshield on a car that was leaking. I bought it at Walmart. Whatever you use, you want something that will stay flexible even in cold temperatures and won't crack, due to the obvious motion of pushing the button on/off.

You want to goo the stuff on thick. Don't skimp, and don't just put it right over the switch cover, but instead spread it thickly over that and about a half inch further around all sides of the on/off cover and plastic depression in that area. You want to do this to insure if the edge peals up a bit over time, it still is sealed towards the switch cover and won't leak.

Try to make the smearing as smooth as possible, as little runners or crevices might leak or will hold dirt and not look to pleasant cosmetic wise. When you smooth it down, don't push so hard that you might force the stuff past the switch cover (or whatever you are using to cover the switch hole now if your cover was totally unusable). Yo just want to make sure it's flowing down well around the edges of the switch cover to seal that good.

All done! Now let the stuff dry for a day or whatever it takes, then stick the battery back in and put the end cap back on, and say a little prayer as you push on the patch job to see if you can turn it on and off. Here's hoping the seal isn't so in-flexible that it won't allow the switch to pop up and down to turn it on and off. I doubt it will bug it up like that, but I can't tell you for sure until the silicone dries over night on the one I just fixed.

Hope this helps, and if it don't, or you end up destroying your Pro Pointer even worse, then you were warned, and should have sent it back to Garrett in the first place. I hear there customer service is rather excellent, so you probably should have. Just the same, my friend's was out of warranty so it was worth a try. But, I'm wondering...maybe Garrett has improved the switch cover now so it won't be as at risk to start leaking with wear?

Folks, I've heard people complain that they put a bad switch in these things. It's not the switch that's faulty, it's the rubber switch cover seal. I don't really see how that can be avoided though with some kind of improvement to the covers material. Maybe the best idea would be for Garrett to just send everybody 3 switch covers with each new Pro Pointer, and tell them that the cover should be changed every year or something? Way it stands right now I suspect they last about 3 years with super heavy use as my friend hunts more than most hunters I believe, so that Pro Pointer has seen a ton of off/on actions over time.

Some people leave it on while they dig. Yes, that'll lesson wear of the switch cover, but it'll also cause it to start falsing after a few minutes (especially if it's hot out). For that reason I always turn mine off when I sit it down.

I've owned several hand helds, and I've owned an inline, and by far the Pro Pointer is my all time favorite. Low hassle, high reliability, can use one handed, no wires or muddy mess and extra weight on the detector shaft, can take a ton of abuse, great depth, easy to super tune, and worth every dime of the price tag.

I've seen the recent comer to pin pointers put through it's paces on a few videos and the Garrett still ended up on top when it came to in-ground actual targets even if air testing showed the other with a slight edge in depth. The Garrett is also said to vibrate and sound off stronger, and also to have less of a delay at power up. I almost never have to get up to re-check a target when I can just super tune with a telescoping antenna strapped to the side of mine.

I'm so spoiled by this thing now that if the battery goes (which lasts near about a year for me), and I don't have a spare in my truck, then I simply pack up and go home. The Pro Pointer is as vital to me now as my headphones, and even if you gave me a choice of the two I might have to opt for the Pro Pointer over using headphones.

 

[osgood]

Electronic buffs, do these switches sometimes mechanically just wear out and wont go into or out of the lock position? Or could it as Critter H suggest might be some crud lodged in under the shaft.? Certainly when up to my elbow in mud Ive had moisture and sometimes mud get past the rubber seal. CO

 

[Critterhunter]

Any switch can sometimes just plain old wear out, but usually it wears out due to crud getting in side and breaking down the contact points or spring action. But, often if cleaned the dirt didn't do any real damage and it should unfreeze and work properly from there on out. I've fixed POTs by cleaning them (both sliding types like on equalizers and rotating types) by doing this as well. Sometimes just spraying into an access spot on those won't work, so it's got to be cracked open, and further yet sometimes the fealers on pots need slightly bent out to make better contact. Last ditch effort on those I'll sand them with very mildly abrassive paper like meant for printers, then clean with the contact cleaner. Sometimes rubbing the feeler tips with an eraser before using the contact cleaner helps too.

In a pinch I've fixed switches or pots with WD-40, but it's a short term solution usually, as the residue and lubricating properties attracts more dirt. Besides, some of these formulas are conductive so if any gets on the board it could short something out. That's one of the reasons I prefer non-residue/non-lubricating fast drying contact cleaner.

I should add, that I said "stray" a few times in the post where obviously I mean the spray can's nozzel "straw".

