ACE 250 USERS i NEED YOUR HELP!

[redeemed]

I just received permission to hunt a 1900's house and property. When out yesterday to get a feel for the place. There were several deep(6-8 on depth scale) but the signals were bouncing around alot. Pinpointing was also a problem, I would pinpoint start to dig and could find nothing. I have been using the Ace for a while and have no problem with shallower targets. My question is could the problem be that I have reached the 250's potential. How deep are you guys finding, pinpointing, and digging targets? Also, if you have similar issues with your ace what do you do to get past it to find the deeper targets? I did find one 1930 wheat so I am hoping there is silver around too. Any advice will be thankfully received.

 

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[gregl01]

Hey, I have found the ACE to be good to about 6". I also have seen mine act like yours. Most times the icons bounce it is usually junk or multiple targets. Slow down and hold the pinpoint to ferret out the good stuff. I think if you slow down and use sensitivity wisely you'll find some keepers. Good luck!!!!
HH
Greg

 

[redeemed]

Where is the pinpoint in the coil. Dead center?

My pinpoint is just in front of the inside ring at the top. Not dead center.

 

[redeemed]

I have my eye on a Tesoro Vaquero or Cortes, but I don't have the funds nor will I for a while. Is the ace sufficient for what I want to do until I can acquire a better detector?

 

[hollowpointred]

what could be happening is that the minerilization in the ground could be messing with the ace 250s set ground balance,making it hard to detect deep targets and making it hard to pinpoint.i have had this problem with the ace before and that is what it was for me. there wasnt much i could do about it. it kinda is one of the ace 250s limitations. one thing that has helped me in these situations is to pinpoint by swinging the coil over the target in several directions in an x pattern and figuring out where the target is that way. those iffy target id signals on the deepies could be misleading though. the id tends to get less accurate with depth. they could be something good. shallow iffy signals are usually junk but the deep ones..............i would dig em.

 

[jehret]

A similar thing happened to me recently while sweeping an old private farm in East Texas with my 250. Some parts were sandy, some had a lot of red clay, and some were a mixture (loam, we call it). At first I got a lot of false signals that I attributed to iron ore in the clay and sand. On occasion there were even brown and red, sugar cube-sized rocks with tiny bubbles that registered. So I'm pretty sure those areas had mineralized content of some kind.

Once I notched out iron in the 250, the false signals were silenced. But that effectively meant I chose not to dig any iron objects. I was still able to find many other objects up to 8" deep in the same conditions, including clad coins, a plow point and a 1930s-era tractor tail light.

If you haven't tried this already, I would suggest trying the 250 again and reducing the sensitivity. Experiment with the various mode settings, and if you can narrow the signals down to a just a few types, notch them out and see how it goes. While I agree the 250 is not the most versatile detector, I have been able to make it work successfully under a variety of conditions so far.

HTH.
HH!

 

[redeemed]

[

If you haven't tried this already, I would suggest trying the 250 again and reducing the sensitivity.

Thanks for the reply and advice but wouldn't this limit my depth capabilities?

what could be happening is that the mineralization in the ground could be messing with the ace 250s set ground balance,making it hard to detect deep targets and making it hard to pinpoint.

I believe this is true. The ground seems to be a mixture of sand, red clay, and black soil. I will try digging those deep targets but being they are in someones yard I hate to dig to large of a hole. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice and I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again.

 

[epi-hunter]

My question is could the problem be that I have reached the 250's potential.? How deep are you guys finding, pinpointing, and digging targets?? Also, if you have similar issues with your ace what do you do to get past it to find the deeper targets??

Six inches is about the max depth capability of the ACE250 in terms of being able to reliably identify and pinpoint targets. In my experience pretty much anything over six inches, even silver coins, bounce on the display.

The only way I managed to overcome this issue was to buy a Fisher CZ3D.

In my case, ground balancing was an issue too.

