Big Boys Hobbies

Garrett Ace Users - How Much Sensitivity Do You Run?

I've been running my 250 at about the factory settings (-2 bars).

While I've just started playing with the 350, I had to take it down another bar (-3) in the same trashy area where I've been hunting with the 250 (too many signals for the larger coil otherwise). I tried taking the 350 down a couple more bars (-5), but started missing stuff.
 
Factory default settings on my 250 also, except that day two riding mowers were cutting grass across the street from my hunt. Holy cow what a mess that was! Dropped down to one bar and left soon after.

Nasty, trashpit of a site to begin with but I had to try it...
 
I took it out late last fall just to hear tones, before I bought my AT. I was in a lentil field that was as smooth as a babies bum. I had it full sens. In any other situation were I may hit plant life I usually dropped it down a couple of bars because of falsing. In mowed parks I could usually run one bar below max. Make sure that the coil wire is looped fairly snuggly up along the shaft, while still allowing coil flex\movement. A loose coil wire will slap the shaft and give (false) signals. I usually zip tie my coil wire in 4-5 spots but that is discretionary.
 
I just got my 350 10 days ago, so far only hunted on the beach and in the dry sand running -2 bars, wet sand -4 to 5 and disc just left of nickel. I even was able to get in the water (saltwater that is) shine deep.
 
Ace-350 Worked Great At The Beach!

I did my first beach hunt yesterday and ran it (Ace-350) at 7 bars of sensitivity. Walked over to the wet sand, 4-5 bars seemed to run fine. In the dry sand, deepest target was at about 6 inches. I've read that the 350 isn't good for the beach but I can't see how it could be much better, I think it worked great! I had "Iron" discriminated out.
 
For newer parks to coin shoot and find occasional jewelry: 2-3 bars

Most other parks/lawns: -2 bars

Old houses and fields: as high as it will go unless the area is real trashy.
 
I don't really see any real consensus here. is there a way to do an actual poll? i would interested as I use a 250.
 
angry1541 said:
I don't really see any real consensus here. is there a way to do an actual poll? i would interested as I use a 250.
Click to expand...

There is no consensus because there are different mineralization levels in the soil in different parts of the city, state, country, world... That make sense? The difference in mineralization determines what sensitivity to run.
 
old coin said:
I took it out late last fall just to hear tones, before I bought my AT. I was in a lentil field that was as smooth as a babies bum. I had it full sens. In any other situation were I may hit plant life I usually dropped it down a couple of bars because of falsing. In mowed parks I could usually run one bar below max. Make sure that the coil wire is looped fairly snuggly up along the shaft, while still allowing coil flex\movement. A loose coil wire will slap the shaft and give (false) signals. I usually zip tie my coil wire in 4-5 spots but that is discretionary.
Click to expand...

I wonder if this why I seem to get hits and dig and NOTHING is there...my wire is pretty loose.
 
angry1541 said:
I wonder if this why I seem to get hits and dig and NOTHING is there...my wire is pretty loose.
Click to expand...

More than likely.. I was ready to sell mine several years ago and this saved the day. Also, my coil wire at the connector was so taut that whenever I swung the coil, it pulled on the connector. This is the only place to leave a little slack. Also, a past detectorist, Mr. Bill, on another forum-a Garrett spokesman-found through trial and error the most functional setting for MOST situations was 4 bars sensitivity. But, as others have stated, I have found a FEW locations where I can really get the sensitivity up there. Also, as stated, some locations have, for whatever reason, large metal based objects and ground abnormalities that 3 bars is my max. The upside to this is that small obnoxious slaw/trash objects only give a blip of a signal and make hunting much faster.
 
I find my self picking up lots of foil at the beach, I have no discriminated it out because I feel I may miss something. Do you discrim the foil out? Tired of the gum wrappers!
 
Great forum, reading this in the last 10 mins I have learned a lot. Now comes the fun part trying to learn the tones and what is really down there.
 
In nice grass, lawns and Parks I run all metal -1 bar unless there is power wire someplace close then -2 -3 bars
Now in the woods I run full blast relic mode nothing notched out.. I know this is basicly all metal but I think there's more to the modes than just the notches. I know when I run -1 bar all metal inn the woods I dig way more rusty junk, but but with my woods set up I dig less junk and more things that are interesting. I do still get rusty iron but it's less of the unidentifiable iron and more of the iron you can show off.
I know digging the iron sucks but when your digging in the woods at a home site you got to just do to masking. There's been several times I dig down knowing it's going to be iron just to get it out and recheck the hole just to find something better hiding in there!
 
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