Rick (SJCA)
New member
Hello Rick (ND),
Not sure if you saw my last post to you about 1 1/2 or 2 months ago. But I finally couldn't wait any more and modified my GT with the remote switch, as I was going crazy without a switch. I, also, finally took the plunge and bought a Minelab meter for it, thanks to your report on the Patriot meter and the use of any meter for your type of hunting style. Although I mostly dig everything, it sure it nice to have the meter when I'm pressed for time and want to look for something specific.
I'm sure enjoying the GT now, more than ever, with remote switch and meter. The other day I pulled a wheatie out at 8-inches and it ID it correctly (Sun Ray S-8 coil). When I was modifying my GT (a two evening process), I had to use my MXT during lunch hour for a short 30 minute hunt at a local park, because my GT was still cracked open on my desk at home, and I have to admit that I was sure missing my GT. Don't get me wrong, as I still like my MXT a lot, and there are places and situations where it will out shine the GT, but I'm sure getting hooked on the GT; definitely more than I thought I would.
I saw one of your post and notice you stating you have a Uniprobe. How do you like it? I have a Sun Ray probe for both my MXT and GT. I am considering getting a Uniprobe for a back up probe or when I want to lighten the load of either detector by taking the Sun Ray off from time to time, but they sure are expense. Do you think they are worth it? Does it false a lot (I'm thinking how the bullseye, Auto Max and similar types do that) Which do you like better; Sun Ray or Uniprobe? Do you have the loop/rod set up for it to use a detector? If so, how well do it work? I have a Surf Master PI I use quite often when at the beach. Just wondering if the Surf Master went down for some reason, would the Uniprobe set up work as well? Of course, at that price for the whole setup, I might as well buy another PI Pro.
Now that you have use your GT for a bit, what are your thoughts about it? Any regrets? Would you rather have your Elite to hunt with instead? Has the GT surprised you yet? Any comparisons with some of the guys with Explorer II or Quatrros? This is my first Sovereign and a first for any Minelab, so I have nothing to compare it with, just trying to learn it own characteristic. So far, every signal I get or my friend gets with his Quattro, we both can detect it. I do notice that the GT seems to respond to iron more than his Quattro. Off to the edge of some iron targets, I can get them to wind up on the tone, but then when it comes to centering (pin pointing mode), I notice that I'm off to the side of the target a bit. But with his Quattro, it just nulls the whole time. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing about the GT. Does yours do the same thing? I can't say that this is the correct way to ID iron, because I'm afraid of a good target might be next to the iron. Have you found a good target next to iron yet with the GT? Did it respond differently than just iron winding up on tone? Was centering the target different from discriminate mode to all metal pin point mode? Have you discovered a trick way to differentiate between to two situations if your GT is doing the same thing like mine?
Here is a description of my modified GT. I used the same switch that Whites uses for the MXT, DFX, XLT etc. Pulling the trigger brings it into pinpoint mode, releasing it turn it back to iron mask on and pushing the trigger forward turns off iron mask. I did this as there are times when I find hunting without iron mask on is actually better. I, also, put in a reverse switch in the control box on the front panel so I can hunt in all metal by pushing the trigger forward and center is still iron mask on and pulling it turns off iron mask. This way, in situations like Golden Gate park, where the GT goes nuts with discrimination on (because all the interferences from the big city) and I have to back the sensitivity down to nothing just to calm it down and depth is greatly sacrificed, I can choose this mode and not really loose that depth. I'm not sure if you have noticed this, but the All metal/ Pin point (or even better, the 'track') mode can hold a more stable threshold in situation describe above and you can still keep sensitivity up, as I have noticed that the sensitivity knob affects both all metal modes and discriminate modes. Then, once a target is located, check with discrimination, to decide if you should dig it or not. This isn't always that easy if the machine is really going crazy in the discriminate mode, but at least you know you are over a target and might be able to tell if it is the target causing the tone change versus the interference (plus interference, at times, causes the machine to go up and down on tone, and not stay around a certain tone range like a good target would). Of course, very weak, weak signals will be hard to tell if the interference is greater than the target signal, so those I just dig once heard in all metal, since I can't tell what it is in the discriminate mode (target signal versus interference); just to make sure I didn't pass something good. It is weird but the volume knob on mine also affects the threshold stability in all metal/pin point mode. I usually keep it 3/4 up or less in that mode, as anything greater causes it fluctuate too much to differentiate between a weak target or the fluctuating threshold. Does yours do this? However, in 'Track' mode and all metal, it isn't affect as much by the volume control (and it seems to have a more stable threshold), which is why I have been using this mode more and more, when interference won't allow me to use the discriminate mode.
On very weak signals, does your meter read a little higher than the actual target, at times? It doesn't stay up higher than the actual target for long but fluctuates between a range of numbers. For example, a nickel, if it is on the fringe of being detected, doing the sovereign wiggle, I can get it to read anywhere between 130-135 on the lower end to 155-159 on the high end. On the average, when looking at the changing numbers, you can tell that it is mostly averaging out and hanging around the 140 range, but it is certainly up and down a bit.
And my last question. When pin pointing weak signals, do you find that you can detect a target in discriminate mode deeper than it can detect in all metal mode? There have been many times that I can't pin point a target in all metal (no change in threshold at all), but yet hear it in discriminate mode. It is, also, weird that there are times when I can't hear a threshold change in pin point mode, but then switch to 'track mode/all metal' and can hear a real obvious change in threshold to know where to dig. This doesn't always work either, but has helped quite a bit in tough situations on determining where to dig. Do you have any suggestions when nether of these tricks don't work?
Any ways, that is all for now. Thank again for all your expertise and answering my questions, as I greatly appreciate them.
Take care and God Bless.
