Open Box Garrett ACE Apex Metal Detector with 6 x 11 in Viper Coil

An open box Garrett ACE Apex with the 6 x 11 inch Viper coil brings multi-frequency flexibility to detectorists who search parks, older properties and beaches, at a discount and with Garrett's 3-year warranty. It runs four single frequencies, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kHz, plus Multi-Frequency and Multi-Salt, with built-in Z-Lynk wireless and a searchcoil and lower stem Garrett rates fully submersible.

What is in the box with this open box Garrett ACE Apex

Garrett's standard contents for the ACE Apex (Garrett part 1142320)

• Garrett ACE Apex control box on the S-shaped stem, with built-in Z-Lynk wireless transmitter and rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Armrest with armrest strap
• Upper and lower stem, connected, with push-pin locks and camlocks
• 6 x 11 inch DD Multi-Flex Viper searchcoil with coil cover installed
• Searchcoil mounting hardware: nut, bolt and mounting washers
• Micro-USB charging cable
• Quick-Start Guide

About this open box Garrett ACE Apex

Our open box Garrett ACE Apex is sold at a discount. Garrett's 3-year warranty applies, the same as on a new ACE Apex. Every open box and demo detector we have is in our open box collection.

Multi-Frequency, Multi-Salt and single frequencies

Multi-Frequency is the sensible starting point for general detecting. In an older park, silver coins, copper coins, small gold jewelry, aluminum trash and rusty iron all respond differently, and running several frequencies at once gives a versatile starting point for that broad range of targets. Multi-Salt, labeled MS on the menu, uses a blend of frequencies to help overcome the negative effects of saltwater beaches, where sand saturated with conductive salt water produces signals that interfere with buried metal. Garrett notes that lower frequencies generally do better on larger, more conductive targets such as large silver coins, and higher frequencies on smaller, less conductive targets such as hammered silver coins and gold nuggets. We would not change frequencies constantly without a reason, and simultaneous multi-frequency does not identify every target correctly: target size, orientation, mineralization and nearby metal still affect the result.

Ground balance, Iron Audio and target ID

• Ground balance: automatic, with 175 points of ground balance resolution ranging from ferrous ground to saltwater, the same resolution Garrett gives the Garrett AT Max. Moving from mild park soil to more mineralized ground, ground balancing helps compensate for the soil's own signals, but severe ground can still reduce detection performance.
• Iron Audio: lets you hear discriminated iron that is normally silenced, which Garrett says helps identify complex iron objects such as bottle caps. We would treat it as an additional clue rather than a definitive identification: some iron still gives misleading responses, and a good target lying near iron can produce a complicated signal.
• Iron Volume: eight adjustments lower the volume of iron targets while non-ferrous targets stay at normal volume.
• Discrimination and search modes: twenty pixels of notch discrimination, including eight pixels of iron, and six search modes: Zero, Coins, US Coins (with coin icons), Jewelry, Relics and Custom, plus Pinpoint. For jewelry we would avoid excessive discrimination, because gold jewelry can respond like aluminum trash.
• Target ID and audio: large 0 to 99 Target ID numbers on a backlit LCD, five audible tones, a target depth indicator and a hybrid audio system that adds subtle proportional audio for faint targets to the binary audio of earlier ACE detectors. A faint signal is not always a deep target, and a Target ID number is not a guarantee, so we would dig a variety of repeatable signals while learning.

The 6 x 11 inch DD Viper searchcoil

Garrett describes the 6 x 11 inch DD Multi-Flex Viper as a narrow coil with excellent maneuverability and depth that allows excellent target separation in trashy areas, with a sleek profile that slides into cramped areas between rocks, roots and crop stubble. It balances ground coverage and maneuverability: the 11 inch length covers a reasonable amount of ground with each sweep, while the narrow 6 inch width works around obstacles and closely spaced targets. That suits older parks where coins, aluminum trash, bottle caps and rusty iron lie close together, ground around old foundations and abandoned farmhouses, and mixed terrain. Around a difficult signal we would use short, controlled sweeps and check the target again after turning 90 degrees. The Viper does not reliably separate every good target from nearby iron, and it does not automatically add depth; its advantage is the balance between coverage and target separation. The entire coil can be submerged, the coil cover protects it from scratches and wear, it weighs 1.3 lbs out of the box, and it works only with Garrett Apex detectors. See our metal detector search coils.

Z-Lynk wireless audio on the Garrett ACE Apex

Every ACE Apex has a built-in Z-Lynk wireless transmitter, which Garrett says is up to 6 times faster than Bluetooth. Garrett says any Garrett Z-Lynk wireless product is compatible with the ACE Apex, including Garrett Z-Lynk wireless headphones and the PRO-Pointer AT Z-Lynk pinpointer. Bluetooth headphones do not work with it, because Z-Lynk is Garrett's own technology, and Garrett's WR-1 Z-Lynk receiver module lets wired headphones work wirelessly. Wired headphones plug into the 1/8 inch (3 mm) jack, and a 1/4 inch plug needs a 1/8 to 1/4 inch adapter; the volume control covers both the built-in speaker and headphones. Over several hours in a park, kneeling again and again to recover targets, Z-Lynk headphones remove the cable between your head and the detector, though wireless audio does not change detection depth or target identification. See our metal detector headphones.

Water and beach use with the Garrett ACE Apex

Garrett says the ACE Apex searchcoil and lower stem are fully submersible, but the control box should never be submerged. The control box is rainproof: Garrett builds it to keep rain and blowing rain out of the housing, provided the rubber covers are firmly seated in the USB and headphone openings. That makes the ACE Apex a good fit for wet sand, the water's edge and shallow creeks and swimming areas, with the control box kept dry and above the waterline. For someone who wants to wade deep or submerge the complete detector, the ACE Apex is not the appropriate choice; see our waterproof metal detectors.

Battery, weight and build

A built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives up to approximately 15 hours of use, depending on settings, so a full day on a large property needs no spare batteries, but the detector must be recharged before the next outing. Garrett lists a recharge time of 4 hours from any USB port with the detector off, longer if it is on, and recommends charging for 4 to 5 hours before first use; the rapid charging system needs 500 mA for the fastest charge. The aluminum stem adjusts from 40 to 53 inches (1.016 to 1.35 m) with push-pin locks and camlocks. Garrett lists the ACE Apex at 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg) with the Viper coil, light enough for several hours of swinging across a park or farm field, though lower weight is about comfort and portability, not detection depth. Garrett makes its metal detectors in America.

Getting started with the Garrett ACE Apex

We would start in Multi-Frequency with a factory search mode such as Coins, then explore single frequencies, Iron Volume and Custom settings as you learn the sounds. One mistake to avoid is assuming maximum sensitivity always gives the best results. Near electrical equipment, where the detector starts producing random signals, more sensitivity can make the problem worse; we would first try a different frequency channel and then reduce sensitivity if needed, because a stable detector makes genuine target responses easier to recognize.

Garrett ACE Apex specifications

Garrett covers the ACE Apex with a 3-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship.

For our full Garrett ACE Apex guide, settings advice and comparisons, see the Garrett ACE Apex collection.