Time to upgrade?

[Clad the Impaler]

Ok, so after YET ANOTHER subpar day detecting, I got to thinking. All I ever find is clad. No silver (with the exception of the merc I found with TF yesterday). No jewelry. Nothing but junk and modern era clad coins. I got to thinking, would my luck be any different if I were to upgrade to a high(er) end detector, such as a DFX, Explorer, or E-trac? Would the high purchase price of such a detector be worth it? I know there are still accessories I need for my Ace, such as better/more comfortable headphones, a probe, a coil cover, a sand scoop for beach hunting (beach hunting w/ no probe and just a Lesche to dig with is a b*tch), etc. It will be quite some time before I am able to afford a high(er) end detector (and the accessories to go with it), and I'm not sure it would be a good idea to make such an expensive purchase, especially because I may be laid off later this year (the airline that I work for is closing a major maintenance base, some smaller stations, and will be scaling back operations in a few cities, and we have been forewarned to expect layoffs). In addition to these things, I have read and been told repeatedly by many people that the high(er) end detectors ARE NOT for beginning or intermediate detectorists. I have only been detecting since last August, and this week is actually the first I have been out since late Oct/early Nov. The reason I ask this, is all the detectorists that regularly pull the "good stuff" (indians, buffalos, wheaties, mercs, barbers, standing liberties, walkers, jewelry, etc.) seem to have high(er) end detectors. I just haven't seen (or heard of) very many videos of guys with the Ace pulling goodies; OTOH, the guys w/ the E-tracs seem to pull indians, barbers, mercs, and silver Roosies out of their a**...anyways...so I guess what I'm asking is, should someone in my situation "take the plunge" and upgrade to a high(er) end detector? this would be a SIGNIFICANT purchase for me, and will take quite a while to save up the $$ for it...or should I stick it out with what I've got, and just hope that things will get better...I'm just tired of guys pulling oldies from spots that I hunted and found only clad or trash...

 

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[p2c]

Paul,
My suggestion is to stick with the ace for a year. Although you will be missing some things, its also as much to do with location, experience, etc... If at the end of the year you still have the bug, then I'd make the plunge to get a more expensive detector. I am sure that hitting the right spots will yield you at least 10 silver this year. I think learning where to hunt is as much as what you are hunting with.
That being said, if you want to pull old silver from old parks that have been hunted to death, you'll need something like an Etrac. But I'd say you don't need to make that plunge right away. Have fun with it this year. Then next year, if you get a better detector, you'll already be experienced to enjoy it.

--Jon

 

[dirtyJohn]

There are alot of great mid-range detectors out there that will serve you well. No need to purchase a top of the line detector to get the job done. Decide on your price range and research reviews on machines in that range. The ace seems to be popular for an entry level machine but your going to want something that you can ground balance with a true "all metal" mode and maybe multiple tones options. I don't want to reccomend anything specific as to avoid that can of worms. You can get great deals on ebay. Good Luck
HH
John

 

[Clad the Impaler]

Jon- you may be right about the location thing. Until recently, I had difficulty in locating older, unsearched sites. The lakefront (grass and beaches) and parks (at least here on the North side) have been pounded for years. On one of my first outings, I bumped into a guy w/ an older model Bounty Hunter. He said he knows of at least 2 or 3 other detectorists who regularly search/sweep all of the parks in my area. I don't know what kind of detectors they use, but do know that they are waay more experienced than I am. I need to go on more outings w/ you md veterans here...then I can visit old sites and start pulling good stuff. City parks are great for clad, but are also loaded with trash, and (IMO) your chances of finding old or silver coins, jewelry, and/or relics are slim....I was told by the same guy (w/ the BH) that most of the parks on Chicago's North side are fairly new, with most dating back only to the '40s or '50s....