The ACE250 is a great machine but in my opinion, yes, you are reaching its potential.

 

[Monty]

I have had my ACE250 for several months and was also having problems pinpointing deep signals. I started using an Automax II pinpointing probe and now I don't have near the problems. The target is usually just off to one side of the hole and the pinpointer will help you find it. Also, I often dug the target object out of the hole without knowing it. The pinpointer/probe also was a tremendous help going through the loose dirt to find that type target. Many people think the use of a seperate pinpointer is a waste of time, but I find it invaliuable. I find a lot of targets that I might overlook or lose and it saves me a bunch of time. I have the Sunray probe on my 2500 for the same reason. Monty

 

[redeemed]

I have had my ACE250 for several months and was also having problems pinpointing deep signals.? I started using an Automax II pinpointing probe and now I don't have near the problems.? The target is usually just off to one side of the hole and the pinpointer will help you find it.? Also, I often dug the target object out of the hole without knowing it.? The pinpointer/probe also was a tremendous help going through the loose dirt to find that type target.? Many people think the use of a separate pinpointer is a waste of time, but I find it invaluable.? I find a lot of targets that I might overlook or lose and it saves me a bunch of time.? I have the Sunray probe on my 2500 for the same reason. Monty

I use the Vibraprobe. I agree that it helps tremendously with locating targets in and out of the hole. For the really shallow targets I locate and pop them right out without having to dig them. I wouldn't go without it. My battery ran out once and after scratching through a couple of holes I called it a day. Bought a two pack this time, I will not be without a spare again.

 

[Michigan Badger]

The Ace 250 is a lot better then a dowsing rod.

Seriously, it's going to find 80% or more of the best stuff.

If you get a chance, borrow a Tesoro from someone (any model). This will show you what's in your future. These machines are smooth as silk. I loved my Fisher but gosh I hated all those pops, crackles, and squeals. You don't get that with Tesoro. I mean these babies are smooth.

I'm using the factory pre-set DeLeon now in soil that's loaded with iron.? A few days ago I found a small thawed out spot and I had no trouble finding the brass part of a shotgun shell at 10+ inches.

My meter goes to 9 inches and when it's over it reads depth. So, I just have figure past 9 inches to determine depth.

I live in Michigan so I can only hunt when the ground thaws.? I keep watching for ground to show through the snow and then I hit the least frozen spots.

I can't wait for the spring! I've ID'd some solid silver I can't dig yet?

 

[redeemed]

Zeb,
I love my Ace but I feel that it is time to upgrade. I have noticed that you use Tesoro machines would you recommend the Vaquero or should I wait until I can afford the Cortes?
I don't know of anyone else around here that detects. I have noticed a couple of people within an hour or so of me, I have PMed them but no response so far. I found a used Vaq on ebay for $300 maybe I can pick one up soon. Thanks for the reply, I have been following the forum for a while and I really enjoy your threads and responses, very helpful to us newbees. Thanks again.

 

[Michigan Badger]

The best authority on here for Tesoro is probably Night Stalker.

A well known dealer told me the Vaquero is "the best bang for the buck" in the Tesoro line. It seems to be extremely popular with a great resale value. And, as most everyone knows, Tesoro's warranty is second to none. You can even buy used with no worries (so I'm told).

I know Stalker doesn't agree with this but many owners have told me (via forum posts) that all Tesoros get the same depth. I find this difficult to believe but that's what I've read.

However, I think Stalker will most likely tell you to hold out for the Cortes if it only means waiting a short time to accumulate the extra money..

I'm a little sorry I didn't go the extra $200 and get it myself. Now, the DeLeon is an awesome machine I'm sure. But, the Cortes has some extra awesome features that I think make it worth the extra cash.

Contact Stalker and I'm sure he can give you all the particulars.

Best to you.

I'll be signing off the forum for some time very soon so when I return I'll have much more to say about the DeLeon.

Best to you.