Garrett Ace 250 Question(s)

[apush]

Just went out this afternoon for the first time with my new Ace 250. The term "frozen ground" now has a new meaning to me I made a few mistakes only rookies could make. I got a good signal, used my pinpointer which said 2 inches (or less) and just assumed I should start digging. Well, soon as I attempted (frozen ground) to dig, there sat the quarter right on top of the grass. Yep, never thought to look right in front of my face .
I have a couple of questions, if the pros don't mind:
A) Sometimes when I found a target, the depth bounced up and down from 2 inches to 8 inches. Should I have continued to reduce the sensitivity? I had the detector in coin mode.
B) What is the best mode? I am generally in public parks/play ground areas, and I have to pick between jewelry and coin mode? I see that the jewelry mode appears to include coins.
I know I need loads more practice, but this hobby is the best stress reliever! Found 54 cents in clad
apush--it's darn right cold in Texas

 

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[zaweiss]

Hey,

I just got an ACE 250 for Christmas....it is a great detector!

I have only taken this machine out on 3 occasions, but I have found that ALL METAL mode with 4 or 5 notches of sensitivity works extremely well! (Unless you are in a ridiculously trashy area)

At first, I hunted in COIN mode......BUT, I quickly learned the different tones and decided that it makes the most sense to hunt with no discrimination at all.

I have noticed that shallow targets can confuse the ACE 250. I found a penny on the surface and it gave me a similar reading on the depth indicator....

 

[favored papa]

you think it is cold there, try idaho. and then there is John in Canada.

Your depth meter is saying 2 inches or less, 4 inches or less, 6 inches or less.

Why dose it jump from 2 to 8? (After a year of going out almost every day, no, probably only 250 days last year.) Asking why it bounces, is like asking why it is so cold. But the good news is when you pinpoint, it seams to be vary accurate. In fact i ignore the depth meter until i hit the pinpoint button.

If the 250 starts dinging like nuts it is often a coin on the surface or very close.

about modes, coin is good, jewelry is good, if it is real trashy some days i go to custom and notch out every thing but pennies, dimes, and 25 cent. doing this you will miss any gold you walk over. but you won't waste any time digging pull tabs. but you do still get the silver rings.

It you pinpoint and it says 2 inches, you dig 3 inches and it still says 2, you probably have something big like a pop can, they can come up as dimes.

 

[apush]

I appreciate the advice. I also noticed when I placed a platinum ring under the coil it registered as nickle. I am still in the experimental/testing mode. Originally got a Bountyhunter Lone Star for Christmas this year, and saw so many posts about the Ace 250, I went ahead and splurged and now I have two detectors.

Wish I get could get out as much, job is pretty darn demanding.
apush

 

[cntrydncr1]

I normally hunt in jewelry mode because if you hunt in coin mode you will probably miss gold. when I get tired of digging trash I switch to coin mode.