Identifying ground noise

[Jaros]

Once you have dug out a plug and the detector tells you that it's out, it is easier to use the pinpointer to sort thru the rubble you have proven it into. Saves checking each handfull with the detector.

 

[mardymoose]

It can help you locate where the target is in the hole,just in my experience seems to do this on junk, not so much on gold unless its big gold

 

[BigWave]

Leroy,
As Jaros stated, a pinpointer can save considerable time for coin and treasure finding. The targets are large and often shallow.
As Mardy stated, used in gold detecting they are of considerably less use. They can save time by pulling out some junk and then you use your detector to decide whether to keep digging (there could be something else there).
I started out with all the cool tools (including pinpointer), but after a while I used it less and less to the point where I don't carry it with me most outings looking for gold (it's always with me looking for coins etc).
So, do your own research: get numerous test targets - gold if you can (if not small/medium buckshot, 22g lead slugs etc) and test their detection range with your pinpointer. Then compare range with coins, nails, ring-pulls, shell casings etc and you'll quickly realise that for gold finding, your detector is what you rely on.
There's nothing like proving others' advice by proving it to yourself.

 

[grubstake]

Thanks again everybody but(grubstake), and others, have I waisted my money on buying the pinpointer I understood that it was to be used when searching in a deep hole when the coil would barely fit. You then can check the sides and bottom without wasting more time digging if the pointer tells you there is nothing there. Perhaps I've listened to the wrong advice.??

I'm sure the advice you listened to was well-intentioned, but it was largely misguided for prospecting purposes, other than to give you a tool that might facilitate faster recovery of junk. And if you're "searching in a deep hole when the coil would barely fit", it's either going to be junk or a decent-sized nugget that the pinpointer should respond to. Fortunately, you're finding enough nuggets now to do some testing and see for yourself just how sensitive your pinpointer is to small/tiny gold.

You haven't wasted your money, because pinpointers are readily resaleable to coin/relic hunters. Anyway, prospecting is like gambling - you have to spend some money upfront that may well be lost, if you're ever going to succeed.

 

[goldrat]

Would the Falcon M20 be better value than a pinpointer for taking gold prospecting . ( using in the removed dirt or in the hole ) Cheers goldrat .

Thanks again everybody but(grubstake), and others, have I waisted my money on buying the pinpointer I understood that it was to be used when searching in a deep hole when the coil would barely fit. You then can check the sides and bottom without wasting more time digging if the pointer tells you there is nothing there. Perhaps I've listened to the wrong advice.??

I'm sure the advice you listened to was well-intentioned, but it was largely misguided for prospecting purposes, other than to give you a tool that might facilitate faster recovery of junk. And if you're "searching in a deep hole when the coil would barely fit", it's either going to be junk or a decent-sized nugget that the pinpointer should respond to. Fortunately, you're finding enough nuggets now to do some testing and see for yourself just how sensitive your pinpointer is to small/tiny gold.

You haven't wasted your money, because pinpointers are readily resaleable to coin/relic hunters. Anyway, prospecting is like gambling - you have to spend some money upfront that may well be lost, if you're ever going to succeed.

 

[old hand]

I only detect for gold and yes at times I use a pin points ,there are time when digging deep holes crow bar jobs when a pin pointer comes into its own using larger coils just makes it easer on where to dig without hitting the target regards john

 

[grubstake]

The Falcon MD20 is a specialist instrument that is super-sensitive to the tiniest of gold, but because of its extremely high operating frequency (300kHz!), has very limited ground penetration. See this post for more details:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16135

The most sensitive 'normal' pinpointer to tiny gold is meant to be the old Whites Bullseye II, with its 36(?) kHz frequency:

 

[SteelPat]

I have used a pinpointer many times out in the goldfields, especially when digging deep targets. The pinpointer will only sound off when you are real close so then you know to take it easy and not hack into the nugget with the pick.

 

[jamie]

doing the old coin trick on the pointer may help locating them smaller nuggets in a hole to

 

[Leroy]

Thanks everybody, now I've got some testing to do when the rain stops here in the Maryborough area.there certainly are some different ideas floating around. I will do some testing with a it of tiny gold,I will say I dug down to 11 1/2 inches (measured), the coil was screaming in the bottom of the hole so I put pointer on the bottom (middle)(no noise in the sides), it signalled loudly and I dug out a brass button the size of a five cent piece. I guess that means finding junk not gold. As I said I will try with tiny gold when I can get out.