Newbie here, just bought an Ace 350

[Enki]

Its a bit confusing to understand. I scan an area and I get a beep. I go back to it and nothing, then a few inches away I get another tone. I try to use the pinpoint and I cant get a solid indicator. Then I think I am over a good target and I dig and dig and dig and nothing...I check the hole and get no tone, then I check the dirt I dug and nothing no tone....I check around hole and a few inches away it beeps....seems I must be doing something wrong...I have tried all diff settings....please help

 

[Hosensack]

Don't misread this question, I am asking for the purpose of where to begin. When you say newbie do you mean to Treasurenet or the hobby?

I ask because if you are not familiar with a DD coil which the 350 has, you may be digging at the wrong location. In your manual and on Garrett's website you will find good information for pinpointing your target with the DD coil.

Based on your info you are probably nipping the target with the front edge of the coil but digging near center.

If you don't have one get yourself a Propointer.

Of course those suggestions are if the machine is working properly, there are various reasons for false signals as well.

If you are unable to solve it with info in manual and website, give Garrett a call or pm me for my number and good time to call and I can try and walk you through it.

 

[Enki]

I appreciate your reply. I am new to this hobby yes. I did have a radio shack tector yrs back when I was a kid...over 25 yrs back...that worked well cuz it would give off a strong sound when I was over a target. I am new to the ace 350. I bought it off a guy who never used it. I read the manual and thought I had a good read on the use of this thing but I must be missing something. When I get a read on an area and then it goes blank and I get a read again its like a few feet away sometimes. I would appreciate any advice you have...maybe this weekedn we can talk via phone

 

[Hosensack]

A few feet is a different story. What setting is it on? If you have something disc. out different angles may pick it up anyway, which would cause it to disappear. Especially an iron target like a nail which can be hard to find at times when they are small enough. Another possibility is a coin on edge but you aren't finding anything when you dig so that is probably ruled out. My guess would be a nail. If you haven't already done so when this happens turn of or down the disc. and see what happens and where it registers.

 

[lookindown]

Sounds like your getting a false signal. A target will give a tone every time you swing over it. If you get one beep, and when you swing over the spot there are no more beeps, its a false signal. There is no target there. If your sensitivity is set to high this will happen. The false is usually one high tone. Turn the sens down one bar at a time until it stops falsing. You should get a hit on the target everytime the coil passes over it. Youtube has videos on pinpointing.

 

[Dwight S]

Do yourself a favor and take a penny, dime and quarter outside and toss them on the ground. Take the detector and sweep over each of them a few times and get used to the sounds the detector makes. Then using one of them, try to pinpoint it. Learn the signal. You'll notice that when the target is in a particular spot under the center of the coil, just in front of the rod, the signal will be the strongest and loudest. This is the sweetspot. You can also learn to pinpoint off the front of the coil; when you pinpoint, pull the coil back toward your feet until the signal drops off, the target should be located just in front of the coil.

Also, as Lookindown said, check YouTube for videos on pinpointing, as well as other parts of the metal detecting hobby, such as digging a plug to recover a target.

Good luck and welcome to the addiction.

 

[treasurehound]

I agree on putting some coins on the ground and see where your sweet spot is on your coil. Sweep side to side then up and down. It takes time to learn any machine even if you have been hunting for years. I have been hunting for 32 years and every time I get a new machine it takes me a while to learn what it is telling me. There also are times you may get a false signal. Garrett Pro Pointer is the way to go on pin pointers. If it is out of your budget then Harbor Freights has one for about $16 which is better than no pin pointer. Welcome to this very addictive hobby.

 

[Enki]

thanks for all the advice, I am ordering a pro pointer today....I see em as low as $127 with free shipping.....any places have them cheaper?

 

[OldDogEyes]

Its a bit confusing to understand. I scan an area and I get a beep. I go back to it and nothing, then a few inches away I get another tone. I try to use the pinpoint and I cant get a solid indicator. Then I think I am over a good target and I dig and dig and dig and nothing...I check the hole and get no tone, then I check the dirt I dug and nothing no tone....I check around hole and a few inches away it beeps....seems I must be doing something wrong...I have tried all diff settings....please help

I have been using an Ace 350 since June and have finally learned how to pinpoint reliably with it. I will tell you that the manual is mostly WRONG. The manual that came with my Ace 350 was basically the same manual that came with the Ace 250 but updated with a few changes. The Ace 250 and Ace 350 don't pinpoint the same from what I've been able to gather.

Here's how to do it:

• You will want to use the same "X" method taught in the book. Basically you'll be pinpointing then rotating 90 degrees and pinpointing again. Think of it as drawing an X where the intersection of the two lines is what you want to dig.
• But instead of trying to use the "square" that is in front of the pole, you'll want to use either the toe or heel (front or back) of the coil. So after you've moved the coil left and right (with the pinpoint button depressed) and found what you think is the vertical line where your target is, back up until the signal disappears. Your target is just in front of the coil. If you can't backup, then move forward until the signal disappears. Your target is just in back of the coil
• The Ace 350 comes with a Double D coil. Think of two D's back to back and overlapped. The "rectangle" (it's really not a rectangle because it's slightly curved) where the D's overlap is the detecting field. It's narrow in width and runs from the toe to the heel of the coil. When you have the strongest pinpoint signal, your target is within that rectangle. Moving forward or backward will give you the approximate location.
• Then by rotating 90 degrees and repeating, you'll end up with a square about 3 inches by 3 inches where your target will be located.

Since starting to use this method, my pinpointing is right on 90% of the time. A good rule of thumb is to think of pinpointing like cutting wood. Ever heard of the adage "measure twice, cut once?" Well in this case, it's pinpoint twice, dig once.

One last tip... When trying to find a target, it's OK to move the coil quickly left and right. Be sure to keep it level with the ground, as close to the ground as possible. But when you go into pinpointing mode, you DO NOT want to be moving the coil quickly. Go slow left and right until you find the exact place where you are getting a full signal. Then do the move forwards or backwards motion.

Hope that helps! If you are really stuck, I can probably talk you through it and cut your learning curve.

Doug

 

[Enki]

Doug, Thank you for that tip. I am gonna try this when I get off work today. The house my wife and I just bought last summer was owned by only one person and is about 50 yrs old. And I have not even MD in our own yard. So today I will try the tips you provided

You all are so nice and helpful here...I frequent other chat sights in the past, for fantasy football, gambling forums, and even dating sights before I was married....and this place is like heaven...eveyone is so nice. Its very refreshing. Thanks again everyone