Myers Depot Metal Detectors

Frustrations with the Garrett 250

1960DPenny

1960DPenny

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
93
Location
philadelphia
I will admit up front that my initial suspicion is that this 95% human error (i.e., I am an idiot!:?:), but I am struggling with my Garrett 250.

My real problem is pinpointing and junk items -- and the combination of the two. As many of you know, jewelery (especially gold) is often identified as "pull tab" on the 250's display screen. (This is not Garrett's fault -- just life as pull tabs and gold (I guess) produce the same signal).

As such, I am inclined to dig anytime the "pull tab" icon flashes. (Don't want to miss out on a gold/diamond ring!!!). Of course, 99.9% there is no treasure, and -- just as the 250 indicated -- all you have is pull tab.

I don't mind digging up junk. I, of course, much prefer treasure, but I sit in an office all week, so digging in the dirt is always fun for me.

What is not fun, however, is digging in the wrong spot -- and that is what is driving me crazy.

With coins, I can use the 250 and zero in on penny, dime or quarter within an inch.

With trash, however, I struggle. I am often way off -- even after pinpointing. And I mean WAY off -- 4 or 5 inches.

It's really odd. Does it have something to do with the weaker/poorer signal junk items produce?

I am getting to a "frustration point" where I am just inclined to discriminate anything not clearly identified as a coin from off my machine -- but who knows how much treasure I would lose in the process.

Any help? Any pointers?

I have watched all the videos and they work great -- on COINS! (With everything else though, they don't seem to be much help).

**Final Note: I do tend to hunt in "messy" areas with a lot of tightly packed junk. I wager the Garrett's Sniper Coil would help in this regard, but it is still odd I am getting these "ghost signals."
 
Pro Pin Pointer is the best money I have spent. However learning to pin point with the detector is a must because the pin pointer is only good for about 4 to 5 inches. Some of the guys with more experience will probably have better advice but I buried several targets then used them to find my Ace 350's sweet spot. I'm new so I will be following this post also...:wow::D
 
Ok well I will tell you that my experience is with the 150 with NO pinpoint option I did find it fairly easy to use the font part of my coil to pinpoint I am not saying that you should not use the pinpoint feature on your machine I am saying if you think it may be trash just give it a couple extra passes with the tip (front of your coil) in the (X) pattern to help pinpoint that target just a suggestion it may work out for you and I hope that this will help you get those targets faster:grin:
 
it's not just you. i find trashy targets tend to get somewhat elusive too, especially really old rusty targets (nails). i'll pin-point, dig a 4 inch plug and then end up digging another half-moon plug before the item reveals itself. ;)
my pro pointer should e in my hands by next weekend, so that should make life a lot easier! :yes:

Pete
 
Yeah, no Garrett Pin Pointer for me ($180.00). I have the Cen-Tech "Special" ($17.00). (Off topic -- not a bad little pinpointer, I will say -- especially for the $$$).

I think my problems might also have to deal with multiple targets -- especially junk targets.

Or massive underground items like pipes, wrought iron, etc. (My biggest complaint with the 250 is the depth meter is seldom accurate. I have tried to dig out so many 2-4 inch coins, only to hit a giant iron water pipe at 6-8 inches).
 
1960DPenny said:
Yeah, no Garrett Pin Pointer for me ($180.00). I have the Cen-Tech "Special" ($17.00). (Off topic -- not a bad little pinpointer, I will say -- especially for the $$$).

I think my problems might also have to deal with multiple targets -- especially junk targets.

Or massive underground items like pipes, wrought iron, etc. (My biggest complaint with the 250 is the depth meter is seldom accurate. I have tried to dig out so many 2-4 inch coins, only to hit a giant iron water pipe at 6-8 inches).
Click to expand...

here again just a suggestion when you get those signals try to lift your coil off the ground I have found that those big targets will still sound when my coil is 6 even 8 inches off the ground the smaller targets coins ect. will fall off pretty quickly you can try that and see if it works for you:grin:
 
Best thing I can offer is to keep at it! It sounds like you have a handle on how to pinpoint in areas where there little trash so you do know what the process is. It
just takes practice to get it all figured out. My wife uses a 250 and was ready to quit until she got it figured out. She does very will with it now. You just need to tough out that learning curve :)

Good Luck

Jerry
 
Junk is usually harder to pinpoint, I usually have to do a little searching especially if a chewed up can was in the hole. It just throws the machine off a little bit.
 
Pin pointing takes a little patience and practice, detuning is key to narrowing down the pin pointed target. Practice in your own yard with a buried coin or use a piece of cardboard or plywood to cover a coin and practice. You can also use the Toe or Heel of the coil like the second video below explains. The videos below explains how to detune in pin pointing mode, hope this helps, good luck and happy hunting.



 
Move to a local beach area with sand or gravel...When pin-pointing...just kick the soil with your boot or shoe until you find the target/targets...I have found this is a very quick way to learn the pin-pointing on any machine.
 
Here's my thoughts and you might not want to hear them. I've been using the Ace for a year now and still can't pinpoint correctly. It's a massive chore. Although you can't expect it, even with expensive machines, target ID is hardly ever right. In the two to four inch range, on a coin, it is for the most part accurate. After that, it's anyone's guess as to what the heck is under the coil. It's impossible to get a repeating tone outside of the two to four inch range. The pinpointing is lackluster, however, like you, I suppose it's a lot of human error on my part. For this reason I got a sniper coil and use it almost exclusively. Everything you find has to be within the hockey puck sized zone. Also you can still get a good six to eight inches on a coin with it if the sensitivity is jacked all the way up. THe only problem is is that the target ID gets more erratic with each notch you up the sensitivity. I wish you luck with yours and you might even figure it out. Until then I'd say invest in a sniper coil ASAP. Its about the only solace I've found with the 250. It's a good machine and I know it is because tons of people use them and get great stuff! However, it might just not be right for you. Again though, to be optimistic, I hope it works out for you and you have many successful hunts in the future!
 
