Considering Sovereign GT

[Tony in FL]

I have had an Excalibur II for about a year, really love it, and have found lots of goodies. I want to get a 2nd detector so that I have a backup detector in case Excalibur needs servicing as well as something to provide additional flexibility i.e. digital meter, switchable coil, etc. Finally having two machines provides the capability to take a friend/relative hunting who might not have one. I am leaning toward the Sovereign GT. First off, what do folks think about having both an Excal and Sovereign GT in their arsenal? Second, any idea why the digital meters seem so scare? I have not found any dealer who has them in stock.

Note that my Excal was acting up and I am at the one year mark (end of warranty), so I just sent it in for service. Considering it could be gone for months the issue of a backup detector is upon me. . . . .

 

[dbsmokey]

I decided to buy a Sovereign based on my liking of the excal 800. I like the Sovereign so far. I am not too impressed with the meter (yet), but it does sound so similar to the excal, not much adjustment is needed when it comes to audio target ID. I say go for it.

 

[Waterman]

I think you are on the right track considering the SOV/GT as a backup machine, I also went that route. Another machine to consider if you hunt the water is the DF PI, which is what I also purchased to find the deepies. With the SOV/GT you have a land Excalibur II with inter-changable coils to which a meter can be added to. Good Luck with your decision, it can be tough at times.

 

[dbsmokey]

What is a DF PI?

 

[Tony in FL]

I think you are on the right track considering the SOV/GT as a backup machine, I also went that route. Another machine to consider if you hunt the water is the DF PI, which is what I also purchased to find the deepies. With the SOV/GT you have a land Excalibur II with inter-changable coils to which a meter can be added to. Good Luck with your decision, it can be tough at times.

Yes, I was thinking along the lines of Sovereign GT, Dual Field PI, another Excalibur (but that seems like overkill), or perhaps even the Garrett AT Pro (if it is stable in wet sand/water). It is a tough decision.

 

[plugger]

n/t

 

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

GT

The best

Maybe a meter for the dirt

Beach....hip mount...waterproof box or chest mount.....u will never regret it

N m h o...the truth

 

[synthnut]

GDMax ,
I thought that you were hunting waterproof Explorers in the water ? .....Maybe i'm wrong ? .....Jim

 

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

i sold old frank 2 weeks ago and have converted se pro over
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<"))))><(
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http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1322439,1322439#msg-1322439

 

[Bling]

nothing is better for the salt beach! a cz21 is close but not as good on iron reject/id . dont need a meter,just dig by the tones just like the Excal...a PI is deeper but i dont want to spend time digging bobbi pins and nails...i want the GOLD!

 

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

n/t

 

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

n/t

 

[NamVetLesTreasureSeeker]

MAX, You're the BEST at trying to KEEP US INFORMED, SHOWING ILLUSTRATIONS of the Information, and I really ENJOY YOUR PICTURES too!!
MANY THANKS for ALL THE EFFORT and HARD WORK!! Les Robinson

 

[ToniSteve]

Yep, Max, he is great! Just the right mix of photos and text! Can't beat it. He is a bright beacon of good stuff and fun too. To bad the Lear does not have enough fuel to make it up here!

Best Regards,
Steve

 

[w6pea]

n/t

 

[synthnut]

On another positive note , if you choose the Sovereign GT or another Sovereign for your land machine, and you decide to get a little adventurous , you could always use the additional coils from the Sovereign , and cut them into your Excal !!..... ....Jim

 

[kered]

A picture paints a 1000 words, some write the words

following this with interest Max, keep us informed

 

[Tony in FL]

I have also been considering the E-Trac. I had initially thought the E-Trac was a much more expensive unit, but when you factor in all the accessories I would likely want to get with the Sovereign GT it paints another picture. I would likely want the digital meter, a cover for both the meter and control box in case I wanted to hunt when there was a chance of rain (in Florida, particularly during the summer, there is often a chance of rain in the forecast and such storms can kick up with little warning and then quickly disappear after a downpour), headphones, the boot covers to prevent sand intrusion, and the alkaline battery pack in case of being out on a long hunt. When buying the E-Trac it comes with much more standard accessories, so I would likely only need to be the inexpensive control box cover. Here is a breakdown:

Sovereign GT $789.95
Control Box Cover / Hipmount $34.44
Meter $213.84
Meter Cover $16.95
Headphones - Koss UR-30 $49.95
Alkaline Battery Pack $28.69
Boot Covers $20.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$1,153.82


E-Trac $1,498.95
Control Box Cover $8.95
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$1,507.90



Of course there will be some variance in pricing depending upon where I buy. However I started with Kellyco for pricing and what I could not find there I Googled elsewhere. I have an Excalibur II so I already posses a detector with Minelab's BBS technology. Considering the price difference between the Sovereign GT and E-Trac it makes me wonder if I should instead spend about $354 more and get Minelab's most cutting edge FBS detector.

Thoughts?

Tony

 

[Rick(ND)]

Tony,


The GT last I knew came with the alkaline pack, used to be the headphones and they switched to the alkaline pack. The meter is not included and feel they should have a GT Pro which would include the meter like the XS2 made a pro version that included the meter.

On the E-Trac I finally got one in I am able to keep and use again, sold my demo last spring and been without one all summer as they were back ordered. I love my Sovereigns and the GT is the best of them as they have done well for me, I feel I know them well so I can tell the good from the bad easy compared to the Explorers and the E-Trac, But the E-Trac is also doing better as I learn it more. I was able to take it out on Thursday to a well worked area with the GT and many other detectors and was able to pick up a 1940 wheatie and a 1905 IH I and others have missed before. This makes 3 IH and 10 wheaties with the E-trac in this site we missed before, so it is impressing me more and more. Being you have the Excalibur II and understand it then I would consider E-Trac to complement one another as you will have the best there is in my opinion.

 

[dbsmokey]

Tony,

Where do you get the boots for $20? That's cheaper than I can find them. Alternatively, you could buy a used Sovereign. I agree with the financial breakdown. I bought a meter. It broke. I don't really think I will use it after fixing it, though for two reasons. One, mounting it with my sunray probe is a pain! I have cords everywhere. I also don't believe I get good readings in the highly mineralized soil here in Oregon. Also, I think I can ID just as well with sound, plus I dig most targets that aren't iron, anyway. I don't regret buying the Sovereign, but maybe should have saved for an Etrac. I will still save for one, it is just going to take longer now