Ace 250 Help

TheRake71 · Nov 13, 2012

Looking for some help, I just purchased a Garett Ace 250, and was wondering if someone who uses this machine can reccomend some settings. I have only taken it out once, but was getting so many false readings, it was very frustrating. I know I need some practice, but just looking for some setting reccomendations that might help me out. Thanks in advance!

bill from lachine · Nov 13, 2012

TheRake71,

The Ace has a tendency to false if the sensitivity is to high.....when it was my everyday machine about 5 years ago....I'd set the sensitivity between 4 and 6 and use the jewelry setting....dig every solid 2 way signal and it should get you some
nice keepers.

You may also want to use some ties on the coil wire to keep it from flopping around.

Regards + HH

Bill

Infowarrior · Nov 13, 2012

I am still learning with mine, I was having that problem too, but I learned it was because I set the sensitivity too high(all the way)... Now im using it at i think 4 or 5 bars, 1 lower than factory setting... And now im not getting the false signals anymore, only tons of trash

I think i need to setup some test holes with different objects,and really listen for the correct tones... I always get suckered into digging pull tabs thinking it might be a gold necklace or ring or something, lol

dholland02 · Nov 13, 2012

If I'm in jewelary mode I run about 3 or 4 notches from the far left, and depending on the area in coin mode I'll run mine with 5 notches from the left.

TheRake71 · Nov 13, 2012

Bill, are you suggesting that I use the Jewelry setting all of the time? When you did that, did you fell like you were missing a lot, or, is it just a good setting in general with the sensitivity down? Sorry to bug you, just new to this and learning!

bill from lachine · Nov 13, 2012

TheRake71,

No problem no bad questions....just bad answers...lol.....yeah I went with the jewelry setting at all times because you'll pick up both the coins as well as jewelry with the setting....you'll effectively just be knocking out iron and foil....if you'll be doing urban green spaces most of the stuff which falls under those 2 items will be outright junk....if you were doing rural sites looking for old iron items probably relic mode would be the way to go.

The jewelry setting should also pick up old buttons as well as other non ferrous relics if your sites have a bit of age....hope this clarifies things somewhat.

Regards + HH

Bill

TheRake71 · Nov 14, 2012

Thanks a lot, ant wait to try this weekend

Chips · Nov 14, 2012

Hey great idea about a test Garden. If you have the spare coins that is and,,, can bear putting them back in the ground

.
If your interested, check out John's idea on test gardens posted below. I like his idea about a measuring stick with the coins identity written on it as well..
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/garrett/319226-pro-tips.html#post3001482

Oh and Infowarrior,,,,,, as for digging pull tabs, yea we all hear you on that one haha. I dig a lot of them as well as we are told that pull tabs may be gold.. We hope that one day they might be. Just that pull tabs and gold rings can basically share the same conductivity. So good on you for digging them, for if you keep digging them and there is actually a gold ring down there,, then you will find it

Good luck out there

Mzjavert · Nov 14, 2012

One thing about the 250 is it will detect a fair distance horizontally if the target is large enough. (Got a ft wide, ft deep hole in my front yard as tribute to that. Yes, I filled my hole....) So you've really got to practice pin-pointing. If you don't have a handheld pinpointer...get one...you'll find some of those false signals are outside the plug you dug.

Chips said:
Oh and Infowarrior,,,,,, as for digging pull tabs, yea we all hear you on that one haha. I dig a lot of them as well as we are told that pull tabs may be gold.. We hope that one day they might be. Just that pull tabs and gold rings can basically share the same conductivity. So good on you for digging them, for if you keep digging them and there is actually a gold ring down there,, then you will find it
Good luck out there

I found a gold ring smack dab in the middle of a pull-tab spill. It was a small ring and I actually lost the signal while digging...had to go to pinpoint mode to find it again. So while I hate digging them, I like finding nickels and gold.

Chips · Nov 15, 2012

Mzjavert said:
One thing about the 250 is it will detect a fair distance horizontally if the target is large enough. (Got a ft wide, ft deep hole in my front yard as tribute to that. Yes, I filled my hole....) So you've really got to practice pin-pointing. If you don't have a handheld pinpointer...get one...you'll find some of those false signals are outside the plug you dug.

I found a gold ring smack dab in the middle of a pull-tab spill. It was a small ring and I actually lost the signal while digging...had to go to pinpoint mode to find it again. So while I hate digging them, I like finding nickels and gold.