Hunting a trashy area, I often use a small piano wire probe. Yes, I know I'm leaving stuff in the ground that should probably come out. I'm not the worlds dirt cleaner. I do remove anything I dig. Anyway, back to it. The smallest wire possible for ground penetration. Be careful, don't mark up a good target with carelessness, probe till you touch it, get a feeling for how hard the target is. You will be able to discern the difference in coin or softer metals. Some harder metals will still be dug too but it's a balance. I make the probes by using a nice clean cut piece of the wire to drill with, then mark up (slight bends, scoring, dimpling with cutters) the piece I'm going to use and force it inside the dowell handle. Round the tip. I carry several lengths and diameters. Still use that method today but also use the pinpointer. Of course, if you're in a hurry, dig em.
 
I am new to the 250 also...well about three months now. at first I used the pinpoint button for every find,and like you said it was a crapshoot. now I rarely use the pinpoint button . I find my targets very easily by waving back and forth over my target from multiple directions while staring at the spot with the best tone. then I mark the spot without taking my eyes off it and get out my propointer. I then wave my propointer over the target area to see if it's shallow and exactly where to dig. sometimes I just have to slit the ground open and the coin or whatever is right there.
 
xlogit3k said:
Junk is usually harder to pinpoint, I usually have to do a little searching especially if a chewed up can was in the hole. It just throws the machine off a little bit.
Click to expand...

As I have yet to find jewelry with the 250 ....

Will -- say a gold ring -- even if identified as a pull tab, produce a strong pinpoint signal akin to a coin?

I mean with coins, the 250 rocks.

If jewlery is the same as coins, maybe I can just dig those signals that only produce a stong pinpoint signal?
 
I too am about three to four months new to MDing and my ace 250. I did have a problem getting ghost signals and quickly learned that it was mineralization in the soil. I too learned to pin point with out useing my pin point mode. Going over a strong signal in different directions will help alot. I do get alot of junk signals and they always come up as a nickel and bounce to pul tab and back again. I used to dig everything but quickly learned not to trust that bouncey signal. Keep at it , you`ll get it. It does take alot of time to be able to read your machine . Best of luck and HH
Sam
 
I've had my 250 since mid Feb. and I love it! One caveat here, MOST of my hunting is done at the beach but I started in an extremely trashy area in dirt.

Pinpointing is a breeze and works very well. The depth is usually very close but it depends on the object. If it's a ring and it's on it's side, it will be dead on but if it is laying flat then I get 2 tones as I pinpoint and it usually reads deeper than what it is. I pulled a Titanium wedding ring at 10 inches (8+ on the 250's scale) and it was dead center in the hole. Once I had a pair of earrings (925) under my coil and could not pinpoint them (or actually would not listen to the MD, it was right) because they were not right together but rather about 1-1/2" apart. I've pulled coins from under beer cans, pinpoint would put me over the can but not "dead center". I could tell it was a can by the size of the pinpoint area, but I was getting a "weird" sound like something else was there so I scooped it and sure enough as I pulled the can out I saw a quarter! I pulled that and swept the hole again and found another quarter and a dime. The beer can was basically on top of these coins.

You "JUST" have to work with the ACE and remember there are a lot of variables involved. Do try the cardboard over a coin trick and see how good you do. Have someone else place the coin and cardboard so you have NO clue where it is. Start 10 feet or so away and do your normal sweeps up to it. Work in a clean area for learning the machine. When hunting, use all metal mode and dig 100% of the targets for the first 10 or so hours, BUT pay attention to what you hear, what the detector shows and then dig and see what comes up. If you don't have headphones, get a pair! They helped me tremendously. I have the cheap Garrett Easystow HP's. Whatever you get, make sure it has a volume control.

Above all else, DO NOT GIVE UP ON THAT ACE250! It's a great little machine. If you learn it and become one with it, it will serve you well. Good Luck, HH, and PM me if I can help more...

Mike
 
I was just watching the AT Pro training video on Target Size - http://www.garrett.com/hobbysite/hbby_at_pro_sizing.aspx - (from here: http://www.colonialmetaldetectors.com/Garrett-AT-Pro_p_309.html at the bottom of the page) and the guy made a good point, Garrett metal detectors are optimized for "coin sized targets". They will pinpoint and gauge depth most accurately on this size targets. The smaller target showed as being nearly twice as deep as it actually was and the can sized target showed 1/3 as deep! Hope this helps...
 
I've had mine for over 2 1/2 years and it has found alot. Just a few suggestions:
Hunt in all metal mode, so you know what is under the coil and affecting it. If you are discing out iron and a target is near some iron you will never know due to response time between targets.
Keep sensitivity around 4-5 bars.
Remember that "depth" on the Ace is from the coil to the target, not depth in ground.
Gold can ring up anywhere from foil to pennies.
Alot of metal detectors can show a pop can at 8 inches as a coin around 2 inches. A rusty manhole cover at 16 inches could show as a coin at 2 inches.This is because they are comparing it to a coin size signal and adjust the depth proportionally.
Rusty iron can show up as a coin, mostly "dollar" I've found.
Pin pointing, Once you have found a good target. Move your coil away from the target and then press the PP button. As you move the coil towards the target watch the signal till it gets the highest signal, then move it towards and away from you till it gets full signal. Mine pin points in the center circle of the coil. I've found that you can't keep the PP button pressed for very long say more than 10 seconds it starts messing up the PP location of the target. Also if your target shows say 6" and when you pin point it, it shows 2 inches then it is a large deeper object Like a pop can.
 
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