Garret 350 Questions-

[Hookedondetecting]

Hi,
You guys were great in answering my earlier questions so I thought I would hit you up with some more questions.

I swung the 350 detector for about 4 hours in mostly Coin mode in hopes of finding some coins. All the coin signals ended up being roundish metal objects like bottle caps, 4" round can covers, pieces of aluminum pie plates, Aluminum beer cans and one 18" long bar of metal. The curser tag some as silver dollars.

Is this common and expected with the 350?

I saw the curser constantly showing iron and pull tab on the lower scale with no ping so I am sure it is discriminating some things. Probably the small iron or aluminum items.

When I hit a good sounding target the display shows 4, 6 or 8 inches deep. When I pinpoint the display shows a different depth mostly 2".

Which is more correct on depth, the first or last reading? Maybe I hit two targets an upper and lower?

When Pin Pointing I do not get a signal each time I hit the button. Sort of like a week signal. I have to press it a few times to get it to work louder.

After pulling up a bottle cap I used the Sod plug and buried a modern nickel I had in my pocket. I pinged nicely and the curser did show it as a dime or quarter. Not as a nickel like on the Garret Video.

I picked up three cents on the beach one day so I am confident if run into a coin and it will sound out, just a matter of time and location.

Thoughts anyone?

HOD

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[bzbadger]

Well o have a 350 and an ATP but these things go buy the kind of metal and size to a point with the 350 the ATP you can determine better on size of object. A tip, when going over stuff that sounds like its good and the scale shows it also, lift your coil 6-8" and if it still sounds its probably trash like a bottle cap or a soda can.
Unfortunately cans etc share same conductivity as a coin plus their shape is similar.
When pinpointing keep the button pushed down till your meter maxes out at the top and is the loudest. Sometimes trash like a can or a large object won't let you pinpoint because of the size or overloads. Your pin point depth is your more active depth reading because of the type of signal it emits rather than the one you use as you swing. Not many machines out there if any can totally figure out the difference between tabs, caps etc. Swing you coil slowly over the target and measure the area covered, where the coil edge first picks up a target till it stops should be short for a coin, once you figure this measuring out you will be able to figure out the difference between coins and trash,plus raise that coil to test the target as I wrote earlier, that saves a lot of digging.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

 

[Kodiak43351]

When I swung the 350 I had same problems at first. Then I got use to what the machine was telling me. I swing a at pro now but the 350 is a good coin machine. I've found silver with it and believe me when you get over a silver coin it will let you know. I got use to sizing the target when swinging and that helps a bunch. My first silver with the 350 was a 1893 o barber dime and to date that is the oldest and most valuable of any coin I've found so far. Good luck and have fun.

 

[marh415]

Yes, those problems are common especially with bottle caps and aluminum. Badger gave some good advice, if you lift your coil and still get a signal, it's most likely trash! Shape, size and conductivity will mess with a lot of detectors unfortunately. I found this video helpful!

 

[Adrian D]

Hey guys just asking is the garrett ace 350 a good metal detector or should i get another one?

 

[crazy4coins]

Hey guys just asking is the garrett ace 350 a good metal detector or should i get another one?

If I were you, I'd stick with he 350 and learn its "language." It is a very capable detector, but like any other, you just have to know what it's telling you.

 

[Kodiak43351]

I liked the 350 I found good stuff with it I decided to get the at pro and sell the 350. The at in pro mode gives you more info on the target and the trash around it. If I miss my 350 I can switch to standard mode but haven't done that yet. If ya have the money get a pro if not the 350 is a very capable machine in my opinion.

 

[IBdiggin]

Hi Hookedon, I have an Ace 250 and also a Fisher F70. All detectors will show some indecision when over trashy signals. What you are hearing is what is known as falsing. When iron is discriminated out it still will show up on the iron indicator while giving a false higher tone that could resemble any medal between zinc and a dollar but you don't hear the iron tone. A true coin signal will be constant and clear with no iron indicator icon at all. When you get a clear coin signal, turn 90 degrees or even several other angles to see if the clear constant coin signal both directions is there without the depth meter or coin type indicators jumping around. Only when depth is close to being out of range of your detectors capability will coin signals get jumpy except if several different denominations are there together. Tabs and foil can also cause falsing but try to pass themselves off as nickel or zinc mostly. If you see a silent iron indicator or jumpy depth indications, there is a very good chance it is junk. Time with your machine is the only true solution to this. All machines operate on the same principal so buying a more expensive unit before figuring this one out is like chasing a ghost altho a unit with a VDI will have jumpy number in addition to jumpy depth and jumpy indicators.. The 350 is a very capable unit. Hope this helps.

