With post slowing down on this forum.I posted a topic about where were you when JFK was shot.My apology for going off subject and as moderator I'm subject to the rules also. Thanks Ron
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Let us know about your successes and failures with the Sovereign
- Thread starter Ron from Michigan
- Start date
Even though it is off topic for this BBS forum it was nice to remember JFK for if only day on the BBS forum.
On the Sovereigns I bet most will say that at first they felt they made a mistake on getting one and some got rid of it and thought the people that said it was one of the best, if not the best detector they ever used didn't know what they were talking about. Then there are those that were too stubborn to not give up and decided to use it anyway and begin learning this detector and seeing a few things this detector can do and impressing them. Many of those that gave up seen what the Sovereign is capable of doing and got another one only to spend the time to learn a little more and seen that these Sovereigns are as good as some say they are. It just takes time for some and longer for others, but the biggest mistake so many do is give up before you see what this detector can do, I know I almost did and when i seen what it could do from experience with it I not only impressed others, but myself also so I sure am glad I didn't and had a few on this forum to ask question on back in 1996. Most of them have moved on to other detectors and some like me will always keep a Sovereign around as we can trust this detector more than any other one.
The perfect set up for me at this time is the GT with the Sun Ray DTI II or the DTI 3 meter and a Sun Ray S-1 Probe that is shaft mounted, but a little heavy, but also ready to go at any time. Now I am working on a chest mount setup so I can mount my control box on my chest and a strap to hold it around my chest while the main strap around my neck, this way it wont swing forward when I get down to dig. I also want to get a Plugger shaft to make the rest balance nice so it will not feel heavy.
Picking pennies and silver dimes at 12+ inches can be done, getting coins close to or touching a nail can also be done with the Sovereigns, just takes time and going slow and knowing your Sovereign. The secret is using your Sovereign and getting to know it well which is done from actual in feild hunts, not so much reburied target or air test as the tones and even meter reading will be different as some will tell you a gold ring in the ground will be different with on in the air or reburied as far a tones and meter readings.
Sure am glad I never gave up as I wouldn't have that old deep silver and other goodies in my display cases.
Rick
On the Sovereigns I bet most will say that at first they felt they made a mistake on getting one and some got rid of it and thought the people that said it was one of the best, if not the best detector they ever used didn't know what they were talking about. Then there are those that were too stubborn to not give up and decided to use it anyway and begin learning this detector and seeing a few things this detector can do and impressing them. Many of those that gave up seen what the Sovereign is capable of doing and got another one only to spend the time to learn a little more and seen that these Sovereigns are as good as some say they are. It just takes time for some and longer for others, but the biggest mistake so many do is give up before you see what this detector can do, I know I almost did and when i seen what it could do from experience with it I not only impressed others, but myself also so I sure am glad I didn't and had a few on this forum to ask question on back in 1996. Most of them have moved on to other detectors and some like me will always keep a Sovereign around as we can trust this detector more than any other one.
The perfect set up for me at this time is the GT with the Sun Ray DTI II or the DTI 3 meter and a Sun Ray S-1 Probe that is shaft mounted, but a little heavy, but also ready to go at any time. Now I am working on a chest mount setup so I can mount my control box on my chest and a strap to hold it around my chest while the main strap around my neck, this way it wont swing forward when I get down to dig. I also want to get a Plugger shaft to make the rest balance nice so it will not feel heavy.
Picking pennies and silver dimes at 12+ inches can be done, getting coins close to or touching a nail can also be done with the Sovereigns, just takes time and going slow and knowing your Sovereign. The secret is using your Sovereign and getting to know it well which is done from actual in feild hunts, not so much reburied target or air test as the tones and even meter reading will be different as some will tell you a gold ring in the ground will be different with on in the air or reburied as far a tones and meter readings.
Sure am glad I never gave up as I wouldn't have that old deep silver and other goodies in my display cases.
Rick
Rick,well said,glad I stayed with the Sovereign also.Thanks Ron
Neil
Well-known member
Ron sometimes rules are ok to break and although I missed your post on JFK I agree with Rick its nice to remember him.
