Question for the oldtimers

[robert roy]

Many of you have probably been MDing for years. I notice some of the metal detectors out there have no pinpoint mechanism; one has to X the target.
Were all the older detectors like this? When did they start adding a pinpoint button? Does it really add that much more to the cost of a machine to do so?
RR

 

[Bugar In. USA]

I think it appeared on several, mebbe 15 / 20 yr ago, actually, I don't think it should cost more than just a couple dollars, if that much, when the detector is made, there are several people out there now than can modify bout any detector to a pp button, PP'ing usually saps more juice out of the battery faster when you use it, i very seldom use it when i have one on a detector, just never got accustomed to it
I used to go along with my oldest brother and watch him back in 1952 /53, he used an old chest mount something or the other, and found all kinds of good stuff, just gotta know how to use what you got
Friend of mine says, don't try to out shoot a clay pidgeon shooter what only owns one gun, and don't try to out detect a man that just owns one detector

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Old TR units were not deep but pinpointed extremely good pinpoint button or not..As units are mass produced don't feel adding a pinpoint button should add that much to the price of the machine and new machines are really getting expensive...In parks especially accurate pinpointing is a must and many experienced also detune which puts the pinpoint dead on in most convential VLF units. Now Double D coils are another story but with practice one can be very accurate also...

 

[SEMPERFI61]

I JUST HAD MY 1265 X CONTROL -BOX REFURBISHED BY KEITH WILLS MAN IS IT HOTPIN-PONT WORKS GREAT.


BILL

 

[Bill Ladd]

'cause I remember having pinpoint with all my old Whites metal "lunchbox" units as a kid like the 4DB (that's like late 70's). There was a little button on the end of the bicycle grip that was pretty handy. Then, I remember they soon added inches to the meter and that was like a MAJOR thing back then.....every one had to have that even though it was only accurate on coins. I switched to a Fisher, but when the 6000-D added coin ID.......THAT was the big advance & THE detector to get, & I remember @ like $600. I thought that was an insane price then! Look now........
HH,
Bill

 

[Golden Silver]

I probably am the only old timer (70) who criticizes the PINPOINT feature found on many detectors such as the DISCOVERY 3300 which I owned for a short while and thought the PINPOINT feature useless. "Why?" you might ask. My answer: I started with detectors that didn't have a PINPOINT feature, just DISC, ALL METALS, and TR. As long as you have ALL METALS you don't need a separate PINPOINT. You are either in DISC or ALL METALS.

When you are in DISC and get a solid signal, you switch to ALL METALS and never mind the X method. Just simply detune the detector constantly moving the coil to get the strongest signal until it's almost inaudible. At that point, the target is right smack dead under the coil's center. And if it's a shallow target you can put the probe in the center of an open coil and probably touch the target if it's a coin. If it's a ring, you'll probably go right through it! That was how it was for me for over 20 years before I retired.

I never used the pinpoint feature on my 3300, just switched to ALL METALS. I now have a BH LAND STAR and I use DISC for hunting and ALL METALS to pinpoint.

"Progress" doesn't always result in improvement.

Golden Silver

 

[jmaryt]

KOOL!.. pirate!..doesn't look well though!..looks a little rough!..needs some time off maybe!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[Rick(ND)]

Back when I started in 1973 some of the detectors like my Whites you didn't have a pinpoint button as it was not needed as it was a TR detector and we had a knob for metal and mineral and you had to keep it tuned so when you went over a target the threshold would increase. Then we had the detectors like the Compass Judge 1 and Judge 2 where you had a button on the end of the handle to hit and it would re tune it to the threshold you had it set for and we still didn't need a pinpoint button. When the pinpoint became is when we had the VLF motion detectors as if you stopped the coil or went too slow you would lose the signal as the coil had to be in motion. What happen was when we pushed the pinpoint button it would switch to a TR detector which didn't need the coil in motion to get a signal. My Sovereign I use now the pinpoint is also a motion, but it only has to be moved slightly and much slower movement of the coil.
Many I know don't even use the pinpoint on their detectors as they can pinpoint while in disc.

 

[vlad]

of a thumb wheel [potentiometer] on the end of the handle. In the days of the TR, BFO & Off Resonance detectors
you could really keep the detectors threshold perfectly attuned to the ground contour with that wheel.

 

[robert roy]

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