180 & 550 Meters Sovereign ID Charts

[Guvner]

180 & 550 ID CHARTS. If I missed any other charts for the 180 or 550 meter somebody please post the links!

Some ID charts for the 180 meters on the Sovereign. Use Noise Band 2 on your GT as it will match things like nickels on the older charts for older Sovereigns. Using band 1 can make nickels and other mid range conductors read a little off compared to these charts and older Sovereigns.

The first chart below was using noise band 2 on the GT and the DigiSearch 180 meter, but all meters should match each other just fine, and as said the older charts below this first one will match older Sovereigns if you use Noise Band 2 on your GT.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1131790,page=1

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,607904,607904#msg-607904

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,588167,588167#msg-588167

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,279136,279136#msg-279136

Here's a chart for the older 550 meters...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,666901,666901#msg-666901

Thanks for the input Critterhunter...

Guvner..

 

[imalookin2]

Thanks for the charts! I was hoping someone familiar with the 550 meter would reply. Mine has been converted to 180 and it does false a lot with normal salt settings I use. I can hunt at sensitivity set around 1o'clock without the meter. With the meter I have to turn it down to about 3 o'clock. I heard the newer meters built for 180 do not do this. Does anyone know why and is this your experience with the converted meter? It does not seem to do this as much on dirt but I rarely hunt dirt. Thanks!

 

[deepdiger60]

180.0 meter

 

[asanaman]

I would like to ask... Since I have an Elite, with a 550 Digi-Meter, neither of the posts, charts or suggestions appear to work for me. When I try to calibrate it to a quarter, it will only show as high about 540-546 bouncing. It doesn't matter whether Band 1 or Band 2 is chosen. I have tried the 8' Tornado and the 10", with no obvious change to reasonably see a relationship.

In order to get some resemblance of the charts. I have instead, set the mid-point to calibrate to 500, where I have tried to learn it using the target ID's by sound and digging.

It seems to me the meter doesn't have the range, or maybe a 'bad' batch of these particular meters came out with this unit. Can anyone give me guidance where I may be doing something wrong.

The machine is absolutely a great unit to operate, but the reading and research I have done doesn't help in the area of 'numbers to meter' relationship for my unit.

With respect to me posting this question and seeing where some do not appreciate those whowould rather read than post, I am at a loss on this meter thing. I have learned the tonal subleties, and can hunt well this way with the Elite. I am not unfamiliar with Detectors, and learned by way of beep and dig variable tone changes... Graduating from a Garrett Groundhog, Tesoros Units, E-Trac, Safari, 2 Excaliburs, Whites' V3 Original, Fisher F75 LTD, CZ6A, and 2 PI's.. I really appreciate the Elite, because it does do very well, and maybe I should be quiet about the 'Meter', but I also appreciate the both worlds of 'tone and meter' accessibility. Is there an alternative solution with this meter, buy a new meter... Thanks to all who do provide their expertise in all forums at this site, and please know I do not post very much at all, and as you can see 'writing' is not my thing... Any suggestions are appreciated, and well taken, with respect to your years of experience, so I would like to say "thanks in advance" for any response...

K

 

[Critterhunter]

Sounds to me like your POT calibration on the meter is bad since it won't calibrate as high as 550. There are conversion kits to convert it to a 180 meter, which I would do if I were you. Most people think the 550 meter is too unstable with target IDs. Just has too much resolution. A 180 meter will lock on to targets in trash or at depth better and give you a much more solid number.

 

[asanaman]

Thanks Critter,

I appreciate that suggestion. I thought about the conversion, and let that go, and now I guess I am gonna have to get a 180 if I can find one. This Elite really is GOOD, and after getting the E-Trac want to Focus on these two machines. I have learned a lot by sounds, but I want my Elite better. Again, thanks for the idea, and if you know of a good place to obtain a 180 meter, or suggest a an alternative, it is most appreciated.

K

 

[imalookin2]

Thanks Critter,

I appreciate that suggestion. I thought about the conversion, and let that go, and now I guess I am gonna have to get a 180 if I can find one. This Elite really is GOOD, and after getting the E-Trac want to Focus on these two machines. I have learned a lot by sounds, but I want my Elite better. Again, thanks for the idea, and if you know of a good place to obtain a 180 meter, or suggest a an alternative, it is most appreciated.

K

I would think you could have the meter made to 180 with a new pot pretty reasonable. PM ron from michigan, he also makes meters. There are others that do this too but I hear ron is one of the better electronics guys and knows how to do it. You may have corrosion on the pc board. Heard this is a common problem. Good luck!

 

[Rick(ND)]

There is another possibility if you can not get the meter to go higher than 550 and that is the coarse calibration inside the meter being off. When this 180 mod is done and before it is put back together one has to hook it back up and set the calibration control on the back to center position, then run a quarter by the coil and adjust the one inside control to read 180 or close as you can get, this way the one on the back of the meter can be adjusted as you need it for different coils you may try.
If you need the parts to do the mod from 550 to 180 I have some here as I got many extras.

