Another newbie here with some questions...

[bogside]

Hi all!

I'm excited because this is my first (hopefully the first of many) post on the forum. My name is Adam --I'm 31 and I'm from Minnesota. I started reading this site for advice a couple of months ago because I was interested in getting into MDing. I knew nothing (and still don't) but I was anxious to learn where to start. All I had was a coin collection that my grandfather had given me years ago. A lot of IHs, some seated liberties, large cents, a lot of foreign coins, etc. Nothing really rare but some cool stuff nonetheless. I wanted to learn how to find more!

In reading the site I've gleaned a lot of really good information already and some great tips besides. There are obviously a lot of really cool and knowledgeable people here, and I'm excited to learn from you all!

So, after a lot of reading and lurking I finally made my decision and bought an ACE 250 from Kellyco last week. Lots of favorable reviews so I figured I'd give 'er a spin. After waiting a longgggggg five days, it finally arrived today!! And guess what? It was raining all evening here in Minneapolis. Go figure.

I made a little coin garden in the back yard and played around for an hour or so before the skies opened up. I tried digging some holes after getting some tones in all-metal mode but surprise! All the holes were empty. I'm going to need some time to learn how to decipher what my machine is telling me, obviously. Tomorrow the plan is to go to a sandy area like a local playground and hunt for some clad; the manual said that's a good place to start learning to dig.

Anyway, some basic newbie questions in case anyone wants to answer:

1) how high off the ground should my coil be? The book says 1-2", but is that above the GRASS, or above the ground beneath the grass (in other words, IN the grass)?

2) Is anyone familiar with the ACE 250 able to better explain the pinpointing feature? I was told that the pinpoint spot is right on the inside front edge of the inner coil but if I wave it over a coin that I've placed on the ground and use the pinpoint control it seems to "pinpoint" using the entire length and width of the coil! Can't see much use in that. Different coins even seem to pinpoint at different locations around the coil. I can see that driving me nuts if I don't get a better handle on it asap.

3) Will my arm get stronger so it won't get so tired from holding up my detector? haha Hopefully so...

Anyway, glad to be here on the forum. I look forward to some good conversations and good hunting!

Adam
Minneapolis, MN

 

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[stoney56]

Adam, Welcome to the forum. Congrats on picking a good machine to start with. Actually the closer to the ground, the better. 1st thing I'd do is invest in a coil cover for protection as you scrub the ground and 2nd is keeping th coil the same distance to the ground throughout your swing. My understanding is the pinpoint is just at the top of the inside loop of the coil. There are others here that may be able to give you more info on the fine points of the 250. HH and enjoy your new hobby. stoney56

 

[TOWcritter]

Welcome to the forum! You came to the right place for info on the Ace 250, it has quite a following here. !st thing that I would recommend would be a quality set of headphones. It is the audio response more that the screen display that will be more important to you while detecting. Different coins, metals, relics etc. have different tones. And all of these will be different at different depths. It is far easier to seperate them without background noises interfering with the tones. Headphones help.

Go slowly. Don't be in a rush to find something. Overlap your sweeps and make sure you have good ground coverage. Read the manual over and over again. You can always miss something. When trying a new area throw some different coins on the ground and see how they respond. The ground mineralization may affect their tones. Or not. It helps to be prepared.

Read, Read, Read as many posts about your machine that you can find. Try the garrett forum or do a search for Ace 250 posts here. There are a lot of 250 users here. who have posted many tips. And most importantly: Use the machine often. The more you familiarize yourself with it and what it is telling the better your success and recovery will be.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting! Long winded and just my 2c.

 

[bk]

Welcome to the forum Adam!
The coil should be as close to the ground as possible. If you raise it even 1 inch above the ground, you will loose that much depth.
Ground mineralization is not a problem for the most part around central and southern MN, but it is bad up around Lake Superior. (Iron ore).
To get the best pin point capabilities, you may have to "de-tune" as you approach your target. If the target is shallow it may be harder to pinpoint than if it were deep.
There is also a club in the Twin Cities area. There are folks there who would be willing to help out.
Maybe I'll see you out and about.
Good luck!

 

[gregl01]

Hi Adam, I too have an ACE250 and also struggled with pinpointing. I finally figured it out with some great posts here on Tnet. I first swing side to side and get a mental locale. Then move the coil forward past where you are looking, then hit the pinpoint button and drag coil towards yourself. When the signal on the top row of icons drops off STOP. The target will be near the top edge of the inner loop. I hope this helps, as it sure has helped me!!! I can now dig very small holes with less digging involved. Good luck with your ACE. Practice makes perfect
HH
Greg

 

[bogside]

Thanks for the replies, guys!! Good advice, all. I really appreciate it. I just went on my first hunt (check out Today's Finds post) and thanks to you all and this great forum it wasn't a bust! Found some fun stuff and I can't wait to get out again tomorrow!

Happy Hunting!

Adam
Minneapolis

 

[DugHoles]

Hello and welcome. Here is my 2 cents worth:

1. Invest in a coil cover. When sweeping the detector keep it low (barely missing the ground) and even to the coil at all times. Avoid "lifting" at he end of each sweep and overlap your sweeps.​

2. Maintain a loose hand grip in the detector handle. If you have a tight grip on the handle, it effects your muscles all the way up to the shoulder causing fatigue​

I hope this helps a bit....Good Luck and have a great time.....

GL & HH,

DugHoles
Upstate NY