Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Waterproof Pinpointer

The Garrett Pro-Pointer AT (part number 1140900) is a handheld pinpointer: a 9 in (22.9 cm) probe you put into the hole or plug to find the exact spot of a target your metal detector has already located. It is a single-frequency 11.5 kHz, static (non-motion) detector that signals with audio and vibration pulses that speed up as it nears metal. The whole pinpointer is waterproof to 20 ft (6 m), rated IP 68, and weighs 6.5 oz (0.2 kg) with its 9V battery installed. It suits detectorists who dig on dry land and in water and want one pinpointer for both.

Who the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Is For

Choose the Pro-Pointer AT if you recover targets in wet sand, creeks, lakes or the surf as well as on dry ground, and you want adjustable sensitivity and a silent vibrate-only mode. It is a standalone tool with no cable or wireless link, so it does not depend on which detector you swing.

A different model is the better choice if:

• You hunt in Garrett Z-Lynk wireless headphones. The Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk is the same waterproof pinpointer with a built-in Z-Lynk transmitter, so its alerts play in Garrett MS-3 headphones or through a WR-1 receiver. It sits slightly higher in price.
• Your pinpointer never goes under water. The Garrett Pro-Pointer II is rated IP 66: Garrett says it can be used in rain or rinsed under running water, but only the tip may be submerged. It has no adjustable sensitivity and no ruler, and sits slightly lower in price.
• You want to hear iron before you dig. Garrett's manual says the Pro-Pointer AT detects all metals, ferrous and non-ferrous, and it lists no iron discrimination or tone ID. The Minelab Pro-Find 40 has dual audio tones for ferrous and non-ferrous targets and is waterproof to 10 ft (3 m), in a higher price band. Our pinpointer guide compares the brands.

Why Detectorists Reach for the Pro-Pointer AT: Key Features in Use

• Waterproof to 20 ft (6 m), IP 68: the rating covers the complete pinpointer, including its waterproof speaker, so you can take it into shallow water, wet sand and rivers. Garrett says the orange color is there for added visibility underwater.
• Proportional audio and vibration: the beeps and vibration pulses come faster as the pinpointer gets closer to the target, so you can tell which direction to move without lifting it out of the hole.
• 360 degree side scan plus a pinpointing tip: the Pro-Pointer AT detects along its sides as well as at the tip. Sweep the side around the wall of the hole to find the general area, then use the tip for the exact spot. Garrett's manual says very small targets respond most strongly against the side, about 1/2 in from the tip.
• Three sensitivity levels: minimum, medium (the default) and maximum. Garrett's claim is that the adjustment improves detection of gold nuggets and other tiny targets. Its manual recommends the lower settings on highly mineralized ground. The pinpointer remembers your setting when you switch it off.
• Stealth Mode (vibrate only): each of the three sensitivity levels can run silent, with vibration pulses in place of beeps. That is the setting to use on a busy beach or anywhere you would rather not broadcast every target.
• Fast Retune: a quick press of the button instantly retunes the pinpointer. Hold the tip to the water, wet sand or soil and quick-press to tune out saltwater, wet sand or highly mineralized ground. On a large target, quick-press when the alarm goes constant and the detection field narrows for more precise pinpointing.
• Single-button operation: one button handles power, retune, sensitivity and Stealth Mode. Press and release to switch on, hold for half a second to switch off, and hold for 2 seconds to change settings.
• Lost Pro-Pointer alarm and automatic power off: after 5 minutes switched on with no button press, the pinpointer starts warning chirps that get progressively faster, so you hear it if you left it in a hole or on the tailgate. After 60 minutes of chirps it powers itself off to save the battery.
• LED flashlight: the LED comes on with the pinpointer and lights the bottom of your plug during evening hunts or in shaded woods.
• Scraping blade: the blade edge is for sifting through loose dirt while you search, and the side scan alarms as the blade passes close to metal. Garrett's manual says not to use the pinpointer as a digging or prying tool.
• Ruler and lanyard loop: a ruler in inches and centimeters is molded into the side to judge target depth, and a molded loop takes a lanyard for your belt, pouch or detector.

What's Included with the Garrett Pro-Pointer AT

Garrett standard contents (part number 1140900)

• Garrett Pro-Pointer AT pinpointer
• Woven belt holster
• 9V battery

Serious Detecting does not add anything to this listing. What you receive is Garrett's standard package.

Not included

• A lanyard. The pinpointer has the attachment loop only.
• A spare battery or a charger. The Pro-Pointer AT runs on one replaceable 9V battery.
• Headphones. Garrett lists no headphone socket and no wireless audio on the Pro-Pointer AT.
• A digging tool or finds pouch.

Warranty: Garrett lists a 3-year limited parts and labor warranty for the Pro-Pointer AT. Garrett's warranty does not cover batteries.