 

[treasurefiend]

The Ace is a great machine and can find silver and old coins. The problem is that in Chicago and surrounding suburbs is that there are tons of other metal detectorists. Last year I went to a meeting at the "big" MD'ng club and there had to be atleast 50+ detectorist present. I have also ran into lots of other folks that weren't in any club and I have also ran into people that has traveled to the area from out of state with hopes of finding old coins.

Also all of the parks and forest preserves have been pounded for years and years. You just have to get creative with your hunting. Like that merc you got. It gave a bouncing signal from dime to iron, I said its either a dime next to some iron or its just an old nail. Well I would bet money that that signal was bypassed atleast 100+ times by other hunters not wanting to waist their time on digging junk. I would say that a good 75% of my silver finds are made from digging "bouncy signals", and if anybody says that they just go out and hit a silver mine everytime with perfect signals either found a true virgin spot or are just flat out lying.

Also inline with hunting creatively, remember where I found the Buffalo Nickel, and the silver pendant, and you found your 40's nickel, most people will avoid hunting places like that and will almost always go for the easily accessible spots unknowing that they have been pounded to death since the 70's.

With your Ace keep your coil on the ground (actuially brush the ground with the coil every swing you make), when you get a bouncy target "twitch" the coil like I showed you (the short fast swings), and if you can't get a solid reading still try stomping on the target. If you get a 1/2 dollar or 1 dollar signal - lift the coil up like a foot and swing and if you still get the signal then is probably an old can. These tips have helped me out a lot while using my Ace.

 

[twistidd]

lol, what did I tell you, Kermit? Remember on the phone the other day? lol!

Joe

 

[marinedad]

treasureguy and i detected 2 weeks ago, he has a 250, i have a mxt, he found the only silver during our hunt, 2 mercs. right place at the right time.

 

[Lowbatts]

The Ace 250, thought very little of it when introduced, saw several people who cussed it and went back to older technology, then I met Kermit and Joe. They used the machine not only to their advantage, they pushed it to it's limits. Yeah they've upgraded but they could still put a whooping on a lot of us old timers with that thing.

It bears repeating, I've out-hunted people with much better gear and been out-hunted by people with "inferior" gear. More the latter than the former.....

Honestly though we have several members here who are not only new to detecting, but using the high end machines and doing well. If you told me to upgrade to say an ETrac or a F75, T2 or Spectra I might just have trouble, being an old dog stuck in old boneyards.

But these detectors are made for tech-savvy people who can use modern remote controllers on their entertainment systems. Whereas myself, a good day detecting can mean I get to buy an RC cola and a moon pie with the change I just dug.

There's a competitive angle and a complacency factor for everything, md'ing included.

Lowbatts
Cantu VII

 

[makton]

Paul,
I am on my second machine in two years and also have been contemplating another upgrade.

I have a mid range detector now with the Xterra 70 and I know it's a pretty good machine, I just haven't had a ton of luck with it yet. I think it has more to do with still learning what the machine is telling me and my hunting spots.

My main goal this year is to knock on doors and focus on areas that will have coins and have not been pounded. Everyone goes to the public places but only a few go to private property.

Makton

 

[Dirt fishing Wolf]

Paul, ditto to what the others are saying. I have a DFX and most of the time I get DFS ( didn't find $hi.!)

 

[twistidd]

Paul,
I am on my second machine in two years and also have been contemplating another upgrade.

I have a mid range detector now with the Xterra 70 and I know it's a pretty good machine, I just haven't had a ton of luck with it yet. I think it has more to do with still learning what the machine is telling me and my hunting spots.

My main goal this year is to knock on doors and focus on areas that will have coins and have not been pounded. Everyone goes to the public places but only a few go to private property.

Makton

Todd, it's OK, next time we get together I'll reunite you with an M6...lol! JK buddy.

Paul, don't get frustrated because you don't have a top-of-the-line-machine. The Ace is a great machine. Mine is always in my trunk. Of course, since I've upgraded I haven't really used it, but it just goes to show how much I appreciate its ruggedness and durability...I wouldn't sell mine.

