I cant find the signals my detector is giving?

[Minimal]

I can't find the signals my detector is giving?

So I am new to metal detecting and I almost every signal my detector gives off and that I dig, I can't find whatever the item was. I know some of the signals may have been false ones, but surely they can't all be. One thing that may be making it harder for me is that I do not have something like a pro pointer yet. Does anyone know what may wrong and/or any tips to help me find the signals?

PS I am using a Garrett ACE 350

 

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[RustyGold]

Learn to pinpoint the target with your detector's coil (should be in the center of your coil).
Read the instructions in the manual (or you tube) for your model on how it's done. By all means get a propointer.
It makes it a lot easier to locate your target in the hole.
Best of luck!

 

[KneeDeep31]

You might also want to try and turn your sensitivity down a bit... My Garrett will give off false signals when its set to high.

 

[Phantasman]

Slow your swing. The 350 doesn't have the fastest recovery rate. If you swing fast, you may be hearing the tone when it's 3 or 4 inches past the target, Also, Oregon has high mineralized soil. Meaning you have to reduce sensitivity, You should still get 6" with reduced sensitivity.

 

[gleaner1]

pinpoint pinpoint pinpoint pinpoint

 

[Higgy]

What these guys said. Pinpoint, and turn the notorious Garrett overly-sensitive sensitivity down a little more. One thing do is to practice on typical targets that you bury yourself. Its almost like a muscle memory - finding the target, and determining from the tones you hear where it is. Practice! A couple more times out and you'll be face-palming yourself going duh of course!

Also, heartfelt welcomes to TNET!

 

[OldJerseyGirl]

Do you rescan the dirt that you dig? And the hole and the area around it? If the signal is still there, something is there. Sometimes it is very hard to find the target without a pin pointer. You really need to get one.

 

[gunsil]

Make sure you swing evenly, if your coil tilts up at the ends of your swing you will get false signals. What the others say about dropping the sensitivity is good advice, and learn to pinpoint by simply taping a coin under a piece of cardboard and laying it on the floor or ground, and getting it pinpointed with your coil. Don't worry about not having a pro pointer type of separate pinpointer. I detected long before such things were even invented and had no problem finding tons of stuff. It may take a minute, but probably no more to sift through the dirt and find the target than to use a pinpointer if you learn to use your machine's pinpoint feature. It is not so hard, you just see if the target is no longer in the hole or ground and run a handful of dirt from the hole in front of your coil. Practice making holes in your own yard so you learn to make plugs that do not kill the grass, bury a few coins four inches deep and practice locating them, or have a friend bury a few for you. This detecting stuff isn't rocket science, but it does take practice and learning what the machine is telling you.

 

[bzbadger]

I used a 350 & its a good machine. Since u don't have a pinpointer id suggest using the tried and true method of grabbing the dirt the detector shows its in and keeping swinging handfuls over your coil till you locate the handful that has the target. Deteknix makes the Xpointer, a very good pinpointer for $90 or less if you are looking to save money..i use one instead of my Garrett propointer.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

There is a technique called "Xing" the target that may help. As you pass your coil over the target watch the ground. Keep your eye on the spot of soil over the target. Now, keeping your aya on that spot, shift position so that your sweeps pass in a 90° angle perpendicular to that first sweeps. Now sweep and lift the coil. If it fades immediately it's deep. If you can keep it as a hit signal well up over the soil it is shallow.

That helps you get a 3-D position on the spot to dig.

It also helps you determine what the target may be. Coins stay pretty consistent. If the signal changes as you move or lift it may be a bottle cap . . or jewelry. Use all the tools your detector and brain have.

It also helps a LOT to practice like Higgy suggests. Bury a coin under a plastic golf tee oin your yard and practice pinpointing that. You can also bury pull-tabs and bottle caps to learn how better to judge trash. Starting out: dig it all to learn what your detector is telling you.

 

[cudamark]

If it's falsing, turn down the sensitivity. If the detector is stable, you're just not finding the center of the pin point area. As suggested, make a test area and mark where the target is with a golf tee or similar. Do as Charlie suggested with Xing the target area while using the pin point feature on your detector. You might also try using the "Minelab wiggle" method, where you get centered over the target right to left and then back up slowly as your sweep arc get shorter. When the sound disappears, the target should be right in front of the coils' leading edge. One way to test and/or sharpen your pin pointing skills is to try it in the dark or with your eyes closed to see how close you can get the golf tee centered under your coil.

