Advice for Old ACE 250 user, new GTI 1500 user

[cgibson]

I used an ACE 250 for years that the wife now uses. I bought a GTI 1500 last year, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. We mostly just coin shoot at schools and parks. I used to go out with the ACE and grab handfulls of clad. The wife grabs tons of clad with it. With the 1500, it seems I just can't coinshoot near as well. We have a nasty habit of disriminating out everything but the dime and quarter settings on the ACE. It works very well, 90% of the time when it belltones, it is a dime, quarter, or copper penny (shows same as dime on 250). I do this same thing on the 1500 with everything from the penny to halve lit up and everything else notched out. The 250 is right on the money, but the 1500 is just very skittish. For example, today we went out and I found about 5 coins and 8 cans. The wife dug 22 coins and 3 cans. I just don't get it. I would think the 1500 would be better at this then the 250, but maybe I'm just spoiled with the ACE.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a noob with the GTI but I've spent hundreds of hours detecting, just with the ACE. What settings do you coinshooters use? Also, if I were to sell the 1500 and go back, what is the difference with the 350? I see the new AT Pro and it looks good as well. Does the AT coinshoot as well as the 250? I know the 1500 has the depth that the 250 doesn't, but keep in mind that most of our spots have items 2-3 inches deep and we really don't hit many older spots.

Final question. One thing really nice about the 1500 is that when we detect together, the 1500 and 250 don't interfere with each other at all. Once we used a 150 and 250 together and we had to stay WAY apart due to the interference. Would the 350 and/or the AT interfere with the 250?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[widebody]

[size=large]the 250 and 350 are differant freq. should be able to hunt together. i think the gti coil mask more than the eliptical 250 coil.jmo.
the 350 and the at pro are dd coils you can even get one for the 250 now. maybe the gti. cost less than a new machine. if you're looking for an excuse to get the at pro then i am mum. not a word. of course you lose the imaging if you go for the coils.

HH[/size]

 

[oldranger]

I use the Jewlery setting with coins as
the backup sens 6 or 6.5

Ive learned thanks to this forum to to go
SLOW with the GTI... and a jigggle while
pinpointing can get the imaging to size
correctly... Im still learing but i really
enjoy the GTI
THINK SPRING

Ron

Rangers Lead The Way

 

[metalhead]

The GTI 1500 is the best coin shooter out there. Give yourself time to learn your machine and you will be rewarded. Remember the size indicator will give the most accurate reading when the depth reading is showing it's shallowest reading and the signal idicator is all the way to the right(fully across), as well as strongest audio signal. I would definitely keep the GTI 1500 if I were you. I don't use one, but I do use it's big brother, the GTI 2500 which has the same features plus true All Metal Mode. Feel free to ask for advice at anytime. Best of luck to ya! Happy Hunting!

 

[fongu]

Has anybody with the gti-1500 or gti-2500 had their coil pick up their shovel from 2-3 feet away in all metal? I had reset the unit by holding down until it beeped and after noticing this I lowered the sensitivity to 6 and it still picked it up from almost 2 feet away. I didn't have time to try lowering my sensitivity at the time, but will give it a try Tuesday. If it's picking up something like a small shovel from 2-3 feet away, it seems you were chasing a false signal and missing targets right under your coil. I was using the 9.5 coil, with imaging. Think I will lower it to 3 or 4 or 4 or 5 and see what happens.

 

[coin hunter]

I don't think lowering the sensitivity is the way to go. Just move the shovel. If you are concerned about a shovel in a open field dig the shovel. A coin within 8 to 10 inches of the shovel will still be pick up by the units. Sensitivity should be set just under the point of were you start to get false signals from the general ground condition. If you cut your sensitivity down to a point were you don't pick up iron if that's possible you won't pick up anything else either. Discriminating iron at least on Garrett machines just eliminates the audio sound produce by the iron target. Detecting of iron or any other metal you discriminate out is still detected,just no audio. Lowering your sensitivity to much can lower the depth detection of a target.

 

[Uncle Willy]

The GTI 1500 is one of the best coinshooters out there but is very finnicky and you can't detect with it like you do with other detectors. First of all bump your sensitivity down to 6 or 6.5 and leave it there. Scan with the coil an inch off the ground and scan slow as the GTI has a lot of info to process and response and recovery is a little slow.. Centering the target correctly when pinpointing is absolutely crucial. Quarters will often read as cents unless you wiggle the coil around just right. It takes practice and getting used to as the GTI is ultra-sensitive and must be treated accordingly.

Bill.

 

[Uncle Willy]

One thing it will do that drives you nuts is pick up coins laying beneath the grass several inches away from where you are digging, yet signal as if they are in the hole.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

By all means watch the signal strength indicator when centering your target as it will put you right on the mark.

Bill