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Newbie Tips for Ace 250 User Please :-)

F

folsomdigger

New member
Hi all,

I just got an Ace 250 and love what it is and what it can do....However, I am in desperate need of some basic tips. I realize there is a learning curve, but asking for any basic tips to get me started. I have about 3 hours under my belt after practicing in the back yard and a small test garden. I am struggling because I keep getting readings that I don't understand. A good and frequent example is that I will get a $1 reading when swinging slow and then it will go away. It happens with a 50cent reading too. I am digging all things and not getting much. I have one earring and 4 pennies so far...

Any thoughts, tips, suggestions are appreciated! Thank you all.
 
Go into the archives on this forum. It is loaded with hundreds of tips. To begin with if you're running your sensitivity high turn it down to four bars and leave it there. Stay out of all metal and hunt in coins mode until you learn more about your detector. Scan slow with the coil about an inch off the ground. Practice detecting in bark chip playgrounds until you get some more time under your belt. Keep us posted on your progress.

Bill
 
1) Keep sensitivity at 3-4 bars
2) Get a sniper coil
3) Raise coil whenever checking doubtful signals and pay attention to the ID
4) Get a sniper coil
5) The relics mode is best for gold.
6) Get a sniper coil
7) Overlap the coil a little more than you think-the size of the coil and it's solid color gives the illusion that you have plenty of sweep path
:geek: Get a sniper coil
9) Objects that bounce all over the face is probably trash or a large iron object
10)Get a sniper coil
11)A lot of times a noisy bongety-bonk sound will be more than one target or something like a key that is near the coin alert.
12) Get a sniper coil
 
I will try and help you out. Since you have 3 hours under your belt you understand the basic principles. In my opinion the ace 250 likes a good swing. Not to fast, not to slow. Somewhere in the middle. Maybe a little over a second from left to right. That is my swing speed. Some say it is fast, but I find most of my 6 inch coins with that speed. As far as learning what tones I always tell folks to Put the detector on a wood table and run coins in front of the coil. Listen to the tone that it makes for Quarter, dime and penny. Learn that sound. That is your good target sound. Now take a gold and silver ring...Run in front of the coil and listen to those sounds an see where they read on the meter. Most gold on my detector rang up in the trash and pulltab range. I would recommend leaving it in All metal and hunting for awhile. Get used to all the tones...Even dig some of the low end iron signals. See what comes out. You will know when you have a coin under the coil. You will get a good repeatable signal out of it. That is when you swing over the target and get the same ding ding tone...Lead on my machine shows up in the penny range on my machine. I dig lots of civil war 3 ringers. ALSO when you get a good repeatable tone watch your depth meter. I like the deep coin signals. I have pulled some nice silver coins from around the 6 inch range with my 250. Most of my finds are around 5 inches or so. It takes time to learn the machine, but once you do. It is a coin monster...Hope I helped. Pm me if you need anything. zaxfire69
 
I live in Northern California where there is heavy mineralzation. So I usually run sens no higher than 6bars, will do 5bars in trash areas. The stock coil is perfect for me. Just give it two months or so, and be very tolerant. Have patience. I usually try and dig more constant signals not ones that are one, then their the other. By that I mean they are real jumpy. If it goes from dime to quarter thats okay. Or penny to dime. Not penny half, nickel penny. Get it? I hunt in jewelry most of the time 6bars, maybe 5 in heavy trash. Dont sweep too slow or too fast. Always dig nickel, and pulltabs, always! Machine in my use is good for 8 inches on dimes, pennys etc. Beyond that, it might say iron, but thats because it is soo deep. It might say 2 or 4inches + sometimes, and you will have to end up digging further than that, to reach it. Like it might be 7 inches. Why didnt it just say 6+? Thats just the way the machine is. You might dig a couple more time to reach it, dont give up. If your going to get a accesory get a pinpointer. Period. Dont bother with other coils until you get a pinpointer. Take care, I have made great finds with my Ace. You will too. H H

Nick
 
Hi all, thank you for the tips!

The tips on the swing, the sensitivity, and getting used to the signal sounds is really helpful! Also, the tips on raising the coil and when things are bouncing all spectrums = usually trash is great advice!

Any and all other tips are welcome. And a BIG thank you to everyone! Great board!

