FIELDTEST: FISHER F-PULSE PINPOINTER

I have zero interest/use for a pinpointer. Here's why:

In Florida (a sandbar State)........ if I am to find anything with any form of age (and/or value)......... I must dig deep. For many, many years, I have been using a deep-seeking CZ with 10.5" coil. . . . . . paying specific/dedicated attention to deep targets. It's not uncommon to reach the 1964 silver Roosevelt dime stratification/layer ..... at about a foot deep. Finding a deep target........ I would start with a plug approx. 8" in diameter....and about 6" deep. Pinpointer renders itself 'useless'. Then I would proceed to pull another 2"-3" more dirt out of the hole. Pinpointer would (again) render itself 'useless'. Then I would dig another (approx.) 2" of dirt out of the hole. Once again...... pinpointer renders itself 'useless'. After the 4th excavation of the hole....... the target is now pinpointer attainable in the hole....,,,,, or is now out of the hole and in the excavated pile of dirt. Multiple attempts with a pinpointer on these deep targets became ineffective/time-costly. Nearly all pinpointers on the market today........ are only good for about 1" on a clad dime.

Enter the new F-PULSE......... and ..................... for the first time in history.................... the tables have turned. This pinpointer can detect a clad dime at 3-1/4" from the tip....... and about 2-1/2" from the circumferential sides. Now......... I'm finding the target on the 1st or 2nd try........ nearly every time. Priceless time-saver. I will (now) always carry a pinpointer. For a pinpointer AND detector........ depth is paramount.

KUDOS Carl!! Well done! This thing is not a joke......... and changes my primary inventory 'carry'.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
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> This pinpointer can
> detect a clad dime at 3-1/4" from the tip.......
> '.


3.25 " ? The Sunray inline is pushing 3" on a dime. And this pulse pinpointer has no way to discirminate, eh ? Which, of course, isn't an issue for non-junky sites. But can be an issue for relicky ghost town sites.

I saw a funny video, where some beginners w/Garretts of some sort were hunting around some gold rush ruins . Apparently the first to ever hit the site. Because it had lots of conductive targets, and we went behind them and found coins. But they had gotten on it first, and made some fun videos. Each time they stopped to put their stand-alone probes down into the holes to find what had been beeping, ... you guessed it: hearing a variety little thumbtack sized stuff, nails, etc... And then eventually perhaps whatever it was they were looking for. At the end of the video, they showed a nice collection of square nails they had

Thanks NASA Tom for the info! I’ve been kicking around getting one due to my Garrett Carrot is useless beyond .75 inches from a target.
So I’ll upgrade soon!

XP Deus
Minelab Etrac
Minelab Equinox 800
Garrett Carrot
22 silvers, 2 silver rings, 1 Gold Ring -YTD 2018


Some of my random digs: [www.youtube.com]

I really like mine, as well.
...and since it's pulse, it holds that depth really well in mineralized dirt...much better than the those VLF based.


mike

Tom.......... for two reasons............. I'm not a proponent of in-line probes. First, they bring additional connections in-line.......... starting from the coil. Additional EMI and impedance-error become a bit more susceptible. Secondly, they add additional weight to the detector......... that you must 'swing' all the time. Some folks claim that it 'balances-out' a weight problem with their detector; yet, .......... the bottom line is: they add more weight. For some folks........ both issues may not bother them.

Yes......... conservatively........... the F-Pulse is 3.25" on a clad dime.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yes......... conservatively........... the F-Pulse
> is 3.25" on a clad dime.

Ok, so that's .25" (to perhaps .5") more than the Sunray. Granted.

I've never had much problem with the weight of the exp. II + Sunray. But yes: Other people have griped.

And how about the inability of the pulse probe to knock out iron ? Have you had any experience with the few varieties of probes, on the market, which have ability to tell iron apart ? When is the day coming that it can be fully TID, yet free-standing like your pulse or the carrot ?

Is this not the same as the Teknetics Tek-Point



DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

Sven,
Yes, the same...the only difference is the color.

I can get that depth with my Whites TRX and without the "cross talk".------I have both pin pointers (Tek-Point & TRX).

I'm a bit surprised the depth is the big issue for you Tom.
I have been getting a good 4" of depth with the standard Garrett pinpointer for years by employing different versions of the "nickel trick" to super/detune them. It must electronically be similar to adjusting the extreme sensitivity "rings" available on the Falcon gold probes. I have found various methods work well but the best and most convenient is by using a small antenna made for RC cars and airplanes taped to the side of the pointer. 4" is easily attainable even in my horrible dirt which often gives sensitivity readings in the low single digits on the CTX or Etrac. That is why the Sunrays are worthless for me , had two and sold them both. Depth is determined by the detector's sensitivity and in my soil an inch was a good number for them.

