Ace 250 bouncing signal??? I'm a newbie.

[crubeo]

Hi everyone -

I just got my Garrett Ace 250 and I've noticed that often when I'm in the "coins" mode and I get a signal on a coin, the first indicator box (the one all the way to the left) lights up, too. It, sort of bounces back and forth. What does this mean? I don't have to sensitivity set too high, it's not bouncing around like crazy, just like consistently between, say, "10cents" and that first box.

Thanks for your advice -

Chris

 

[whadda]

it sounds like maybe there is some iron close to your target or something like that and your detector is trying to detect both objects,, I usualy try from as many different angles to see if the junk is less,, also try turning your sens down to low as it goes and try then turn it back up when you are finished,,hope this helps

 

[dahut]

Hi everyone -

I just got my Garrett Ace 250 and I've noticed that often when I'm in the "coins" mode and I get a signal on a coin, the first indicator box (the one all the way to the left) lights up, too. It, sort of bounces back and forth. What does this mean? I don't have to sensitivity set too high, it's not bouncing around like crazy, just like consistently between, say, "10cents" and that first box.

Thanks for your advice -

Chris

Like whadda says it is a sign there is some iron nearby. Iron presents a huge target to the detector even on relatively small pieces. As iron decomposes, it makes a large ionized "halo" in the ground around itself. This is highly conductive and the Ace responds to it. If t is big nough it will overload the discrimination settings and "bonk" you with a hit.

- You can try reducing your SENS to help. The factory setting is generally too high when there is trash or mineralization cluttering the coil field - which is generally everywhere you might take the little detector.

- You might also try accepting the last notch on the left and listen to the iron tones. That way you will know if you are succumbing to it's influence and wont have to guess. This will put you ahead of most people, who think their discrimination will reject it all the time.

Welcome to the world of the Ace.

 

[metalhead]

Welcome to the forum!This is a wonderful community and a great place to share info.Welcome to the hobby of metal detecting!Feel free to ask for advice at any time.That Ace 250 is a coin magnet!Happy Hunting!

P.S.
Remember, you can always use the seach tool of this forum to look for archives of info on the Ace.

 

[crubeo]

Ah, ok.

Another question: I'm searching parks that have LOTS of junk. Often I get signals bouncing all over the scale. Am I correct in assuming that this could mean either a TON of targets or too high a SENS?

Also, if I get a hit in, say, the "25cent" range does that mean there is definitely a quarter down there (it just may be surrounded by other crap?)

Sorry to ask such simple questions, but, like I said I'm a newbie...

Thanks!

Chris

 

[crubeo]

thanks!

 

[NM5K]

Too high a sens will cause falsing which has no rhyme or reason.. Won't repeat as
you repeat swings over the ground/target.
True bouncing targets will repeat as you pass over them, even if they bounce around
on the ID scale.
In general, bouncing ID's mean multiple conductivities. Can be two targets close together,
or can be a single target that has both higher and lower conductivities. Such as rusty
iron fer instance. Rusty iron will hit low on it's actual iron content, but will also hit high
on the rust, which is a higher conductivity than the iron. So it will bounce back and forth.
In general, coins will ID stable. They rarely bounce around unless something is next to
them.
So bouncing often means trash stuff like rusty iron, nails, bottle caps, etc.
But... It's never a sure thing. Some bouncers might be desirable as relics.
Stuff like old hot wheels cars, etc will often bounce around a bit, and hit hot
on the upper bounce. Ditto for relic type stuff made of iron, which is usually rusty.
A coin all by itself will usually ID the same every time. They are pretty stable.
Rust is very highly conductive, and a large rusty item will often bounce hot like a large
coin on the high bounces. You might think you have a big ole half dollar, etc, but
if it's bouncing down low too, probably not unless it's next to something else.
A real half dollar on it's own will bounce hot and stable with no dips to the low end.

 

[oldranger]

Im New here too.. Welcome Chris

read some of my old ??S ( oldranger) and youll
see that there really ARENT stuipd questions. Thse folks are
helpfull Use the knowledge here

Ron
RLTW

 

[dahut]

Ah, ok.

Another question: I'm searching parks that have LOTS of junk. Often I get signals bouncing all over the scale. Am I correct in assuming that this could mean either a TON of targets or too high a SENS?

