Ace 250--PLEASE HELP!!!!

[Ice Fishin Nut]

Where to start? First of all, I have read a ton on here about the 250 and have tried to use everthing I have learned and thank all of those who have posted their results and findings as to this machine.

I have only had my 250 for a week now and have been going out hunting every morning for an hour or 2 in tot lots mainly. I always use my headphones so I can more accurately "listen" to the machine. So far I have learned that if it sounds off on a penny, I will find a penny, post 1982. If it sounds on a quarter, a quarter is below... If it sounds solidly on a dime, then I will find a dime. But..... if it sounds for a dime, then sounds like a pinball machine gone mad, then I will find a pre 1982 penny.

The thing that is driving me totally nuts, is that if it sounds on a nickle, most times I will find foil or a pull tab, very rarely will it be a nickle.....

The results above are both in all metal, and in coin mode and seem to happen all the time.

BTW, I do dig everything, as I am really trying to sort out everything that the 250 is telling me, that includes all iron hits as well.

I'm not looking to "make a killing" with my detector, I just really like getting out there after work in the morning and finding what I can. Although, in just one short week, I think that I have all the foil and pulltabs I need!!!! But I know more are to be discovered!!!!

Thanks in advance for any help I can get!!!!

Mike

 

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[skydiv]

on nickels if i get a bounce left to right I don't dig, if I get a solid hit i dig, if i get a double hit like beep-beep i dig might be a ring, more likely pull tab. i find for more pennies than dimes, but if you don't dig them you won't find the chuck e cheese tokens and some are worth alot. more so in parks and schools.

 

[Corey0863]

I feel your pain I have had mine for a few weeks, and I'm learning it a little more each time I go... All the observations you've made are the same on my machine as well! I still dig everything, except some days I don't feel like digging pennies, which I've learned that tone really well 8) My main thing is learning to sort thru all the junk at old homesites, which I gave up on until I further understand what my machine is telling me!

 

[Tin Nugget]

Unfortunately nickles fall into the pull tab range on conductivity and also larger gold. The detector has no choice but to show nickle. The best thing you can do is if it's a solid hit each sweep (does not jump around) dig it. Smaller gold also falls into the foil range. The biggest thing is solid repeatable, no jumping around signals. I have not used the Ace but this general observation is true of all detectors I have used.

 

[rayredditch]

Knock one or two notches off your sens and see if that helps !

 

[urbss]

Mike,

I've got an Ace 250 last spring and I experienced some of the same things that you are talking about, but I never really got frustrated with it. It is a machine that is doing its best to determine what is in the ground and it usually does a pretty good job at it.

If you want jewelry, you are going to have to dig them pull tabs. I had a signal at the beach a couple weeks ago that I almost passed up because it was bouncing between nickel and pull tab - but since it was the beach and the sand-scoop makes for easy digging I was rewarded with a ring (a junky one, but still a ring).

Also, a buddy of mine just got an ACE and he and I went out a couple times to an old school house foundation. I know that there were several times that I did not dig because of erratic signals. Anyway, he came into work one day after going back to the sight by himself and showed me what he had found; a Barber Quarter, a Barber Dime, two Indian Head pennies and a Wheat Cent. WOW - all in one hole!!!! I asked him what the ACE told him was in the hole and he said it was bouncing all over the place (well no wonder!!) Anyway, who knows, maybe that was one of the signals that I decided not to dig!!

Urbs

 

[cntrydncr1]

I think it takes many hours of using the ACE before you really can learn to read what you are seeing on the screen and hearing. I have been hunting 3/4 times a week since March and finally feel that I have a good knowledge of what is there each time I dig. I always try to guess and I'm right quite often now. On the other hand I still try to dig everything because of things like Urb reported. If I'm getting too tired of digging trash then I switch to coin mode to descriminate out lots of the trash, knowing I could be missing gold. I only do that when I am nearing the end of my hunt and getting VERY tired though.

 

[Jack(IN)]

You just have to tolerate the pull tabs, because when you do, you get nickels, and you can get gold. It sucks, and seems to be a ton of them, but when you pull a nice 14k gold ring with a ruby or diamond, those pull tabs are just a bad memory!! I hit two schools today and dug 218 coins today with my Ace and I had my share of pull tabs, no gold but the next time I might have a piece of gold. You've got one nice machine at a GREAT price so endure the pain of the pull tab and enjoy swinging!!

 

[rayredditch]

Remember, you can knock out pull tabs if you´ll only going for coins, but with pull tabs knocked out, you won´t get thin gold rings etc. Your choice !

 

[Corey0863]

Just so I understand From what y'all are saying gold will show as a nickel/pull tab , my question is are rings usually a erratic signal or do they tend to hit solidly on nickel or pull tab or both..sorry if thats confusing but it is difficult learning to interpret the signals especially the erratic ones!

 

[Foose]

Corey0863 . . . Test a gold ring on the ground and see how it acts on your machine. For that matter test several pieces, gold, silver, etc. This will give you a better understanding how your machine interprets the gold/silver. But to answer your question, it usually jumps around nickel/pulltab range. Unfortunately to get to the gold you have to dig the nickel range.

 

[rayredditch]

Remember, any coin or ring on it´s edge wioll also give iffy signals, next time you get one try coming at it at 90 degrees again, and see if the signal changes. It´s all experience, and one day you´ll just know if it´s a good or bad signal. PERSEVERE.

 

[garrettman64]

I have the Ace 250 I did Dig the Pull tab signals I am Glad they did . It Got me 3 Buffalo Nickels a war 1943 P . I know when I hit a coin just wach the sensitivy on it
I get a Ding Ding Ding Ding. when a coin is found espically on Silver still working on the gold part
well Good Luck and HH
From the Guy Wom Proudly ownes and Ace 250
Garrettman64

 

[Ice Fishin Nut]

Thanks for all the great input!!! Didnt get a chance to go this morning, raining and the wife wanted to go look at a motor home. Planning on going after work, will post results when I get back home. Planning on trying to keep track of any nickle hits I get and comparing what the outcome is, coin versus "other". I really like the machine, and am gaining more cofidence in my ability to "read" it each time out. Although I do realize that I still have a loooong way to go before I am as proficient as the majority of the people on this site.

Oh well, time for a shower, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!!!!

HH,
Mike

 

[uriykir]

spend a few grand and get a better detector

 

[doozis]

If it's any consolation , most of the top of the line machines have the
same quirky behavior , just go and read some of the major brand forums NO metal detector is going to be fool proof , although some will go deeper and some will ID a little bit better . It's still up to
the user to discern whats in the ground. If you notice , many of the experts with top of the line machines say they dig everything ! that pretty much says it all. Keep swingin your Ace and you'll keep getting better at knowing when to dig
All manufacturer's would have us believe we can dig all the goodies and leave the trash in the ground. DON'T believe it !!

Doozis

 

[rayredditch]

AMEN, the truth has been spoken !!

 

[uriykir]

thts true, when i first started with my BH lonestar i could get anything, with a few hours i could do anything with it