Rick

 

[Ron from Michigan]

K,the meter is going to have to be taken apart to adjust the internal pot.I would get with Rick for both the parts and work for a conversion.HH Ron

 

[asanaman]

[size=medium]To all that responded... THANKS!!!!!

Got a little "ball-sie" and opened the meter.... I found very little if any dust, corrosion or incidental damage to meter board itself. I adjusted the internal POT to find 'range of scale' and got the Quarter to dial in at 550.... Man that was sooo easy... Now with respect to continuing, for a 180 mod or a totally new meter, which is the best option. Considering money is not the object, but the dependability and quality of change...

Critter, - with respect to your suggestion... DEAD ON... POT was way off - If the 180 brings the numbers to a stable state, then I will buy or mod this unit, pending the results of the statement below. If I see you all agree on the best move, it shall be done.. LOL... Anyway, I want this machine operating at it's best...

Imalookin2.. - Thanks, I took the chance myself as you can see, and will PM Ron for guidance..

Rick, Thanks for the offer on the parts for conversion, (read below if you will)

and Ron... very good guidance & well said... I do appreciate the help, more than you know.

If the mod is the more stable is it better?
Is a new Meter the best alternative?[/size]

 

[Critterhunter]

Converting that meter to 180 should work just as well as any 180 meter. There are a few who like using the 550 scale as it gives them more resolution of mid range targets and such, but 180 is more stable and you still have a much higher resolution on targets than most machines on the market, if not all. You could also just buy one of Ron's 180 homemade meters for like $60.

 

[Critterhunter]

I'd just use your meter for a while now and see how you like it. Might turn out you are one of those people who prefers the 550 meter. Or, how about trading it to Ron with a little cash to get one of his 180 meters?

 

[Critterhunter]

Here's another 550 meter chart. Didn't look to see if it was different from the one listed above but at first glance it looks like it is...Looks more extensive in it's listings...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1166467

 

[Critterhunter]

For anybody looking for a meter Minelab stopped making the current one and no other company is either. If you scroll up a few messages you can see the one Ron makes for people here and there out of his house and from what I hear it works great. He's doing a great service for the Sovereign community.

 

[Critterhunter]

Hey Ron, when you get the Sovereign models list done in that sticky I was wondering if you'd think it would be a good idea to compile pictures and pros/cons of the various meters that various companies have made over the years. If anybody has any pictures of any meters how about posting them along with a brief description of that meter. Then Ron can delete/edit down this thread like he is doing in the Sovereign model sticky.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Thanks Critter,

I appreciate that suggestion. I thought about the conversion, and let that go, and now I guess I am gonna have to get a 180 if I can find one. This Elite really is GOOD, and after getting the E-Trac want to Focus on these two machines. I have learned a lot by sounds, but I want my Elite better. Again, thanks for the idea, and if you know of a good place to obtain a 180 meter, or suggest a an alternative, it is most appreciated.

K

I would think you could have the meter made to 180 with a new pot pretty reasonable. PM ron from michigan, he also makes meters. There are others that do this too but I hear ron is one of the better electronics guys and knows how to do it. You may have corrosion on the pc board. Heard this is a common problem. Good luck!

I bought the kit to re do the 550 to 180 on Ebay for 11 dollars it took about 10 minutes to do.You could buy the parts for about 5 bucks yourself at any electronics store! Very easy to do!

 

[Critterhunter]

A re-post of my reply that sometimes comes up about an error in the Minelab manual on calibration to the 180 meter...

"Yes, that's a Minelab misprint to calibrate to 170. I think they did that to not "copy" the other meters that were popular saying 180 on a dime or quarter, after Minelab left the somewhat unpopular 540 (or is it 550?) meter that was too jumpy to most due to too high of resolution. 180 is what you want to calibrate to."

 

[Critterhunter]

Thought this would be useful in this meter sticky...

Let the machine "warm up" for about five or six minutes or so before messing with the meter. I find that if I adjust it right at power up I have to re-calibrate several minutes later as the machine reaches what is called "steady state" in the HVAC field. Not going to hurt things to adjust it right off the bat, but it might be off a bit once the machine warms up, so check again after about ten minutes or so to see if things are still reading right. That's why I tell people to never mess with the meter after power up until it gets ran for a bit, as chances are it will read right when things warm up so long as you haven't bumped the calibration pot. It's not a good idea to keep tweaking with that pot all the time, as pots have a limited life based on the number of times they are adjusted. The more you play with them, the more they develop dead spots and thus make it harder and harder to calibrate.

 

[blewis63]

Hi,

I just joined this forum and i own a sovereign. I would like to purchase one of Ron's meters. Can someone send me his contact information. Thanks.

Bob

 

[deepdiger60]

Hi Bob welcome to the forum you can PM Ron from Michigan he is man with the meter he also is the Mod of this forum he makes a great 180 meter . Jim