I noticed a trend ...

[larryk56]

Yes .... the Excal is said to be a great detector
and it's also been said that the Sovergn GT is
the same unit except not waterproof,

But .....in reading alot of these posts about
both machines I read amount issues with the
sovergn. (repairs / service) etc,,,,

but we don't hear this happening with the Sovergn GT.

I'm inclined to think the Sovergn GT was a good choice!
Can't wait to use it in Fla and Hawiaa in the Jan and Feb.

 

[erikk]

Yes .... the Excal is said to be a great detector
and it's also been said that the Sovergn GT is
the same unit except not waterproof,

But .....in reading alot of these posts about
both machines I read amount issues with the
sovergn. (repairs / service) etc,,,,

but we don't hear this happening with the Sovergn GT.

I'm inclined to think the Sovergn GT was a good choice!
Can't wait to use it in Fla and Hawiaa in the Jan and Feb.

That is probably because there are not too many using the Sov as an in/under water detector

 

[Critterhunter]

Many people chest mount a GT and wade waist deep in the water like I do. So long as it's kept dry it would be more reliable if only for the fact that the Sovereign doesn't have POT issues. Keep in mind those Excal POT issues can be avoided several ways (external stops, marking positions on the case, and just not trying to "feel" for the ends of the dial every time you are out). Avoid doing that on the Excal and that probably eliminates 80% of the break down problems I would think.

 

[hershey1]

Like erikk said earlier the threshold knob is the only knob you should have to move most of the time. And the manual tells you to turn the threshold until you can barely hear a hum. There is no reason to turn that knob wide open. Volume loud as you can stand it. Disc. 0 or 1. Sens. usually around 1 to 3. I have hunted both coasts Fla. Bahamas and a bunch of fresh water lakes and hardly ever move anything but the threshold. JMHO. HH

 

[plugger]

n/t

 

[erikk]

Many people chest mount a GT and wade waist deep in the water like I do. So long as it's kept dry it would be more reliable if only for the fact that the Sovereign doesn't have POT issues. Keep in mind those Excal POT issues can be avoided several ways (external stops, marking positions on the case, and just not trying to "feel" for the ends of the dial every time you are out). Avoid doing that on the Excal and that probably eliminates 80% of the break down problems I would think.

Chest mount and wade waist deep is great for fresh water but in the salt all you need is one rouge wave to slam you and your Sov is toast. Put it in a waterproof box and unless you stay shallow or tie it down in some way with a harness you have the clunky box floating up to your face while you are trying to dig your target and avoid getting knocked around in the surf. This also leads to another problem: get caught in a rip and need to dump some gear fast while you are all trussed up in the harness-good luck. There is also the problem of buoyancy: try digging a deep target in high chest/neck deep water with a big float strapped to your chest.
IMHO there IS a reason there are designated water detectors and land detectors

 

[synthnut]

Erikk,
All valid points .....In my area , there is the " lane " where most hunters will go to find targets .....The one salvation is that we can wait for the tide to go out to hit this lane .....but when going into the bay to hunt , it's another story ..... My eye site is as bad as my hearing , so I will be modding a unit to mount higher on my chest and closer to my eye site so that I can see what's going on when I hit a target when running the SE ... I can vouch for the floatation of a chest mount hindering your hunt .... The Excal chest mounted works well if you have a good setup cinched well to your body... Most of the tme it wil be a "set it , and forget it " type of deal ..... Most iron will desolve in Saltwater , so the gold you are looking for will remain ..... The Disciminaton mode on both the Sovereign and the Excal discriminates iron right off the bat anyway , so you really shouldn't have to mess with much after you have your Threshold set ..... The controls are pretty stiff from the rubber O rings , so the adjustment stays pretty well after it's set ..... There probably should be better stops put into place on these controls .... Jim

 

[Critterhunter]

Luckily I hunt fresh water lakes. We have wave action on the great lakes but there are a lot of days where the waves are just mild and so I don't have to worry about getting the control box splashed. I'm comfortable on most days going as deep as about my belly button with with unit chest mounted but if I put it in a waterproof box I'll be able to go chest deep. Still, I find myself wanting to hunt waist deep and shallower more anyway so it's not an issue. I put the GT inside a large zip lock bag. I poke a hole in it's bottom for the coil cable to route through and then put a rubberband around that. The control panel I can access easily but just unziplocking the top of the bag. The headphone plug gets poked through the bag. Fairly "waterproof", or should I say major splash proof.