Digging big holes with the AT Pro

[RobSFRD]

I have found some deep targets with the AT. I have watched the pinpointing videos, and have spent alot of time with my AT, but I still dig huge holes at times to have my buddy come over with a Whites and say u r an inch or two off. Very frustrating . But my AT found things way deeper than the Whites, just not as good finding THE hole. Anyone else had this problem?

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[mercury1]

Yes, I'm not that accurate with my pinpointing on the ATP.

 

[markanderson]

I have the AT Pro. I haven't had a chance to use it as much as I plan to in the future, but I haven't had that problem. You just have to understand the difference between the AT Pro coil and a concentric coil. The field is differently shaped.

 

[RobSFRD]

I agree, but I have did the 90 degree, went over my spot 4 to 5 times and dug a ditch. Then my buddy comes over and pinpoints with his white an inch from my ditch. Frustrating to say the least. But when I get my target its deeper than his whites, so I guess u need to keep trying. I have tried the tip, tail, and everything else on the web. And I've put close to 100 hours.

 

[RobRieman]

Lay a dime on the ground where you can see it and make sure the spot is free of all other targets first including iron. Start 6 inches to the side of the dime and press and hold pinpoint. Move the coil over the dime and listen to the increased tone and watch the meter rise. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. See where on your coil the signal is the strongest. Now lay a piece of newspaper over the dime and see if you can pinpoint it in the same place on the coil. Also try raising your coil a bit and repeat the same thing. It will make your target seem a lot smaller. Practice a bit and you will be a pro at it. Just remember that 2 targets in the ground close to each other will throw your pinpoint off. Make sure you pick the target that you want to dig by sound first and narrow your swing on the pinpoint to that small area. Good luck!

 

[cudamark]

You might look into getting a good electronic pin pointer too.

 

[fella]

You might look into getting a good electronic pin pointer too.

Yeah, that! If the op has 100hrs and still isn't getting pinpointing...maybe a 6.5x9 concentric coil is in order.

 

[RotZorn]

Gotta love those DD coils! They're superb at covering ground and getting deep, but it takes some practice to pinpoint with em!

When I first got my F5 I had a bunch of trouble too. Try moving the coil to get a slight tone right at the front arc, or tip of the coil. Target should be straight down and to the inside of of the coil. Slightly further back per depth I've found, and practice makes perfect!

 

[bzbadger]

That hole directly in front of the shaft/coil connection is supposed to be the area the target is under but I've noticed on my 350 it was under the coil/shaft connection.about 2 inches backwards however my ATP is right where its supposed to be. Test it like suggested and see where the hot spot is on your coil.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

 

[pong12211]

I agree.. Lay a coin on the ground free of obstrustions and pinpoint it.. this should give you a good reference as to where your pinpointer is locating targets.. Alot of practice probably will help solve this problem too..

 

[tcornel]

I have an AT pro and have put easily 600 hours on it. Same issues on pinpointing.....just could not do it consistently.

For shallow targets I bought a Pistol Probe. Found the target with the ATP then move the PP on a grid over the area and
in 95% of the cases it will tell you exactly where the target is. Works to about 4", about twice the depth of the Propointer.
Target recovery time is a fraction of before. Many, many times the PP will find the target 2 or 3 inches off of where I through it was.

Or buying the 6x9 DD coil will solve the problem for the most part. You will have to go slower to cover same territory but the pinpointing
is awesome. You will be able to find targets in trashy areas that people with bigger coils just pass over.

Or do both. Should cost about 300 for the 2.

 

[kickit]

I have an AT Pro and find my best pinpointing results are when I use the X method. I recommend watching some of the "AT Pro Pinpointing" YouTube videos. They really help me.

 

[scotty544]

Buy a Garret Pro pointer, you will not be sorry. As a matter of fact, I like mine so much, if I forget to bring it along, I will go back home and get it. It really is a great tool. Cuts way down on recovery time, and hole sizes.

 

[bmelvin20]

Usually when I dig and can't find my target its usually a larger target really deep. Usually a soda can. My ATP might say 3 or 4in but it may be at 8+. And they will pinpoint as the size of a coin. Just do an x motion while pinpointing. You'll get it.

