Critter, this is not directed at you as I know doing your tests is part of the fun of detecting for you. The word 'hype" is probably associated with Minelab more than any other brand out there because they are so different. This is not directed at everyone but maybe someone thinking about buying one and is just how my own experience on how relying on air tests or tests on freshly buried coins with my first Sovereign turned out. I bought my first Sovereign from Rick ND here on the forum years ago after reading his posts about how deep this new detector was finding coins. Like most people the first thing I did was do some air tests in my living room. What the *%$&(#%%? My old Whites hits the same dime twice as far. What a bunch of hype! Damn that Rick! Ok, calm down. Rick said that it goes deeper in the ground. I then bury the dime in my backyard at 8 inches. OK, this should be a cinch. What the &*$#@^%*? Nothing Nada! What a bunch of hype! Damn that Rick! OK, calm down. My settings must be wrong. Two days of trying every setting there is on that dime and what the#&%*@(? What a bunch of hype! Damn that Rick! Now I have no confidence in this detector but I'll give it one more chance at a old worked out park that everybody has hunted. Just one wheatie at 6 inches. %$#@*%&$! What a bunch of hype and damn tha.............well you know. I have no confidence that is any deeper than my other detectors now plus those funny tones bug me so It stayed in the closet for a few months and was later sold. Flash forward and I try the Sovereign again. No air testing, no backyard testing, no worked out park testing just testing to find the best method to set the sensitivity for the best performance in my bad ground and just enjoy learning the tones and hunting. Soon I'm digging coins deeper than any detector I've used and have enough confidence that it will find them deep if it goes over them. So much confidence that I sold all my other detectors. Damn that Rick! Turns out he was right.
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Air tests, freshly buried coins, hype and damn that Rick!
- Thread starter crazyman
- Start date
I'm behind the pack on this one. After the fourth Sovereign and out hunting everyone in the field I figured might have a great metal detector.By the way my first Sovereign an Elite and Original I bought at the same time.I liked the Original better.
I was just ready to post and ask if anyone gets out to use the Sovereign in the Field where it will excel on actual targets and not those doing all these air test and burying coin to see what it will do. I just don't see anyone posting any finds, but sure see them trying to figure out where to set the sensitivity and everyone having different ideas.
I am sure many don't agree with what I am going to say but the secret of the Sovereign is understanding this detector by actual using it. Some thing we learn by accident while some we learn from what we read on these forums, but you will learn more by actually using it in the field and trying different setting on those weak targets. Air test is worthless with the Sovereigns the same goes for those that bury coins and try to see how deep it can pick them up as you will see when you get some of those weak signals in actual hunts and cant believe how deep they are.
Here is a article I saved on my computer as to what I have learned and have posted it many time trying to get many new users to me not so disgusted with their Sovereign and get to use it more as it will all click one day and the Sovereign will start producing like many of us that have spent to time too learn them is telling you.
What I have learned with the Sovereign series of Minelab detectors
The Sovereigns are a different type of detectors and not like anything most have ever used. These do take some time to get used to and the biggest tip I can give it DON
I am sure many don't agree with what I am going to say but the secret of the Sovereign is understanding this detector by actual using it. Some thing we learn by accident while some we learn from what we read on these forums, but you will learn more by actually using it in the field and trying different setting on those weak targets. Air test is worthless with the Sovereigns the same goes for those that bury coins and try to see how deep it can pick them up as you will see when you get some of those weak signals in actual hunts and cant believe how deep they are.
Here is a article I saved on my computer as to what I have learned and have posted it many time trying to get many new users to me not so disgusted with their Sovereign and get to use it more as it will all click one day and the Sovereign will start producing like many of us that have spent to time too learn them is telling you.
What I have learned with the Sovereign series of Minelab detectors
The Sovereigns are a different type of detectors and not like anything most have ever used. These do take some time to get used to and the biggest tip I can give it DON
Critterhunter
New member
Printing out to read later. Think I'll enjoy this. Thanks. I don't mind contested theories at all. After all, that's how we learn so long as it's kept to the matter at hand and not allowed to get personal, which I'm not directing at you either. (Just read your first line, but will read the rest later printed out.) I don't care how wild or contrary an idea is to my beliefs, I enjoy reading other people's findings and the details involved in how they got there. If it pans out to look more solid of a theory or strategy than what I've found then I'll re-test or at least re-think my findings.
No she doesn't detect but she is the chief financial officer in my house and since future detector purchases have been put on hold since I got the Sovereigns she is happy. Those are good tips Rick. The Sovereign isn't complicated just different. There is just some basic things that are different with the Sovereign new users need to learn and practice and after some experience in the field it all starts making sense and the finds start coming. I'm still learning and every site can be different so rather than fiddling all the time with settings hoping to find some magic setting at each site I just set my sensitivity correctly for the ground and hunt. As far as finding the deepest targets as long as I keep my sweep speed steady to match my sensitivity setting whether it's set near max in clean areas or in auto in thick iron or trash it will find the deepest targets those settings and or ground will allow and that's all I need it to do.
Critterhunter
New member
Post some pics when you do the waterproof mod thing. I'm probably right behind you in waterproofing one, though I'll probably pick up an older Sovereign model to keep the cost way down, which is the whole point in doing a DIY waterproof unit. Any Sovereign model since that's all an Excalibur is anyway is going to out perform any machine on the market regardless of price for a water unit. The exception being a PI unit, of course, but we all know they have no discrimination like an Excal.