Ace 300 sensitivity. Depth.

maybe try more sensitivity in the cleaner areas and get a feel for that and experiment with discing out iron where its trashier

without ground balance that machine needs to be run with the sensitivity turned down. This cuts the depth. Best to try to find areas with good neutral soil for better function.

NB- Try hunting in all metal or relic mode, as it will give you more depth vs notching-out certain metals.

Speed-up swing over a target to see if it helps to ID and give better depth display. If target jumps in coin range, it's likely a deep coin, but if it's all over the entire ID range, it's likely trash.

Regarding sensitivity, run it as high as you can, keeping the detector stable.

My 1st 2 MD's were the 250, then 350.

Gauntlet said:

NB- Try hunting in all metal or relic mode, as it will give you more depth vs notching-out certain metals.

Speed-up swing over a target to see if it helps to ID and give better depth display. If target jumps in coin range, it's likely a deep coin, but if it's all over the entire ID range, it's likely trash.

Regarding sensitivity, run it as high as you can, keeping the detector stable.

My 1st 2 MD's were the 250, then 350.

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Thanks for the great advice. All metal is the same as Zero-discrim mode, right? Pardon my ignorance. So Do you think I made a wise choice with the 300?

Also, will coins ever show up or ring out as iron at the far low end of the spectrum?

sell the 300 and buy a used at pro if you have the funds. It will take your hunting to a different level. I have saw used ones for 350 on the forums. btw I started with the ace series found my first silver with it then got a pro and it was game on. .. I have since moved on but the pro would suit you well for what your doing. If money is a issue practice with the one you already have and master it and move on later.

calabash digger said:

sell the 300 and buy a used at pro if you have the funds. It will take your hunting to a different level. I have saw used ones for 350 on the forums. btw I started with the ace series found my first silver with it then got a pro and it was game on. .. I have since moved on but the pro would suit you well for what your doing. If money is a issue practice with the one you already have and master it and move on later.

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Well, I just need to get better. Maybe those signals are there and I just can't hear them yet. I'm going to have to at least wait until winter to sell the 300 and pick up another machine. I guess I'll just hunker down for now and learn as much as I can with this one. If anything I can pull a good bit of the trash out of the yard to make way for a deeper machine. I'm by no means saying it's a bad machine at all. I've seen that a lot in my google and forum searches. People just starting out and saying a decent detector is junk. I'm not doing that. I've got a lot to learn and that's going to take time. I think I've got a decent machine to do that for the rest of the season. I've got a birthday in January so I'll start looking at upgrading around then. I'm going to use the winter to do my homework on historical sites around me anyways. Thanks again.

NuffaloBickel said:

Thanks for the great advice. All metal is the same as Zero-discrim mode, right? Pardon my ignorance. So Do you think I made a wise choice with the 300?

Also, will coins ever show up or ring out as iron at the far low end of the spectrum?

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Yes.

I think it's a fine detector, especially for one starting out. I'm sure there are better/worse choices, most of it is simply matter of opinion. I wouldn't be in any hurry to sell/replace it. My 250/350 found silver, 2-centers, IH's, wheats, relics, the same things I find with my current detectors, and I had just as mch fun with the 250 as I do with a current detector costing over twice as much.

Many think more buttons and a 1" thick operators manual mages a great detector, or simply because something is loaded-up with bells and whistles its going to be the greatest thing out there. I'm not a follower of that school of thought.

Spend your time learning your machine, and doing research and asking permission. The most expensive machine out there won't find a thing until the coil passes over it. If you have the room, build a test garden, and if you have any local buddies who detect, have them bring their detector over to compare. And in the meanwhile, if you're interested in another machine, start researching them. That doesn't just mean seeing who found what with what detector, it means the best machine you can get for your budget.

Always remember, spending a ton of cash on a detector, doesn't necessarily make it better or guarantee killer finds. Basic technology has changed little over the past several decades, yes, smaller, more efficient, computerized, discrimination, etc, but the basics are the same. Buy something to serve a purpose, not because it's the latest-greatest hyped-up gizzmo to hit the market. Wrapping-up a ton of money in detectors and gear, and not making finds like are shown here daily, is a sure-fired way lose interest in the hobby.

NuffaloBickel said:

Well, I just need to get better. Maybe those signals are there and I just can't hear them yet.

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You didn't say if you're using headphones, if not try a set.

I'm not of that school either I was thinking better separation in trash and better depth= more finds .... I found my first silver with the ace 250 its what got me hooked. Keep at it you will tag something great ,let us know what you get.

A lot has to do with the coil- you can take a sniper coil and open the sensitivity full without near the fuss and get some deep coins. And yes, Bill Revis had many an article and 4-5 bars was his recommendation on the Ace. I was once at factory preset (6 bars) and hit a deep quarter with a bouncy signal. I lowered it to Bill's recommended 4 bars and the signal was clear and smooth! In field use-low mineral, low trash- the higher settings were great for some remarkable depth. The most remarkable use of lowered sensitivity is on some of my peculiar sites with large metallic objects that NO other detector can find because at their lowest sensitivity setting they're STILL too high. At one or two bars, the Ace will ignore these large objects and hit a coin 1-2" that was overridden by the large signal.
Final tip: you can run the Ace at 4 bars and speed up the sweep and reach close to 6 bars depth at normal sweep speed.

You guys are great. This is exactly the info I'm looking for. I thought about it after I posted it and I don't know for sure what I'll do as far as a new machine for next year because I too am of the same school of thought. Newer, more bells and whistles doesn't mean better. Especially in untrained hands. I do know this Ace is a great little unit. Especially once I knocked the sensitivity down a little bit. It heard two coins about 4 inches down the other day. I could distinctly hear the two tones and I was pretty sure I knew what it was before I dug it. I don't know if I stated it before but I am hunting very trashy areas. I just need to keep swinging I think. As far as headphones, I use them anytime I'm not hunting with the kids. I definitely hear things I'd have otherwise missed.

NuffaloBickel said:

You guys are great. This is exactly the info I'm looking for. I thought about it after I posted it and I don't know for sure what I'll do as far as a new machine for next year because I too am of the same school of thought. Newer, more bells and whistles doesn't mean better. Especially in untrained hands. I do know this Ace is a great little unit. Especially once I knocked the sensitivity down a little bit. It heard two coins about 4 inches down the other day. I could distinctly hear the two tones and I was pretty sure I knew what it was before I dug it. I don't know if I stated it before but I am hunting very trashy areas. I just need to keep swinging I think. As far as headphones, I use them anytime I'm not hunting with the kids. I definitely hear things I'd have otherwise missed.

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Can't say enough for the sniper coil! Especially in trash.

Tonight is the night. I can feel it. 3:45 am and quiet. I'm taking an hour of me time.

Alright, so tonight was in fact not the night, but still a good night. I got both of the clad at about 4 inches. They didn't ring like coins loud and clear. Then the nails. Those things sang. Depth said 8 inches, dug it at 2...I came in the house and just rolled that Canadian penny in my hands pretending I had just uncovered a large cent or something. ... Still a good way to kill an hour. Theres always tomorrow. I've got a question about pinpointing but that'll have to wait.