Are cheap pinpointers any good ?

[Ten pence!]

not sure I full understand

I have just compared my latest charity shop find. 2019 gpointer s with a Garrett pro pointer the recovery is as near as I can tell the same


maybe other brands are quicker. Both pick up a BB if you keep the sweep down to around 6" per second both fail at around 12" per second.



My older gpointer (i can't be bothered swapping batteries) has found shed loads of BB and .22 bullets and cases without any problems

The cheaper ones can be a lottery in my experience, some are great, some are less than great, what I perhaps should have said is that if you are used to a branded and more expensive pinpointer you might be disappointed with the performance of an ebay special.

[neil1234]

Just my 2cents worth on this subject..

I have a couple of cheap ones, and I found that IF you get water into them (specifically in the cloth tape around the coil in them) they go "bonkers"- Dry it out 100% ( with heat) and they work really well. If they get wet they will prob never dry out without taking it apart and drying it! The problem is that the LED and the speaker both let moisture in and even condensation will make it go mad.

It is EASY to fix! - and you will have a reliable pinpointer ( IMHO)
1) take out the one screw that is behind the battery, and pull the black bit with the circuit board out just enough to get access ( be careful, not to break any wires!)
2) get one of those SMALL bags of Silica Gell (desiccant) that comes packed with so many things ( the smaller bags are better)
3) CAREFULLY put the bag in under where the board goes in the pointer ( (DON'T open the bag!) and then slide the board back on and put the screw back.
4) Most importantly- use a small piece of insulation take (vinyl tape) and cover the speaker ( you will still hear it), and the LED ( which will now be dim) so that they are waterproof.
5) ENJOY your pinpointer!

It is best to do this before taking it out in the field as the desiccant will not get rid of water already in the device.

[Swiss Rolly]

My pinpointer is fully waterproof - I filled it up with water and not a drop came out

SR

[Mattjb]

My pinpointer is fully waterproof - I filled it up with water and not a drop came out

SR

Bought a gp pinpointer last year and despite shoving the sensor near the end it still wasn’t great. Bought a Garrett carrot, yes it’s a lot more money but the difference in performance is night and day.

[Mattjb]

Sorry Swiss, didn’t mean to quote you but did somehow!