I have an Ace 250 question and need some advice about how to investigate

[Bev]

Good morning! I have some probably simple questions I'm hoping you can help me with. I'd appreciate it!
Signal ID:
I'm wondering with my Ace 250, why would a target register at 2 inches but it's actually right there on the surface?
Also, I find a target, start digging, use my handy-dandy Harbor Frieght pin pointer (which I really like), close in on the target, but then I'll check again and the target will be on the opposite side of the hole- or sometimes the signal will disappear entirely.
Cellar holes:
I know where some old stone foundations are- and that's about all that's left too. Are you looking inside the perimeter or outside? Both?
Old gathering places:
I would think near old churches there would be fields very close for their gatherings. The cemetaries are always close but I stay away from those. I look for young trees that could have grown in a possible gathering spot but sometimes there isn't any sign at all. I guess I'm asking, while you're driving down country roads, what are your trained eyes looking for? What is going to make you slow down the car or even pull over?
I'm doing the whole town hall thing tomorrow just to look at some photos and plat maps if I can, but I'm asking about actually on the scene investigative work?
I'd appreciate some advice, and any other rookie mistakes I can avoid.

I have plenty of other questions too but I figure these are enough for now.

Thank you so much- -Bev

 

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[Rob66]

1.The dept will not always be accurate. You can just lift you detector coil high off the ground from the target and if still beeps then that target is big and deep or…small target right on the surface. ‘But…if you lift your coil and the beeps disappears the target is deep.”

2. If you get a signal and it jump from one place to the other. It could be a quarter on its side and not laying flat. If falls on it’s side… sometimes you will lose the signal.

3. Imagine the foundation when it was standing and new… picture where people may go , sit, walk etc… and hunt there.

4. (Six sense and imagine nation.) But historical research at libraries is helpful too. If I were looking at place, land, old foundations, trees etc…

I would think and imagine…”if I use to live on or owned the property, where I would go? What would I do?? And… back in the old days no one trusted bank, like now!!! And if you have some belongs you want it safe and hidden, where would you bury it?

HH

 

[Bev]

Hi Rob!
Your advice was priceless- I took a walk for just a few minutes yesterday and it helped a lot. Found an old foundation, didnt stay long enough to find anything but saw enough to get on the tax assessor website to find the property owner. I'll try to talk to him today for a more in depth hunt... (HA! In depth hunt...I made a funny!)

Thanks so much!
Bev

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The depth meter on all metal detectors, is callibrated for coin-sized items. So bigger, or smaller items, will not be accurate (you can usually tell by sound though). So for example: an aluminum can at a 6" deep, might register as an item at 2" deep, because the can is so big. Or a teensy grommet at 1", might tell you it's a target at 6", because it's so teensy. Only coin-sized targets are fairly accurate d/t the factor callibration.

As for your pinpointing problems, check to see if your pinpointer is "hot" on the sides of the shaft, or if it is only "hot" at the tip. Most are going to have sensitive areas along the side of the shaft, meaning that , let's say for instance, that the target is at the side of the hole. As you put the shaft of your pinpointer down in the hole, the side of the probe will be "picking it up". But the newbie, hearing the beep, and seeing as how his probe is touching the bottom, or other side of the hole, proceeds to go in the direction of the probe end, rather than realizing that the side of the probe could also be getting a signal, from a target that's on the side of the hole. To fix this problem, you have to angle your probe from many different trajactory/angles, into the hole, so that you compare the responses coming from different angles. Ie.: try to get it so that only the end-tip is touching the spot where you think the signal is coming from, so you can eliminate the possibility of the sides of the probe touching the sides of the hole. You might have to have a bigger hole to do this, to allow the probe to be angled different ways.

The best places to hunt will be old picnic grounds and camp sites. Preferably places no one else has hunted before you (an increasing rarity in the modern age of md'ing, where no easy-to-research spot has gone un-found, it seems).

 

[MountainFan]

As for the depth indicator, the Ace 250 shows approximate depth in increments of 2", with 2" being the minimun displayed. So 2" on the display is really 0-2". 4" displayed would really be 2-4", etc.

 

[Bev]

OK, I get it now. Both of you make sense.

I appreciate your insight very very much. It's helping me get better- soon I'll be able to poke a screwdriver in the ground and pop stuff out like a champ! (well probably not...)

 

[TerryC]

Bev,
When detecting foundations, you will get SURPRISES! Inside ok (many old foundations were filled to prevent injuries putting you too far away from the bottom), outside walls better, Entries best. Look under the large trees in backyard good, frontyard "gooder". Where the old roadside mail box was is good. They used to pay for postage sometimes by putting the change in the box with the letter. Look for veggetation that is NOT normal for the area. This is a good tip to find where the house used to be on a farm field. May also indicate where the garden was. Fence post not stapled to barbed wire may indicate "bank". Etc etc etc. A platt map/book of the county can do LOTS to find owners of lots. County recorder's office will get the owner and taxpayer info needed to get permission. You're well on your way now! Many books on the subject out there! TTC

 

[Bev]

"Where the old roadside mail box was is good. They used to pay for postage sometimes by putting the change in the box with the letter. "

I did NOT know this! That is really a great little fact! I love it!

 

[Swartzie]

Cellar holes:
I know where some old stone foundations are- and that's about all that's left too. Are you looking inside the perimeter or outside? Both?

As close as you can get to the hole without getting into too much iron. Cellar hole sites are usually loaded with all kinds of iron junk and the 250 has a hard time around a lot of iron. When you do start getting into an iron infested area, back off the sensitivity a bit and really shorten your coil swings down to just a few inches to try and pick some goodies between the iron.

Good Luck!
-Swartzie

 

[battlecat]

Hey Bev,
You got a ton of great advice from these guys, so I have none to add, but this was a great informative post!! Goodluck and HH!

 

[Bev]

I'm so glad I asked. Most of you are pros so some things you do are just second nature now. I just wanted a few pieces of advice that brings it back to basics for me. Like the cellar hole. You all are thinking, hey a cellar hole- woo hoo! I'm thinking ok, found a cellar hole. what the $%^&! do I do now?
I actually think there are not a lot of people detecting where I am so that's pretty good. The not-so-good is up here in RI, it seems there are a lot of sue-happy people so when I ask to hunt sometimes it's a knee-jerk response to say no, it's a liability I don't want to get sued, etc. Finding the owners is a PIA but I may get a yes plus maybe- just maybe I'll get a real estate client later on!

 

[calisdad]

Hey Bev,

I've got an ACE 250 also and you will need to adjust your sensitivity around foundations as many are what's left of a fire so there are lots of nails around. One of the places I usually find some spare change is the 'iron rangers' at campgrounds. You also might scan under the local bleachers.

enjoy-

 

[Swartzie]

The not-so-good is up here in RI, it seems there are a lot of sue-happy people so when I ask to hunt sometimes it's a knee-jerk response to say no, it's a liability I don't want to get sued, etc. Finding the owners is a PIA but I may get a yes plus maybe- just maybe I'll get a real estate client later on!

The cellar holes I hunt are on public land. The land was bought by the state (Ohio) when they put the dams in back in the 1930's. The land is now open for public recreation. Mostly hunting. Guess I'm lucky with unlimited access to the land. I used to hike the land before I got into metal detecting, so I knew where the cellar holes were at. If you know of any public hunting areas up in your neck of the woods it may pay to search them out. Maybe a visit to your states department of natural resources website will help.

-Swartzie