 

[skip_a_loo]

I have no problems pinpointing the object. This is what I do and the easiest for me....
when hit a target with a nice tone. I will go over the spot again side to side
then I hold my pin pointer button down and go over the target one more time....then I will Watch my machine when the upper line bar fills up and stops this then tells me that I'm right on top of the target and how deep the target is .
now on your coil look down the shaft (I use a 5x8 coil, so I have holes going to the outer ring) I use the first hole next to the shaft that's when I dig a circle and lift the sod up and now you can use your hand held point pointer 99% of the time I'm on target...(I do not use the outer coil method at all that is way to confusing for me).
hope this helps

 

[gleaner1]

Work the coil carefully around the target at least 90 degrees waggling the coil rather quickly in six inch wide swipes. Dont use pp button (yet). Listen and work the center of coil over the target til its loudest with shorter swipes say three inch waggles but keep turning 90 degrees you want to X the crap. Try it on clad laid on top of clean turf its easy to X a target with atpro or any machine without pp button. Envision the center of target at the loud point of the center of the coil at the point of intersection of an X centered over the target with sweeps at 90 degrees. Get the target to be loudest with waggles and that's where it is, intersection of X and center of coil at the loudest point its like the ultimate climax of tectin its the first skill needed, a marriage of man (or woman), machine, headphones, coil, target, geometry and brain. Don't be afraid to walk completely around the target it helps but 90 degrees is enough when you get the hang of it. You are trying to "see" the hottest spot of the coil over the target using an X and remember that certain blade of grass or stone or piece of sand or whatever it is you see at the intersection of the X so you dont scratch crap when you dig it. Nails you cannot get too good a bullseye with pro 11" even with the pp button but concentrics take care of nails easy. If you cant find a target with atpro its a nail. But pull tabs and crowns and coins and rings and tokens and washers and foil wads and brass and copper and lead crap like bullets and shotshell bases and 22 cases and fobs and watches and buttons and shoestring eyelets and such will certainly be dead nuts with waggle method, I always get the target in the plug quick. Now if you really wanna grab the bull by the horns and pp dead dead dead dead nuts with a atpro or any decent machine especially deeper stuff try this: Get the coil as close to where you think the target is and press pp button and hold and move coil center over area until LOUDEST in two directions 90 degrees apart. You will be close but then release pp button over the spot where you think the target is and then press pp button again which detunes the tecter and makes it less sensitive so you can work the coil even closer to the center with little short X's TO FIND THE LOUDEST POINT within say two or three inches and if you must, go whole hog and DO IT AGAIN and you will be super dead nuts pp'd to the max a laser could not get closer. Machines usually run in three cycles of detune before they pop back to full sensitivity mode so dont push it too much. You will be able to get the coil to give just the faintest hum over the target within a two inch circle on deep stuff say 6, the audio will actually drift off to zero if you run the coil off too far from the target say even one inch, especially on deep coins. You will increase accuracy of deep coin diggouts if you use the pp button but you are bound to gash one occasionally. Shallow stuff no need for pp button.

 

[skip_a_loo]

here's a video on how I do mine ...
Pinpointing Techniques with Garrett's 8.5"x11" DD Coil

 

[treadhead]

I have found some deep targets with the AT. I have watched the pinpointing videos, and have spent alot of time with my AT, but I still dig huge holes at times to have my buddy come over with a Whites and say u r an inch or two off. Very frustrating . But my AT found things way deeper than the Whites, just not as good finding THE hole. Anyone else had this problem?

I was doing the same thing with the stock (The 8.5X11) coil OP. I'm new to all of this and it (Pin Pointing problems) was pretty
discouraging.

I took the advice of some good folks here (And on YT) and switched over to the 5X8DD and ain't looked back

It pinpoints very accurately (Mine nails the target just forward of the lower shaft) and, although I'm sure that I'm losing depth
with a smaller coil [?]....I don't mind because I'm not digging "fighting positions" anymore looking for My target

 

[Pigstick]

Every once in a while I miss a target with my AT Pro by a few inches, but for the most part my plugs are right on top of the target. No problems here.

 

[AC500]

I have found some deep targets with the AT. I have watched the pinpointing videos, and have spent alot of time with my AT, but I still dig huge holes at times to have my buddy come over with a Whites and say u r an inch or two off. Very frustrating . But my AT found things way deeper than the Whites, just not as good finding THE hole. Anyone else had this problem?

I was having a little trouble PP with mine, I buried a coin in my yard between 6/8 inches, I took a small thin stick and buried it over the top of the coin, with the stick popping out of the ground very little, then tied a small ribbon type piece of cloth to it so I knew its location. Keep it low enough so you wont drag the stick, then practice,practice,practice. It helped me a ton.