Only finding pennies with Ace 250

[kcgor]

I have an Ace 250 and have been MDing for about a month now.. I have the pinpointing down to an art.. But All I have found other than a matchbox car and trash, are pennies.. I did find a dime.. but it was laying right under the penny.. I hunt with the settings on Coins.. I am wondering if maybe I have it on the wrong settings.. You would think that the coins setting would find coins.. but nothing.. I did find a 1941 wheat penny in my back yard.. that was cool... Any thoughts.. Thanks..

Casey

 

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[Monty]

I have only been detecting since Christmas and I find a lot more pennies than any other coin. Seems like a person won't bend over pick up a penny though they would a "silver" coin. I don't think your experience is unusual and it sounds like your detector is doing just fine. With it set on the "coin" setting you need to practice with some planted coins to learn the different tones made by different coins. I planted a coin garden in my back yard that I use for practice. Every now and then I go out to my coin garden and just listen to the various tones to refresh my memory. I can't always call the coin I have located with my detector but I am getting better each time out. You just need practice.

 

[spotz]

Jimmy is right on. It all comes with practice. Bury some test coins at various depths & mark them with a non metalic marker like a golf tee, then listen to the differences in the tones. That is what Jimmy is refering to as a test garden. You are well on the way, just keep it up. Spotz

 

[E59]

AAAccckkk! I hope that's not all I find! I'm waiting on my Garrett 250, I guess if I just find pennies I'll put them in my shoe and hope it's a lucky day. Sara

 

[Jim Cal]

Since pennies are the most common coin in circulation it stands to reason you would find lots of them. I have an ACE 250 and have found lots of silver, rings, and other goodies. I would suggest a couple of things....first thing is to hunt with the least amount of discrimination possible and the second is to find some yards around older homes from the 50's to search. Look for opportunities to improve your chances of finding old coins and especially silver coins by hunting in the right places. When searching homes of this vintage try to find where the clotheslines were and search thoroughly underneath them. Also around where the driveway is or was and where people got in and out of cars. Search along any sidewalks, both in front and back of the house, and pay close attention to the parkway between the sidewalk and the curb. If you can find where an old swingset was that is also a good place. If you are using discrimination with this detector set it up for coins/jewelry so you won't lose rings. Also start with the sensitivity at about 50% and gradually work up from there until you start getting false chirping and then back the sensitivity down until the detector operates smoothly. I hope this helps and good luck! Jim Cal

 

[treasurekidd]

I also have an ACE250, but haven't had much time to use it, as we are buried in snow! Pennies are the most common coin you will find, because people almost never stop to pick up a penny, and kids love to zing pennies at each other. I spent an hour on the local beach last fall with my BH Pioneer 101, and finding very little, decided to try the dirt parking lot. I started a search right online with the first row of parking spaces, about where the front drivers side door would be if a car where parked there, and slowly made my way across the lot. In a little over an hour, I dug up tons of coins, every single one of them pennies!! I think there were 70 or 80 of them, all buried very shallow! Bring them home, rinse em off, and drop them in a coffee can, and before you know it, you'll have $20 or $30 worth of them. I roll em up, and deposit them in my neighboorhood bank mad money savings account. Mad money, translated while the wife isin't looking, means BEER money, lol! Good luck, and may you find much, much more than pennies in the future!

 

[stoney56]

Treasurekidd, careful with the BEER money cause your wife also has mad money called VISA. LOL HH

 

[lonewolfe]

Don't let "expectations" get the best of you!

You're going to find more pennies more than any other coin out there! They are lost by the millions. You will get your share of other coins too, it depends on where you hunt as to have better chances for other coins (especially) older coins, and or jewelry. If you hunt in school yards that are 20 yrs old, you're NOT going to find silver & old coins. If you hunt places a lot of other detectorist hunt, you're going to find less because of all the competition. If you hunt places people haven't lost rings and the like, you're not going to find any.

Just because you set the detector on "coin mode" doesn't mean it's going to go out and find coins for you! You have to put yourself where the coins & jewelry are! Then it depends on your skill level, detector quality, settings, and instincts, etc.

