Okay you "Sov Guys"...

[Ray Hogan]

Before I give up once and for all on Sovereigns, I thought I would ask for some input. I've had three Sovereigns...and I love their features...multi-frequency, multi-tone, DD coils, simple meter options, etc....but, I do not beach hunt, I relic hunt. I have tried over and over again to live with a Sovereign, but I've had it. I can't tell you how many times I've hunted with a good friend of mine and compared my Sov against his "other brand non-metered machine" on targets he has located and my Sov would not give a peep on no matter what adjustments I made. And this has been with all models of Sovereigns put out, up to and including a GT. Now sure, my Sovs would hit obvious targets, but I'm talking about small, poorly oriented stuff. One particular recent target that I was trying to hit on was a children's play coin (dime) that was somewhat on edge and about 3.5 inches deep. My buddy's detector hit on it no problem, and the Sov wouldn't give a "peep" on it. I tried for 15 minutes, with two different minelab coils and every adjustment I could. We dug a huge clod of dirt up, carefully scraped dirt away until we found the target and even sprayed it with adhesive to preserve the remaining clod and target. Set it down now, his hits, mine doesn't. I really want the Sov to work for me, but I can't stand the thought of making a lengthy expensive trip to find relics and then possibly leaving something in the ground I would have gotten had I used another detector. Is that just the way it is with the Sov or what. Help, I'm desperate! Thanks for putting up with my "venting"....Ray.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Hey , Ray......

If you want really small and/or poorly conductive objects, then the Sov is not a good choice.

I have some issues about the "play dime"........

If it was anywhere near the size and thickness of a real dime and probably aluminum, you should have got a hit.

Ever dig beaver tails ? No problem getting a hit on them.

I would suspect that one of several things have happened......

There were a couple crossed nails or a bad rock under the "dime".

The "dime" was made of plastic or resin with enough powdered metal mixed in to make it look like metal.

The "dime" was plastic or resin with a thin metalized coating on it.

HH

 

[Ray Hogan]

I really appreciate the reply. The "play money" that is found at this site is mostly aluminum, and the play dimes are 3/4 the size of a real dime and much, much thinner. The people I hunt with here in Waco, TX have found hundreds of the play coins at an old army air base site whose barracks were later used for low income housing during the '50s. The areas where the play money is found are frequently used to test various detectors. The ground has little to no mineralization and the play coins, when on edge, are really tough targets to isolate. Besides testing detectors, these targets are great for taking folks to another level when detecting. Anyway, like I said, I really like the Sovs, but they just don't hit on some of the targets I go side-by-side on with other folks here. Keep in mind though, I'm talking about tough targets here, in my soil, with my expertise, or lack of, ha. Thanks again. If I don't get some kind of revelating response tonight, I'll unfortunately be putting a beautiful GT up for sale tomorrow. Good hunting all, Ray.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

That these "coins" are about as thick as a beaver tail or the top of an aluminum can??

You have my curiosity up.

I have a set of hole punches up to 1/2" and can punch out some small disks to try. Hard part will be cutting the tops out of the beer cans.

The target size threshold of The Sov/Excal itches some people. It's good for coin/ring hunting without the bother of small junk, but for other applications it may not suit the demands of the user.

I nearly didn't buy the GT because the initial reports indicated that it was more sensitive to smaller objects. Was happy to find that this was not significant for my purposes.

Good luck with whatever you decide on.

HH

 

[Ray Hogan]

I could always send you a few...I've got a bunch of them...Ray


Oh, thicker than a beaver tail, maybe even thicker than a can top.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

I have some aluminum flashing somewhere. That might be close.

Don't need the actual coins....but thanx anyway.

If they sounded like can slaw I would probably walk over them anyway.

HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

I find many of these play dimes and at some decent depth too, so I wonder what the problem is.
Here is a few I think of right now. The Sovereign don't like air and if this ground has been worked up may be some of the problem. With the Sovereign I find you have to go slow and I mean slow in some areas for it to see some of these targets. This has a lot to do with how the Sovereign is nulling which I take you are running a threshold so you can tell if it is nulling or not. The threshold should be coming and going all the time as it nulls when it see a disc item and iron, so most run no or very little disc so it don't null as much.

Did you try and see if these play dime will read on top of the ground and what reading you are getting?? I am just curious what they sound like and read on top of the ground.
I hope you can get this figured out as the GT is a great detector and to me one of the best I have ever used and have found some small and deep targets, but for depth I had to go very slow so it can see the targets.

Rick

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Punched out some "coins" of different sizes from some .018" aluminum up to 1/2" diamiter and also found a pop rivet washer 3/8" and about as thick as a penny.

Setting up the GT in disc same as we both do with the exception of 12 o'clock sensitivity and air testing...........T-10 coil......

Starting with 1/2" "coin"....
About 8" flat.
About 6-7" on edge and in line with the coil spoke.
About 3-3 1/2" on edge and 90 degrees to coil spoke.

Pop rivet washer similar , but with generally higher ID.

Subtract about 2" on everything with 3/8" "coin".

Only way I could get absolutely zilch at any distance was to go on edge and 90 degrees to the spoke with the sensitivity and volume set full CCW.

HH

 

[ejudasf]

I am a little new to the Sovereign, but I would suggest to try the same target without the meter.

I know. I know, that the meter isn't supposed to affect the machine, but try it and see if does anything different.

Another thing I just thought of was what about the battery level. Fresh/new, or over 8 hours of use already on them.

Sweep speed?

Laterz

ejf

 

[DonNWF]

Were you hunting in Disc mode ?? If so, I think I would have immediately switched to A/M and gave it a sweep in A/M pinpoint to see the result. The question, was it detectable metal to the GT, or was it nulling on iron would have been answered pretty quick. Non detection of any surface metal in A/M would indicate to me a detector fault (coil,connections, box).

300 plus hours with the GT and counting. Relic hunting, coins, on the beach. Silver to shotgun pellets, bullets, 22 brass and the ever present beaver tails, the GT has found all of it. The GT has come thru for me and fulfilled all my expectations. Well not all, no gold coins!!!
Yet!!! HH Don

 

[Ray Hogan]

n/t

 

[Ray Hogan]

but I wasn't able to get any results and I have witnesses...besides, like I said, I'm really wanting the Sov to work for me. My partner still has the intact dirst clod, so I'll give it another try. Thanks, as usual, for all the help, Ray.

 

[Ray Hogan]

n/t

 

[jbow]

I would buy a different detector. If you can afford to do it, buy something else and send yours to someone like David at Dixie who can check it out. It may need to be tweaked. I use a GT and it sound's to me like we are using different detectors. I have not had this problem BUT... you have lost confidence and need to try a different detector. If you are just hunting relics maybe you should be using a Tayhon or a DMC-IIB...

just saying...

J

 

[jbow]

how many things of value are there that are smaller than a woman's ring? A GT will find those. What small targets are people worried about losing?

J

 

[jbow]

[quote DonNWF]Were you hunting in Disc mode ?? If so, I think I would have immediately switched to A/M and gave it a sweep in A/M pinpoint to see the result. The question, was it detectable metal to the GT, or was it nulling on iron would have been answered pretty quick. Non detection of any surface metal in A/M would indicate to me a detector fault (coil,connections, box).

300 plus hours with the GT and counting. Relic hunting, coins, on the beach. Silver to shotgun pellets, bullets, 22 brass and the ever present beaver tails, the GT has found all of it. The GT has come thru for me and fulfilled all my expectations. Well not all, no gold coins!!!
Yet!!! HH Don[/quote]

Mine will also hit hard on a .22 shell or bullet.

J

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Stud earrings, chains,buckshot, percussion caps , probably a dozen other things depending on what you are into and what you consider valuable.

HH