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I would like some feedback on the Sovereign GT please..............

... The meter and VCO will lock on to the most prominent conductivity, perhaps when the target is directly under the coil, but not necessarily. You can also "wiggle up" the tone on deepies if they are good targets, but you can also be fooled by rusty bottle caps. Art(NWOH) and Rick(ND) can offer more help on this subject. As a side note, the lock-on tone is 1 octave higher than the target tone. A trivial thing, just something interesting that I have noticed.
I beach hunt in Thailand, so my sleepy time starts when you guys wake up.

fod:)
 
I used to know what an octave is, but forgot. Just what the heck is it anyway ??

Must have been one of those things you have to remember long enough to pass a test.

HH
 
also found that understanding the nuances of any detector helps find the stuff otherwise walked over and nothing better than getting tips from the experts :) HH Bill
 
Often, things about a detector are discovered by accident. Other times someone may use a bit of logic and do a bit of experimenting to see if things prove out or not.

Once you get to know the detector you will be able to see where there are some similarities and extreme differences between detectors.

Never hurts to try anything that don't cost money.

You get a feel for what may be the best method to try on some of these questionable targets. You may try several things as you look for that one piece of information that tells you to dig or not.

Stay flexible in your approach and don't get yourself locked into any rigid hunting practices.

HH
 
Start by using Minelabs factory settings, and forget about tweaking the controls and buying expensive coils until you know what you're doing. Dig thousands and thousands of targets, trash and treasure, and try to id each and every one of them. Use the meter as a numerical reference for the target tone, because unless you have perfect pitch, there is no way to tell the pitch of a tone without a reference.

Listen for distinctive changes in the tone, that is, changes in pitch, timbre, and loudness, as you sweep over the target. Sniff at the target with the tip of your coil, and if your still not sure of the target, approach it from another direction. Sounds complicated, but it actually takes only a few seconds.

Some newbies never get the hang of it because they give up trying, but I think it takes time for your brain to develop a "tone memory" that is big enough for accurate pattern recognition. Like hearing someone's voice on the telephone, you have to know who it is before you recognize them. It's hard to explain, but once you get the hang of it, no microprocessor based target id system can come close.

I hope you get what I'm saying, it's kind of like a gestalt, and after a time, target id becomes second nature. But there are no absolutes, so it is a continuous learning process. As time goes along, your skills just get better and better.

But most important of all is fod's treasure hunting theorem: "If you want to find a valuable treasure, you gotta have good hunting skills, dig lots of targets, and you gotta be very, very lucky."
I hate to be the one to break the news, but there is a lot more trash out there than treasure.

That's it.

Good Luck and Good Hunting

fod:)
 
n/t
 
That was the best way of explaining an approach to learning a Sov that I have heard.

A lot of tips and tricks are nice, but have to be applied at the right time and place. A carefully developed understanding of general operation needs to be in place to use them for best effect.

Your explanation could be pretty much universally applied to any detector.

HH
 
MANY THANKS, FOD!! You said a mouth full!! I don't think people realize how much of an abundance of trash to treasure ratio there actually is. Maybe, that's why so many people give up on the hobby, if their not mentally prepared for it. HH
 
This information may be too much for some and give up as they like a detector that tells you with a beep it think you should dig. The Sovereign with it tones and how you understand each one along with the digital meter reading will help you dig many more good targets versus trash, plus many good targets other detectors decide is trash.

 
After assembly i installed a charged Musky battery pack and proceeded to try various targets on the basement floor and realize the Sovereign is definitely a slow sweep detector,the weight although heavy is very well balanced thanks to the adjustable arm cuff and hand grip.As far as Tone ID, i could tell the difference between a pulltab that registered 31 on my XLT and a nickel that registers 21 on the XLT. I don't have a meter for the GT yet,still pondering.I almost felt i got a higher tone on a Wheat penny vs a clad Quarter,the GT hit on deteriorated 22 shell casings at about 3-4" with about 25% disc setting.Hopefully with time the tonal cacophony will become a symphony.And i do agree that Tonal ID is much more true than any other ID except for digging and retrieving. My primary use for the GT is field and woods hunting during the fall and winter months and an occasional trip to the shore, so i have time to work it out and thanks for your help F.O.D. HH Bill
 
I really believe many people get their first detector have higher expectations than reality and get frustrated.As you know in Delaware there isn't a clean spot anywhere, even the out of the way places are trashed,and i'm sure many other detctorists have the same problem.
Perseverence prevails and many of us try different detectors and many coils to achieve a level of satisfaction.It ain't NO different than Fishin in my opinion. HH Bill
 
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