-Folsom
 
There isnt much here in Daytona Beach Florida to be searched inland that is allowed. Most searching goes on on the beach. However I always keep the machine in all metal mode. that way it doesnt discriminate anything out. Like the guys said above get used to the different tones the machine gives off for different things. Higher pitched reverberating tones that sound each and everytime you swing over the spot are a VERY good sign of either coins gold or silver. However could be tab tops and bottle caps too, you have to dig it all. Quarters (clad) seem to give an unmistakeable ring tone, loud and proud I call it, after a while you'll just know it when you hear it. When you turn the machine on it automatically sets itself to the optimum sensitivity for ground that is not highly mineralized and full of trash. I always START there and then as I figure out the area decrease the sensitivity as necessary. Not to disagree with the other guys, as they may have highly mineralized soil, but starting at 3 or 4 bars you could be missing some items. I only set my machine to 3-4 bars in the salt wet sand here in Daytona. In the dry sand I normally have the sensitivity as high as it can go and I do very well. However sand and dirt are different just as each and every place that you hunt will be a little different. You will little by little come to realize how to set the machine for each area within just a few minutes of detecting. To say that you should have your sensitivity set at 3-4 bars EVERYPLACE that you go, ehhh I don't think so. You WILL miss stuff that way. I have only been detecting for a few months but I have detected in the dirt and I, luckily, never had to turn down the sensitivity from the way it automatically set it self when first turned on, I was however in a super clean area. Nothing but a few bullet casings for acres. Then again I cannot detect my yard at all, even with the sensitivity turned all the way down. I'd be better just getting a backhoe and a big swing sifter hahahahahaha. As i said everyplace is different. I THOUGHT it opnly took me a few days to know this machine but guess what I am learning more and more everyday. The Ace 250 is a great machine. I just found a penny in 8" of wet salt water sand today. I didn't think that was even possible. Not 8" anyway. 5-6" sure not 8". Everyday you will learn more. Be patient it will come to you.
 
I appreciate these 'newbie' tips as I prepare for my first season of MDing.

I've noticed the one 'tip' that differs from user to user is mode.

Some suggest All Metal ...while others say the newbie should start in Coins to get to know the machine.

Just when I had decided to start with Coins mode....someone else says All Metal......????
 
This is my first year of MDing and I plan to start out in all metal mode. I don't want to miss anything. Even if it is junk metal 9 of 10 times, that one time might be something cool!
 
Put it to you this way. I took an old Whites to the beach today. I followed the instructions in the owners manual. It said to keep discrimination at " RING ". Doing so discriminates against iron and such. I buried some gold. A nice heavy chain and a ring in the same hole. With the discrimination set on "ring" it couldn't find the gold at 3". Turn the discrimination all the way down and it finds the gold at 7". If you search in "coin" mode there WILL be things that you miss. Guaranteed. While you will probably dig up alot of junk you could possibly miss something good in that iron if you do discriminate. Basically if you are on dry ground and you get a constant signal everytime you pass over a spot, just dig it up. If you only get a signal every other time you pass over a spot its either deep, a coin on its side , or its junk. There is no way to know for sure with an Ace 250. Thats when you have to make up your own mind to dig or not to dig. If you live in an area where there may have been historic civil war or maybe even revolutionary war battles you do NOT want to discriminate anything out. Only you know the history of your area and if you don't then I advise learning as much about the history of the town in which you live as it will help you to decide where to search and possibly what to discriminate against.
 
The reason "coin mode" is recommended is because Newbies are anxious to find something of value with their new toy and if you hunt in all metal you will dig up every bottlecap and hunk of junk ever lost or buried and become frustrated and aggravated real fast and your detector will wind up in the closet - especially when you watch these forums and see all the goodies everybody else is finding and you ain't finding squat. Just human nature. Those of us who have been at this for a spell ( 45 years for me ) know the drill all too well. We've been there and done that a long time ago. There's nothing more discouraging than digging worthless junk all day. Just my personal opinion and one can do as they wish.

Bill
 
Are you from the Folsom area in California?
 
Thanks for the continuing info. I am trying to hunt in all metal for now. Don't want to miss anything.

Hi Jimmy, yes, the infamous Folsom....you nearby?
 
No, i just moved from Roseville CA. to Virginia, but i lived in Roseville for13 years. Anyways, just a little hint! about 18 years ago a man using a fisher gold bug worked the old swimming areas of Folsom lake, and in one week found more then 2200 silver coins by moving the top 1 foot of sand with a hoe then detecting. I believe the story was in the east/west treasure mag. about 18 years back. I never hunted the lake, i was more in to gold prospecting. I have found gold nuggets in the small streams where Wal-mart is now in Folsom, in the summer, when the streams are dry, but watch out for rattle snakes. a great all around detector for the area, is the Garrett gold scorpion to handle the soil conditions, you will find the same things you would find with the ACE 250, but also be able to hunt more areas,and find coins and gold! I miss Cal. moved 7 months ago. Good luck!!!:cry:
 
As a sophmore :detecting: who
loves his ACE250 I cna only add

PATIANCE lots of PATIANCE

Have Safe Happy Fun Hunts

Think Spring ( 18 days)

Ron
Rangers Lead The Way
 
The reason I recommended the Relics mode is because you can avoid the oft numerous paper clips, hairpins, and small nails in a tot lot scenario and STILL hear the "boop" or iron signal on a tiny gold earring or pin. I've done it several times. It's so close that sometimes I still get a large nail every once and a while.
 
Everyone, thank you for some great tips! I just need the rain to stop, and I will get back out there, I really appreciate the advice...

Hope to show off the cache of gold coins that I plan to find, and if that does not work, at least a penny :)

Cheers,

Folsom
 
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