New to Metal Detecting seeking advice

[Johnny_T]

I just bought a Garrett Ace 350 and just received it in the mail on Friday. I read the book, watched the DVD and went out to test it in my Dads Pasture. Now I know I am new to this and it will take practice. Working with keeping it an inch off the ground good sweeps and learning to use the pin pointer (on MD not the pro-pointer which I will get next payday) and also using the Sensitivity settings...

Anyhow I was wondering if I could get some advice. I have been noticing allot of hits on the screen, lots of Iron and I keep getting constant hits in the coin section for $0.50, $1, and $.25cents. The Detector says its 4 inches down or sometimes 8+. I dig and find nothing. I run the dirt through a Classifier I use for Gold Panning to make sure. I scan the hole again and it says 4inches again at the top and I check again still notta. So I widen the hole put the detector in the hole and it says 4 inches more.

Anyhow I have dug about 50 holes in the pasture and I find nothing in it but it keeps setting off the alarms. Does this sound like a faulty detector or the faulty user? I did find a silver Button today that was right where it said it would be. Not worth anything but an Old Memory my Grandpa used to use them to decorate his saddle. I know for a fact that if he dropped one or lost one he would of been pissed, He's gone now but it brought back a flood of memories.

So I guess I have to ask if it’s normal to get a lot of false positives, to dig a hole and find nothing but the hole and more dirt...

 

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[chip12977]

Not sure but I believe the ace 350 does not have ground balance, sounds like you have a lot of mineralization in your ground, or I could be EMI, do you have any overhead power lines near by?

Not knocking the ace but you may need to try a different detector, one with ground balance. I personally would send it back and save about another 200-300 and get a middle of the road detector. The ace is more of a beginners machine, which, from your post you sound like you are, but you need a machine that can handle your ground

Chip

 

[Johnny_T]

It does it just comes from the Factory pre-GB. No power lines, and not in the city its in the country. I am thinking its in the ground Mineralization, from all the diffrent forums I been reading since I posted this. I also found another person with same issues lots of false indicators, and it turned out to be a faulty machine. Gonna try a few more things like turning the sensitivity down more and bench testing with various coins/relics. I know I will lose depth but right now I just wanna learn to use it right. I am also gonna get out of the area and go up to the mountains to some old cabins that I know have been vacant for the better part of 70-100 years.

As for a more expensive unit I would love to, but money is tight I've always wanted one and I shouldn't of bought this one but, I need a good reason to get out of the house more so I am Gold Panning again (used to when I grew up in Alaska) and metal detecting to get out and get healthy...

2 days of Detecting and digging my arms feel like Jelly...

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I get the same thing with mine, turning down the sensitivity will help get rid of the falsing. If it's really bouncy like that (iron up to coin) I usually don't dig it.

 

[Benjamin Linus]

Like NOLA said, turn down the sensitivity. Same thing happened to me when I got my first machine (Ace 250). All kinds of false hits. Adjusted the sensitivity and it worked like a charm.

 

[inspectorgadget]

My MXT will hit on things in my front yard just like what your saying. Thinks there is a deep target +78 to +94 VDI. I usually get very little sound on these targets & the VDI bounces around. I've learned these are not good targets & lowering the sensitivity helps. Seems lot's of deep trash plays havoc with most detectors, cleaner ground is much better.

 

[Johnny_T]

Thanks for the info its much appreciated. I have dropped the Sensitivity and found a couple interesting things already. Gonna head to the hills this weekend out in the middle of nowhere see what happens.

 

[Useless Eater]

the depth indicator is for coins only and even coins vary, a crushed beer can at 18 inches might show as a coin 4 inches deep, big things like cans will have a large pinpoint area, if you get an iffy target like that try raising the coil and going over it and you might see there is no way its a coin if you still get a signal at a ridiculous height

 

[Ism]

There are times you will get a coin hit. You will did and dig and not find a target...yet 6 inches away is a large piece of iron. Its something to do with the way the iron produces a high conductor signal off the edge.
If you have that same situation, look for the iron and see if that isn't the cause.

 

[deepskyal]

Useless Eater has some sound advice which I've been doing for years.

Al