 

[releventchair]

A 350 pinpoints pretty good on most , not all ,if there is iron near, targets. Practice,practice,practice. The hole in your coil, nearest shaft on the 5x8 will be on usually.
A biggie can be if your coil cable is not wrapped properly and can flop anywhere;especially towards the coil end of shaft. Connection to control box needs to be tight too. Batteries below half a charge are suspect when perceived ability drops off ,for me.
The above mentions of practicing on known targets is great. Long buried will be different,(often better signals from older ones) but not so much that practice on a test garden is not worth it. Back the sensitivity down three notches from top and try it. Sometimes it can go less.
A big surprise awaited when I started using a hand held pinpointer. Little tiny objects my cranked up detector was locating that my eyes were not....some so small that when removed from hole and their angle changed the detector could not relocate. A shoe eyelet. A piece of wire or piece of nail. A rivet head, piece of lead shot ect. The point being; cranked up the 350 will find minuscule stuff. Finding it without a hand held left me scratching my head thinking the target evaporated. Of course a crumbling chunk of rusted dusty metal occurs sometimes too.
Keep swingin...

 

[Higgy]

Starting out: dig it all to learn what your detector is telling you.

What Charlie said! He's got the best advice of all. Dig it all, and take it all. You'll be surprised at what you find, and you may just find something great that discrimination may have missed before. A great way to learn your detector and the sounds it makes.

Good advice in this thread, Minimal. You'll be paying for that 350 with finds real soon!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You've got good advice so far. Charlie's notion of "x'ing" is spot-on. Because a lot of times when someone gets a signal, they may not be aware that they're catching the fringe of a longer target.

I would also add to look for targets that repeat in the same spot. If they're only one-way sparadic beeps, then that's just inconsistent flutter. Like perhaps the detector trying to disc. out iron that you'd set it to reject, sometimes it can give momentary flutters. So wait for a target to repeat consistently in the same spot.

Lastly: if possible, hook up with someone proficient in your area. Preferably someone using same or similar machine. Trade flagged signals back and forth for comparison. Watch/listen to what he does. Listen to what he says he'd pass/ignore, versus what he's trying to isolate. Watch how he digs.

The reason for the in-person help, is that your type question is inherently sound related. And "sounds" can not accurately be conveyed in printed text. They have to be heard (and seen). No amount of "reading printed text" will ever convey answers that involve sounds, IMHO.

 

[Minimal]

Thank you guys for all of the tips. I will try them out today because we finally are having a dry day by Portland. Rare this time of year, and my detector is not water proof

 

[bigfoot1]

Thank you guys for all of the tips. I will try them out today because we finally are having a dry day by Portland. Rare this time of year, and my detector is not water proof

just put a ziplock baggie over the controll box and secure with twistie ties...the rest of your 3fiddy is indeed waterproof.
good luck and welcome...great advice above too !!!

 

[gleaner1]

Do you rescan the dirt that you dig? And the hole and the area around it? If the signal is still there, something is there. Sometimes it is very hard to find the target without a pin pointer. You really need to get one.

I found so much crap that I could sink a battle ship with it all, without using a pinpointer. I can go into a site at night and pull a plug and have the target in my pocket in half a minute or less, without a hand held probe detecter, without a flash light. The coil of the detector can pinpoint the target. But yes, I would not leave home without my Garret Pro Pointer. It only took me twenty years to see the light.

 

[TheInspector]

Make sure you are not wearing steel toed boots. It took me an hour of chasing ghost signals before I realized I had my work boots on.

 

[Higgy]

Make sure you are not wearing steel toed boots. It took me an hour of chasing ghost signals before I realized I had my work boots on.

Been there! Done that!

 

[gunsil]

If it's falsing, turn down the sensitivity. If the detector is stable, you're just not finding the center of the pin point area. As suggested, make a test area and mark where the target is with a golf tee or similar. Do as Charlie suggested with Xing the target area while using the pin point feature on your detector. You might also try using the "Minelab wiggle" method, where you get centered over the target right to left and then back up slowly as your sweep arc get shorter. When the sound disappears, the target should be right in front of the coils' leading edge. One way to test and/or sharpen your pin pointing skills is to try it in the dark or with your eyes closed to see how close you can get the golf tee centered under your coil.

350 comes with a concentric coil, and what you call the "Minelab wiggle" is actually known as the "DD wiggle" and only works with DD coils. It doesn't work on concentric coils.