ACE250...first detecting ever...pics/FINDS for the day...

[grogmug]

I've ready through SEVERAL topics on here on the ace250, and finally decided to just keep it on ALL METAL mode with the sensitivity all the way up when detecting. I went out for my first time today, and found NOTHING but JUNK all day long. I never switched it to any other mode, but ALL metal...is there a way to eliminate trash? Can you pick up sounds you normally can't hear with headphones? I went to a school built in 1916, and found a few coins around the baseball field, but mostly newer. Went to the playground and found several quarters, clad, but nothing old or worth mentioning. I did go by an old civil war campground and found an odd looking piece, which is in the picture I have attached. But can someone PLEASE give me tips on how to use my ACE250 on eliminating trash and what sensitivity levels and sounds I should be listening for in order to find things?! ANY HELP would be GREATLY appreciated.
Here is the OLD looking metal piece I came across in the field.

 

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[Monty]

First off, you need to read your manual and you will probably answer most of your questions yourself. If you don't have a manual, you can get one by going directly to the Garrett homepage. It's easy to find, just google Garrett metal detectors and it will come up.
I can't possibly tell you every trick or mens of running your detector here on this forum, but I can get you started. Turn your sensitivity down to about 4 or 5 notches. Look on the left hand side of your LCD readout and you will see several preset programs, all metal, none,jewelry, coins, custom, etc. For playgrounds, school yards, etc, you should probably operate on the preset program either jewelry or coins. This will eliminate most iron based targets and let you concentrate on coins and jewelry that are the most likely targets you will find there.
For detecting on battle grounds, camps, or anywhere you are apt to find relics, you should be operating on no descrimination (none) or all metal. So, select one or the other on your preset programs on the left side of your LCD readout. I suggest none instead of all metal. Any time you go with all metal you are going to get so many hits it will cause you to have to dig a ton of junk, plus the all metal setting works best for very deep targets. You first want to hit the shallow targets and then go back for the deep ones. Many of the items you will find in these locations will have some iron based targets and you want to find them.
That should get you started but the key is to practice, practice and practice some more until you get to know your detector! Some will advise you to just go in all metal and dig everything, but you are likely to hit so many targets it will overwhelm you as you probably have already found out.
Check under the Garrett users thread on this forum and you will find much more helpful information. Check out my post on how to pinpoint.
Good luck and get that manual! Monty

 

[grogmug]

Yes that does help VERY much..! But how do I eliminate things, that is one thing I can not figure out how to do on my ACE250. Is there a start-up screen I can go to in order to do this? I also found the piece that I dug on this hill is from a civil war horse bit I believe, maybe worth something who knows?
thanks again, hopefully I'll be able to figure this thing out soon.

 

[gregl01]

Hey grogmug, Monte gave some great advice. I will add that to eliminate something you can either switch modes or use the elim button. Watch the icons when you switch modes, you'll see some of the black icons disappear. That means it has been eliminated from giving an audio signal. If you watch when searching the upper row of icons are still actively moving around but you're not hearing the audio on eliminated items. I hunt mostly in coins or jewelry like Monte said, this will eliminate most trashy items but not all. No detector can effectively discriminate all unwanted items but the ACE is a pretty good machine. Being your first detector, take time to learn what it is telling you. After some time you will become one with the machine!!!!!
Good luck
HH
Greg

 

[grogmug]

thanks again for the advice. Do you think I should go back to this field where I found these metal pieces, they were found all within 45 minutes. I don't think the field has been hit and you would think if there is a 140 year old horse bit piece from civil war times there will be other stuff? Someone PLEASE give me some advice on detecting this kind of stuff. I'm going back tomorrow!!!
thanks
Justin

 

[reallygruvin]

Justin, I'm new to this too. An older friend of mine who has been hunting for years gave me some good advice. I found a bunch of iron stuff and one spent 3 ringer in a field near an old camp. He said that untill you find some drop rounds that have not been shot, you wont really know if it is Civil War or not. Civilians used 3 ringers too to kill hogs, deer etc. Many farm related iron objects lie in the ground too. I never really thought about it but a soldier would cull out his rounds to lighten his load if there was no action to be expected soon. A farmer would never throw down lead. It was waistfull. So in a nutshell that's how you know it's civil war loot. Unless that is if you're finding buckles and such. Just some info I picked up from a MD'ing vet. You should try and find one of those cats around where you live and pick his brain. Some folks like to help out. Matt

 

[grogmug]

that actually sounds very logical. But wouldn't you think there would be more to find if I found this horse bit Civil War era piece? The hill I found it on looks out over the entire county and you can see everything around you, I'm thinking this would be a good spot to camp. What would your opinion on the matter be, any tips before I go back tomorrow?

 

[rvbvetter]

I don't really know my horse bits. I don't really know my horse anything for that matter. But i was wondering if that might not be a frame of a boot spur. And the star or wheel would have been attached at the one centered hole. Just a guess. HH