Getting frustrated with the Ace 250.

Ok folks. I've lurked here and other forums, read all your tips and hints and practiced a bunch. I use the ACE250. I'm in NE Alabama. I know false and intermittent ghost tones are to be expected, but I get them all the time. I have the chord taped to the shaft so it doesn't bounce around. I usually hunt in coin mode with the sensitivity at 4. I do ok in yards and the park. When I head to the woods or near the mountains, I have to turn the sensitivity down to 3 or it chirps and beeps and than no signal. Just disappears. We have nasty red clay soil around here. What am I doing wrong???

**Note** I did a little test with my detector. In my backyard I through a silver dime in a small hole I dug 3" deep. With the coin lying flat it found it. I stuck the coin in the hole on edge with sensitivity at 5 in coin mode and it couldn't pick it up. I did the same thing hunting the base of the mountain, same settings and it couldn't pick up the dime either way. (w/h new batteries) Where do I go from here? I'm more confused every time I use it.

**Note2** I've been told that with my geographical region of highly mineralized soil I'm going to struggle with using a fixed ground balance machine. If that is the case, what detector should I look into next?

The Ace is a factory set ground balance machine and was made for average mineral soils. If you want more depth in higher mineral soils you need a detector with ground balance capabilities.

But the depth of any VLF detector is greatly affected by ground mineralization.

As a rule our VLF machines aren't consistently as deep as we think they are.

teddy

**Note2** I've been told that with my geographical region of highly mineralized soil I'm going to struggle with using a fixed ground balance machine. If that is the case, what detector should I look into next?

John, I haven't had your specific problem.  However, not knowing your budget requirements makes it difficult to make a recommendation.
I personally think the MXT from Whites might be a good selection, because it does an automatic ground balance when you turn it on and bounce the coil a few times over the ground your going to be hunting.   You can check the pricing, but I've seen used selling in the $500-600 range.

In the top top of the line hobby machine from Garrett, the 2500 comes with a manual ground balance, and also had a true all metal mode that you won't find on most Garrett hobby machines.   The all metal mode actually disconnected the discrimination circuit I understand, and in most Garrett models the zero discrimination setting leaves the circuit active, though not sensing.  This permits a minor power drain keeping the circuit active though unused.  

In the Tesoro line there are a fair number of entry level machines that have a ten turn potentiometer for adjusting the ground balance.  They also tend to have a switch for all metal vs discrimation.  (My direct experience goes back to the Bandido II Umax so it's been a while.)

I don't know if the above is helpful or confusing, so I'll stop here and let others reply with their preferences (I'm a Garrett bigot.)  

[Turn OFF your cell phone and see if that helps.]

The other posts have nailed it about the depth.  However the various beeps your getting might just be interference from cell phone towers, high voltage lines or any number of radio waves.  Turn OFF your cell phone and see if that helps.  Changing batteries won't help.  Also don't wear any steel in your boots.

Read up on the Tesoro Vaquero and Tejon. 

i bought my ace late in 05 and it sat in the closet for most of 3 years, to frustrating late last fall I started watching videos on the net and started to learn.  never surrender never give up.  set up the custom mode to dimes , qt, and 50 cent, you will learn fast have fun, and after you get a foothold on the ace 250 language you can learn the rest.  this year is my first i have found at least $350 in clad 16 silver rings, 1 gold ring, 12 dollar coins, 10 weates  and finely a 44 merc. also the ace can add today for about the fifth time i got a 50 cent signal and found 2 quarters stacked.

have fun and dig it like a pirate, papa

I can't use My GTI2500 in my backyard or test it inside my house because the many interference of RF(DirectDish) High voltage, etc. produce a terrible beeeeeeepppppp. This beeep is produced when I combined the treasure talk feacture with all-metal mode in high sensitivity.

Holy cow!!

Arch.

I live in S'boro  and I have the Ace 250 too. Would love too hunt with you .I have had my ace for about a year now .It is a real nice machine . I have set u a email .

Ok folks. I've lurked here and other forums, read all your tips and hints and practiced a bunch. I use the ACE250. I'm in NE Alabama. I know false and intermittent ghost tones are to be expected, but I get them all the time. I have the chord taped to the shaft so it doesn't bounce around. I usually hunt in coin mode with the sensitivity at 4. I do ok in yards and the park. When I head to the woods or near the mountains, I have to turn the sensitivity down to 3 or it chirps and beeps and than no signal. Just disappears. We have nasty red clay soil around here. What am I doing wrong???

**Note** I did a little test with my detector. In my backyard I through a silver dime in a small hole I dug 3" deep. With the coin lying flat it found it. I stuck the coin in the hole on edge with sensitivity at 5 in coin mode and it couldn't pick it up. I did the same thing hunting the base of the mountain, same settings and it couldn't pick up the dime either way. (w/h new batteries) Where do I go from here? I'm more confused every time I use it.

**Note2** I've been told that with my geographical region of highly mineralized soil I'm going to struggle with using a fixed ground balance machine. If that is the case, what detector should I look into next?

..............GoldMinerJohn.....before you give up on the ACE250 call the factory and see if there is an internal adjustment for bad soil......You may do best if you talk to one of the repair technicians........not sure about the Ace250 but several other makes of preset VLF discriminators have this internal adjustment.........it seems that your dealer should have corrected this before you got the detector out of his shop!!.........I also have a Minelab Sovereighn Elite.....it has no problems with ground minerals....................HH.........Joe