 

[Hookedondetecting]

Right now I am pretty happy with the 350.
I am confident it will pink on any coin I swing on.
I need to use it more to distinguish between coins and bottle caps. Have not run across many coins yet on the old farm and really only trying on week ends.
This weekend I am meeting up with my brother who has a white coin master pro. We will compare both units at each ping to see haw they react, then dig the object.
I plan to dig out several test plugs of sod and bury junk and coins six inches deep. We can then see how each unit reacts.
I am also wondering if anyone near me has a 350 and would be willing to meet and comment on my technique. That way I can straighten out the learning curve.

 

[Hookedondetecting]

Hi Hookedon, I have an Ace 250 and also a Fisher F70. All detectors will show some indecision when over trashy signals. What you are hearing is what is known as falsing. When iron is discriminated out it still will show up on the iron indicator while giving a false higher tone that could resemble any medal between zinc and a dollar but you don't hear the iron tone. A true coin signal will be constant and clear with no iron indicator icon at all. When you get a clear coin signal, turn 90 degrees or even several other angles to see if the clear constant coin signal both directions is there without the depth meter or coin type indicators jumping around. Only when depth is close to being out of range of your detectors capability will coin signals get jumpy except if several different denominations are there together. Tabs and foil can also cause falsing but try to pass themselves off as nickel or zinc mostly. If you see a silent iron indicator or jumpy depth indications, there is a very good chance it is junk. Time with your machine is the only true solution to this. All machines operate on the same principal so buying a more expensive unit before figuring this one out is like chasing a ghost altho a unit with a VDI will have jumpy number in addition to jumpy depth and jumpy indicators.. The 350 is a very capable unit. Hope this helps.

Ha, ha, if there were'nt so many beer drinkers in my family this would be easier! Darn bottle caps!

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[crazy4coins]

In addition to what the others have said, the depth shown in pinpoint mode is DEFINITElY the more accurate depth estimate of the two. The depth indicator on the display is inaccurate and you should not go by it when digging. Then, there's the nickel. I did something similar with my F2 by digging a hole and putting a nickel in it, and I had the same result- a high tone around the dime range. However, on my hunts nickels read far more accurately, even at good depths. This leads me to believe that the dime reading is a result of not letting the coin sit in the hole for a year or so, which would simulate real hunting conditions, and give the coin time to settle in the ground.
HH!
C4C

 

[IBdiggin]

I have heard the 350 likes bottle caps since it comes with the DD coil. Others who have gone to a DD have said their coils also liked bottle caps. The 250 has a concentric so I can't verify that. I have also heard if you work the target area with the heel and toe of the DD that the signal may tend to break up with the bottle cap but again I can't verify that. Worth a try tho---HH

 

[Kodiak43351]

I have heard the 350 likes bottle caps since it comes with the DD coil. Others who have gone to a DD have said their coils also liked bottle caps. The 250 has a concentric so I can't verify that. I have also heard if you work the target area with the heel and toe of the DD that the signal may tend to break up with the bottle cap but again I can't verify that. Worth a try tho---HH

When I had the 350 I learned to tell the diff between bottle caps and coins. The edge of the coil will give a diff sound and when you raise up the coil on a shallow bottle cap it would still signal at 8 to 12 inches. With the pro its been pretty easy in pro mode with the tone roll audio. I'll admit I've been fooled a couple times though.

 

[Hookedondetecting]

Weekend Report.
I think I am getting the hang of it just not allot of coins so far-
My brother and i each found one penny. I remember the Ping was distinctly differant.
We found some other items that were of general interest like a copper ear tag from a cow and a 2 oz lead sinker.
My Brother has the White's Coinmaster Pro and it seems comparable to the Garrett 350 in abillity. Niether one semed to have an advatage in sensing or pinpointing. Both would pick up on Bottle Caps similar to a coin. The Garrett did pick up interferance from the coin master so we had to keep at least 6 ft apart.
I did find two small rocks in the garden that had some sort of metal ore imbedded in the rock. They were in the same hole so they were probably attached at one time. Pretty sure the metal is not copper or gold. Greyish black so I am thinking silver. Rocks are about the size of a dime so it is not a huge find but interesting.

 

[bzbadger]

Well its possible those rocks if black and have some shine to them are "coke" its similar to lump coal. I hunt railroad tracks and those "hot rocks" scream all the time making me think good target until I use my ATP's iron audio or hear the "tone roll". I still have my 350 & love it, great machine. The DD coil does love bottle caps but that's any machine. If you swing one way get a signal try swinging from a different angle and use the tip of the coil too a others said it will make your cursor jump around and show the target is junk. Good luck, I don't know where you are from and if I am nearby i would help out. For right now I'll offer what I can from here.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain