More Ace 250 Disappointment...

cillosis · Nov 6, 2005

Well, I got my Ace 250 and took it out to an old school house near Sisters,OR that I know about. The school is gone but the bathroom that was behind it still remains (see the pics). As usual, my ace was giving me quarter,half, and dollar signals but I was only digging rusty nails. Some holes, I would get a nice clear repeatable signal and pinpoint it to what I think is EXACTLY where it is at, and dig without finding anything

. So I scan all my dirt and the hole, and the signal just disappears! I am using a modified coin program to block out nickels because they are right in the middle of trash signals, and thats still all I get! Oh well. I did manage to find a rusty bobby pin and the little metal piece that connects a pencil eraser to the pencil. By the way, does anybody have any tips or explanations of the quirks of the Ace 250? Thanks and good hunting!

PIC EXPLANATIONS:
#1- The old bathrooms that are still there.
#2- The widened part of the sidewalk where I assume the stairs use to be.
#3- The sidewalk...or whats left of it.

RedSpey · Nov 8, 2005

Sisters, OR is country with very mineralized ground. Your automatic ground balance may be having trouble because of this. Just some thoughts.

Diggincoinz · Nov 8, 2005

This is helping me too I think. I just bought the Garrett GTAx 550 but only used it this week for a few hours. Was getting "false signals" and a bit of trouble pinpointing. But what you're all saying here makes sense for this Garrett too.

johny mc. · Nov 9, 2005

you bought a $250 machine and are having the same experience as the folks with the $1000 dollar ones. You are doing fine. Keep digging everything and you will end up with good stuff. People who don't dig everything are leaving more stuff in the ground for the rest of us.

This picture is of one of those junk things we throw in our bag and figure I'll chuck it when I get home.
The top of this was fully encrusted. We'll after an appointment with Mr. Electrolysis this is what appeared. This is one of my favorite finds of late.

aloha...johny mc.

www.theadventurelodge.com

Mona Lisa · Nov 10, 2005

Johny is right. I have a lower end and a higher priced Whites. There are always false signals. You just have to learn your machines.

Johny...That is my favorite button that I've seen on Tnet.

cillosis · Nov 11, 2005

I think I am under estimating my 250. Today I went to a park for an hour near my house before going to work. I managed to find 3 whole pieces of trash! BUT, there was a lesson to be learned. I dig and dig and dig sometimes, and cant find where the signal is coming from, and then it just disappears. When I put the dirt back in the hole (which I scanned while it was outside of the hole), I all of a sudden get the signal again. I think my machine is finding really tiny pieces of trash like bits of aluminum foil balled up, or something like that, and I'm just not finding it when I dig. I have come to the conclusion that you guys are right about getting an seperate pinpointing device. I hope to find real stuff someday, thanks for the help!

SilverFox167 · Nov 11, 2005

This little tip may help in finding your objects. When I find something I will cut a plug around the center of the object and put that object on a large cloth, l an old T-Shirt I cut into a big square. I then bunch up the cloth with the plug of dirt/grass and scan it in front of my detectors search coil. If I get a hot signal that it is in the dirt plug then it is very easy to pinpoint. You can divide the plug into to see which half it is in or you can use a pinpointer like the onw I have to find the excact location in the dirt. The pinpoinnter is a Vibraprobe 560 automatic phone is 877-304-7788. When I pinpoint this way I can tell exactly where the treasue is and this allows me to not break up the root system of the plug which will improve the overall ability for the grass to take root and not die in the future. The main thing is to get a cloth to put your plug and your dirt on, because this will keep the area neat and then you can pour all the dirt back into the whole. When I have dug a plug you cannot even tell I was there.
Hope this helps.
Rob

tallpaul · Nov 11, 2005

it will all come in time , patience is a virtue, learn your machine, the tones will tell you, it takes time for your ears to learn these signals, it helps more when you have a screen, for comfirming, iam back to square 1 at the moment learning a new machine, just take it steady, when you get a signal, take your time and move around it listening to the tone, best thing to do is get your self a coin and relic garden set up,, note all depths,, and practice what tones you get at certain depths with certain things, and keep practiceing this in spare time, even when you only have an hour to spare get the detector out and get in the coin garden, practice makes perfect, this is what i do, and i find i learn the machine inside and out, then when your out detecting your out there detecting and not fooling around with all the settings and getting frustrated, it takes time, i recall someone saying in another topic discrim and find at that level then back of and find at that level, and so on, that will work, and by the time you've done this you will know your machine,. good luck.

DugHoles · Nov 11, 2005

Keep at it bud. Just some thoughts:

1. After some time in the ground, rusty metals mineral properties change and start sounding like good targets.

2. Get a pinpointer to help with those "disappearing" targets. Also look on the "walls" of the hole for those missing targets as well.

I know I'm probably repeating something that has already been said, but just in case.....

GL & HH,

DugHoles

cillosis · Nov 12, 2005

As far as learning to listen to my machine and what not, thats the downfall of the Ace 250. It doesn't have like distinctive high/low squeals like most detectors. It has 3 preprogrammed beeps of different tones that do not change or alter. I cant learn to "hear" a good target because it gives me the same computerized "bling" sound as it always does. That said...

I returned to the lot from my first post up above. Using what you folks have taught me, I managed to find two buttons! I found the 1961 penny at some old mine buildings that I play paintball at (I was showing the detector to a buddy of mine). I found that some holes if I scan facing north for example and get a good repeating target, but then turn facing south or east/west, it will turn into a iron signal. I found these targets are the "disappearing" ones. The ones that repeat from all angles, are the real targets. I must be mineralized ground as somebody said because I still dug several holes with nothing in them. I would pinpoint the target to the exact spot and make sure I dug about 3 inches extra into the sides in case I was off a little, and I would dig down about 8 inches even if it only said 4". I sifted through all of the dirt, and my detector would sometimes bling at me as I scanned the dirt, but sifting it with my kitty litter sifter (works great, and super cheap to buy...lol) I come up with nothing...again. It HAS to be the dirt. Anyway, here's a pic, sry its blurry, my camera doesn't work well with closeups.

ringfinder · Nov 12, 2005

Just a thought or two on the new Garrett 250, I have one and my buddie has one. I have found many coins with mine including wheaties and indian head pennies. I also have 6 other metal detector's. They are all the same. You have to be patient. The good finds will come and but even then you will still dig some crazy things. My buddy has one and the first time he hunted with me and a nother fellow, he blew us out of the water. My other buddy and me were using High Priced detectors and my other buddy was using his 250. After about a half hour of hunting us guys with the other detectors had found lots of clad coins and some junk. My buddy using the 250 had found 3 wheaties and a Canadian 1933 penny. He had lots of junk just like us but he had the good finds and we didn't. Mostly because he was digging everthing and we weren't. A little while later he called me over to a tree to help him find a signal that he had. I have a probe on my detector and I used it. I probed in the hole and told him there wasn't anything in the hole. Well as I was coming out of the hole, I got a signal on the side of the hole. I brushed the dirt away and what the heck do you think popped out. It was a 1911 Barber Half Dollar and in very good condition. My other partner was so mad, he put his detector in the car and left. Since then my 250 partner has found Barber dimes, Seated dimes, Indian head pennies and lots of wheaties. And lots and lots of junk. Heck we all find junk. If your not digging junk your not finding the good stuff. Hang in there the good finds will come and you'll be writing the next poor guy a letter like this. Happy Hunting!

Lee-MI-MI · Nov 12, 2005

Nails are wierd

The more I hunt areas with rusty nails, the more I am amazed!

A rusty nail can give a good signal, you know that. But I also find that they can pinpoint off the end of the nail. Sometimes by a couple of inches. A dead give away is when you swing your coil along the length of the nail you will get two quick beeps. Turn and sweep it at 90 degrees and you will get one beep.

A very old rusty piece of nail 1" long will pin point 2" - 4" away. Then, when you dig you don't even see it. If it lands in your pile pointing straight up you will not detect it. When that happens I use my hand or even the search coil and push the dirt around a little. Usually the signal comes back.

I am sure you already know this but here are a few other pointers.

Remember that you coil is just as sensitive at the top as it is at the bottom.
Always set your detector down so that the coil is near where you will dig. When you dig your first plug, pick it up with your hand and pass it at least twice over your coil. Change your wrist position so that the orientation of the dirt in your hand is different each time it passes over the coil. (Make sure you have removed any rings or watches first. ::)

) If you have an all metal mode switch this on first. It will make it even easier to find those little items.

If you get a beep, divide the clump and pass part of it over the coil again, as before. No beep, it's in the other portion. Keep dividing and scanning until you find it. Doing this will enable you to find a BB or one piece of buck shot or a very small piece of rusty nail

BOB in TX · Nov 13, 2005

Until you get farmiler with the 250, stick to you schools in use,parks and ball fields,then try the older places.If the curser does not lock on you have a trash signal.