InSight Meter 4th Digit To Identify Between Coins?

[Critterhunter]

I'm not buying one but I'm curious about something...Joe Patrick states on his website that the extra 4th digit can be used to tell the difference between some targets with similar conductivity values. Are you guys who own one able to see a difference between a copper penny, clad dime, clad quarter, or a silver dime or quarter?

I guess it all depends on how much resolution the Sovereign reads and puts out for target conductivity strength. There has to be some form of scaling between numbers from say 180.0 and 180.9 because how else would the machine count up between numbers. I seem to be able to get a silver dime to just barely read 181 with careful calibration while a clad dime will read 180.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Critter,I have adjusted two different brands of meters to read with four digits.The meters would read with a tenth reading 180.3, 145.6. I used silver quarter dimes and compared the response with clad dimes and quarters.I found no difference separate in this area,my hypotheses the Sovereign signal isn't capable of separating dimes from quarters or silver from clad no mater how sensitive the meter used.However the Sovereign can separate pennies and nickles better than any detector I have used.There are advantages with the four digit meter example a US Quarter can be calibrated more precise at 180 .5 instead of 180 .7 or 180.2 which you wouldn't see with just three digits.Though its possible that some trash could be ID-ed better with the fourth digit. HH Ron

 

[Rick(ND)]

I have tried a couple different meters where I can go to a 4Th number and seen no difference in the actual numbers, but after you use the Sovereign and get to know it you can tell by the sound of the target and how the 180 meter will react to tell some of the coin targets. This is not 100% either but can give you a idea just like the war nickles as some will read higher, but still sounds like a nickle and much smoother than the pull tabs that read the same number.
I set my meter to read 179 and can bounce to 180 but no higher, most clad and copper will read in those ranges, if it seems to lock more on 180 than 179 it a good possibility it will be silver while a bigger silver seems to lock on 180 and don't move. The thing I watch for is it never goes over 180 as it seem like the meter can drift a little with the heat or sun on them.
One thing I stress to many is that with experience with the Sovereign you can learn more about the tones and how each target will act to tell if it is good or bad, there is no magic coil or meter to make up for lack of experience.

 

[Neil]

Rick Ive used the sunrays, avengers and now the minelab meters and although none of these have the fourth digit, Ive never been able to seperate up silver from clad on them no matter what you set the meter at. Ron makes an interesting point about the Sovs signal and perhaps that is one of the reasons minelab went the FBS route. I still have one of the 550 meters and although it seperates up targets a little better than the 180 meter, it still wont tell you numbers wise a clad dime from a silver dime. I also find the more numbers also leads to more jumping around (at least on the minelab meters).
For whatever reason, minelab seems to have gone as far as they could with the BBS route as Fisher did when it introduced the CZ, no real changes in electronics since inception.

Rick I also bought some mags(W&E and LT) from last year and you are right, the minelab ads in the mags feature the etrac,explorer,safari,xterra and excal only. One thing I really like about the Sov is its wading capability which you really cant do well with any of those except the Excal, and the Excal you cant change coils............

 

[deepdiger60]

I should be getting my Sov GT box back from Joe by the end of this week with the insight meter i made a coin garden almost 3 years ago big copper,s, silver,s and modern clad all at different depths plus silver and gold ring,s , i will be testing the meter for quit awhile then i can report on the results if there is a difference in numbers , i would imagine there would be some difference depending on what coil is being used also ? Jim

 

[deepdiger60]

Thinking about it if iam in a field and get a 180.? number i will dig it regardless what the 4th number is Jim

 

[Critterhunter]

Then I can't understand why I seem to be able to get a silver dime to go 181 while a clad dime will read 180 if I bump the meter up to where it just barely goes 181 on a silver dime. Perhaps it's how easy it goes 181 that I'm seeing and no real difference otherwise?

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Very good points made.For me the Sovereign is best at separating these targets. Copper pennies,Zinc,IHs,and very early wheat's all of these will read different.I explain to my brother Yelp your F75 will give different ID readings for a dime quarter and silver coins but in this area the Sovereign rules.(He's still bruised from the Buckeye speed hunt getting beat by a Sovereign) I have experienced the same for nickles with the Sovereign ID, very easy to tell difference between a new nickle,all the way through to the V nickles.Back on subject the 180 IMHO doesn't need four digits.LOL the tenth or fourth digit is like watching a meter on a refueling gas pump.HH Ron