People that are new to this hobby (usually) have over blown ideas and expectations on what they will find and in what quantity. They are mis-lead into believing that all you've gotta do is buy a detector, set it on go, and find all the good stuff with little to no effort, and or little to no junk! The guys that have been doing this for 20+ yrs as I have, know what I'm talking about, and know it's true! You also can't believe everything thing you "see and read" here on these forums! Although most are sincere in their postings, there are those who are not, and they like to post/brag about all the wonderful unbelievable finds they make almost daily to toot their own horns- so to speak, and to make it look like they're finding all these gold rings, silver coins, etc. BUT in reality, they pulling your leg, and making fake post, showing things they've bought, etc. and basically lying to your face.

If you enjoy the hobby, do it and take it as it comes while learning your machine/s. It's not all gold at the end of the rainbow. It takes time and effort and many 100s of hrs of using your machine/s, and digging, and finding places to hunt, etc. before you? a mass an array of cool stuff, and good finds! And that's after finding/digging 1000s and 1000s of junk items all along the way.

If you're the type with little to no patience, believe you're suppose to find stuff of value every time you go out hunting, and or believe all that you read, and see on these forums, you're in for a big let down, and may want to consider another hobby..

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

To expand on LoneWolfe's post, consider this. It has been 41 years since the mint produced any silver for circulation. Add in development and the thousands of detectorists that have come before us, and the fact that silver coins are not being lost anymore, it becomes an uncommon occurrence for the average MD'er to find a silver coin. I would bet that there have been millions of clad coins lost in the last 4 decades. For every silver coin found today there are probably thousands of clad coins found. There is still silver out there, nobody could possibly get all of it, but you really have to work for it. The opportunity just isn't there like it used to be. But, don't give up hope and keep at it with your machine. I have found very little silver, some jewelry, and a mountain of clad. I don't mind finding clad. It's a renewable resource and it spends just like paper money. It's the thrill of what may be dug up next that keeps me at it. The monetary benefit is just the frosting on the cake.

 

[stoney56]

Plus the fact that gold jewelry isn't thought of the same way it was many years ago. Lose it and just go to Wally World and buy another one- especially the H.S. mental process(Mom and Dad will get me another). HH

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

I blame part of it on the marketing of some of the machines. White's for example has a video out detailing their line of detectors. In the opening scene there is a family detecting a playground. As soon as the father comes onto the screen, he gets a hit and digs up a US belt plate in the WOODCHIPS! Give me a f'ing break. I love my XLT, but I believe that video is just dishonest and gives people the wrong impression of this hobby. Minelab is the same way. They never tell you about all of clad and junk that people dig up.Would you pay $1300 for a detector if you were going to find junk? These vendors make it seem like the weekend detectorist will find an 1804 dollar their first time out. We all know that won't happen.

Dave

 

[lonewolfe]

Plus the fact that gold jewelry isn't thought of the same way it was many years ago. Lose it and just go to Wally World and buy another one- especially the H.S. mental process(Mom and Dad will get me another). HH

Ain't that the truth!

Don't work here though! What's that? You broke/lost your (_____)? Awwww ?too bad, better get a J O B and buy another one!

Ever try to sell the gold you've found!? lol

they look at you like you're an idiot basically when you bring in a gold band or some high school ring, etc.!

If you don't have a BIG FAT flawless cystal clear 1/4ct diamond or BIGGER in a ring you take to sell, they offer "scrap" prices for the gold

avg. price for a gold ring these days (diamonds or not in it) is about 20.00 (some even 10.00) and very few much past 25.00 unless, as I said, it has a BIG rock in it (and then they stll only offer maybe 1/10th of retail).

It's a joke (retailers rip people off with wedding rings, etc. for 800.00 - 1000.00 and up) but try to sell it one day and see what you get!

 

[lonewolfe]

I blame part of it on the marketing of some of the machines. White's for example has a video out detailing their line of detectors. In the opening scene there is a family detecting a playground. As soon as the father comes onto the screen, he gets a hit and digs up a US belt plate in the WOODCHIPS! Give me a f'ing break. I love my XLT, but I believe that video is just dishonest and gives people the wrong impression of this hobby. Minelab is the same way. They never tell you about all of clad and junk that people dig up.Would you pay $1300 for a detector if you were going to find junk? These vendors make it seem like the weekend detectorist will find an 1804 dollar their first time out. We all know that won't happen.

