Roger. You will be surprised at how much you can help him (once he has got it). The first time I laid eyes on one, was when a work mate bought one. I was surprised at how easy it was to show him how to use it. The machine is VERY easy to understand. To you the sounds will sound a bit abrupt at first and it has no volume control.Just use head phones with a volume control, if you want it. I use sport headphones without volume control.
Another thing that you will notice different is the pinpoint. When you pinpoint with an Ace250, the entire inner coil is active and will sound off regardless of where under the inner part of the coil, a target will be. The 2 best methods of using the pinpoint mode are
1)Practicing with a coin on the ground, place the coil to the side of the target and press and hold the pinpoint button. While holding down the pinpoint button, slide the coil over the coin listening to the strength of the sound of the pinpoint; it will be at it's strongest when you have the coin in the centre. Once you have done this, slide the coil forward or back (it doesn't matter which way you go) and watch where the sound drops off. It will be just after the inner coil has passed over it. It's really important to make sure that you have centred the coil in the first part of the pinpoint, otherwise the target could be off to the side of where you have pinpointed. If you want to double check yourself, then it is a good idea that once you have pinpointed the target, just slide the toe of the inner coil over that last inch where the pinpoint dropped off, and just wiggle it from side to side as you lose the signal. this will ensure that you have correctly pinpointed the target. This works particularly well on shallow targets (top 2 or 3 inches). If a target is deeper than that, then due to the shape of the signal in the ground,then the target could be up to an inch closer to the middle of the coil (at full depth).Once your friend becomes proficient with his detector, tell him to listen to how shallow targets drop off the pinpoint. He will be able to work out what some things are by doing this. This is the most popular pinpoint method that ace users use.
2) The second pinpoint method is also fairly easy to master. and regardless of depth, is always spot on.
This time using the same coin, press and hold the pinpoint button: then scan over the coin listen to when you have centred the coil over the target, only this time hit the pinpoint button a second time (this is called detuning).You will notice how small the signal is now. You will also notice that you will have only a D shaped signal in the front half of the inner coil that is active. Also, if you look closely at the very middle of the coil, you will see a cut out. It is this cut out that you will be using to pinpoint with. Going back to how small the signal is (about the width of a coin) centre the coil on this signal (still holding in the pinpoint) and move the coil slowly forward: when the sound drops off, move the coil back very slowly. From the very moment you reacquire the sound, allow no more than an eighth of an inch of movement and stop. If you do this, then you will have a perfect pinpoint! the target will always be smack bang in the middle of that cut out.
One other thing to be aware of, is the sensitivity. While learning the machine, only use 4 bars of sensitivity. You will still get full depth, but without any falsing. If he wants to hunt around metal, drop the sensitivity down to 1 or 2 bars, as the Ace is an absolute killer at this sort of hunting. You want find a detector that can get in as close to metal as the Ace can.
I hope he enjoys his new toy, and with some one like yourself to help him, learning should be a whole lot easier.
Mick Evans.
It's been fun. Anyone wondering about their purchase of and Ace 250, be secure in one thing...It is a great machine!Even by comparisons.
My X5/550/1350/1500/2500/Infinium/Bounty Hunter are gathering dust.
