Anyone involved in treasure hunting and archeology is well aware of this simple tool. A search probe is a long, thin metal rod with a handle. The main performance characteristic of the probe is its ability to easily penetrate the entire length of the soil. Therefore, it is better to sharpen the tip of the probe. This applies if you decide to make the dipstick yourself. If there is no opportunity or desire to manufacture a probe, then you can buy a factory-made search probe. Factory copies can be equipped with replaceable tips for different types soil, have a folding design, rubberized handle, etc. You can buy a search probe in Moscow at a low price in our online store.
The search probe is especially useful for treasure hunters, people passionate about archeology and war searches. Using a probe, you can check the soil for the presence of voids (when excavating dugouts, bunkers, cellars, basements, hiding places, etc.), probe the ground for the presence of deep-lying metal or clay objects, etc. By testing the ground with a probe, you can determine whether it is worth digging up a deep-lying object detected by a metal detector.
Greetings to all those who like to make something out of nothing. A treasure hunter I know approached us with a request to make him a search probe. It’s unclear why he needs it along with the metal detector, but that’s his business. He also brought the material, a meter-long pin and various bolts and nuts. The only thing I didn't take into account was the strength of the stud.
We will do it our way.
Tools needed.
1. Welding inverter.
2. Angle grinder.
3. Sharpening machine.
4. Vise.
5. Hacksaw for metal.
Materials needed.
1. Steel reinforcement Ø10 mm.
2. Bolts and nuts.
3. Ball from the bearing.
4. Unnecessary drill.
5. Legs from an old Soviet-era TV.
From steel reinforcement Ø 10 mm. we cut off two sections of 50 cm each. We came across ribbed fittings, so we grind the ribs with a grinder with a flap disk and on a sharpening machine.
General view of the planned product.
The probe is supposed to be made collapsible; to do this, we will weld a thread to one piece of reinforcement and a nut to the other. It is better to use elongated nuts.
We clean the weld seams on a sharpening machine.
To attach the handles of the future probe, we weld two elongated nuts together, clean the seam and weld it to the piece of reinforcement to which the thread is welded. To the section to which the nut is welded we weld a thread for attaching removable attachments.
Now we make removable attachments for the probe. Since this part of the probe bears the largest part of the loads, we will make the nozzles from a metal stronger than reinforcement. For soft soil we will make a drop-shaped nozzle. We weld the ball from the bearing to the extended nut and process it on a sharpening machine.
For denser soil we make a pointed nozzle. To do this, we weld the shank of a broken or unnecessary drill to the nut.
We cut off the excess and process it on the sharpening machine.
Legs from a Soviet-era TV were perfect for the probe handles. Screw it in, mark it right size and cut it off.
While working, I came up with the idea of welding another thread between the handles, so as not to carry a spare attachment in my pocket.
They did not paint the probe, since it is unlikely that any paint on this product will last long. And the case was lying around in the workshop for a long time, but it waited its time.
Because I often dig in war, I need a search probe. With which I can make trenches, trenches and just interesting large signals. It's actually very useful thing, because not all the most interesting things your metal detector will be able to ring.
For example, I often picked up broken Red Army glass flasks from the bottom of a trench, but there is a high probability of finding one intact? And I picked up quite a few plates (not many whole ones). I never thought that you could find so many interesting things with a search probe until I worked hard on it for a couple of trips.
What is a search probe, how to do it correctly
Believe! In our area there is little left of interest that can be found with a metal detector. But a dipstick is more than enough. Because almost no one works with them. Everyone thinks that a metal detector is power. Actually this is not true. Any search party often works with probes as the main tool, and a metal detector as an additional one. After that, draw a conclusion. Which is better, a probe or a metal detector?
Still having the probe in your hands, you will have to shovel less, much less. Especially if you only dig big signals. Because everyone knows that there is nothing interesting in small signals except orders and medals.
Over time, you will learn to identify roots, stones, iron, glass by sound, and you will even be able to take a soil sample. Just imagine how many functions and probe there are. Even a metal detector doesn't have that much.
From the first time, it will be difficult for you to work with such a device, so you will not understand what is knocking. A stone or something interesting. But after a couple of trips, you will work with them like a professional. I speak for myself.
The probe will be very useful for finding voids in the ground. There are a lot of cellars and basements, covered with earth, which are simply not found. And a metal detector won't pick it up. And the probe will help you in this matter. And as a rule, there are a lot of interesting things in basements. (Antique lamps, irons, samovars, pots) because all this is very much appreciated. For example, I don’t collect this, but I exchange it for coins.
What to make such a probe from? They are usually made from an 8 MM or 5 MM torsion bar. It depends on what kind of soil you will use it in. If the soils are hard, it is better to take 8 MM.
By the way, who doesn’t know what a torsion bar is - it’s a rod in Soviet cars, VAZ, GAZ, etc. Finding it is not a problem at all, in any auto parts store.
A ball from a bearing is welded onto the end of the torsion bar, larger diameter your torsion bar twice. Any handle can be made, depending on where you will use it. You can just use a sword, or you can use a T-shaped one.
And most importantly, the height of the probe is purely individual. What trenches will you be working with? According to the technology, trenches were dug 1-1.5 m deep, so stick to these dimensions.
Just a minute attention!!! Before you start making or buying a dipstick, I would recommend reading my articles to understand its dangers and specifics. And also, which will be very useful for you to examine rivers, lakes and streams, and maybe even wells.
For example, my probe is like this:
Made from Volga torsion bar. They gave it to me. At the end, the bullet is filled with lead. It really wears out during travel and you have to change it every time before leaving. Therefore, I also want to cut a thread and weld a special bolt, or a ball from a bearing. I'll show you how I can do it later.
