Target ID with the Ace 250

[MD Dog]

Anyone else as frustrated with the lousy target ID on this machine as I am ? I love its depth, but even when targets are completely tuned out I'll get a strong bell tone in both directions at 6-8 inches only to dig that deep and find a piece of alluminum can run over by a lawnmower ten years ago.

 

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[SC_hunter]

MD...the tin can will usually come up as a dime on mine also..I have figured out..If you raise your detector up a few inches above the ground and you still get 4 or so bars..you can pretty well bet it is a crushed can...I dug many of them then found out what to look for...I have found most of my older coins at only 2 to 4 inches and I found my first SLQ(1927) at only about 1 inch down..Good luck.

 

[khouse]

You can get the same results on a $1000.00 detector. I have posted several tips on identifying a can.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,72939.msg618979.html#msg618979

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

What about false erratic signals and then the target is gone, just gone?I'm getting a little frustrated?

 

[khouse]

Country Girl,
Erratic beeps can be from too much sensitivity (falsing). Have you tried lowering the sens to where it runs smooth? Also if you don't have a nice level swing it can false. It can also false in wet grass. Just lower the sens on all the above isuues. Then you won't be trying to dig false signals.
If you have a good beep only to find nothing in the hole then put the detector in the all metal mode and re sweep. You will most likely get your beep back on something you have disc out. Here's what happens. You run in the coin mode. Get a good beep. Disturb the ground and wave the soil over the coil and nothing. You have just disturbed the halo or broken the leaching rust on an item disc out. Now the detector is reading it's true conductivity and not beeping. A 22 casing will do it also in the coin mode. On lost signals you have to hit the all metal mode or get your electronic pinpointer out. I suggest the Sunray probe.

 

[MD Dog]

I had the same problem CG, so I went and bought a treasuremate pinpointer just to find out besides the rusty halos khouse mentions, bird and buck shot will give you fits.

I find plenty of targets at 4" and above but there are some locations that I know the history of and through years of construction extra fill has been added. So I'm finding some good coins like a 1912 barber dime at 8" but thats after digging some hundred pieces of trash at 8-10 inches. Also should mention I sometimes am using the 9x12 coil.

 

[TonyinCT]

Remember : Target ID is for coin sized targets only. A can or some other such object cannot be acurately ID'ed by the detector. The Target ID is only good for small targets . A can will read all over the place depending on how much is there.

 

[MD Dog]

Remember : Target ID is for coin sized targets only. A can or some other such object cannot be acurately ID'ed by the detector. The Target ID is only good for small targets . A can will read all over the place depending on how much is there.

Now I'm talking to you in two different threads Tony. The problem I have with the 250 is targets deeper than four inches that come in as strong solid dimes or quarters etc... can quite often still turn out to be trash most of the time.

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Some good advice folks, thank you. My new pinpointer is on the way, we'll see if that helps. Thanks Tony!

 

[TonyinCT]

Target ID detectors can be fooled. Some more easily than others. The processors on the lower end units like the Ace's cannot "decide" what a target other than a coin is. Even rings are hard to discern but the conductivity helps in those cases. When it comes to trash , the detector does it's best to determine what it is and then makes a "decision" based on the information received.

 

[khouse]

Ace 250 is not a lower end detector.

I disagree in calling the Ace a lower end detector. If it sold for $450.00 would people think it was a lower end detector? If you have ever dug a pull tab, rusty nail, deep can, lead fishing weight, can slaw, foil or hot wheel with a $1000.00 detector then it proves my point.
Is the 250 perfect - no. Is any detector perfect - no.
Can it be better - yes.
If Garrett would ever put an auto track button on it and use more of the LCD screen for a little larger display then it would be the detector of choice for many.
Just my opinion.

 

[alexisntx]

I'm on the frustrated side of this conversation. This is what I am experiencing that frustrates me. I get a nice coin id at 2-4 inches, then when I go to pinpoint, I can't get the 2-4 inch target, it's beeping some piece of trash at 6-8 inches. Any advice?

 

[MD Dog]

Alex try to decrease your sensitivity, if that doesn't work try a sniper coil about $60.oo. or you could spring for a pinpointer I use a treasuremate but just about any would do the job.

 

[alexisntx]

I bought a pinpointer and haven't found it helpful.

 

[MD Dog]

Ok I see by your lifetime coin count your really new so I'm guessing what your really having trouble with is pinpointing with the Ace 250. This machine is well known for its difficulty for beginners to pinpoint. The best method that I use is after you've found a good target, well hold on let me explain how you know you have a good target. If you think you have found a good target narrow your swing down until your directly on top of it and then let your detector come to rest on the ground directly over target. Now using your wrist cause the detector to wag or wiggle back and forth from one edge to the other as you slowly draw the detector backwards towards you. It should be making that distinctive bling sound and doing it in rapid succession like blin bling bling. As you draw the detector back as soon as this bling bling bling sound stops. Your target will be directly in front of coil at the specified depth give or take an inch or two. Let me know if this helps.

 

[TonyinCT]

Unfortunately the Ace250 is still considered a lower end detector by price and by performance. If it sold for 450.00 it would have more capabilities and actually be a better detector to justify the cost. I have dug all the items you mention and ALL detectors do that. The subject is ID of targets and the Ace250 is not a top IDing detector. A DFX for example can ID a target much better to the point of telling the difference between a siver dime and a clad dime. I am not taking anything away from the Ace250. It is the best unit for the money and a welcome addition to anyones lineup of detectors.

 

[MD Dog]

I'm with ya Tony I've been doing my home work and have narrowed it down to the DFX or the Minelab SE so I'll be contacting you pretty soon with my decission.

 

[khouse]

I have owned the detectors you mention except for the DFX. Yes, if your talking TID then it's true that in perfect ground and machine set up correctly you can tell the difference in a silver quarter or clad. But my point is sometimes there's too much information for our brains to digest. But don't you dig a clad quarter just the same as a silver one? Do you set your machine up to just beep on the silver coins and not the clad? No. You probably dig ranges of coin TID's. Thats what the 250 does for you. Prizms too. In the end it is the digger that is the true discriminator. The "beep - dig" hunters will out produce anyone.
Do you consider a Tesoro Cibola a low end detector because it has no TID? The 250 has TID and tone ID. Just cover up the display and you have a great tone ID machine.
The Whites classic ID, IDX has 8 segments of TID. Does that make it a low end detector? Monte V. doesn't think so. I would not go up against Monte and his IDX even if I had a $4000 machine. If Whites were still making the IDX pro they would out sell anything Whites is producing now. Just my opionion.

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Ok I see by your lifetime coin count your really new so I'm guessing what your really having trouble with is pinpointing with the Ace 250. This machine is well known for its difficulty for beginners to pinpoint. The best method that I use is after you've found a good target, well hold on let me explain how you know you have a good target. If you think you have found a good target narrow your swing down until your directly on top of it and then let your detector come to rest on the ground directly over target. Now using your wrist cause the detector to wag or wiggle back and forth from one edge to the other as you slowly draw the detector backwards towards you. It should be making that distinctive bling sound and doing it in rapid succession like blin bling bling. As you draw the detector back as soon as this bling bling bling sound stops. Your target will be directly in front of coil at the specified depth give or take an inch or two. Let me know if this helps.

MD Dog, Finally found this thread again, so I can say thank you! That really helped alot this weekend. You saved me alot of time and muscle ache! Thanks so much you have been very helpfull.

 

[MD Dog]

Your welcome CG, glad to be of assistance. Now go find some silver'n gold.