Rick if you ever get a chance you should try the whites rod setup, the best setup Ive ever used. The rod is the one they use on the DFX/XLT, they can be purchased with no boxes attached, just the rod. I like how the middle rod juts out several inches which puts the rod out away from your feet a little more and gives a more comfortable hold angle on the rod handle. The handle is I guess you would say oblong shaped and fits a hand better than the round handles found on the plugger or anderson rods. On the nicest rig I had, I had cut the rubber top off the handle and inserted a piece of hardwood, then mounted a V clip on that and then the meter. What a great setup and just thinking of it as I write I want to kick myself in the ass for not keeping that one. But that rod setup is really a class setup and even without a mounted meter is my favorite rod. And the whites rod (which I used the upper and middle part) fits the minelab lower rods size wise but you have to relocate the push pin........a simple thing to do.
The Sov reminds me of times that I could hunt local beaches and see only one other hunter and many times no others....Im not sure I like where minelab is going if the CTX is an indication(Ive not tried one and have no plans anymore to do so).
Rick if you ever get a chance you should try the whites rod setup, the best setup Ive ever used. The rod is the one they use on the DFX/XLT, they can be purchased with no boxes attached, just the rod. I like how the middle rod juts out several inches which puts the rod out away from your feet a little more and gives a more comfortable hold angle on the rod handle. The handle is I guess you would say oblong shaped and fits a hand better than the round handles found on the plugger or anderson rods. On the nicest rig I had, I had cut the rubber top off the handle and inserted a piece of hardwood, then mounted a V clip on that and then the meter. What a great setup and just thinking of it as I write I want to kick myself in the ass for not keeping that one. But that rod setup is really a class setup and even without a mounted meter is my favorite rod. And the whites rod (which I used the upper and middle part) fits the minelab lower rods size wise but you have to relocate the push pin........a simple thing to do.
The Sov reminds me of times that I could hunt local beaches and see only one other hunter and many times no others....Im not sure I like where minelab is going if the CTX is an indication(Ive not tried one and have no plans anymore to do so).
I did try the Whites rod setup and did like the feel of the handle. It been a while and think it was the hip mount kit for the XLT as it came with the rod and things to make it work and was very reasonable as someone on the forums told me about it and being a Whites dealer at the time I got one in. I sold it with one of my Sovereign set ups and never got one back in again as I got a used Sovereign in with the plugger rod on it and couldn't believe how light it was because it was so well balanced, that is until I added my S-1 probe to it and had to move things around to make it balance better. I bought another one of the shafts from Plugger as I sold that Sovereign XS after I did my check over to see if everything worked like it should (Hate those people that try to change the factory setting and not knowing what they are doing, then resell them when messed up) and had a extension made to the back of it so the control box sat even further back to help balance it out better with the S-1.
Plugger showed me his setup with the control box chest mounted using a camera bag so the only weight is the meter and the probe for me, but I believe he had the in site meter mod done from Joe Patrick which Joe don't do anymore.
It seems like Plugger is always making his rods better and has come up with some great ideas since the first ones. This goes for Ron and his 180 meters as the first ones were good, but Ron has found ways to make them even better from experience with them.
What is nice is once to learn the Sovereign they are one of the easiest detectors to use and fun to used too. Not a bunch of setting and changing them all the time like some other detectors and with the new CTX they even give us more setting then ever before, but you can customize it to you type of hunting and change it to another once you know what each and every one of these settings does.
Minelab is going with the CTX Platform of detectors, so I expect to see some with less settings on them in the future. What i do wish they would make a Sovereign using the design of the CTX so we would have a meter right on it and also use the wireless set up with a wireless pin pointer too and be well balanced and lighter. I am sure it is not going to happen, but we can wish and dream about it.
Rick
Plugger showed me his setup with the control box chest mounted using a camera bag so the only weight is the meter and the probe for me, but I believe he had the in site meter mod done from Joe Patrick which Joe don't do anymore.
It seems like Plugger is always making his rods better and has come up with some great ideas since the first ones. This goes for Ron and his 180 meters as the first ones were good, but Ron has found ways to make them even better from experience with them.
What is nice is once to learn the Sovereign they are one of the easiest detectors to use and fun to used too. Not a bunch of setting and changing them all the time like some other detectors and with the new CTX they even give us more setting then ever before, but you can customize it to you type of hunting and change it to another once you know what each and every one of these settings does.