However, I will tell you that the ACE 250 does have its limitations. You probably won't be able to keep up with the big guns in old trashy parks where the old stuff is deep. Your best bet would be the woods, or as Todd mentioned, private property. With the Ace, it's not that it doesn't go deep. It's just that it doesn't have the best separation, and the bell tones do limit the ability to discern what is what when the ground is trashy. Hunting with the Ace is a ton of fun, but one thing I couldn't stand after a couple hours are the monotonous and repetitive bell tones. DING DING DING DING EGH EGH DING DING EGH EGH EGH DING DING EGH EGH EGH EGH DING EGH DING DING DING. You know what I'm saying? A lot of those dings are good signals, but when all you hear are the ding ding dings then it's hard to tell what to dig and what is probably a pulltab next to a bottle cap next to iron next to a gold ring. The Garrett is super hot on surface targets and rocks the socks off of tot lots. I also like my Ace 250 better than my Minelab for the dry sand because it's lighter and I find less junk with it (Minelab rules the water though!).

Having said all that, at some point you will probably graduate up to something else. Most people opt for the Etrac, some still prefer the SE, both are top of the line. Or you may decide you like White's or Fishers or even a Tesoro. In the meantime, try to have fun and learn all you can about all aspects of the hobby. Hunting with the Ace for the nearly three years I did it exclusively taught me a lot about prime areas to hunt. I learned the difference between hunting dry ground and low, saturated ground, and the pros and cons of each. I learned about soil conditions, mineralization, electrical interference, discrimination, and most importantly how to enjoy my time outdoors while finding coins. Then, when you get a bigger badder machine, a lot of those basic skills will already have been learned so that you can focus on learning your Greek detector.

A lot of us here are current or former Ace users, please don't hesitate to ask any questions. Just remember to have fun and appreciate anything you find.

Joe

 

[TreasureGuy25]

treasureguy and i detected 2 weeks ago, he has a 250, i have a mxt, he found the only silver during our hunt, 2 mercs. right place at the right time.

It was a great hunt, pulling my first silver ever! The two mercs were both over 6 inches deep. I say stick with the Ace 250 for now, it is a great machine. I have the 9x12 PROformance coil which gets a little bit more depth and definitely covers more ground. Also, I just got the Garrett Pro Pointer. This thing is awesome, very durable and will definitely double the amount of targets you dig within a hunt, saves a ton of time. I'm still learning a lot with this machine. For instance, in the pinpoint mode, if you listen carefully, you can tell by the signal strength if what you are about to dig is a dime or a bottle top. No doubt the higher end machines discriminate better and are more precise, but become a pro with the Ace before you upgrade. Keep on diggin'!

 

[Clad the Impaler]

Thanks for the advice and comments everyone!! I guess after not finding much @ the beach on Wed., I was a little discouraged. I know I haven't been out a whole lot, and have limited experience with hunting, as well as site selection. VERY true about the public sites being hunted often, to the point where it's almost not worth it to hunt there...I just need to stick with it...What I would like to do now is to get some assistance locating "virgin" sites. I know this is difficult, as most of us live in a very populated area w/ TONS of other detectorists. I'm sure many of you have had the pleasure of going to a site that has never been detected before; I'm just hoping that, in our area at least, these types of sites aren't few and far between...

 

[desertfox]

Hang in there, it's not the 250, it's the places your hunting. That 250 is just as good as a $1,500 high end detector. If the old coins aren't there you can't find them. Learn the in's and outs of your machine and it will pay off big time. The best advice I could give you is, Enjoy the hobby because that's what this is it's a hobby.
Happy Hunting and best of luck to you.

Desertfox

 

[p2c]

That 250 is just as good as a $1,500 high end detector.

That's a little bit of hyperbole there... I went from a fisher f-70, a mid-range detector, to an E-trac. There is no comparison, the E-trac is much better hands down. I had put tons of hours on my f-70 and knew it well. After 3 hunts, I was getting more from my E-trac than with the f-70 which I was well experienced with.

