BeyWolf
Well-known member
I saw a picture of the Zircon stud finder on the internet and thought it might work as a pin-pointer. When I got it I realized it would never hold up to probing in the dirt. The plastic housing is too thin and weak.
I decided to make a stronger housing in a more usable shape. I used 1" PVC fittings and 1/2" CPVC water pipe. The grey reducer is a PVC conduit fitting from the electrical department. The finished pin-pointer is 9-1/2" by 5-1/2"
I can't recommend doing this project for somebody who just wants a cheap pin-pointer. It took a lot of work to make everything fit. You have to love doing difficult projects as much as you love metal detecting.
If anyone else is crazy enough to want to try this I can post a schematic I made to help me chop up the board and get everything reconnected.
The finished pin-pointer is very sturdy, has about the same sensitivity as a Cen-Tech but doesn't need any adjusting like the Cen-Tech does. I didn't use the low volume buzzer that was in the stud-finder. I'm happy with the row of LEDs that shows if you are moving closer to the target.
I plan on making another pin-pointer from scratch using my own circuit design. and a smaller housing.
I decided to make a stronger housing in a more usable shape. I used 1" PVC fittings and 1/2" CPVC water pipe. The grey reducer is a PVC conduit fitting from the electrical department. The finished pin-pointer is 9-1/2" by 5-1/2"
I can't recommend doing this project for somebody who just wants a cheap pin-pointer. It took a lot of work to make everything fit. You have to love doing difficult projects as much as you love metal detecting.
If anyone else is crazy enough to want to try this I can post a schematic I made to help me chop up the board and get everything reconnected.
The finished pin-pointer is very sturdy, has about the same sensitivity as a Cen-Tech but doesn't need any adjusting like the Cen-Tech does. I didn't use the low volume buzzer that was in the stud-finder. I'm happy with the row of LEDs that shows if you are moving closer to the target.
I plan on making another pin-pointer from scratch using my own circuit design. and a smaller housing.