First time out with new Sovereign GT

[fwcrawford]

I got this Sovereign about 3 weeks ago, but have not been able to get out with it due to snow.
I finally got out for a short time this afternoon just to play with the controls and listen to the different tones and check the ID numbers.
I only hunted for about 30 minutes or so, but did find a quarter and a nickel.
I now understand about the comments about this detector giving up so much information and I am impressed with its operation.
The quarter ID'd as a solid 180 and the nickel ID'd as a 148.
I have seen the ID charts posted here stating a nickel coming in at 141-146.
I tried it on some targets at home just to compare numbers and noticed that the 3 nickels I was testing all came in at 148-149.
This is my first post on this forum although I have corresponded with a couple of guys concerning questions I had before buying this unit.
I may have some questions from time to time and hope to get some help which will be much appreciated.
This is different detector from what I now have and I look forward to learning as much as possible in using this machine to its full potential, but now I am just taking baby steps with it LOL!!
Thanks for looking,
Felix

 

[Critterhunter]

Band 2 on the GT is said to match older Sovereigns in the nickle range, where as band 1 is said to move them a bit. I did notice that my number range (look for my chart thread) was still different for nickles than what older charts I could dig up, as well as a few other coins. I'm anxious to scan in my silver 3 cent peice to see if that differs from what older charts listed them as too. When I get around to changing a few things in my chart I'll post another update of it. That's one reason why I don't trust other people's charts....the numbers on some stuff isn't matching up very well.

 

[gear box]

Hi Felix,welcome to the Sovereign family. Ask all the question's you want there are a lot of good people with lot's of experience with the Sovereign who are alway's willing to help. Just have some patience and go slow with it. I think the meter will really help you figure out the tones. After you hear a few hundred tones that turn out to be junk the good tones will stand out from the rest and it becomes much easier after that. And alway's dig the ones that you aren't sure of. If it got your attention enough to get you to think about in the first place then it's worth digging. I've walked away from enough iffy target's only to go back and dig it and found out it was a keeper. If it sound's iffy but the tone is climbing as are the numbers, then alway's dig it.
good luck with your new toy, Gary

 

[Critterhunter]

Very good advise. Don't care how long people have detected, with any new machine you need to dig everything for a while to learn the tones and numbers.

 

[Magyar]

Tried electrolysis to remove the "crust" ...didn't work with this one.

Finally had to use a hammer to remove it.

Still needs cleaning; date is 1942

Thanks for looking

Magyar

 

[Critterhunter]

That's about the most crusty silver I've ever seen. Electralysis will remove that junk but it will take longer. I'd let it run for a good hour or so in a big tub of salt water so the gummy water doesn't color the coin as it removes the junk. I've also heard you can heat up something like this and then throw it in cold water, which will shock most of that stuff off. Some relic hunters do that on iron objects. They'll stick them in a fire and then hit them with a hammer or throw it in water.

 

[go-rebels]

For some items, I'll run electolysis for days at a time at 0.25-0.50 amp draw. In fact that's how I discovered I dug a 1793 chain cent ten years ago using a Sov XS! It was just a unidentifiable crusty disk coming out of the ground. I'll post a pic if there is any interest.

 

[Magyar]

n/t

 

[go-rebels]

Lots of corrosion scarring but super rare nonetheless:

 

[fwcrawford]

Now that's an old coin!!
Not bad condition considering the age and how it looked when you found it.
I hope I pass my Sovereign over one like that sometime in the future.
Thanks for posting a photo of it.
Felix

 

[Magyar]

n/t

 

[go-rebels]

This Chain Cent was under electrolysis using a fixed 250mA cellphone battery charger for nearly one week. I have subsequently purchased an old Heathkit variable amperage power supply to run my electrolysis bath.

 

[Critterhunter]

That's older than my oldest coin. Great job. I built my own electralysis machine a while back for smaller items. A little salt water and it's good to go. I use hemos (not spelling that either) for both clips since they are stainless steel. Keeps the one holding my targets from going bad and also of course the other attracts all the junk. For big stuff you can use a motorcycle or car battery charger but it's got to be fairly low amps. I found an exploded musket barrel (which I have to retreive yet from the woods....very heavy) that I plan to do that with, then will paint it with Extend. It's pretty cool. The end of the barrel is flowered out in strips. I know it's not an old shotgun because the barrel hole is too big for even a 10 gauge. Found a barber half about ten feet away. Wonder if he blew part of his face off and didn't realize he dropped that coin.