Sincerely,
Rick (SJCA)
Not sure if you saw my last post to you about 1 1/2 or 2 months ago. But I finally couldn't wait any more and modified my GT with the remote switch, as I was going crazy without a switch. I, also, finally took the plunge and bought a Minelab meter for it, thanks to your report on the Patriot meter and the use of any meter for your type of hunting style. Although I mostly dig everything, it sure it nice to have the meter when I'm pressed for time and want to look for something specific.
I'm sure enjoying the GT now, more than ever, with remote switch and meter. The other day I pulled a wheatie out at 8-inches and it ID it correctly (Sun Ray S-8 coil). When I was modifying my GT (a two evening process), I had to use my MXT during lunch hour for a short 30 minute hunt at a local park, because my GT was still cracked open on my desk at home, and I have to admit that I was sure missing my GT. Don't get me wrong, as I still like my MXT a lot, and there are places and situations where it will out shine the GT, but I'm sure getting hooked on the GT; definitely more than I thought I would.
I saw one of your post and notice you stating you have a Uniprobe. How do you like it? I have a Sun Ray probe for both my MXT and GT. I am considering getting a Uniprobe for a back up probe or when I want to lighten the load of either detector by taking the Sun Ray off from time to time, but they sure are expense. Do you think they are worth it? Does it false a lot (I'm thinking how the bullseye, Auto Max and similar types do that) Which do you like better; Sun Ray or Uniprobe? Do you have the loop/rod set up for it to use a detector? If so, how well do it work? I have a Surf Master PI I use quite often when at the beach. Just wondering if the Surf Master went down for some reason, would the Uniprobe set up work as well? Of course, at that price for the whole setup, I might as well buy another PI Pro.
Now that you have use your GT for a bit, what are your thoughts about it? Any regrets? Would you rather have your Elite to hunt with instead? Has the GT surprised you yet? Any comparisons with some of the guys with Explorer II or Quatrros? This is my first Sovereign and a first for any Minelab, so I have nothing to compare it with, just trying to learn it own characteristic. So far, every signal I get or my friend gets with his Quattro, we both can detect it. I do notice that the GT seems to respond to iron more than his Quattro. Off to the edge of some iron targets, I can get them to wind up on the tone, but then when it comes to centering (pin pointing mode), I notice that I'm off to the side of the target a bit. But with his Quattro, it just nulls the whole time. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing about the GT. Does yours do the same thing? I can't say that this is the correct way to ID iron, because I'm afraid of a good target might be next to the iron. Have you found a good target next to iron yet with the GT? Did it respond differently than just iron winding up on tone? Was centering the target different from discriminate mode to all metal pin point mode? Have you discovered a trick way to differentiate between to two situations if your GT is doing the same thing like mine?
Here is a description of my modified GT. I used the same switch that Whites uses for the MXT, DFX, XLT etc. Pulling the trigger brings it into pinpoint mode, releasing it turn it back to iron mask on and pushing the trigger forward turns off iron mask. I did this as there are times when I find hunting without iron mask on is actually better. I, also, put in a reverse switch in the control box on the front panel so I can hunt in all metal by pushing the trigger forward and center is still iron mask on and pulling it turns off iron mask. This way, in situations like Golden Gate park, where the GT goes nuts with discrimination on (because all the interferences from the big city) and I have to back the sensitivity down to nothing just to calm it down and depth is greatly sacrificed, I can choose this mode and not really loose that depth. I'm not sure if you have noticed this, but the All metal/ Pin point (or even better, the 'track') mode can hold a more stable threshold in situation describe above and you can still keep sensitivity up, as I have noticed that the sensitivity knob affects both all metal modes and discriminate modes. Then, once a target is located, check with discrimination, to decide if you should dig it or not. This isn't always that easy if the machine is really going crazy in the discriminate mode, but at least you know you are over a target and might be able to tell if it is the target causing the tone change versus the interference (plus interference, at times, causes the machine to go up and down on tone, and not stay around a certain tone range like a good target would). Of course, very weak, weak signals will be hard to tell if the interference is greater than the target signal, so those I just dig once heard in all metal, since I can't tell what it is in the discriminate mode (target signal versus interference); just to make sure I didn't pass something good. It is weird but the volume knob on mine also affects the threshold stability in all metal/pin point mode. I usually keep it 3/4 up or less in that mode, as anything greater causes it fluctuate too much to differentiate between a weak target or the fluctuating threshold. Does yours do this? However, in 'Track' mode and all metal, it isn't affect as much by the volume control (and it seems to have a more stable threshold), which is why I have been using this mode more and more, when interference won't allow me to use the discriminate mode.
On very weak signals, does your meter read a little higher than the actual target, at times? It doesn't stay up higher than the actual target for long but fluctuates between a range of numbers. For example, a nickel, if it is on the fringe of being detected, doing the sovereign wiggle, I can get it to read anywhere between 130-135 on the lower end to 155-159 on the high end. On the average, when looking at the changing numbers, you can tell that it is mostly averaging out and hanging around the 140 range, but it is certainly up and down a bit.
And my last question. When pin pointing weak signals, do you find that you can detect a target in discriminate mode deeper than it can detect in all metal mode? There have been many times that I can't pin point a target in all metal (no change in threshold at all), but yet hear it in discriminate mode. It is, also, weird that there are times when I can't hear a threshold change in pin point mode, but then switch to 'track mode/all metal' and can hear a real obvious change in threshold to know where to dig. This doesn't always work either, but has helped quite a bit in tough situations on determining where to dig. Do you have any suggestions when nether of these tricks don't work?
Any ways, that is all for now. Thank again for all your expertise and answering my questions, as I greatly appreciate them.
Take care and God Bless.
Sincerely,
Rick (SJCA)