Dave

ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!

I've seen that info-mercial!!! That IS the BIGGEST "joke" I've ever seen!!

Not only does he dig up a US civil war belt buckle in the wood chips in his back yard (BUT) also Morgans, rings, silver coins and more!!!! lmao!!

I dis-like whites for that one (even though I do own an MXT) but I have 20+ yrs under the belt and know what I want, and that I'm a "lifer" in this hobby no matter what. The thing that gets me though, is, they are one of the ONLY to show late night commercials that "fool" people into believing the BS!!

I understand corporate America and sales hype/tactics but as YOU said "Give ME a F'ing Break!"..

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

Having fun is the key to this hobby, is it not? If it wasn't fun it would be just like going to work.

Dave

 

[kcgor]

I don't mind finding all the junk.. I was just worried that I have gotten use to digging up pennies.. I've found about a dozen pennies in my back yard. Dating from the 1941 wheat penny I mentioned to a couple pennies I lost about 4 years ago planting a tree in my back yard. Didn't know I lost them.. But as soon as I found them... I knew.. Those were dated in the late 90's,.. I've found a ton of trash.. Don't mind that as long as there is more.. But one thing that worries me.. I have to punch my pinpoint button a couple times to get it to work right.. Seems to be something wierd there.. also.. When I first got the detector at the store, It already had batteries in it... Thought maybe it was used... Does the ACE 250 come with batteries in it? Don't get me wrong.. I have no big expectations that I'm going to get rich at this... I just love being outside on a beautiful day and goofing off.. I didn't know, until mid week that you use a dull screwdriver as a probe.. I was digging huge holes to find anything.. took 10 times as long and made it harder to find anything.. I'm as green as they come to this hobby.. but I'm giving it a heck of a shot.. Thanks for all the Input! I really appreciate it.

Casey

 

[DirtDiggerDaveinMD]

Casey,

I had a Garrett GTAx 1250 a few years ago and it came with batteries already installed, that is a standard procedure with Garrett, so no worries about your machine being used. As far as finding only pennies, it's possible that there were'nt any other coins in the area that you detected. Pennies as you will find, are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. It's the same with pulltabs and square tabs that are on beverage cans today. The darned things are everywhere. This hobby will really open your eyes when it comes to litter and littering.

Now on to the pinpoint issue. Does Garrett still use a blister button to operate your pinpoint mode? I didn't like the functionallity of the button because you had to hit it just right, and press hard to get the pinpointer to function properly. This may be the problem you are having. Try pressing firmly in the center of the blister. I know that this seems overly simple, but you may be hitting the side of the sensor instead of the center.

Probing is a good habit to get into. It lets you locate your target quickly and you don't have to dig a large hole to recover your find. You can buy a ready made coin probe or fashion one out of any sturdy metal material. It takes a bit to get used to but you will soon learn the difference between a coin and other object just by feel.

If you have any more questions just ask. We're glad to help.

 

[PAmike]

no the buttons on the ace 250 are more like buttons on a remote or cell phone only bigger and easy to use. the pinpointer on my ace 250 works perfectly, that is from my little experiece and not being able to dig as of yet due to frozen ground and frickin snow. I am sure it will work perfect for me.

mike

 

[red]

Thats right don't worry about finding only pennies.I use a Fisher CZ 70 witch cost a little more then the Garrett 250 and I go for days at just finding pennies and then I'll pass that coil over the right spot and there is silver .
Dig everything for a few days and learn your machine the readout isn't always just right on any Detector.

Red

 

[Lowbatts]

Mem cents schmem schments. Dig it all and pile it up. The more of it we get back into circulation the more of it there is too be lost and the more there is to find. Yep, those mem cents you dig today will be the ones tossed out the window or lost in the schoolyard next month. Give everyone online here an alphanumeric ID stamp for the mem cents they find and watch how long it takes before that MD'er or another finds one stamped. It's so cool, we are helping to generate our own future finds! That'll keep me busy.

 

[stoney56]

Don't forget about helping the economy by buying all the extra batteries, for me 100 mems gets me 2 9 volt batteries not to mention slim trim abs(ha) grom all the bending and stretching.