My name is Wayne Brantley, I live in Cleveland, Tennessee... and I've been watching you for over two months...
and I like what I see!!
I've never been one to jump into anything new without taking a long look first. I bought my first metal detector while living in Hawaii in 1970. I believe that White's Goldmaster 66-TR would hit a dime at 3"!! And it would eat 12 AA batteries in a very short time. I used it for about two years to relic hunt after returning home from the Navy. With kids on the way, I sold it... but, I've never lost the love to explore! I've been a Rockhound for about 30 years in western North Carolina and in the mountains in north Georgia. Unlike many Rockhounds, I only hunt one mineral, that being corundum(ruby&sapphire). Corundum is #9 on the Moh's Scale of mineral hardness... thus my nickname... "Number9".
I've reasearched metal detectors for the last three months and I believe I've read just about everything on the net about them... all the reviews... forums... and stories, both written and YouTube. The choice came down to two...
the Minelab Sovereign GT and the Excalibur. I bought the Sov GT to return to metal detecting. It had the best features for what I plan to do and use the machine for! Hope to visit the beach for a week, twice a year, and do more research about the Civil War. We are planning a trip to the Outer Banks this October... any of you from the OBX?
No, the Sovereign GT isn't perfect... but I believe it will target a dime at better than 3 inches and it doesn't use a dozen batteries every few hours! I plan to make a "landing gear" on the rear to keep the control box off the ground and a "guard" around the controls. I can't understand why Minelab didn't put the controls on the side and make the box able to be used right or left hand? It would be better to see the knobs that way under your arm and not from the rear. Oh well... I may pick up a used one to modify later?
I've made most of my Rockhound tools and the metal of choice is titanium. I've been a metal fabricator for 41 years.
I guess I'm the only one in Tennessee with a walking stick that converts into a full sze shovel or a digging pick made from 6-4 titanium?
A beach scoop/digger should be ready soon?
I guees I've talked enough with this long post... but. I haven't said anything in two months!! Ha!!
The best at ya!!
Wayne
and I like what I see!!
I've never been one to jump into anything new without taking a long look first. I bought my first metal detector while living in Hawaii in 1970. I believe that White's Goldmaster 66-TR would hit a dime at 3"!! And it would eat 12 AA batteries in a very short time. I used it for about two years to relic hunt after returning home from the Navy. With kids on the way, I sold it... but, I've never lost the love to explore! I've been a Rockhound for about 30 years in western North Carolina and in the mountains in north Georgia. Unlike many Rockhounds, I only hunt one mineral, that being corundum(ruby&sapphire). Corundum is #9 on the Moh's Scale of mineral hardness... thus my nickname... "Number9".
I've reasearched metal detectors for the last three months and I believe I've read just about everything on the net about them... all the reviews... forums... and stories, both written and YouTube. The choice came down to two...
the Minelab Sovereign GT and the Excalibur. I bought the Sov GT to return to metal detecting. It had the best features for what I plan to do and use the machine for! Hope to visit the beach for a week, twice a year, and do more research about the Civil War. We are planning a trip to the Outer Banks this October... any of you from the OBX?
No, the Sovereign GT isn't perfect... but I believe it will target a dime at better than 3 inches and it doesn't use a dozen batteries every few hours! I plan to make a "landing gear" on the rear to keep the control box off the ground and a "guard" around the controls. I can't understand why Minelab didn't put the controls on the side and make the box able to be used right or left hand? It would be better to see the knobs that way under your arm and not from the rear. Oh well... I may pick up a used one to modify later?
I've made most of my Rockhound tools and the metal of choice is titanium. I've been a metal fabricator for 41 years.
I guess I'm the only one in Tennessee with a walking stick that converts into a full sze shovel or a digging pick made from 6-4 titanium?
A beach scoop/digger should be ready soon?
I guees I've talked enough with this long post... but. I haven't said anything in two months!! Ha!!
The best at ya!!
Wayne
New kid i swear i think you would be better of just to hipp or chest mount the sov,i did and it worked great,this is really why the designers did not put much more worry in the design of the controls, because they knew the machine was heavy and the most logical thing people would do is get a hipp mount bag for it.It makes the sov so much lighter and the hipp bag has a nice rain face window in it,then if you do go in the woods or do some serious hunting,no worry.The minelab bag comes with a nice shoulder strap also.I chest mounted mine to my front chest like i also do my musketeer now and i just have to look down at the controls!,It takes all that weight off of the rod and arm,plus full protection of control box.There are to many features to the bag to mention!.Good luck new kid the sov is great!.
