What year did the first hand held pin pointer come out???

Was it a Garrett??? And the sunray probes used with certain detectors, how long have they existed???

The first one I remember and bought was a Tinytec maybe around 1987 to 90. Then I built about 100 Kenco CP-8 probes. Then the Vibraprobe put me out of business. I think the Merlin was just after or right around the Tinytec?

Kenny
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2015 02:55AM by khouse.

I used a wired probe like the Sunray on my White'sEeagle II SL 90.5 in 1990. Made by a fellow that had a rather big drinking problem. He only made about five of them before his liver quit working. I still have one of them but not a detector to use it on.

Thanks guys for provided me the information. I'd never heard of either one actually.

I remember a handheld security wand at the airport in the late 70's, so the tech was there at that point. I think it was a Garrett and very outwardly similar to the ones they use today. The reason I remember it was that I was home from college and some dumbazt friend of a friend of mine had stolen it. They were so unique and expensive at that point, the moron decided he couldn't even sell it so used it for target practice. Within a year, he was in the service to stay ahead of the law iirc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2015 03:06AM by Champ Ferguson.

I think the tiny tech was the first I had seen sold commercially...but I'm not sure...maybe mid to late 80's. However I had an old electronic tech friend I used to hunt with in the 1980's...(he has since passed on)...who made his own using an old BFO type circuit. It was about as big as a standard flashlight (6-7" in length) with a hardwired 2" coil. It ran on a single 9 volt battery and worked great! He made about a half dozen of them for his hunting buddies...me included. I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and it came in so handy. I often tried to encourage him to make them commercially but he never had the funds or means to do so. About 8-10 years later I saw the store bought units for sale.

years and years ago

Phil from the West Coast came out with a handheld pin pointer, Can't remember when he made them but was in the early days.

He's a good friend with Allan Cannon, That's going way back in the BFO and TR days.

Paul (Ca)

White's had a unit called a probe master which was supposed to differentiate between a bottle cap and a coin, It had a 8" probe. That was in May 1972.

Jeff (or) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> White's had a unit called a probe master which was
> supposed to differentiate between a bottle cap and
> a coin, It had a 8" probe. That was in May 1972.


That just seems odd considering the hand help pin pointers were for pin pointing with the md doing the id.
I had several of the White's when they first came out on the market paid around 99 dollars in Canada, they seemed sturdy and reliable. hh

A.H. Electronics Differentiating Probe 1972:

Whoaa! Sorry about the size of that!

It didn't appear that big on the website...


mike

I know there certainly were earlier hand held probes on the market but the first probe we had that I can remember was the Tinytec.----If I remember right, it came in two probe length styles.----We had a couple of them--actually kind of liked them.-------Remember how we used to hunt without a probe in the early days?---Now I don't think I could get along without one!

guvmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jeff (or) Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > White's had a unit called a probe master which
> was
> > supposed to differentiate between a bottle cap
> and
> > a coin, It had a 8" probe. That was in May
> 1972.
>
>
> That just seems odd considering the hand help pin
> pointers were for pin pointing with the md doing
> the id.
> I had several of the White's when they first came
> out on the market paid around 99 dollars in
> Canada, they seemed sturdy and reliable. hh


Nothing odd about it. You can see the ad for it in the May/June issue of "Discoverer"

Jeff (or) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> guvmore Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Jeff (or) Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > White's had a unit called a probe master
> which
> > was
> > > supposed to differentiate between a bottle
> cap
> > and
> > > a coin, It had a 8" probe. That was in May
> > 1972.
> >
> >
> > That just seems odd considering the hand help
> pin
> > pointers were for pin pointing with the md
> doing
> > the id.
> > I had several of the White's when they first
> came
> > out on the market paid around 99 dollars in
> > Canada, they seemed sturdy and reliable. hh
>
>
> Nothing odd about it. You can see the ad for it in
> the May/June issue of "Discoverer"

Well not tuned in hobby lately, since probes may likely go around 2" deep not sure the purpose of id really, seems the detector is for that., hh

guvmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jeff (or) Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > guvmore Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Jeff (or) Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > White's had a unit called a probe master
> > which
> > > was
> > > > supposed to differentiate between a bottle
> > cap
> > > and
> > > > a coin, It had a 8" probe. That was in May
> > > 1972.
> > >
> > >
> > > That just seems odd considering the hand help
> > pin
> > > pointers were for pin pointing with the md
> > doing
> > > the id.
> > > I had several of the White's when they first
> > came
> > > out on the market paid around 99 dollars in
> > > Canada, they seemed sturdy and reliable. hh
> >
> >
> > Nothing odd about it. You can see the ad for it
> in
> > the May/June issue of "Discoverer"
>
> Well not tuned in hobby lately, since probes may
> likely go around 2" deep not sure the purpose of
> id really, seems the detector is for that., hh

Sorry about that, I ment the 1972 may/june issue of White's Discoverer.

guvmore Wrote:
> Well not tuned in hobby lately, since probes may
> likely go around 2" deep not sure the purpose of
> id really, seems the detector is for that., hh

guv,
These original pinpointer probes were exactly that...you shoved them into the ground (probing) until they got within a 1/4" or so of the target.
The resulting signal gave you:
1. Exact target location.
2. Exact target depth.
3. Probable 'quality' of target.

Basically everything the detector gives you now...but was not available in the very early '70s.
(Early detectors had no VDI, and no Depth indication...in fact No Display of any kind...some had meters, but the meters were mostly for checking the batteries.)

Also interesting to note, was that we shied away from plugging back then. It was considered a 'last resort' and only if you couldn't extract it with your screwdriver.
The pinpointer probes allowed you to locate the target with a minimum of turf disturbance. And kept you from unnecessary digging...which could get you booted from a small town park pretty quickly.
It gave you better 'risk vs. reward' info, if you will.

mike

Ok, thanks guys, starting to make sense now with the time frame in context.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2015 02:13AM by guvmore.