Pinpointer Garrett Pro-Pointer mod improved version

[Henrikras]

Hi hi hi.... ... Great idea. We can use the PCB from a Deus coil, then its perfect wireless.

by the way... This was exsactly my way to do it: you said this
(They better should have attached to the ferrite coils end a little 3pin jack from the beginning, not this cable.And at the end of the PCB a little plug that exactly goes into this jack when the PCB was pressed complete into the housing.)

Only problem is to get the coil out,... Its glued inside.

Shoes detecting .. Thats the greatest idea Ive ever heard. Big smile here.
henrik

[Funfinder]

Some holders so the pinpointer can be mounted on the shoes outer side also would be a good idea, at least as long the ground is not stony etc.

btw. if the LED is switchable it changes the sensitivity while in use.

So I found out a different voltage source for better brightness of the LED and to avoid this problem.

I took a picture of that but I don't know where it is now, guess I can find it, if someones interested.
The pin is somewhere directly near the voltage stabilization chip so the switchable ultrabright LED
now uses the direct power source, in series with a resistor to reduce the otherwise too high voltage.

And Henrik, the detecting shoes must have a pretty hard sole so the coil doesn't gets bended while walking.
Something like plastic ski- or mountain-climber shoes for glaciers have. Of course this reduces the walking comfort.

Mount the Pinpointer to a walking stick would be also an option if the whole thing is very lightweight.
That way a new sport could be established: nordic treasure-search walking!

[Funfinder]

found those Pix - Nov. 2012

The +voltage pin is located below the black capacitor (on the same side), you can find it with a voltmeter.
This was the first mod, LED on or off, depending if wire is inserted into the right batterycase-plug pin.
Later I connected the LED also to an additional wire that leads over a tiny push-button to
the voltage for getting the LED very fast on-switchable if this button is pressed.

Attention: If the LED gets its power from a different source as it was before the standard
don't forget to interupt on the PCB the little copper-wire which provides the usual voltage.


And at pic 3 there's another little improvement for the Garrett Pro-Pointer: Very practical for not losing it!
That way its now also possible to lower the pinpointer by a rope into cracks or holes etc. to search there.

[Henrikras]

A buddy gave me a broken Garrett PP and I found a new type of switch and made a speaker house in the back..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H4O-A6x8bY&sns=em

Now its usefull
Henrik.

[Funfinder]

Very good work - its always the best if someone really can "handle" the stuff he uses and understands the technology behind,
comparable with repairing not too complicated things if the own car or other stuff has some problems.

One aspect in modifying the Pro-Pointer is to make it more "stealth", red LED off-switchable instead of white always on
and silent vibration signal only instead of relative loud beeper. Of course it depends where and for what its used...

Or:
To make this thing really waterproof, the gum-part of the on-off-switch should be glued from the outside,
same with the little audio-hole and the area around the LED. The back is waterproof enough already.

Per instance if you wanna hunt for the sunken rich city "Rungholt" (I saw a docu a few days ago)
which is in the watt-sea near south of the holiday-island Sylt (North-Germany, near to Denmark)
a waterproofed Pinpointer including metal-detector would be the best solution.
Or you can check out the high-society places of Sylt directly, you may find expensive jewelery there.

[Henrikras]

The sunket City is new to my knowledge, very interesting. Personal I'm not into unterwater arkoælogi but Thanks anyhow.
Garretts PP are easy to work with (replacement or improvement), Thats what I can.. I'm not a Expert into more than that..
Got one Dream with the PP.. - install a jammer syncronize with the vibration engine, so I/we would get a signal in our Headphones.
A signal like electrical fense we all properly had heard, (spark), going into the coil and ends in the Headphones (or speaker)..
If that type of PP could be made, and it could work stable with a lot of Detector brands, many would be happy.
This project would be what I'm trying to do... But I know that the chance to succes is Very little.
Take care and injoy the summer.
Henrik.

[Funfinder]

@ Henrikras
thx for your info. If the tide is low those sunken cities are above the sea-level.
But you need at least a boat and it can became dangerous out there.


@ all
While moding ProPointer Nr.3 I found out that those PCB layout creators from Garrett made a big nonsense:
Check out the jpg to see why! With some bad luck the coil cable can gets caught behind the marked capacitor
and rip it off while draging the PCB out of the case! So do it very slowly and use a flashlight to see whats
going on inside with the coil-cable. And later you may use some ducktape to close the gap behind the capacitor.

[Funfinder]

Pro-Pointer Vibration Replacement


The weight unbalance attached motor can fail, but you can replace it with one of an old cell-phone.

To improve the vibration-power, you can attach a weight.
I used a special handshaped piece of soldering iron with super-glue
and as a security measure a 4x winding of 1,5mm "broad" and very thin scotch-tape.
It was melted at its end toghether with the below layers with the soldering-iron so it can't became lose.

Such modifications require enough space for the turning weight inside of the plastic housing or it will get stucked.
Mount the replacement in a way so the weight is enough far away from the left or right side of the board.

That's successful life: Be able to deal with the ultra-huge and also be able to deal with the ultra-small !

[golfnut]

Met another detectorist on the beach a couple of weeks ago.. I had a try of his detectniks probe on uk 20p in damp sand. Id say it was a little better than my garrett.


It did about 2" in the sand, the garrett ~1.333" The beep rate was a little slow for me but seemed ok, plus a little cheaper.

[Funfinder]

A 16mm 1euro cent coin is detectable with the ProPointer from 8cm (over 3'') from the side with modification
and without from ca. 4,5cm (below 2'') without.

Such a 1,5mm tin-ball that you see via link is only detectable with modification if it touches the ProPointer directly.
http://www.geotech1.com/forums/attac...2&d=1415052808

Now you may compare both results with the detectniks probe.

[golfnut]

I dont own one but there was a u tube comparing the two and the garrett - un modified was a close second place.

[Funfinder]

this clip is cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tpCnMKhEiM

Only problem - not all the real detection works directly "over the top".