Finding Nails!!%##@ with Ace 250

[Idaho PRB]

Tonight after work I went down to the school, as I have on many occasions in the past month to search for coins. I had the Ace 250 in coin mode and had everything eliminated except for dimes on up and the sensitivity bumped down 3 notches and I found half a dozen nails and some small pieces of wire. Dead centered 'em too! This is the first time this has happened to me since I have learned to discriminate and bump the sensitivity down. A couple of times it happened, I had it set to accept nickels too, this is what prompted me to eliminate the nickel spot too and see if that would eliminate the problem, nope. The soil is pretty wet in most places since it has been raining a lot lately. Any thoughts? I am new to this(a month or so) but I have been having some pretty good success finding coins,( 2 silver rings, one silver pendant and one gold ring), compared to when I was completely unfamiliar with the machine and am getting really good at pinpointing my targets. I only found one penny and it was on the surface, after I pinpointed the target I bent over to place my marker on the spot and dead centered the coin with my marker so I know it will find a penny (This was in All metal mode a little later on, still experimenting) Any thoughts on why I am suddenly picking up nails?
Thanks, Idaho PRB

 

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[KevGA]

This may be a coincidence, but when the batteries in my 250 started to get low I started getting some real nutso behavior from it. More false readings, bad pinpoints and the like with the same settings I had had success from in the past.

Again, probably a coincidence or a lark, but something to consider nonetheless.

HH.

 

[Monty]

With the discrimination set that way you shouldn't be picking up steel or iron nails. Did you air test the nails to see if they were ringing up without a coin being nearby. I have often found a nail in the same hole as a coin. Usually the nail is a bit shallower and the nail alone won't signal as a target. I usually find them with my pinpointer. A couiple of times I almost covered up the hole when I thought, "Now wait a minute that nail isn't what I'm reading", so I dug down about another inch and found a coin. The low battery thing may be right on. I always change mine when they show a half charge just to be sure everything is getting enough voltage. Probably being over cautious but I have never had a battery failure in the field. Hope it's not a problem with your detector.
I've noticed one thing about my ACE that is annoying. When I lay it down to dig, it sometimes acts like it goes to sleep. If I need to run it back over the target to get a reading while I'm digging, it sometimes is really slow to resignal the location of the target. I don't know if that is a characteristic of the machine or just mine. JIM

 

[Charles]

I have not tried the newer Garrett Models but The Ultra GTA 1000 I had 6-7 years ago seemed to like rusted iron. Normally it would give me a good signal when I 1st swept over the target but would either not give a signal or be a broken signal went I would sweep from another direction. I always check a target by sweeping from all 4 directions to see if it still gives me a good signal. If it is an iffy signal from either side then I will pinpoint the target and may sure I am sweeping right over it and repeat. Most detectors will false on rusted iron from time to time but generally won't lock on and repeat a good signal. The Target ID will jump all over the place. Be sure to air test the nails to so you know you have everything set to discriminate them out.

 

[hollowpointred]

i havnt noticed that on my ace jim.

 

[gregl01]

Hi, I agree with Charles on this one. I have an ACE 250 and it will usually give a broken or scattered signal. If the cursor bounces at all it is usually trash( sometimes masking a good target). I have also found old rusty nails but the cursor will move around even if you notch out iron like you did. Sometimes thats what you get!!!!! LOL
HH
Greg

 

[rusty nails]

my 250 goes off like a pinball machine - when its over a good target ( when its trash - it dings once than after pinpointing )- it will go to iron - if its trash )~ read some of my posts to the newbie it will tell about that - i dug allot of nails my first few time out also - everbody does - its part of the learning process - thats how i think of it..............................

 

[Xraywolf]

Don't know what to tell ta about the nails, and yeah those little clipped wires a a pain, but I wouldn't advise making much of a practice of notching out so much, especially at a schoolyard.
If you notch out all the trash + nickels, your chances of finding any rings/charms/necklaces drop dangerously close to zero.
Trash is part of the territory, and as you [hopefully] pick it up and throw it away, it'll make it that much easier the next time.
For curiousity, you might try going into custom mode and eliminating everything, then pass the coil over a nail and see what it does.
If it alerts, you might want to give garrett a call.
If it doesn't, add stuff starting from the left and see what makes it alert.

 

[Monty]

Say Idahoprb, what's the latest? Got it figured out ?