NASA-Tom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Enter the new F-PULSE......... and ...............
> ...... for the first time in history..............
> ...... the tables have turned. This pinpointer can
> detect a clad dime at 3-1/4" from the tip....... a
> nd about 2-1/2" from the circumferential sides. No
> w......... I'm finding the target on the 1st or 2n
> d try........ nearly every time. Priceless time-sa
> ver. I will (now) always carry a pinpointer. For a
> pinpointer AND detector........ depth is paramount
> .
>
> KUDOS Carl!! Well done! This thing is not a jok
> e......... and changes my primary inventory 'carry
> '.

Welcome to the new millennia Tom :-)

I picked one up soon after they were released and have been nothing but impressed.
The depth proximity audio is calibrated very precisely and the depth is amazing.
Mine will sometimes pickup gold earrings and backers and sometimes not but other than that, no gripes.
I now, will not hunt without it,

Up to my ____ in Pulltabs, Grant

Green! Why don't they just go full out and make them camo, so they will be really hard to find in the grass and leaves. Bright fluorescent orange is the way go. Other than that, it sounds like a great pin-pointer.

tabman

Looks great - Cant wait to take one for a spin

Thanks Tom

[www.earthscan.co.nz]

D&P-OR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can get that depth with my Whites TRX and withou
> t the "cross talk".------I have both pin pointers
> (Tek-Point & TRX).


I must have a dud TRX.
I can't get 3" airtest on clad dime. Sensitivity level 4.
I don't like the dead spot on the side of TRX either. Like from about inch from tip down about 3.5".
Oh I hear the TRX not waterproof either. I haven't dunked mine and don't plan on either.
Rather water resistant.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2018 03:07AM by tnsharpshooter.

Tom_in_CA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NASA-Tom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Yes......... conservatively........... the F-Pulse is 3.25" on a clad dime.
>
> Ok, so that's .25" (to perhaps .5") more than the Sunray. Granted.
>
> I've never had much problem with the weight of the exp. II + Sunray. But yes: Other people have griped.
>
> And how about the inability of the pulse probe to knock out iron ? Have you had any experience with the few varieties of probes, on the market, which
> have ability to tell iron apart ? When is the day coming that it can be fully TID, yet free-standing like your pulse or the carrot ?

Most importantly, inline probes only work on antique detectors

D&P-OR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can get that depth with my Whites TRX and without the "cross talk".------I have both pin pointers (Tek-Point & TRX).

Cross-talk is a statistical problem. Whatever detector you're running with the TRX, someone else with that detector is having cross-talk issues.

Tom_in_CA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And how about the inability of the pulse probe to knock out iron ? Have you had any experience with
> the few varieties of probes, on the market, which have ability to tell iron apart ? When is the day
> coming that it can be fully TID, yet free-standing like your pulse or the carrot ?

My personal philosophy is that once I've decided to dig a hole, I'm gonna clean it out. Discrimination is done. If it's iron, I want it out in case it's masking something.

That said, I recognize that some people want to have disc in a PP, or at the least an iron tone. Can't do that with a PI, but can with a VLF. The reason I started with a PI is that I know doing a good VLF is really difficult (having co-designed the TRX). But a VLF-PP is coming, eventually (wink wink nudge nudge).

I bought the one Cabin Fever/Bryan let go. Used it in the field today for the first time. The field happened to be woods outside of Danville, VA. Old log cabin site. Oldies were tough today, but did dig lots of clad coins and a watch fob. Hopefully 3 or 4 wheaties in the bunch. Noticed the ground was moderately mineralized. One bar on the Impact. Also used the Nokta Relic with small coil. F-Pulse played nice with both of them. Did not have to frequency shift. Did a nice job locating the goods. Trashy, trashy place. Ticks are out.

Wayne

ha.... you guys are spoiled rotten with all this new tech stuff...... you will want blue tooth next lol. I used an inline for years to with the Explorers...... well until ML got to pricy for Ralph to keep doing them. I did like the depth and TID...... but back then we werent getting the depth either from hand held ones and MOST PPers required you to leave the detector down the block to use. Wasnt Ralph the ONLY game in town for an inline? They werent cheap either. Most people have some idea of whats in the hole....... especially now days with TID improvement .... it more a matter of finding the target with the least amount of damage to target and landscape. What kind of HALO does it give..... same as tip or is it concentrated more to the tip? Tom i may need one..... im going blind looking for tiny aluminum with the EQ lol.

Never had a problem with the Garrett's PP. . . I use the Carrot now and it works well.
Most all targets coming out of our ground are the same color as the soil....using a PP is a big time saver and I don't go cross-eyed looking/feeling for the darn thing . The new Fisher F - pulse may have a place in my bag...but my carrot does its job, for now.

