How to Ground-Balance a Garrett Ace 250

The Garrett Ace 250 is a portable handheld metal detector that enables you to discover coins, precious metals and other artifacts in a variety of environments. Because the mineral content of search areas will vary, knowing how to navigate the settings of the Ace 250 can help you maximize your chances of success. This includes the process of ground balancing, which involves using the discrimination settings to allow the detector to function at an optimal level for the area you are searching.

Go to an area lacking any visible metal objects, buildings or other structures to avoid interference during the process of ground balancing. Press "PWR" to power on the Ace 250 and press "Mode" (repeatedly, if necessary) to select the "All-Metal" mode.

Press the left ("minus") side of the "Sensitivity" button to set the detector on the lower end of the sensitivity scale -- the higher settings are recommended only when searching for very small and/or deep targets.

Hold the search coil of the Ace 250 about 2 feet off the ground. Slowly lower the search coil toward the surface. If an audible signal is produced, the detector is likely picking up a particular mineral that is prevalent in the ground.

Press the left or right side of the "Discrim" button to move the cursor on the lower scale of the LCD display to the position directly under the section on the upper scale that lit up when the mineral was detected. Press "Elim" to eliminate that cursor on the lower scale, which will instruct the detector to ignore that type of mineral when searching.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 if necessary until the detector remains silent when lowering it toward the ground. Begin searching the area with the detector at its normal position of 1 to 2 inches off the ground.