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Neil33

New member
Hello everyone!

I just thought I'd take a minute to say hi and introduce myself here. I'm a newbie to MD, took some time researching a good entry-level unit and am now waiting on an Ace 250 to make it's way to me.
I'm in Va Beach and will probably be doing some dry sand searching, tot lots and parks kind-of stuff. I figure if this turns out to be more than a casual hobby I can upgrade to a nicer unit, but the 250 seems to get alot of praise for beginners, as well as having some room to grow into.

Seems like a good group here from what I've read. Any tips for someone starting out, besides dig everything? :D

Neil
 
Start in coins mode to get a feel of the machine-w/sensitivity set at 3. I know that sounds low to most readers, but I was still finding coins at 5". Next, hunt a while in the jewelry mode to get a feel for the trash that's bound to come your way. If you find a tot lot-playground with bark chips or sand or gravel- try in either all metal or relic mode-the reason being that all you have to do is shove the sand,etc. w/your foot when you get a signal and you won't have to dig these iron and trash signals. Use motion pinpointing techniques to get an approximate spot of the target, then raise the coil and use your pinpointing button to finesse the spot. Then you can put the sensitivity where you want it-as well decided which mode you like best. Best of luck.:thumbup:
 
Welcome to the forum. Move slowly,listen to the different sounds and dig everything till you have a good feel for the detector. And most of all HAVE FUN.:detecting:
 
G'day Neil and welcome to the forum.
When you first get your detector, it's always a good idea to play around with it at home first, just to get an idea of how different targets respond. Use coins, pull tabs, screw caps and coke cans, just to see how the detector responds to these targets.
Pinpoint off the 12 o'clock position of the inner coil and listen closely to how long it takes for a target to break off it's signal, when you slide to coil towards yourself when pinpointing. This will give you a very good idea as to what a target is before you dig it. You will need to have at least 4inches of separation to make this work though.
Although the Ace may be seen as an entry level unit, it actually holds it's own against most detectors for identifying targets, once you have spent time with it. It is actually one of the best on the market for it's discrimination ability. have owned some top line detectors and the Ace's good to bad target ratio is equal to them or better. Even after a couple of hundred hours of use, you will still find that you are learning new things with it. It's easy to learn, but it offers you a lot more than you would expect if you are willing to listen to it and experiment with it. If you get a bit frustrated with it, that is quite normal and will pass with experience.
Enjoy the new hobby. It can get horribly addictive if you let it. It is a very relaxing hobby that you can actually get some fitness out of without realising it.
Mick Evans.
 
Good choice that ace 250. Let us know how you do.
 
You picked the right machine and you may never grow out of it. I've been doing this for 44 years and although I have a slew of machines the 250 is my favorite. Just check the archives on this forum and you'll find enough info to keep you occupied for a month. One tip - run in coins mode and set the sensitivity at four bars. Good luck.

Bill
 
Welcome aboard Neil. I also hunt Virginia Beach with a 250 and it does a great job on the dry sand; it will work in the wet sand but i recommend starting out in the dry sand in all metal mode and dig everything until you can identify your targets by the sound the 250 makes. The dry sand is very easy digging and in a short time you won't even dig any iron targets because most of the time it will be a piece of rusted junk. Expect alot of pull tabs, foil and burried beer cans.. On the good side there is alot of coins and jewerly on the beach so good luck.

David
 
Welcome also from the other side of the country.
Advice from my learning curve is this.
Keep the shaft length of your 250 short enough so you are not fighting the weight of the coil. Even though the 250 is much lighter than some other models there still will be stress on your elbow.
Trade off arms during your hunt. A beach is a great place to learn how to swing a coil from both sides so don't limit yourself to being just a lefty or a righty.
Buy a sand scoop. A expensive, long handle scoop may be in your future plans but for now get one that looks like a milk pitcher that ended up on the wrong end of a shooting gallery.
Buy and use headphones. Battery life will be extended, wind noise will lessen and you can pretend not to be able to hear the constant "Hey mister, find anything??"
As mentioned above, dig yourself a test garden at home and learn how the machine responds to different metals. There will soon come a time when you have a good idea of what is underneath your coil by sound alone..
Check out the U=Tube videos of 250 hunts also.
Good luck
 
Wow, lots of good replies! Thanks guys!

I have headphones coming with it, and also a sand scoop should be arriving any day. Also a bigger coil is included, 6"x9" Proformance model I think? Or maybe 9x12. Would it be better to just stick with the stock coil while I'm learning it, or would it be better just to use the bigger coil right off the bat? Besides better depth and greater scanning area on each swing I'm not sure what other advantages the bigger one has. I did see where it's supposed to be waterproof. How is the 250 in knee-high saltwater, any good at all or will the salt mess up the readings and be more frustrating?

Bill--44 years?!! I bet you have a nice collection!

Hi David- I see there's quite a few people from Hampton Roads and VA around.

Thanks for the pinpointing tips, Mick! I did watch one YouTube vid showing how to do it and it was very helpful.

I've spent alot of time reading the forums on here and TN, any other good MD sites I should know?

Well, I guess that's about it for now...I'm sure I'll probably have more questions later though!..

Thanks again everyone for taking time out to help a newbie!

Neil
 
Stick with the stock coik until you have become familiar with your machine and how it works. You'll find enough goodies.

Bill
 
I tried my 250 in the surf and it just doesn't work. You get to many false signals. It will work in the wet sand if you lower the sensitivity down to about 3 bars to get rid of the false signals.I would stick with the dry sand to start with because that is where i find most of my stuff at.

David
 
Ok, thanks for the tips everyone! It came today, and I ran home during lunch to get it. I watched the DVD that came with it, did a quick bench test, then tossed it in my car--going to try to hit a tot lot or park after work.

I'll post if I find anything worthy!!

Neil
 
On the beach I would use the large coil. It will cover more ground and it's easier to dig in thte sand while getting the pinpointing right.
 
Good luck Neil , i'm pretty sure it's gonna be the most addictive pastime you'll ever have , Once you get to know your machine and start the learning curve to perfection you'll see it just keeps getting better and better...HH...UK and the USA forever :ukflag::usaflag:
 
Haha, I think I'm already hooked! :biggrin: Hit the beach for a while today, found a penny and a bunch of pulltabs and trash but had a blast. I didn't realize MD is such a crowd-drawer! I used the 9x12 and it seemed to work well. Sensitivity I kept at 4 or 5. I had better success in the dry sand rather than the waterline, but I think that was just the area I was at. I think I'll hit some parks tomorrow.
 
Yeah one must remember the surf is saltwater and salt is a mineral which plays hell with detectors not equipped with automatic or manual ground balancing.

Bill
 
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