Minelab is going with the CTX Platform of detectors, so I expect to see some with less settings on them in the future. What i do wish they would make a Sovereign using the design of the CTX so we would have a meter right on it and also use the wireless set up with a wireless pin pointer too and be well balanced and lighter. I am sure it is not going to happen, but we can wish and dream about it.
Rick
Rick,
I ended up using an Allen fly fishing chest pack for my control box. Perfect size. I sharpened a piece of 1/2" copper pipe and punched a hole through the bottom for the cables. It brings a strap to go around your chest, (this of course keeps it against your chest. I ended up not using the straps around my neck as that led to a sore neck. I rigged up some black suspenders from Lowe's on the whole setup so that the strain is on my shoulders instead of my neck. Still a work in progress because when I clip the suspenders on the chest strap I have to lift the entire unit over my head and then button everything up. I can put it on with just the front clips attached but, then I have to fish around my back to clip the suspenders on the part of the strap that goes around my back. John
I ended up using an Allen fly fishing chest pack for my control box. Perfect size. I sharpened a piece of 1/2" copper pipe and punched a hole through the bottom for the cables. It brings a strap to go around your chest, (this of course keeps it against your chest. I ended up not using the straps around my neck as that led to a sore neck. I rigged up some black suspenders from Lowe's on the whole setup so that the strain is on my shoulders instead of my neck. Still a work in progress because when I clip the suspenders on the chest strap I have to lift the entire unit over my head and then button everything up. I can put it on with just the front clips attached but, then I have to fish around my back to clip the suspenders on the part of the strap that goes around my back. John
GeorgeinSC
Well-known member
For many years I was interested in metal detecting but never stepped into the fray until my Brother-in-law let me play with his detector. I Was Hooked. Upon his advice I purchased the Sovereign Gt in July 2012. . For a while I thought that I had made a costly mistake. I just could not understand what the machine was telling me. Purchased one of Ron's meters and the light began to become clearer at the end of the tunnel. My greatest success so far is learning to use the machine and to be able to hear that high tone that we are looking for. Still learning what to listen for when it comes to gold.
So far my Sovereign has rewarded me with a lot of clad, a few silver coins, quite a few pieces of sterling and one small gold ring. I liked the performance of the Gt so well that this year I purchased the Excalibur II.
My greatest success is the pleasure that I get from being outdoors enjoying this very rewarding hobby. Also the exercise has been very beneficial.
So far my Sovereign has rewarded me with a lot of clad, a few silver coins, quite a few pieces of sterling and one small gold ring. I liked the performance of the Gt so well that this year I purchased the Excalibur II.
My greatest success is the pleasure that I get from being outdoors enjoying this very rewarding hobby. Also the exercise has been very beneficial.
It takes a while to really get to know the Sovereigns, but the more you use it the easier it gets, just takes a little time like anything. I feel the 180 meters is very important in the learning and understanding this detector as you can see with numbers what your ears are hearing so soon you can swing along and know which tones you want to check out without even looking at the meter. Myself many of those weak signals that sometimes is hard to hear as they are so small because they are deeper that I can watch the meter to see if I can get the numbers to climb by wiggling right over the target.
It is a wonderful detector after you have used it a bit and get to understand it just takes time and getting out to use it. Like most after the first few time out wonder if they made the right choice by getting a Minelab Sovereign and some give up before they get to know it while some have the patience and goes on to find a lot of great finds.
Good luck
Rick
It is a wonderful detector after you have used it a bit and get to understand it just takes time and getting out to use it. Like most after the first few time out wonder if they made the right choice by getting a Minelab Sovereign and some give up before they get to know it while some have the patience and goes on to find a lot of great finds.
Good luck
Rick
kayakfisher
New member
Like others I had doubt when I first got the GT, bought the Ron's meter, and I have a go to detector, yesterday I hit on a silver dime much deeper than my pin pointer. The day before that I found a gold bracelet at 2-3 inches plus a bunch of trash but I just hate not knowing what is under the coil. The depth issue is the only thing I cannot figure out, I raise the coil to see if my target is on the surface or not. Does anyone know a better way? My failure was having the 1/4 jack broke off in the unit. Have not figured out how to repair that problem yet, hate to send it to minelab and pay $$$ and not see my detector for weeks on end. end of rant! Love this hobby! HH