The point is that the Ace 250 is a good detector, and that in most situations, it will do great. The point is that Paul should not have to feel the urge right away to upgrade and give it time and have fun. The point is not that the Ace is just as good as any detector out there.

 

[treasurefiend]

That 250 is just as good as a $1,500 high end detector.

That's a little bit of hyperbole there... I went from a fisher f-70, a mid-range detector, to an E-trac. There is no comparison, the E-trac is much better hands down. I had put tons of hours on my f-70 and knew it well. After 3 hunts, I was getting more from my E-trac than with the f-70 which I was well experienced with.

Sounds like you needed to take more time to learn your other machine if it took you buying an etrac to get your 1st silver quarter ever.

 

[p2c]

That 250 is just as good as a $1,500 high end detector.

That's a little bit of hyperbole there... I went from a fisher f-70, a mid-range detector, to an E-trac. There is no comparison, the E-trac is much better hands down. I had put tons of hours on my f-70 and knew it well. After 3 hunts, I was getting more from my E-trac than with the f-70 which I was well experienced with.

Sounds like you needed to take more time to learn your other machine if it took you buying an etrac to get your 1st silver quarter ever.

Yeah, but I unearthed 400+ clad quarters with the thing, some of them were 6-7 inches deep.

Plus 1775 2 Reale -- that's the equivalent of a Quarter

 

[treasurefiend]

That 250 is just as good as a $1,500 high end detector.

That's a little bit of hyperbole there... I went from a fisher f-70, a mid-range detector, to an E-trac. There is no comparison, the E-trac is much better hands down. I had put tons of hours on my f-70 and knew it well. After 3 hunts, I was getting more from my E-trac than with the f-70 which I was well experienced with.

Sounds like you needed to take more time to learn your other machine if it took you buying an etrac to get your 1st silver quarter ever.

Yeah, but I unearthed 400+ clad quarters with the thing, some of them were 6-7 inches deep.

Plus 1775 2 Reale -- that's the equivalent of a Quarter

Doesn't sound like it was the machine then, rather the sites you hunted (lack of silver quarters). Regardless of the machine, you can't find what's not there.

 

[p2c]

That 250 is just as good as a $1,500 high end detector.

That's a little bit of hyperbole there... I went from a fisher f-70, a mid-range detector, to an E-trac. There is no comparison, the E-trac is much better hands down. I had put tons of hours on my f-70 and knew it well. After 3 hunts, I was getting more from my E-trac than with the f-70 which I was well experienced with.

Sounds like you needed to take more time to learn your other machine if it took you buying an etrac to get your 1st silver quarter ever.

Yeah, but I unearthed 400+ clad quarters with the thing, some of them were 6-7 inches deep.

Plus 1775 2 Reale -- that's the equivalent of a Quarter

Doesn't sound like it was the machine then, rather the sites you hunted (lack of silver quarters). Regardless of the machine, you can't find what's not there.

This is true, but also I had hunted a Chicago park several times and could pull nothing but clad with the f-70. Hit the same park in the same place with my Etrac on the third hunt ever with it and pulled a 1900 Barber dime. I know that I would have never dug it with the F-70.

 

[Lookn4Seated]

Just remember that this is a HOBBY, and your not going to get rich by doing this.

No matter what machine you use...HAVE FUN....because that's what it's all about. Some of us can afford to purchase the higher end machines, so we do(or in my instance, get lucky). Like some people can afford to buy Mercedes or Lexus, while some of us are driving Pintos and POS cars.

Stick with your Ace for now, and hit every tot lot you can with that thing. Your clad will add up quick, and your odds of finding gold or silver jewelry are that much higher. Cash in, THEN upgrade. With the situation that you are in now, as you said, don't spend the money on it, then have to worry about $.

You will do just fine. Just have a positive attitude, and don't give up! God Luck and HH!