Whites pinpointer or Sun Ray probe?

[Circle C Digger]

Hello, I just purchased a Quattro and now I'm trying to decide on what pinpointer to get. I have been told that the Whites Bullseye is the way to go since it does not add any weight to your detector and there isn't any cable length to deal with. However, the Sun Ray probe sounds like it does a better job at pinpointing targets. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Ravenge]

personally i would go with the whites bullseye for the above points you mention, In my eyes it will be/is more adaptable (And cheaper !)
I have been using a similar unit to the bullseye (Called a "Sherlock pinpoint probe" here in the UK)and it works great, Its shortened the time i spend digging/hunting for my finds massively !
I must admit i did think/look into the sun ray probe before i got my sherlock probe but decided against it for some of the reasons you mentioned,
There was also one other reason that i didn't get the sun ray probe, When the thing goes wrong (And it will eventually !) The sun ray probe would cost me 200 UK pounds to replace whereas my sherlock will only cost less than 50 UK pounds

Hope this helps you in your decision, And good look with your Quattro, Its a fantastic detector once you get your head around all the different sounds it sends to your ears (Can be a little overwhelming at first!), but just stick with it and i am sure you will be as impressed with it as i am (In my eyes the only detector on the market that could match it or slightly better it would be the explorer II)

Good Look !

 

[Rick(ND)]

The X1 of Sun Rays is actually a 1 inch coil, so it will do everything the main coil will do other go as deep. It is hooked in to the circuity of the Quattro, so everything will come though your headphones, you don't have to take them off to hear the beep. Being the Quattros goes deep you will need a pin pointer that will have a depth range of over 2 inches to find some of these target. I don't know how many coins we get at a angle which will throw off the pinpointing several inches, now if your pin pointier only get a inch or less you will not find it until you dig so deep you finally dig the hole bigger and find the coin was at a angle. Maybe you will have missed it too and loss the signal.
From experience we have picked up many coins other have left behind in the plugs or beside the plug in the hole because the pin pointer they used didn't have the depth to find them and feel the signal was lost so they quite looking for it.
With the X1 I find that I can ID the target with the probe so you can tell if it is a good target or not when you get close to it. If you know it is good you can be more careful retrieving it so you don't scratch it, but if your pin pointer only has less than a inch of depth this is hard to do.
There is only one other pin pointer I would consider if I couldn't have my X1 and that would be the Uniprobe built into the headphones as it too has some great depth to find those deep targets the Minelab seem to get.This probe like the Bulleye is a all metal probe, so it can dont disc like the X1 will and it will cost more too.
A good pin pointer that has some depth will save you time finding the target and will find you more by the end of the day. If you have a great detector you want to have a great pin pointer too.

 

[Bobbie]

and I like the convience of not having to fumble taking my headphones off. The whole probe deal only weighs 11 oz. so that is not much weight added to your machine, and it attaches right to your machine shaft rather than having to holster, or pocket a pinpointer. The SunRay does have a couple of inches of depth and you are listening to the same sounds of the Quattro. If there is also junk in the hole, the SunRay can discriminate where you need to look.

 

[Ravenge]

maybe its just me, But i seem to use my pin-pointer in a different way to some of you, When i get a hit on my quattro here's what i do,
First i narrow the search down by passing the coil over it a few times to try and find the edges of the item (Helps to get an idea as to the size of the object too !) then i sweep over one last time and sit the coil on the ground next to the object (Using the above method i can track the object down to within maybe a 4 inch square) then i switch to pinpoint mode and quickly make two sweeps at 90 degrees to each other and pinpoint the object to within an inch or two, I then move the coil away and put the tip of my digging implement on the exact spot that the quattro pinpointed to, I then kneel on one knee and cut a plug about 3 to 4 inches in diameter around the spot so as not to mark the item (Maybe bigger if my quattro tells me so !) I then lift the plug, And only then do i use my sherlock pin-pointer (Which has a ranch of about 2 to 3 inch on a UK 1 or 2 pence piece (Copper)) The item is usually found within a matter of seconds, And so far (believe it or not) if my quattro has indicated a hit then i have never left the target in the ground (Even after thousands of holes dug).
Now i know the above sounds VERY long winded and complicated but in the field it takes only a few seconds to know where to cut the plug,
I have heard a few people that have had problems when using the quattros pinpointing mode, But hand on heart i have found it to be VERY accurate, And its only when the plug has been cut that i have to use my sherlock probe.

The above is only the way i go about retrieving my finds and its what i myself have found to be the quickest easiest and most accurate way of retrieval, But i understand what works for me may not work for you and each of us probably has our own special way of retrieval that we use, But whatever method you yourself use i wish you the best of luck, And may your hoard appear tomorrow !

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

There's nothing different about the way you do it or the way somebody with an X-1 does it. The only difference is that your probe is stand alone and the X-1 is integrated into the detector. Me, I don't have an X-1 for my Explorer II...I have the VibraProbe. But I do it the same way you do. And if I get the X-1, I'll do it the same way too. The benefit of the X-1 is that it's right there clipped to your machine and it has full ID capability and more depth than most of the handheld pinpointers out there. It's really a matter of preference, but in my opinion it has nothing to do with your pinpointing expertise or how you go about it.

 

[rotty23]

I have the SunRay probe and I wouldnt leave home without it! The weight gain is so minimal you wont even notice it...I swear you will love it..I did put a rubber 1 inch chair leg cover on it to protect the tip tho...Take my word for it you cant go wrong with Sunray