I got an F-Pulse recently and just tested it on a clad dime. I got the same results on the high setting as Tom did.

The nickel trick increases depth with the F-Pulse same as it does with the Garretts.

Clad dime - 3.25"

Clad dime using nickel trick - 4.25"

I've always wondered, if the nickel trick works so well to increase depth, why don't they incorporate a sliding piece of metal into the design?

.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2018 03:19PM by Badger in NH.

Not a nag. (Does saying not a nag mean it really is a nag? <g>)

Tom, being one who insists on incorporating every efficiency, I'm curious as to your thoughts on the 2 to 3 second delay between pressing the button to turn on the F-Pulse - and it turning on?
My thinking is that this is due to the LED brightness adjustment program starting with the F-Pulse off. Had that program been piggybacked onto the sensitivity adjustment/frequency shift sequence, the F-Pulse might have had a fast "ON" like it does a fast "OFF."

Wayne

"I'm thinking we over-use pointer's!!!

I'm guilty of it. Find it hard to not use one.

Watching videos it often 'frustrates' to see a timely lapse before the operator finds and turns on his probe.

Few weeks ago, I swapped out detector bags in the car's trunk and arrived on site and no pointer. I got a bit annoyed. But you know what? The sky didn't fall and as it turned out I found all the targets the old fashioned way... pass handful of soil across the coil.

I'm finding the 'Carrott' to be the most reliable probe and have 2.5yrs on it in salt and inland.

Good Hunting

Des D

I like my F Pulse because it's the only one I've used that doesn't false on me in this ground. I told a buddy of mine this, and he bought one at the DIV hunt. He called me just hours after the hunt started, pretty upset. He says "I thought you said this thing doesn't false....it's all it does". I told him that was odd, mine only does it when I first turn it on but after I ground balance, it is quiet until it's near metal. I asked him if he was GBing it and he hesitated and said "yes". I told him that it was different than the Garrett that he was used to...on it, you turned it on with the tip on the ground, and it somewhat balanced it. On the F pulse, you turn it on, then put the tip to the dirt and press the on/off button once. He says "hold on a minute...". Followed by "ohhh man that makes a big difference". Now he loves the thing.

I've either messed mine up or unintentionally changed settings on it. My LED doesn't work now. I've either turned it off somehow or it's already broke.

I guess Fisher is still alive they still seem to have a Pulse!!!

If it has 2-3 second on/off lag like the Garrett carrot top, I won't like it.

I need to dump my carrot top and go back to a fast pinpointer (the original Garrett propointer was fast) I feel it wastes a lot of time.


What is this nickel tuning trick you guys have mentioned?

The nickel trick works like this. You take a nickel and slide it up the side of the pinpointer until it just starts to beep, then you pull it back just a hair until it stops beeping and hold it there. Now you will get noticeably more depth.

.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2018 03:30PM by Badger in NH.

Badger in NH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've always wondered, if the nickel trick works so well to increase depth, why don't they incorporate a sliding piece of metal into the design?

Probably most people wouldn't want to go through that step every time they turn the thing on. On the F-Tek, I tried to get the extra depth without the nickel trick. But, as you point out, there is always a little more depth you can squeeze out. If I gave you a PP with 8" of depth, you'd probably use the nickel trick to get 9.

Edit: The nickel trick does exactly the same thing as the threshold knob on older PPs like the Bounty Hunter or the original Bullseye. Remember those? So what manufacturers could do is re-implement the threshold knob but, as I recall, people were glad to see that knob go away.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2018 04:04PM by Geotech.

Hold it there surely can't be the last step...awkward!

Wayne

Daniel Tn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've either messed mine up or unintentionally chan
> ged settings on it. My LED doesn't work now. I'v
> e either turned it off somehow or it's already bro
> ke.

Daniel,
I posted about this very thing a few weeks ago:
========================================================================================================
"I found out the trick to quickly turning off/on the LED...
It's not in the manual (that I could see), but if you hold the button just a little too long on power-up, there's apparently a nice little feature that quickly toggles the LED on/off state.

If (like me) you accidentally turn the LED off by holding the power on button too long, just:
1. Turn off the pinpointer.
2. Press the button to turn it on...and continue to hold...until the LED turns back on.

This will happen very quickly, so as soon as you see the light, let go of the button.
Otherwise it will continue on to the brightness level adjustment sequence.

If you're in an area you'd prefer to hunt in anonymity...or if you'd just like to save battery...you can quickly toggle the LED on/off this way."
=========================================================================================================

Carl mentioned that he had put this in his original manual, but it got left out of the final.
I suspect everyone will eventually need this info. (I certainly did.)

mike



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2018 04:27PM by Mike in CO.