Big Boys Hobbies

Thinking about an upgrade...

Florida Newb

Florida Newb

Full Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
106
Location
Central Florida
I currently swing an Ace 250. I have used it for a couple of years and have had some pretty good luck with it. I think it is a great machine, but it is the only one I have any experience with.

I have some questions.

1. Pull tabs and small pieces of aluminum cans. Is there a detector out there that would decrease time spent on these? The bottom part of a pull tab and a small piece of can shows as a solid nickle on the Ace 250 every time. I have to dig the pull tabs to find a ring of any sort. I have a million!

2. A larger piece of an aluminum can shows as a dime or even a quarter. I have gotten to where I can tell the difference when pin pointing, but I still have to dig these quite often. Is there a detector that helps with that. I see that the Garrett GTI 2500 shows the size. Does that work well?

3. Large and deep iron targets show up as halves or dollars. Any help with that?

4. Depth. While the Ace 250 seems to do a good job, I want more depth. What do I do?

Anyway, these are some things I would love to improve. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Pretty much all detectors can have the problems you are describing, only to different degrees. Generally, the better the ID'ing system, the better you can identify the junk from the goodies. No system is 100% accurate, but some are better than others.

As far as depth the ACE 250 does a pretty good job for the money, and probably just as good as most in good ground conditions. Handling ground conditions can be tricky because they not only change from state to sate, but location to location and even can change drastically at the same site. The White's MXT has one of the best ground tracking system.
 
You need to upgrade to a detector that offers target programming/notching.

The ultimate in programming/notching availability is the Minelab Explorer line and E-Trac.
I dont know about the new Whites Spectra V3.

Secondly, I would rate the Fisher F75 and the Whites DFX as champs of notching versatility and Minelab Safari and X-Terra 70/705.

Thirdly: I dont want to go there:p
 
Good advice above. Another thing to consider is that the 250 breaks target IDs down into 12 "buckets". That's pretty good for an entry level detector, as most new folks are pretty happy if their "buckets" have coins in them most of the time.

However, 12 "buckets" is hardly enough to even begin to identify the many possibilities that lie in the ground. You've likely seen posts that reference a "VDI" reading. That's simply White's method of breaking down the range of targets into 191 segments. (-95 to +95).

Having more "buckets" doesn't mean that you'll not still be plagued by pulltabs, but it does enable the user to get a finer view (VDI) as to the specific target.

(If this doesn't make sense, someone will come along and help...I just woke up.):lol:
 
I have read hundreds of these threads and have seen the VDI reference in many of them. It sounds like that is the direction I am heading. What does a VDI MD show for a top to an aluminum can or a whole can? I am learning that a more detailed ability to discriminate is key.

Like I said...I only have experience with the Ace and it shows these larger aluminum and copper targets as dimes or quarters that are much harder to pinpoint.
 
Florida Newb said:
What does a VDI MD show for a top to an aluminum can or a whole can?
Click to expand...
That's a pretty darn good question.

Aluminum cans (including the top) are "all over the dial", but tend to reside mostly in the higher (+80's) VDI range on a White's (normalized) scale.

"But that's the same place quarters are!!!"...you say. :shock:

Right! That's also where they'll be on an Ace or any other VLF detector. So, what can you do about it?

1. When pinpointing, the quarters will be very narrow and the cans will obviously be wider. I sometimes raise my coil a couple of inches above a suspected can. Doing so will "dull" the edge sound of a can, but a quarter will remain "crisp".

2. If you're fooled by the pinpoint and start to dig...beware of a target that showed a depth of 3", but is still in the hole when you've dug 4" deep...odds are that it's a can.

I know this sounds like Voodoo. Maybe it is. Experience and a versatile detector will help eliminate many cans and slaw.

Take a test ride with a MXT sometime.
 
On my DFX the VDI of an aluminum can will read all over the place. That is your hint to a junk target. A quarter, for example will read a solid VDI of 83-85, whereas the aluminum can could read a VDI of 77-90. The key is a good tight VDI on every swing. Now that being said, on deeper coins you can get a larger swing in the VDI numbers, but if you isolate the target, even on deep coins the VDI will be pretty tight.

The VDI resolution of the DFX is second to none. With just a little experience you can tell a clad dime from a silver dime, and a clad quarter from a silver quarter. This comes in real handy for the lower VDI scale where foil, tabs nickles and gold register. Some tabs will still read in the gold/nickle range(VDI 19-21), and some foil(rolled up gum wrappers) can read in the small gold range(VDI 4-12), but it will greatly reduce the junk you do find. Just take a look at the gold(mainly rings) people find with the E-Series White's detectors. It's far above the average of the other high end detectors for the given location.

You also have the SignaGraph which can also make identifying junk easier.
 
Another question....How does the MXT or DXF compare to the ACE 250 or any comparable machine regarding recovery speed? There is alot of trash in most areas that I hunt.

Thanks for all of your help!
 
I agree

Detector said:
On my DFX the VDI of an aluminum can will read all over the place. That is your hint to a junk target. A quarter, for example will read a solid VDI of 83-85, whereas the aluminum can could read a VDI of 77-90. The key is a good tight VDI on every swing. Now that being said, on deeper coins you can get a larger swing in the VDI numbers, but if you isolate the target, even on deep coins the VDI will be pretty tight.

The VDI resolution of the DFX is second to none. With just a little experience you can tell a clad dime from a silver dime, and a clad quarter from a silver quarter. This comes in real handy for the lower VDI scale where foil, tabs nickles and gold register. Some tabs will still read in the gold/nickle range(VDI 19-21), and some foil(rolled up gum wrappers) can read in the small gold range(VDI 4-12), but it will greatly reduce the junk you do find. Just take a look at the gold(mainly rings) people find with the E-Series White's detectors. It's far above the average of the other high end detectors for the given location.

You also have the SignaGraph which can also make identifying junk easier.
Click to expand...

To add to the mix is when you get the aluminum slaw, what is left of the can after the mower hits it. Talk about false hope readings
Good luck with your choice.
 
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