Getting ready to try out the Ace 250!

[NickyBlade]

Going to the beach this morning for the first time! I am sooo excited! I'm pretty much a newbie to MDing. We had a couple bounty hunters a few years back and just never really had the time to get out and learn them. My Ace 250 came yesterday and I'm so glad I decided on this detector... but I really wish I had gotten a sand scoop too. I almost ordered one yesterday, but being in Hawaii the shipping is almost as much as a scoop. So, I'll have to wait until I have a big order and then get one. For now, I made my own sifting basket. I'll post photos of it if it works. If anyone knows where you can get MDing equipment on Oahu, I'd be extremely grateful! I've had zero success finding a dealer. Thanks.

 

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[hollowpointred]

Going to the beach this morning for the first time! I am sooo excited! I'm pretty much a newbie to MDing. We had a couple bounty hunters a few years back and just never really had the time to get out and learn them. My Ace 250 came yesterday and I'm so glad I decided on this detector... but I really wish I had gotten a sand scoop too. I almost ordered one yesterday, but being in Hawaii the shipping is almost as much as a scoop. So, I'll have to wait until I have a big order and then get one. For now, I made my own sifting basket. I'll post photos of it if it works. If anyone knows where you can get MDing equipment on Oahu, I'd be extremely grateful! I've had zero success finding a dealer. Thanks.

whats your zip code? ill try to find a dealer. there has to be a dealer near Hawaii.

 

[NickyBlade]

Yeah! I had a blast! Hunted for over two hours, got a tad bit sun torched, and found some goodies! First off, my basket worked out really well to sift the sand. I'll just wait until I have a big order together and get my sand scoop next time I order from Kellyco! Plus, I have a $5 off coupon for them.

So, here's my scoop sifter basket that I made.

And here are my finds! I threw out the zillion bottle tops, tabs, tent stakes, tin foil and all the trash right at the beach. So, sorry! No trash photos here. lol.

My only real questions are about the little spoon... DH insists its a coke spoon! Is it?? Second, the spoon is stamped on the back SS 18-8. What does that mean? Thanks!

 

[treasurefiend]

Great hunt!!! Looks like it is some kind of small measuring spoon, but it couls eaisly be used as a coke spoon - LOL.

 

[MrBling]

Congrats on your first haul of treasure!
I use the Ace and it is a great machine for dry beach sand-I have found some nice jewelry and loads of coins on resort beaches
Here are some recommendations that might be helpful:
Use jewelry mode at first
After a while, you might want to switch to Custom mode. I use Custom and eliminate Notches 1(iron) and 2(foil) because I have never found anything worthwhile on the beach that signaled in those notches. There is a possibility that gold/silver chains will come up partly in Notch 2, but a chain has to be very close to the coil for it to register, and in my testing chains usually bounce into Notch 3 also, so you have the chance of catching them there. Leaving Notch 2 open causes the machine to pick up a huge amount of foil on busy beaches, which is a big waster of your time and energy. Just my preference
I also eliminate the zinc penny notch for the same reason(copper and silver coins will still register)
Hunt where there are lots of tourists. They lose a lot of coins and jewelry. Concentrate on the towel line, beach chair line, and from these areas down to the water. Areas where people play sports on the beach are also good. But don't neglect other random areas if you have time
The Ace will not work in saltwater
The Ace will work in damp and somewhat wet sand if you turn the sensitivity down until it stops falsing excessively-some falsing will still occur but targets can still be found
Good luck and keep posting your finds!

 

[NickyBlade]

Thank you all so much for the tips! I LOVE this forum! I need to be a charter member to use that search function... hurry up payday!

I cleaned up the coins in vinegar and salt (read that trick on here somewhere)... and they actually look like coins now!

Oh, and SS is stainless steel... google is my friend! lol.

 

[NickyBlade]

I would toss that spoon quick. If you get pulled over a cops going to tear your car apart if he finds it. A cop could use his Field kit test on that spoon and if it comes up blue(indicating cocaine) you would get a felony. I watch the show "Cops" and see people going to jail for broken off car antennas to smoke it out of (no drugs found on the person) and the cops say its a "minimum" sentence of 3 years for cocaine or parafinalia with cocaine residue on it.