There are purchased probes that fold up and have a bunch of replaceable attachments. Which have an orange handle. Which is very convenient. As it happens, you stick a probe into the ground, move 10-15 meters away, and can no longer find it. Because it blends in with the trees.
Therefore, if you make a search probe with your own hands, paint it in a bright color. This will be useful to you, believe me.
By the way, watch the video of the well-known Poryvaev, he says some pretty smart things about probes. And in general, Poryvaev has decent reviews of equipment.
And I would recommend for those who want to start digging, but don’t know which device to choose, to read my article about that. But if you don’t have the funds yet, but want to dig, use a search probe. Believe me, you won’t be left without finds. The main thing is to learn to choose the right places to dig.
Hi all!
Nowadays there are various testers on sale, but in most cases the probes for them are of low quality.
There was a case where in the cold the wires of the probes broke like matches. So I decided to make the missing probes myself.
Stylus manufacturing process
Trying on a dart tip. It needs to fit the size of the pen tip. If it doesn't fit, you'll have to cut off the thread on the handle. If this does not help, then you will have to find other pens.
Take the tip of the dart and heat it gas burner. After sufficient heating, take a piece of solder dipped in soldering acid and throw it inside. We lower the wire there and wait for the solder to cool.
We assemble the dipstick. It is better to glue the tip.
Second set. Probes with needles for puncturing insulation. We take pencils with replaceable leads and take them apart.
We take needles and try them on instead of leads.
Solder the wires to the needles.
Insert the needle and wire into the pencil from behind. It may not work the first time; you need to hit the center of the pencil collet. The needles must be glued into the collet, otherwise they will go inward when pressed.
In general, everything is ready, all that remains is to solder the plugs to the wires and cover the probes with colored heat shrink. Be careful with the hairdryer! The plastic of office supplies may become deformed.
Pen caps came in handy too.
Addition. Taking apart computer unit I found a power supply connector whose terminals fit very well on all probes, including Chinese and Soviet ones.
Therefore, I decided to also make crocodile attachments. We remove the terminals; they are held in the block by latches. Press the latch with an awl and remove the terminal. We cut off the shank at the terminal and bend the latch inward.
We take the alligator clip, insert the terminal, and solder it.
The crocodile is ready.
Thanks to all. In conclusion, I will say that I bought wires with frost-resistant insulation with a cross section of 0.75 mm?.
If you like to wander through the fields with a metal detector in search of lost coins, then it is unlikely that you will need any other equipment other than your favorite metal detector and shovel. The only thing else you can equip yourself with for your loved one is this. By and large, nothing more is needed.
However, if you are seriously involved in treasure hunting, you study vintage maps, check legends, purposefully look for treasures, then it would be nice to also have a search probe in your arsenal. Oh yes, I almost forgot, another cool thing - . For those who don’t have a metal detector and want to look for coins and treasures, it is indispensable. .
This is a fairly simple device that you can make with your own hands in the garage if you have fittings and a welder. A handle and a long thin metal rod. It looks something like this.
This homemade dipstick, which, just like the purchased one, copes well with its direct responsibilities - checking the soil for voids and various objects. It is worth noting that search teams engaged in searching for the remains of those killed in the Second World War for the purpose of their further burial - they all use search probes in their searches. Paired with a metal detector, the probe helps quite noticeably when it comes to searching over a vast area. Roughly speaking, a search probe is for reconnaissance of the area.
Let's say you obtained information that a treasure of silver coins was buried in such and such a garden. Naturally, a metal detector will be simply necessary to check the legend, but a probe will also come in handy. You can use a probe to check the ground for voids; it happened that treasures were buried in special niches lined with stone/brick. A simple metal detector may not be able to cope with depth and mineralization, or penetrate through the thickness of the earth and bricks, so a preliminary check with a probe can help to understand what we are dealing with. By penetrating the soil with a probe, you can poke at an object, understand by the sound whether it is iron or something else, and then decide for yourself whether it is worth spending time and digging. Each type of target sounds different when struck with a probe - iron, wood or bone.
It is quite difficult to understand what is in the ground the first time, but an experienced search engine will easily determine that there, for example, there was a dugout or a trench, which was then buried. During the Second World War, the Nazis forced prisoners to throw the corpses of soldiers into the trenches and bury them. So places of voids in the ground can be found much more successfully than with a metal detector. If the soil is loose, then you can “probe” it very deeply.
Very often, search probes are used when drilling, saving a lot of time for diggers. If you are looking for war, a dipstick is necessary. And it is even more necessary if you are purposefully digging ferrous metal for its subsequent delivery to the acceptance point.
That's where, and when digging ferrous metal, a probe is an essential thing. When working on war, remember that if you hit the detonator of a mine/land mine/shell with the tip of the probe once, your hobby will end there. Follow safety precautions when coping with war, or even better, don’t go there at all without experienced comrades who will advise and help with advice. Imagine what could happen if you hit such a find with a shovel or probe.
Therefore, if you are digging in the old-fashioned way, still do not furiously hammer at a metal object with a shovel, who knows that you are ours there in the ground.
For professional seekers and lovers of quality equipment, factory-made collapsible probes are produced. This is a real thing that can be folded up conveniently, there are many attachments-tips for different types soil. It is much more convenient to work with such a probe than with a homemade one. Therefore, if you are serious about various types searches, it is better to buy a dipstick in a store, they are inexpensive. They come in different lengths, long ones for working in depth and short ones for shallow searching, something like a large awl about 20 centimeters long.
If you decide to buy this equipment for yourself, I recommend buying my friend Nikolai from this store.
I also dug up a video on how to work with a search probe and in general about war diggers. Interesting, I recommend watching it.