I'm happy to report that today after letting the silicone dry over night the thing easily turns on and off with only light pressure. Seems even lighter pressure needed than when brand new. I suspect due to the more stuff/larger surface area of on/off due to the silicone or something.

I'm wondering though if perhaps I should have sanded the surface of the Pro Pointer (1st thing before any cleaning inside or out) so that the silicone would grab the scuffed up surface better. Not sure if this stuff is going to stick well even though I cleaned the surface well. That's one of the reasons why I spread it wide around the switch area, so that if the edges start lifting up it still won't be getting to the original switch cover. I told my friend if he starts to see the edges lifting them to just tape over the edges with waterproof tape so as to hold the whole "plug" deal to the pin pointer with no risk of the middle over time lifting away and allowing dirt in again. Another option might be to glue the edges of the silicone with something like a hard epoxy that will stick better, but then again were are then back to sanding in the first place to insure a good grab.

Also, if people were unable to put the original switch cover back in place, if you look on the bottom I think there is a lifted rubber button-like dimple, where I suspect that plastic cap sat inside it, and made the switch cover reach the top of the switch easier without having to press hard. For that reason, if you couldn't cover over the original switch cover, then might want to glue some kind of hard dimple onto the bottom of a piece of rubber or whatever you used, to both reach the switch without pushing in far/hard, and also to insure the switch don't poke through it over time.

Another thought on this whole fix thing- If the switch ever does go bad and can't be recovered with a cleaning, then I would consider possibly pulling out the control board and soldering two wires to the switch terminals after removing the switch. Then put the control board back in, pull the wires out the on/off hole, and then solder a waterproof mini on/off push button switch to them. Cover the switch hole with a piece of plastic or something, then epoxy or silicone over that to plug the hole. If you get the right switch it can sit down into that hole a bit and then you just have to seal the edges. The right waterproof switch probably won't be as prone to getting dirt or grime into it. Just consider that a large metal switch might be too close to the wand and possibly cause de-tuning issues, so I'd go with a mostly plastic switch or just mount the switch further back.

Or, plug the hole completely and install a push button switch into a drilled hole at the end cap. I kind of like that idea, because you wouldn't have to remove the board to do this or to remove the old switch, so long as the bad stock switch is stuck in the ON position. Simply wire up your new waterproof switch to one of the battery leads in the back, drill a hole to mount it in the end of the end cap, and you're all set.

If you look down this forum somebody came up with an ingenous idea of sticking a mercury switch between one of the battery leads. I've used the auto on/off of the vibraprobe that requires tipping upside down/rightside up like that and it drove me crazy. Good idea but for me I'd opt for a switch mounting at the end cap.

 

[osgood]

Crit, thanks again for your input, thought about the end switch idea myself. I went into an oldest defunct pp I had and tried to remove the switch for replacement it was miserable and I did not succeed. They really pack it in there. Happy New Year,CO

 

[Henrikras]

I gave up to find the small swich, and the picture shows my panic solution It is working, but not the best solution...

 

[Critterhunter]

Yep, dirt will be a factor there. If I was to replace the switch I would go for a waterproof design meant to keep out water and dirt/mud, but just the same you did a great job there in fixing it yourself.

 

[Critterhunter]

WARNING: I noticed that the Pro Pointer will hold a slight charge even if the battery is removed, in that if you remove the battery and then turn it on it will beep/light up for a split second. There is a chance that even that momentary discharge might be enough to ignite vapors or fumes of the contact cleaner, so I would make sure the battery is removed and then the Pro Pointer turned to the on position to discharge any remaining power. Or, if it's stuck in the ON position with the battery in, then remove the battery and it should drain.

But as with all things in life, the risk is still your own, and don't take my advice as sound and correct. All the risk is your own. I was just worried that perhaps somebody would unjam the switch via the cleaning agent with it stuck in the OFF position, and then when they managed to turn it to ON in the process of cleaning it, it might energize even with the battery out (like it should be removed) and still spark something. Be careful...

