Brand new Elite having issues !

[Troy]

Hello all,
I am a new Sov. Elite owner, I have wanted one since they came out and recently stumbled into a deal on a new in box unit. I got it from a reputable source so I am not worried if it needs repair. The only other detector I have is a 1280X so it very well could be an operator issue! I put the Elite together and installed the batteries (also brand new duracell) It is a totally stock unit with meter and 10" tornado coil. When I turned the unit on it went EHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN and nothing I switched or adjusted would change the threshold (except a minor increase when you turned the threshold all the way). The numbers on the meter will not change when passed over a target and the noise will not change as well. If you take the meter out of the circuit the unit seems to work fine. Being able to adjust threshold and detect a target. Being an automotive tech who loves electrical problems my rational mind would automatically assume the meter is malfunctioning. However my diagnostic mind knows what happens when one assumes something about an electrical circuit that one knows nothing about. So I ask you is the problem man or machine?
Thanks,
Troy

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Suspect a short in the meter cable connector.

I't's possible, but not probable to have a short in the meter itself.

If you can get the connector apart, check for bad connections and stray wire strands.

If you don't see a problem there, send it to Minelab.

HH

 

[Art (NWOH)]

An afterthought here.........

Possible that the problem is in the coil connector.......
Could be that the cable has to be twisted just right for the problem to show up.

Try wiggling the cables near the connectors to see if anything happens.

Other than that, I can't think of any other source of the problem than the meter/ cable assembly.

HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

All indication show it is in the meter or cable like Art mentioned leading too the control box if the Elite works good without the meter. Now I would check the connections and also wiggle the wires a little to see if it can make a difference too. One more thing when I first read the first part of this post was it acted like the batteries were low as it sounds like the low battery alert. Even though these are new battery's you may have a bad one or one in the pack backwards so it is not getting enough voltage. I know it works good without the meter, but for how long as I am sure the meter is drawing some current from the circuit too and may just be enough to cause the low battery alert, so to be on the safe side check the batteries out too and make sure you don't use rechargeable in the alkaline battery pack as it only hold 8 not 10 it needs to works with rechargeable. Like I say this what the low battery alert sounds like too so it would be nice to check it out too, but it actually sounds like the meter or cable giving the problem, but like you say somethings can fool you too so you got to think of all possibilities.

 

[Troy]

Thank you Art,
I took the meter connector apart and sure enough the black wire had been pushed over and was touching the center pin. I repositioned it put it back together and it it works perfect!! now the long slow process of learning how to use this thing. The 1280X has been great you just turn it on and go dig. the Elite has all these switches and doohickeys to learn and I can't wait! Thanks again !!
Troy

 

[Troy]

n/t

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Just info.......

The black wire is one of the active transmit lines (the other is red).
The center pin (#6) and pin #3 are both grounds.

Take your time. You can hunt mostly by sound only once you get used to it.

HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

Troy,

The Elite may have a lot of switch and such, but it is really not that hard with Little patience to learn the tones. One switch the Elite has the XS2a had too and now it is not on the new GT you may never use. That is the one for multi tone or single tone, the secret to the ID of the Sovereign is the multi tones to ID your target, so it is a switch you may never need. The freq switch is for when you get into area with another Sovereign so no cross talk or electrical interference, most find freq 2 works the best for normal hunting and the nickles read correctly as freq 1 they read a bit higher while the other coins read the same,
The disc control and the notch control most run all the way counterclockwise so you hear everything but the iron which will null out. If need to be you can turn up the disc to maybe the 10 o'clock position and if you are in a pull tab infested area you can use the notch and get rid of the most common one. What you do while swinging the coil over a pull tab just turn the notch control until the pull tab nulls or breaks up so you know it is a trash item. Just remember the notch is for any item higher than the disc is set for and if you max out the notch and the disc you will still get screw caps and new zinc pennies as IH read in the same area. I find when I am in a real bad pull tab area and get tired of listening to them I will turn my notch to max as it will take care of the worst ones.
You will probably be intimidated by all the tones and how the threshold changes, but this is the Sovereign language that takes a little to get used to for some. Remember the threshold will null on iron and come back with a low pitched growl and stay like this until it sees the next target, then the tone changes and the threshold will be of that tone, but not as loud until it sees the next target. In my area it seems to be more of the low pitch growl of iron for the threshold as it sees it more often. Also being it see so much more you will have to swing the coil slower and you can swing too fast and miss deeper target, but you cant swing to slow. On the weaker and deeper signal you may just hear a slight tone change and by going over back and forth just that target you will get the tone to start climbing and locking on the meter. Being it is a small area you may only be moving the coil less than a inch, this is called the Sovereign wiggle as that is basically what you are doing.
This is a fun detector once you learn it and I feel you will really enjoy the Sovereign for coin hunting without digging all the trash that read as a coin on many detectors as you will have the tone ID and the meter to pick out the close tones your ears may not be able to.

Good luck

Rick

 

[Troy]

I run my 1280 (in the water of course) with 0 disc and the sensitivity maxed so I'm used to swinging real slow to avoid falsing and doing the wiggle to pinpoint a very faint deep signal. However the 1280 is a monotone machine so I expect that it will take a while to learn the language of the Elite (I've been waiting years to find out what the heck "null" is or sounds like!). I have some spots in the woods that I have hunted with the 1280 but they are full of iron and the 1280 LOVES iron right down to nearly microscopic bits. I have pulled out a few IH pennies and one silver franklin (with a bullet hole in it, hope it wasn't in someones pocket). I look forward to learning the elite and going over some of these areas. I'm sure I'll be posting regularly saying what does this or that mean or being frustrated saying that this detector is a piece of junk (when it is really my inexperience).
Troy

 

[Mr.Bill]

Hi Troy

Sorry that you had problems. That's what I get for not setting it up before I brought it over to you. Shame on me.

I did have another meter at the shop, too. Oh well, I'm glad it all worked out.

Un-fortunately the weather isn't cooperating for you this weekend either. At least it's warm out there.

Later

Mr. Bill

P.S.: Drop by sometime after work this week with the detector, I can go over a few things with you about it.