Advice On First Metal Detector Please

A good beginners one is the Ace250 or the Ace 150, but be prepared to spend over $150 for one.

Cheers for the tips guys

I have just bid on an a second hand fully working ace 200 (from research the 250 is the newer version of the 200)

Thanks for the list of tips Craig, appreciate this :)

I know where I want to do my first attempt.
'Borough hill daventry' loads of history there if you want to google it.

A couple of questions:

I seen this statement:

Please be advised that Daventry District Council does not permit metal detecting in any council owned public open space.

Im guessing most places state this? do people still do it?

Also, what equipment is handy to have...

Metal detector
Bucket?
Gloves?
Spade?

Thanks

Thanks CC.

Although the terminology was even to advanced for me :)

The coil is the head of the detector I assume? And a pin pointer is another device that you use to siv through the dug up soil with to see where the metal is?

Going back to the dig then, My detector beeps at me, I work out where I think the metal is, I dig up about 30cm/ 12 inch circle... and about 10 inches down, then I siv through the dug up soil for the metal?
The bucket I was thinking to put my finds in, but I guess it could damage them?

Sorry if I am sounding dumb... I'm a complete newbie

Thanks for the advice, I'm looking forward to getting going.. just wish the heavy rain would stop long enough to go coin hunting :)

Merry Christmas!!

http://www.garrett.com/hobbysite/hb...-Ace-200.pdf
read carefully the better you know your machine the better will be your results.
Unless you can get the ACE200 for less than 75pounds I would suggest the ACE250 it has a built in pinpoint function.
Its called the Euro Ace 250 there I believe. Detectorists tend to be very brand loyal and like to promote their favorite manufacturer. If you can find a detector shop near you try out a few until you find the one that best suits you. Birmingham is the home of the UK's largest shop.

Thanks for your input guys, I did my first attempt today and found a weird green glass bottle? no metal as such lol.
I have posted this in metal detecting finds forum.

Nuggethill, wish I would have read your input before I went hunting today, I ended up digging various places and spent along time on 1 hole :S Didn't find anything definitely metal either!

nohope587: I got the Ace 200 for £60, but after a week of experimenting in my garden, I realised I couldn't feel confident in it and decided to order the Ace 250, I'm going to do a lot of research on it before my next trip to dig the dirt :)

Peter, Thanks for your input on this and also a few other of my posts. As above, I have invested in a 250 and also a decent pinpointer. Hopefully that will give me a better chance. I will get the book and join the federation you suggested.
The law is definitely something that I need to read into, I seen somewhere that Daventry (the town I live in) doesn't allow any detecting in public places, so this doesn't give me much room to detect. I was detecting nervously today, I don't want it to be like that.
I am no where near a beach, but if I was, it doesn't seem to me to be the best place to detect? I assume 99% of things found are things dropped by recent tourists? I want to find history, old coins etc.

Hopefully I can find out more from the book, rally and federation

Thanks