I also saw another show of cops. A lady called the cops and said she found drugs on the street and wanted them to come pick it up before kids got it. The cops arrived on the scene and asked where it was. She opened up her hand and showed them a little bag of pot. She said "This is it officer". The arrested her for possession of a controlled substance. The cops said if she had left it on the ground and not picked it up she would have not gone to jail. They say possession is nine tenths of the law.

The lesson here .......never touch drug related stuff. Ignorance is no excuse of the law. A cool little spoon is not worth 3 years of your life and a felony on your record. Happy hunting and nice finds.

I'm not overly concerned about the little spoon... Of course if you ever find actual drugs, a pipe, a syringe, etc you wouldn't put them in your keep bag! But, the spoon is cute and I cleaned it up so good I'm sure the paper currency in my wallet would test positive for more residue than that spoon would at this point (I saw a show that said all paper currency has coke residue on it). I have to keep the spoon! It was my first cool find with my Ace 250!

Please don't take offense, but my advice would be not to live your life so paranoid about things that will most likely never happen. Law enforcement officers are just people out doing their job... they're not out to get you for any stupid little thing they can think of. If you're really not doing anything wrong, then you won't have any problems.

 

[twistidd]

I would toss that spoon quick. If you get pulled over a cops going to tear your car apart if he finds it. A cop could use his Field kit test on that spoon and if it comes up blue(indicating cocaine) you would get a felony. I watch the show "Cops" and see people going to jail for broken off car antennas to smoke it out of (no drugs found on the person) and the cops say its a "minimum" sentence of 3 years for cocaine or parafinalia with cocaine residue on it.

I also saw another show of cops. A lady called the cops and said she found drugs on the street and wanted them to come pick it up before kids got it. The cops arrived on the scene and asked where it was. She opened up her hand and showed them a little bag of pot. She said "This is it officer". The arrested her for possession of a controlled substance. The cops said if she had left it on the ground and not picked it up she would have not gone to jail. They say possession is nine tenths of the law.

The lesson here .......never touch drug related stuff. Ignorance is no excuse of the law. A cool little spoon is not worth 3 years of your life and a felony on your record. Happy hunting and nice finds.

I'm not overly concerned about the little spoon... Of course if you ever find actual drugs, a pipe, a syringe, etc you wouldn't put them in your keep bag! But, the spoon is cute and I cleaned it up so good I'm sure the paper currency in my wallet would test positive for more residue than that spoon would at this point (I saw a show that said all paper currency has coke residue on it). I have to keep the spoon! It was my first cool find with my Ace 250!

Please don't take offense, but my advice would be not to live your life so paranoid about things that will most likely never happen. Law enforcement officers are just people out doing their job... they're not out to get you for any stupid little thing they can think of. If you're really not doing anything wrong, then you won't have any problems.

Try living in Chicago and saying that to yourself.

Nice finds, and congratulations with the new Ace!

 

[NickyBlade]

Ok, not to be dumb... thank God I have friends and family who are LEO. Obviously, no one did time just for having an empty baggie! You got one side of the story from the guilty party and an empty baggie wouldn't hold up in court for a DUI. Our prisons are full of people who "didn't do it!" Obviously, if he had an empty bag in his car, he's a doper! That crap stays in your system 30 days, so sucks to be you if you have an accident a month after you smoke up and it's still in your system! Dude probably lost his job for testing hot on a wiz quiz.

A cop can't search your vehicle without probable cause... and MY SPOON is in a case with all the other dumb crap I've found MDing... not in my pocket beside an "empty" pot baggie. I also stay completely away from all things drug related. The spoon I found on the beach is actually called a "snuff spoon" but who knows what it was used for in the past. Who knows what anything you find has been used for! I bet numerous beer cans on the beach served well as a pot pipe. :P

Well, maybe I'm too thin skinned but the direction this post has taken took the fun out of what I had thought was a neat find.

EDIT TO ADD: The post this was in response to has magically disappeared. Next time I will remember to quote so I don't look like I'm talking to myself. lol.

 

[mpostma]

Nicky,
Just enjoy the mding, and you are right, no sense spending your life worrying about something that has about as much chance of happening as getting struck by lightning.

Welcome to Tnet, and happy hunting!

Mark

 

[Kellyco]

I just wanted to stop by this thread and say GREAT job on the sifting basket!!! Seriously - you did good and I'm sure you're going to find lots more. The beach is fun and I LOVE metal detecting on it because it gives me something to do besides laying around and getting hot!!