Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.BlogSpot.com.
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| Treasure Coast Beach This Morning Near Low Tide. |
I am very much a minimalist. I don't like to fool with things that I don't really need. I wouldn't wear shoes if there weren't times when I really needed them. I remember one day when the weather was freezing and I started down the beach barefoot until my toes got so cold I finally gave in and went back and got some foot wear. My point is that I don't like buying or bothering with things that don't prove really useful.
There are people who like buying things. They like having things and they like fooling around with gadgets. They'll walk around with all types of things they very seldom use, but they want to have them - just in case. That is fine, but it isn't me. Different strokes for different folks.
In decades of metal detecting I never used a pinpointer. I never felt like I really needed one and didn't want to carry anything extra around. Now I have one, but I'm sure I'll seldom bother to take it with me.
One of the reasons that I've never found the need for one is that a lot of my detecting is done on a beach or in sand. It is usually easy enough to sift sand. If you are hunting dry land, it probably won't be nearly as easy to recover small targets, however if you learn to use your detector well, you'll still minimize the need for a pinpointer. Your detector might do a better job of pinpointing than you realize.
There are also techniques that will make a pinpointer less necessary. For example, you can throw a handful of dirt onto the coil. That often works well.
I remember the time when I was trying to see a small, and I do mean small, gold bead in beach sand that was nearly the same color as the course shell sand. It was hard really hard to see.
I finally found it by throwing a handful of sand and the object onto the white coil cover and moving it around on the coil with my finger. When the bead moved it would give a signal. After a lot of eye strain, I finally found it. I had a very good detector and pretty good vision, yet it was difficult.
If you place your coil next to the hole and dig, throw or kick dirt towards the coil you'll often hear a signal when the object moves towards the coil.
You will find a pinpointer most useful when you are digging in mud or clay that sticks to and colors the surface of small objects. That can make it very difficult to find small objects.
It is also difficult to find small objects in leaves or shells or pebbles. Small objects also hide under detritous. You might find a pinpointer useful in those situations.
Again, if I can make do without something I probably will. I don't like carrying extra things. I don't like fooling with extra things or taking care of them. I'm an old farm boy and generally find a way to make do with what I have. Nonetheless, I do like to know what various things will or will not do and how they can be used in situations when they might really prove useful.
Pinpointers, like other detectors, are very different. There are cheap pinpointers that are not very good, and there are pinpointers that are nearly as expensive as a regular metal detector, and they can be a lot better.
I'll jump in here and remind you once again to make an effort to learn to learn how to better use your main detector for pinpointing. There are usually some tricks that can help. You might be surprised how well you can learn to do that.
In the near future I'll show you what an inexpensive pinpointer can do and what it can not do. I'll make a video. I already have it planned. Eventually you'll have to decide for yourself how useful a pinpointer will be for you and how much you are willing to pay for one. The one I'll be demonstrating cost me nothing.
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It was a beautiful morning for walking the beach but not so much for detecting the beach.
Sand was building on the beach fronts along the Treasure Coast. Near the water line there was a bar building at a couple of places.
One beach had a good number of shells even though you had to walk a good distance to find them.
I did find one good long cut that had a few coins and objects in front of it.
I continued to explore a detector that I haven't used much. Unfortunately I don't understand it very well yet. I'm having trouble telling object size and depth from the signal. That should be easier if I get used to using a non-motion mode.
We're only have something like a three foot surf. And it is going to get a little smaller for the next few days. Beach detecting conditions won't improve.
There are, however, a lot of tourists and beach goers at the swimming beaches today. There should be some new losses out there to be found.
I plan to make a video demonstrating the function of a pinpointer to post in a day or two.
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| Helicopter At One Beach Park. |
It did remind me of the time years ago when I saw three huge bales of pot on the same beach.
Happy hunting,
TreasreGuide@Comcast.net
