BEST DETECTOR FOR SILVER?

[the.silver.standard]

Hello!
I have been browsing this wonderful site for awhile, and I must say that you all are among the most civil and pleasant communities on the net. So I guess it was about time that I joined...
I have to admit that I purchased an Ace 250 on an impulse this spring (at the time I lived in Chicago, one block from the beach). I did not know about this site, had no companions to learn MDing from, and I quickly tired of pulling clad and ptabs from the beaches of Lake Michigan. My machine was sold within three months. I guess I had great expectations of finding a gold ring per hour
I think that I am a little more prepared now because of this community. (The Thirteen rules of md-ing? AMAZING) I wish I had read it earlier. I'm gonna 'give er a go' once more, this time approaching it as a hobby.
I want to focus on silver coins. Anything pre 1965. I know i may pull one out per week or longer, but I need to know if the ace 250 is discriminating/accurate enough for silver coinshooting, or if I have to go with a more pricey line. If that is the case, what is the best combo of settings to find it? What else will I be digging/finding at that setting.

Thanks all.... you will be hearing MUCH MORE of me. Sorry!

 

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[the.silver.standard]

OH, by the way, I now live in N. Massachusetts. That is part of the reason why the interest is back- there has to be so many interesting things to be found in this historic region. So I think there may be silver coins down below.
I also collect silver coins anyway- I search through about $1000 of coins per week anyway. So the hobby fits.

 

[hollowpointred]

the ace 250 loves to find silver. the main trick for finding old silver coins is finding a location that holds them. good luck with it.

 

[Sandman]

Silver is very conductive to all metal detectors. If the ACE 250 has a draw back, it is only it's inability to be ground balanced on sites that need it. Most places the preset is fine for max depth. You will do well where your at if you do your homework and research for the old places that you can get permission to hunt.

You would also find those gold rings your after if you don't turn the discrimination up to miss pull tabs as 90% of the gold rings are at at this setting. Over lap and don't get in a hurry. When you find something, don't study it then but slip it away like it wasn't important to look at later.

HH,
Sandman

 

[the.silver.standard]

Great! Nothing better than hearing the detector that works well for what one wants to do is in their price range. Thank you for the comment on 'finding the right locations.' That is where I was lacking last time, and have already printed a few maps off the net and spent last Sat at the local library looking for info of possible sites.

In fact, I had not realized just how enjoyable the research in and of itself can be. My guess is that true MDers are among the most knowledgeable people about the particular area they live in.

I'm gonna bid today for an ace on Ebay, so keep your fingers crossed and pray for low prices! (Now if New England can sustain these warm temps for about another month!) 8)

Thanks all- be talking to you soon!

 

[the.silver.standard]

Whoops. . . One more question. What is 'ground balancing?' and when would I need it?

 

[Farmercal]

Ground balancing is the ability to adjust the detector to compensate for the ground conditions (mineralization). I believe the 250 has a fixed ground balance that is good for most applications.

 

[hollowpointred]

Ground balancing is the ability to adjust the detector to compensate for the ground conditions (mineralization). I believe the 250 has a fixed ground balance that is good for most applications.

that is exacyly right. you would need it if you are hunting in soil that is highly minerilized or on a salt water beach where the salt in the water would make your ace give a lot of false signals.

 

[dahut]

The SILVER Trap - -

"I want to focus on silver coins. Anything pre 1965.
Dont we all, friend, don't we all!!
...is the ace 250 discriminating/accurate enough for silver coinshooting, or ...do I have to go with a more pricey line." [/i]
Yes, it is and no, you don't. You can if you want, and benefits accrue if you do, but the Ace will get you going very well.

"...what is the best combo of settings to find it? What else will I be digging/finding at that setting."
I know what you mean by the latter question, but lets skip back to the first for a moment. If you only want to find silver coins, then the obvious settings would be to block all but the highest conductivites. Doing so seems smart, but dont.

Set the ACE in Coins or preferably the Jewelry mode and go from there. The Ace has a nice bi-level tone arrangement with such set ups which makes high conductivity targets sing out nicely with the Belltone. All you have to do is dig any target that Belltones and locks into the coin range. If it doesnt do so and only sounds with the mid-tone, then just pass it by.

However, every yin has it's yang, every black, it's white. There are some cautions associated with "cherrypicking," as it's called, that you should be apprised of.
1. When you only accept the higher end ("notching"), you risk losing depth. Not so much with the Ace, but it has been observed to happen.
2. Reeeeeally deep coins dont always clearly ID as high end targets, but come in somewhere else, often lower - sometimes much lower. Simply put, most detectors can detect deeper than they can accurately ID a target. If you have them notched out and they are seen as lower range targets - well, who you gonna blame?

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Theres an old rule in this game that says, "Dig anything that reads four inches or deeper and gives good clear signal...regardless of it's ID." Good advice.
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3. Did I mention that flattened soda cans and large rusted iron targets (especially washers), when deeply buried, VERY often sound like coin signals?
4. When you have notched only the top end and are running in higher sensitivity, trying to "suck in the coins," the falsing and staccato beeping you get as a result can drive you batty. It's better to open up the DISC and hear these things - you can disregard them as you see fit.
5. There is another important thing - clad coins have been around now for 40 years and they have the same electrical characteristics as silver coins. In fact, that was one of the specifications in their design. A detector thinks they are just another high end target.

Detectors are not foolproof, ad hype to the contrary. Other items Ive found that react like coins are pieces of copper pipe, sundry electrical fittings, toys, "dinky cars," "Smashed Penny" souvenir pieces, junk jewelry, keys, Monopoly game pieces, pewter ware, silver plate flatware, spigots, suspender clips, buttons, silver jewelry, cellphones, tin lids and some bottle tops, tokens, bulb ends, money clips, religious medals, clad coins, foreign coins, watches, some eyeglasses, beltbuckles, electronic component parts, makeup cases, lipsticks, ...well, you get the idea.

We all want to find only silver coins and plenty of them. The fact remains, however, that you will find other things, too. Detectors dont know doodly about what a target actually IS, only the conductivity it presents to the instrument in that place and time.

By the way, what are "The 13 Rules of Metal Detecting?" Did I miss them somewhere?