newbie! lots of questions...........

[zimtwister]

I am getting a ace 250.
what do I use to dig[parks and woods]?
what else do you carry with you?
any hot spots in minnesota?
what does a more expensive unit offer?
do you wear a backpack when hunting?
what is the find to trash ratio? [1 coin to 5 pull tabs]
thanks

 

[billiard rich]

Welcome to the forum!

The trash to coin ratio depends upon where you hunt. Picnic areas are very trashy and I sometimes feel lucky to find 1 coin an hour. Tot-lots are usually pretty clean and unless the one you search has just been searched by someone else, you're bound to find a few coins and jewerly too (once in a while.)

If you are older, you might want to get a set of knee-pads. It is always good to wear gloves - it is easy to get cut feeling around in holes for targets. Stay out of nasty areas. Headphones can extend your battery life - the kind with voiume controls will save your hearing.

Read the sticky notes at the top of this and other sections for more info. Ask all the questions you want.

HH

Rich

 

[Cherry Picker]

Welcome from the land of OZ

The ACE 250 is a great detector.

Your keepers vs trash ratio also will depend on you. The ACE 250 is very good at ID'ing coins vs trash, but to get the gold and nickles you're going to need to dig some trash. No detector is capable of 100% accuracy on good vs trash no matter what the price.

I carry a 10" shank screw drive to do my recoveries.

The more expensive units generally offer more features. Manual ground balance, custom programming, multiple frequencies and the likes. The need for these features depends greatly on what type of hunting you plan to do, and where you plan to hunt.

 

[Capt.B]

Newbie Q & A

I am getting a ace 250. / Great detector to start with.
what do I use to dig[parks and woods]? / You can use a small garden trowel in the grassy areas. Practice in your backyard before you start digging in parks. Remember to fill your holes and pick up all your trash. In the wood you can use a small shovel to recover your targets.
what else do you carry with you?/ A nail apron to put the junk in. Spare batteries and a canteen.
any hot spots in minnesota?/ I don't know?
what does a more expensive unit offer?/ That depends on what you want to pay for.
do you wear a backpack when hunting? / No
what is the find to trash ratio? [1 coin to 5 pull tabs] /Depends on your hunting spot.
thanks / Hope this helps you out a bit.

 

[KellyV]

Pull tabs are king! They are everywhere I dig more of them than anything
But I find alot of great stuff too.

I carry a little garden shovel its like 10 inches long to dig and a probe. The probe cut down on my searching drastically. Its worth the investment of 50-100 bucks. That's it a small digging device, and a probe. If digging relics might want to carry a pouch or backpack.

Hot spots - any place lots of people used to be or are now. Parks, old foundations, beaches, every relative and friends yard including your own.
Look up historic places in you town that are accessible, be sure to get permissions if needed in your state.

Good luck and Welcome!

 

[dpitt8]

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=13981

great site for historic maps that may help you in finding historic sites (that hopefully still exist and haven't been built over)

 

[Carol K]

I am getting a ace 250.

Congratulations... good choice

what do I use to dig[parks and woods]?

You need a tool to dig with, something sturdy, most start out with a garden trowel, I started out with a knife, and I still use a knife.

what else do you carry with you?

A ground cloth would come in handy to hold the dirt so you can refill your holes.
Something to put the goodies in and something to put the trash in. Like a fanny pack.

any hot spots in Minnesota?

I'm sure there are. But I live in SD

what does a more expensive unit offer?

A longer learning curve.

do you wear a backpack when hunting?

It depends on how far I'm walking. Comes in handy for snacks and bottled water.

what is the find to trash ratio? [1 coin to 5 pull tabs]

90% trash, 10% finds

thanks

Your welcome, and welcome to the forum.

 

[Vito]

Welcome

Welcome aboard, ZimTwister.

folding spade
pinpointer; personal ID's; headphones; towel; pouch for the stuff
N/A
more depth; better sensitivity; different coils; more service
no, sometimes using a combat belt set
differs on every hunt. best was 8 goodies to 1 junk, worst was only junk.
you're welcome

 

[DougF]

Welcome - if you find these types of pull tabs, you'll know you're in an area which could have silver coins. These are all from 1962-1963.