Garrett Pro-Pointer AT Compatibility: Detectors, Batteries, Headphones and Holsters

• Detectors: the Pro-Pointer AT is a standalone pinpointer and does not pair with or plug into a detector.
• Battery: one 9V battery. Garrett's manual gives battery life as 30 hours with an alkaline battery, 16 hours with a carbon battery and 8 hours with a rechargeable 9V. An alternating two-tone alarm tells you the battery is low. Garrett says to remove the battery if you store the pinpointer for more than 30 days.
• Charging: Garrett's manual describes no charging in the unit and no charger is supplied. You unscrew the battery cover by hand and swap the 9V. If you use rechargeable 9V batteries, you charge them in your own charger.
• Headphones: Garrett lists no headphone socket and no wireless audio on the Pro-Pointer AT. Garrett MS-3 headphones and the WR-1 receiver pair with the Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk, not with the standard Pro-Pointer AT. See our metal detector headphones.
• Holster: the woven belt holster in the box fits any standard size belt. It has a metal snap, so the pinpointer will alarm if you holster it while it is still switched on.
• Dig pouch: the Garrett All Terrain Dig Pouch includes a Pro-Pointer holster and mesh drain screens for water hunting. It is in our Garrett carry bags and pouches.
• Lanyards: the molded loop on the side takes a lanyard. One is not included.
• Coils and tips: Garrett lists no interchangeable coils or tips for the Pro-Pointer AT.
• Other Garrett parts: our Garrett parts and accessories list shows what fits each model.

Where the Pro-Pointer AT Works Well and Where It Does Not

Urban Parks with Bottle Caps and Pull Tabs

In a trashy park the Pro-Pointer AT helps you isolate one coin from the junk around it without digging a crater. The response gets faster as you close in, and a quick-press retune at full alarm on a large piece of trash narrows the detection field for more precise pinpointing. Retune often in this kind of ground.

Limits: the Pro-Pointer AT responds the same way to a nail, a pull tab and a coin, so it will not tell you what the target is. Switch it on away from metal. Garrett's manual warns that turning it on right next to a target can cancel that target out.

Saltwater Beaches with Wet Sand Interference

Garrett's manual gives a specific fix for saltwater and wet sand: hold the tip of the Pro-Pointer AT to the water or sand and quick-press the button, and repeat if the response has not gone. The 20 ft (6 m) rating means you can follow a target into the surf or work around pilings without worrying about waves. Stealth Mode is the considerate choice during crowded beach hours. Our guide to beach metal detecting covers the rest of the kit.

Limits: sand is the enemy of the seal. Garrett says to keep the battery cap threads free of sand and sediment and to lubricate the O-ring with silicone grease from time to time.

Underwater: Wading, Snorkeling and Shallow Dives

The Pro-Pointer AT is rated for a maximum depth of 20 ft (6 m), which covers wading, snorkeling and shallow dives. Vibration is the alert you can rely on when you cannot hear the speaker well.

Limits: Garrett says not to exceed 20 ft. For deeper diving, our guide to underwater metal detectors sorts equipment by depth rating.

Relic Fields with Mineralized Soil

On old homesteads and battlefield ground with mineralized soil, Garrett recommends the lower sensitivity settings so the Pro-Pointer AT does not respond to the ground itself. A Fast Retune with the tip against the soil does the same job for a stubborn patch. Then go back to the target your metal detector located. The molded ruler helps you judge how deep a target is before you decide to keep digging.

Limits: the Pro-Pointer AT detects all metals and has no iron tone, so it will not tell a nail from a good target. That decision stays with your detector.

Detection Range

Garrett does not publish a detection distance for the Pro-Pointer AT, and we will not quote one. Range depends on the size of the target, the ground and the sensitivity level you choose.

Weight on a Long Session

The Pro-Pointer AT weighs 6.5 oz (0.2 kg) with the battery in. Garrett lists the same weight for the Pro-Pointer II and the Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk, so weight is not a reason to choose between them.

How the Pro-Pointer AT Compares to the Pro-Pointer II and Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk

Garrett sells three Pro-Pointers for hobby detecting. All three share the proportional audio and vibration, the 360 degree side scan, the LED, the scraping blade, the lost alarm, the 9V battery and the woven holster. The differences are below.

Feature	Pro-Pointer II	Pro-Pointer AT	Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk
Water rating	IP 66. Weatherproof and splashproof, tip only may be submerged	IP 68. Waterproof to 20 ft (6 m)	IP 68. Waterproof to 20 ft (6 m)
Adjustable sensitivity	No	Yes, 3 levels	Yes, 3 levels
Retune	Quick power off and on	Fast Retune with a quick press	Fast Retune with a quick press
Ruler in inches and centimeters	No	Yes	Yes
Z-Lynk wireless audio	No	No	Yes
Weight with battery	6.5 oz (0.2 kg)	6.5 oz (0.2 kg)	6.5 oz (0.2 kg)
Warranty	3 years, limited parts and labor	3 years, limited parts and labor	3 years, limited parts and labor
Price position	Slightly lower	Middle	Slightly higher

Closest model down: the Pro-Pointer II. You give up submersion, the three sensitivity levels, the quick-press retune and the ruler. It still handles rain and a rinse under the tap, so it is enough if you only dig on dry land.

Closest model up: the Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk. Same pinpointer and same 20 ft rating, plus a built-in Z-Lynk transmitter. When it is paired, its own speaker switches off and the alerts play in your Z-Lynk headphones. Radio does not travel through water, so when fully submerged the Pro-Pointer AT Z-Lynk works the same as the standard Pro-Pointer AT. Buy it if you already use Garrett Z-Lynk headphones, and save the difference if you do not.

Buying the Pro-Pointer AT from Serious Detecting

Serious Detecting is an authorized Garrett dealer with a showroom in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Every Garrett Pro-Pointer AT we sell carries Garrett's 3-year limited parts and labor warranty, and our detectorists can answer questions about pinpointer settings for your ground. Browse the full Garrett range or compare every brand of pinpointer we carry.