 

[osgood]

C Hunter, got the exact spray you recommended and following your recommendation revived one of my out of warranty ProPointers. I cant believe it!. Was very happy about this as was one with still a bit of meat left on the end shaft etc. Was going to send it in- the ball park quote for replacing the switch did sound fairly reasonable though. If the swithch is bad, do you think there is any way of replacing the switch without pulling the board out. No way to pull the old switch or part of it out? Or wonder if you could drill from the opposite side and tap into the circuit board from the underside, wiring it to bridge the old switch with it a new one, and as you suggested high enough up the shaft to eliminate false soundings? Thanks again for your advice, CO

 

[Critterhunter]

Great to hear you fixed it! Only way to replace the switch would be to pull the board out IMO, but then again if it's stuck in the ON position you could wire a switch between of the the battery leads and the Pro Pointer terminal that battery end contacts, as another way to turn it off and on, and then drill and mount a waterproof switch at the back end of the Pro Pointer- Either in the end cap or say on the side of the Pro Pointer just past the threads maybe. Just have to make sure it's small enough and in the right place to clear the battery. Beauty of that is that you don't need to solder. Just like the thread down the page in this forum where the guy used a mercury switch, you could just put the switches leads between the battery terminal and the contact point it touches. Easy simple fix.

Come to think of it- Yea....You might be able to drill through the Pro Pointer on the bottom side to tap the terminals to bypass the bad switch with a new one, but sounds like more trouble than just pulling out the board. It can be done. I've read of others yoking the board out, but I think they said it's a major PITA to get it to go back together.

I've thought about yoking the board/coil out and encasing the coil in epoxy so it will not drift with sustained power up and start falsing. But, that will add a good bit of weight, and besides the drift to a falsing point usually takes minutes. I usually just turn it off while it's laying on the ground anyway until I need it again, just to save battery life if not anything else.

One other tip- I've noticed people will sometimes turn it on and stick it in the hole before it's done auto adjusting (beeping). Don't do that, because if it's close to metal (the target) you've probably detuned it.

 

[osgood]

I keep figurin and hope that in the end Garrett, might revisit the switch issue as from the users end it is discussed often. We all know the unit kicks but in finding targets etc. I convinced 3 or 4 diggers to get one and they cant believe they use to do without it. It really changes the whole experience. I wonder if they can keep all the same and just find a switch with a different side profile that doesnt allow the entrapment issue or as you suggest rethink the seal over the switch. Meanwhile Im about to seal the end of one my propointers, That one I used so much it wore down to where water is getting in the tip. Im going to use Seal All. And then put on a short length of pvc tubing on the end to absorb further abrasion. I saw that mod here somewhere and use it my pps. Thanks, CO

 

[Critterhunter]

I've seen some spray the end with 2 or 3 coats of spray on bed liner (make sure it don't have metals or minerals in it!), as many do with coils to ditch a coil cover and save some weight/hassle of cleaning under them. Some also put a rubber foot on the tip meant for things like chairs and such to protect the end. My theory is if you are wearing out the wand then something ain't right perhaps, because I don't think there should be all that much friction with proper use. None of the local hunts I know use the "wiper" side thing to sort through dirt. We only hunt with the tip, and don't force or scrub it into stuff, as that ain't going to give more depth. How did you use it that you wore a hole in it?

On the switch ideas- Besides using a waterproof one, I was thinking about perhaps that metal "touch" switches that are sealed. Isn't it the CZ21 that uses such a thing? Where there is no actual on/off motion, but rather the conductivity of you touching the metal causes it to switch on or off it's PP button on that unit? With that kind of switch though, I would figure there is more in way of electronics involved to sense the touch, but then again maybe they sell switches with this needed extra electronics self contained in them, so that they just wire up like a regular switch. Anybody look into those? If that's a viable option then it would be the ultimate fix, as there won't be any moving parts and thus any seals or switch covers to wear out.

 

[osgood]

C Hunter, I agree with you the side blade thing isnt that functional, and I think they should put more lumens into the bulb/led thing. I use it sometimes to see if the unit is on and not necessarily to illuminate objects in a hole. I do however abuse the end, sometimes digging and probing with it.-that is where I am probably at fault in wearing it down. CO

 

[Critterhunter]

It should be rather easy to yoke out that tiny LED and replace it with a bigger one running on the same voltage. If memory serves there already is a wider hole there than the actual size of the LED, so a slightly bigger/brighter one probably would go right in, or if it didn't drilling the hole a bit bigger should work.

Just wondering if they are running that led directly off the battery when it's on, or if the led is routing through electronics, in which case amp draw the electronics can handle might be a concern. Wouldn't make much sense to me to route the led through anything other than directly tied to the on/off and then battery, since I don't think that LED does any flashing to indicate a target or anything. They probably used a pretty cheap led, and there are brighter ones for more money that draw the same amount of current anyway I think.

I find the led helps in low light to see in the hole, but yea....I mainly only look at it to see if it's on or not, as I don't find myself hunting much at night, but I have found it of use towards sun down in the woods when looking in a hole.