Ace 150 user in Rhode Island looking for a little advice.

[Bev]

Hi, I'm Bev from Rhode Island and I have had a Garrett Ace 150 for a while. I bought it off Craigs List and it was too far go get so he shipped it to me. It didnt work and the guy said, too bad. I called Garrett, they said it was under warranty, mailed it to them and they sent it back good as new! HA.
Anyway, I have small blocks of time where I can go use it, so getting good is slow going and I have a few questions...
Sometimes it jumps back and forth from "nickel" and "Ptabs" really fast. Should I be digging these? Are Ptabs always junk?
Why does it seem like when I get a signal and I'm doing my "X" thing to pinpoint it, the signal just disappears before I even break ground? Along these lines too, why would it beep going left to right but not right to left?
Also it will say something is at 4" or 6" and even though it's going crazy I can't seem to find it, even when I widen the hole, etc. When do I give up?
I can say that when I get permission to detect in places where there is lawn, it forces me to cut neatly and practice putting things back without harm instead of looking like I'm installing an inground swimming pool.
Thanks for any help.

 

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[Tuberale]

I don't have an Ace 150, so I'm not the best source of information here. But you deserve at least one answer, so here's one.

If you're meter swings rapidly from pull-tab to nickel, dig it. It's a target, and it MIGHT be good. The less junk in the ground, the less that surface junk can mask a nice deeper coin signal. Ptabs can also be small gold rings, so I'd dig 'em.

The reason you get a signal from one direction, but not another, may be an indication of either a small target, or one which is linear in form, like a nail or piece of wire. Solid targets in the center of an X should tell you to DIG HERE. Forget Indiana Jones. Sometimes X does mark the spot!

 

[Bev]

I appreciate you giving me some insight. I feel a little silly now and will start digging those signals. I suppose until I get some hours under my belt, I should be trying to dig most things to get the hang of it.
Could coins, etc. come up as iron or is it safe to say, iron is mostly relics?

 

[JOE(USA)]

Bev,

"Tuberale" was correct about the pull-tab to nickle reading. He was also correct about the possibility of the elongated target. I would like to add that the direction or angle of attack of the coil sweep, as well as the distance the target is away from the coil, also plays a very important part in the circuitry being able to correctly ID the target. ALWAYS, sweep the target from a different point of the compass and change the distance between the target and the coil (coil height above ground.) Sweeping from a different direction also helps the ID of more than one target in close proximity.
As for the coin /relics question, no, U.S. coins themselves will not come up as iron, but a larger target of iron close to a coin MAY give a iron signal depending on it's size depth and orientation of the two targets. Yes, iron targets are considered relics in this hobby. Joe

 

[Swartzie]

I appreciate you giving me some insight. I feel a little silly now and will start digging those signals. I suppose until I get some hours under my belt, I should be trying to dig most things to get the hang of it.
Could coins, etc. come up as iron or is it safe to say, iron is mostly relics?

If you do have the time, then dig more signals than usual just to see what they are. This way you will learn what the machine is telling you. Eventually, you can kind of predict what is going to come out of the hole. If you don't have time then just dig the good consistent signals. Coins are usually good solid consistent signals especially if they are close to the surface. But deeper ones (4+ inches) will start to give iffy signals. Gold jewelry falls in the nickle and pull tab region. Iron signals are most always rusty iron junk. To get one cool iron relic you'll probably have to dig a bucket's worth of iron junk. But, for relic hunting it's worth it. A really good time saver is to have a hand held pinpointer. The Garrett propointer is a really good one. Cost a little over $100, but cuts the recovery time in half. The best thing you can have though is patience and persistence. Keep at it and your sites will start to produce.

Good Luck!
-Swartzie

 

[Bev]

Thanks so much for that- I did order online the Harbor Freight pinpointer just to start with and it was only $16.00. You guys said some good things about it. I'll start digging for the practice like you suggested. I'm hoping for some interesting coins like all of you here find. I do seem to find a lot of "Goya" juice bottle caps but I'm not giving up!