Haha well done !! Exactly the reason why we should dig those dang annoying tabs! :icon_thumright:

Yea I am digging more pull tabs than I did at the start, still haven't found gold yet but if its down there I would hate to miss it!
Lol Hey look another gold ring

... Oh no wait lol

Good luck out there!

Darrenjay · Nov 15, 2012

Mzjavert said:
One thing about the 250 is it will detect a fair distance horizontally if the target is large enough. (Got a ft wide, ft deep hole in my front yard as tribute to that. Yes, I filled my hole....) So you've really got to practice pin-pointing. If you don't have a handheld pinpointer...get one...you'll find some of those false signals are outside the plug you dug.

I found a gold ring smack dab in the middle of a pull-tab spill. It was a small ring and I actually lost the signal while digging...had to go to pinpoint mode to find it again. So while I hate digging them, I like finding nickels and gold.

...

Darrenjay · Nov 15, 2012

Mzjavert said:
One thing about the 250 is it will detect a fair distance horizontally if the target is large enough. (Got a ft wide, ft deep hole in my front yard as tribute to that. Yes, I filled my hole....) So you've really got to practice pin-pointing. If you don't have a handheld pinpointer...get one...you'll find some of those false signals are outside the plug you dug.

I found a gold ring smack dab in the middle of a pull-tab spill. It was a small ring and I actually lost the signal while digging...had to go to pinpoint mode to find it again. So while I hate digging them, I like finding nickels and gold.

Couldnt agree more! Always end up having to make the plug wider

spartacus53 · Nov 15, 2012

Leave it in "ALL METAL", set at about 3 bars, learn the tones and miss nothing :laughing9:

There is no need to write a book, this isn't rocket science :tongue3:

Hawgwild · Nov 15, 2012

TheRake71 the video that comes with the unit is pretty good at explaining the various setting. I mostly leave mine on the factory settings and really haven't got any false reading. You may be in an area with a ton of pull tabs also. You may know this but to get the 250 back to factory settings hold the power on button down until you hear a couple of beeps. Then I move it back to all metal setting. I dig everything most of the time.

BTW: found a small 10K ring this past Tuesday that my 250 identified as a pull tab. Lesson learned...

Loving my 250 for sure...found 2 10K rings so far in the two weeks I had it and a jar full of change..still looking for that first silver though....

TheRake71 · Nov 15, 2012

Awesome finds on the rings. I think i just need some practice, leaning the sounds, it beeped a lot when i was out last weekend, and didn't find anything. My friend had an old white's, probably 20-25 years old, and he was finding everything!

TheRake71 · Nov 15, 2012

Where do you hunt?

Hawgwild · Nov 15, 2012

TheRake71 said:
Where do you hunt?

I'm mostly going around city parks, especially the playground areas around Shreveport, LA. There are many of those here and I've only hit 3 so far. First park I hit was by a lake and probably 60+ years old. Couldn't walk 5 feet without hitting on a tab. ground was hard so didn't dig them all, but the playground areas are usually sandy, small pebbles, or wood chips making it easy to pinpoint and dig.

Also I carry a little towel when digging in regular soil. Scoop the dirt up and place on the towel. That way if I don't see something right off I can keep digging till I get a ping on the towel, then I know the target is somewhere on the towel. Makes it easy to fill the hole back in also.

Sometimes the target is somewhat difficult to find in the harder dirt. Just keep searching and learn to use the pinpointer option on the 250. That will save a lot of time and digging. I about gave up on that last little ring but kept searching and using the pinpointer option and it finally showed up on my towel.

I'm completely satisfied with my 250 so far.

TheRake71 · Nov 15, 2012

Thanks for the tips, hoping the weather will be om to go out this weekend and try again.

nsdq · Nov 15, 2012

i would go all metal till you learn machine read the book an watch the dvd on it it will help

Wildcat1750 · Nov 19, 2012

I like to hunt in All Metal Mode with the sensitivity around 4 or 5 bars. This way I miss nothing. I then look at the readings to see if they are solid or jumpy and decide from that whether to dig or not. It all depends on the type of site (playground vs. remote cellar hole vs. beach) and the kind of mood I'm in whether or not I dig the trashier signals. You never know when a pull tab signal will turn out to be gold or a jumpy signal is hiding a coin or at least a very cool iron relic.
Nick