Probably. The coil sees a broad field, and if there is more than one item beneath it, reacting to both is all it can do. Also, some trash scatters the signal, like chopped up soda cans ( "canslaw" ), although this is more subtle. Iron or several targets are what tends to make the TID bounce around.
You can reduce your sens a bit to help. In fact, that is a general remedy for all sorts of erratic behavior. You can bump it back up once you have the situation sorted out.

AS you may have guessed by now there are no absolutes. Will it 100% be a quarter? No, not 100%. The odds are in its favor being so if it is shallow and there are no conflicting items in the coils sphere. It could also be a silver ring, a piece of copper pipe, a sprinkler nozzle, a Hot Wheels car, a crushed soda can, to name just a few........

 

[Uncle Willy]

If you're running your sensitivity over four bars you are too high. Also keep your coil off the ground about an inch. Tape your cable straight up the shaft about a foot or use electrical ties. Once in awhile you will come across a junk target that has the same conductivity as a quarter and will read as such. On a questionable or iffy target do the "twitch" over it. Center your coil over the target then whip it side to side rapidly about two inches each way and if it's a good target it will register as such..

Bill

 

[crubeo]

Wow, Bill, thanks! I will try this right away. Seriously, thanks a lot. I'm just getting back into the hobby (my previous detector was made by radio shack and I got it in 1976!) My biggest problem is that I'm in Los Angeles - but thankfully my roots are in NY. I'll be there next week and I'll be searching the grounds of the town I grew up in. Actually, it's the OLD location of the town which was abandoned in 1900 to make way for a NYC reservoir. But the main area of the town is still on dry ground!

OK, call me an idiot, but when you say 4 bars on SENS are you including that little slit of a bar (on the left of the meter)?

Also, I'm guessing that the smartest way to search my local park is to put it in ALL METAL and dig everything paying close attention to how things register, etc?

Thanks again -

Chris

 

[slingshot]

For what it's worth-I was running my Ace in sens. #3 when I was testing mine against the Freedom III and it pretty well matched depths on everything. It's my favorite setting for general conditions and I have about the quietest Ace I've ever had with enough depth to boost. I WILL go to #4 when coins could be deep..

 

[Coinzappa]

Hi, first, I would make sure that I get a repeatable solid bell tone from left to right & from top to bottom. Second, put the mode in to all metal, if you get an iron signal, it's junk! Third, If you your Ace is signaling back and forth from iron to silver, check the surrounding ereas to see if that iron object is really there. And in closing, scoop up a 2 inche hole where you seem to have that good signal, then raise your coil at least 8 inches, if you still have a strong signal, it's iron or a coke can. Sometimes you get a good signal without digging, you raise your coil about 5 inches and can't hear anything, but one you disturb the ground if it is iron,you can raise the coil about a foot high and still get the signal ecause it is iron or a can. Hope you test these applications. When you do, you well be in tune with your Ace.

 

[NM5K]

The sensitivity readout is the curved arrowhead looking indicator right above
the sens control. Has 7 segments. All metal is a good way to find out how all
the various objects respond.

 

[NM5K]

I'd go farther than "4" if you don't want to miss all the depth the 250 is capable of.
Course, if it falses a lot, you would want to throttle back a bit unless you are used
to telling falses from real targets. I am myself, and can run hot nearly anywhere.
Falses don't bother me much. I can tell those from real targets. Which is easy
actually. Falses don't repeat in the same place over and over. Real targets do.
Once one is used to the machine, I recommend running as hot as you can for
the ground you are searching. Some grounds will let you crank it up. Some won't.
Let the ground tell you how high to set it. Don't just keep it glued at one spot
all the time.
But you will miss the deepest stuff if you keep it on "4" all the time. It does go
deeper if it's cranked. I've proven that to myself many times using both air and
actual ground tests.
IE: if you have a target that is at the depth limits and shows up with it set to 6 or 7,
many of those targets will not sound at all with it set to 4.

 

[crubeo]

Thanks everyone for all the advice!

 

[Uncle Willy]

Depends on the area. I hit coins at ten inches in bark chips with the sensitivity set at four. In the volcanic soil here if you run it hot it will drive you nuts.

Bill