Anyone ever make their own pinpoint coil?

[jt2]

Hi All,

Anyone ever make their own small pinpoint coil and combine it with am inexpensive Bounty Hunter detector to make their own pinpointer?

I can't say that I'm happy with the choice of available pinpointers out there. Is it really that difficult to make a pinpointer with a 2" depth range coupled with some sort of display that indicates when you are getting closer to the target? Seems like it as most pinpointers seem to have a 1/2" to 1" depth and no distance indication.

So what I was wondering is if it would be possible to take a cheap Bounty Hunter unit like the $50 Fun Finder which has an analog meter, and replace the coil with a handmade pinpoint coil.

Anyone ever try this, or have suggestions on how to make a pinpointer coil?

Thanks,
JT

[Carl-NC]

Shouldn't be too difficult. The issue might be the size of the resulting probe, due to the PCB... I'm not familiar with the size of the Fun Finder.

One of the reasons I created a surface-mount version of Hammerhead was for making a PI probe. Never got a round tuit, though. However, I am using a homemade stud-finder-type probe, which gets a US quarter at about 2 inches. I added a vibration motor, which buzzes harder as I get closer, so I can roughly judge distance.

- Carl

[jt2]

Any details on your pinpointer?

Hi Carl,

Thanks for the responce.

Here is what the cheapest Bounty Hunter looks like:
http://www.detecting.com/products/pr...bbf78c31984718

This could be a base for making an inexpensive pinpointer, as the analog meter would help to show when you are getting closer to the object.

Do you have any details posted here on the homemade pinpointer you talked about?

[bugwhiskers]

Pinpointers

Hi jt2,

The whole idea of a pinpointer is to narrow down the target once your main coil has found it. Most people dig around the target area then grab handfulls of dirt and wave them over the coil. If one of the handsfull triggers a response then the handfull is halved and switched to the other hand then again waved over the coil until the target is found. A pinpointer saves this labourious procedure and keeps your hands clean too !
Ferrite rods with a coil wound around that matches your main coil is the way to go as switching between pinpointer and main coil then doesn't necessitate detector adjustments. The ferrite rod concentrates the field into a small area. Using such a setup I was able to detect the tiniest speck of gold in quartz at about half an inch. I believe chemelec had some good results using half a potcore.

regards

bugwhiskers

[Carl-NC]

Here is what the cheapest Bounty Hunter looks like:

That certainly looks small...

Do you have any details posted here on the homemade pinpointer you talked about?

Couldn't find the old photos, I'll have to re-shoot.

- Carl

[Carl-NC]

Here ya go...

[jt2]

Thanks

Thanks Carl,

Is the vib motor you added the little grey box in the last picture? Any details like the part # on the motor you used?

Also, is that unit an older version of the GPD-902 made by GB Electrical, that this page (http://www.tomstreasures.com/probe.html) uses for a homemade pinpointer?

Do you still use this as your pinpointer, and are you happy with the performance?

[Carl-NC]

Looks like the same GB unit. I think I bought it for $4 or $5 from a mail-order surplus house, most likely All-Electronics. The grey box is the buzzer, the vibe motor is the cylindrical shiny part in the bottom center. I can switch between vibe and buzzer, but always use vibration because it's more sensitive. Have no idea which vibe motor I got, it was also from the surplus house.

Yes, I use this exclusively. I've tried others, but most cannot match the performance of mine.

- Carl

[jt2]

Nice

Thanks for the info Carl!

I've actually ordered one of these GB units and it should be here this week. I'm looking forward to playing with it and seeing how it works.

I'll have to do some searching for a vib motor.

Is that a pvc tube attached to the unit, and do you have any idea where you'd find pvc tubing that small?

Thanks, take care!

[Steve in MS]

hey jt2..

Let me know where you are getting the stud finder, I would like to give it a try too.
Steve in MS

[jt2]

Here you go

Hiya Steve,

You can find some directions for building a pinpointer out of the GPD-902 here: (http://www.tomstreasures.com/probe.html)

You can buy the GPD-902's here:
(http://www.hechinger.com/web/catalog...aspx?pid=84000)

And here is another thread for a home made pinpointer using the Little Wizard metal detector:
(http://members5.boardhost.com/MetalD...169002132.html)

[TabSzent]

Pinpointer schematic from Russia using CS209A

While sufing for pinpointer schematics I found this website using an IC proximity detector from Cherry Semiconductor. Hope this helps.

Here are links to a Pinpointer schematic from Russia using Cherry Semiconductor's CS209A Proximity Detector.
http://www.md4u.ru/index.php?page=ppoint&lang=en

Schematic using CS209A
http://www.md4u.ru/ppoint/cs209_cir.gif

Description from an article giving the basics.
http://www.md4u.ru/ppoint/pp_art.jpg

Cherry Semiconductor's CS209A Data Sheet in PDF
http://www.md4u.ru/ppoint/CS209.pdf

[chemelec]

While sufing for pinpointer schematics I found this website using an IC proximity detector from Cherry Semiconductor. Hope this helps.

Here are links to a Pinpointer schematic from Russia using Cherry Semiconductor's CS209A Proximity Detector.
http://www.md4u.ru/index.php?page=ppoint&lang=en

Schematic using CS209A
http://www.md4u.ru/ppoint/cs209_cir.gif

Description from an article giving the basics.
http://www.md4u.ru/ppoint/pp_art.jpg

Cherry Semiconductor's CS209A Data Sheet in PDF
http://www.md4u.ru/ppoint/CS209.pdf

I Stock those Chips and there is also an article about these CS209's on my Website:
http://www3.telus.net/chemelec/Projects/Projects.htm

[montepollock]

Little wizard2

I used the little wizard2 to mmake Probe,then bought a whites bullseye,the wizard has better sensitivity but no Vibe,It has 5 leds for intensity though.
No room for vibrator though,too Bad.
My whites done poorly in Frozen ground,I am starting to build a Pulse induction detector maybe wire in Probe and standard coil w switch,like the Sunray Probes.
Thanks and Happy Hunting,Mont