Well, I registered a year ago but I've been just been lurking here reading and watching. Hope you don't mind. I've gleaned a lot of good info here, and here is why I've decided to ask questions. I started detecting in 1976 using Whites old CM4 machines and later the coinmaster series but I haven't detected since the mid 80's. Last year I bought the xlt, now after a summer with it and I admit I didn't use it as much as I should have. My find's have been pretty meager. I feel I may hve made a mistake. Here's why.. The xlt is a great machine, but I really do not like whipping it around like a weed wacker it isn't the way I prefer to hunt, to me it's distracting and not very productive. I started year's ago scrubbing the ground and taking a lot of time covering the ground, That's what I still want to do. Here's my dilemma. After watching and reading the minelab forum I'm pretty convinced that the soverign GT would be a better fit for me. The knowledgeable people here all seem to agree that it is a slow working machine and one person even used the term scrubbing the ground with it, other things like faint tones and using your ear's not relying on the screen so much. A deep machine which I feel is a must considering the shallow target's are mostly picked off by now. I don't purposley hunt clad, alway's old and deep stuff. Sorry so long, I also won't do anything until late winter or early spring.What are your thought's on this? Thanks for your input and good luck hunting.
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replacing my xlt?
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Art (NWOH)
New member
I thought I would never hear it.
You want to work slow and listen, instead of swinging like a fool and being a slave to some idiot display???
You may have just found what you are looking for.....
No menu crap, great ground coverage, simple operation, no "secret program" crap.
If you can get used to the audio you will be impressed.
By the way...forget scrubbing....poor coil control, excess coil wear, increased falsing.
HH
You want to work slow and listen, instead of swinging like a fool and being a slave to some idiot display???
You may have just found what you are looking for.....
No menu crap, great ground coverage, simple operation, no "secret program" crap.
If you can get used to the audio you will be impressed.
By the way...forget scrubbing....poor coil control, excess coil wear, increased falsing.
HH
Art (NWOH)
New member
Close to the ground as possible without bumping too often. If over grass, just brushing the grass without enough contact to cause a lot of drag during the sweep.
This keeps the sweep smooth and easy, and does not inflict a lot of stress on the coil and rod.....not to mention your arm.
If you are able to start reading the tone patterns, you will find that a very controlled and smooth sweep is necessary.....something you can't get when dragging the coil or swinging too fast.
How pronounced the tone patterns will be depends on the width of the coil's detection window and the sweep speed to the most extent. Some coils will give you a lot of character in the tones, while others are so flat that there isn't much pattern at all.....just a blob of tone.
HH
This keeps the sweep smooth and easy, and does not inflict a lot of stress on the coil and rod.....not to mention your arm.
If you are able to start reading the tone patterns, you will find that a very controlled and smooth sweep is necessary.....something you can't get when dragging the coil or swinging too fast.
How pronounced the tone patterns will be depends on the width of the coil's detection window and the sweep speed to the most extent. Some coils will give you a lot of character in the tones, while others are so flat that there isn't much pattern at all.....just a blob of tone.
HH
NamVetLesTreasureSeeker
New member
Hey Gearbox, I don't use a XLT for some of the reasons stated!! But, before I'd get rid of it, I would try to hook up with someone who has a Sov-GT, and personally try it out firsthand. Or maybe, you have a local dealer in your area, that will let you personally try one out. Then, if you like it, post your XLT on the Forum Classified
Ads for an even trade. That way you will not have to buy another detector, unless you want to keep the XLT as a backup!! Just a suggestion, hh, Les Robinson
Ads for an even trade. That way you will not have to buy another detector, unless you want to keep the XLT as a backup!! Just a suggestion, hh, Les Robinson
Les, all good sugestions and I will keep them in mind. With winter rapidly approaching here in minnesota I will have a lot of time to research. I will most likely wait until spring, so if I buy a new one I will get the most out of the warranty. I have been reading all the old post's about the GT and will be having some question's. The dealer I got my xlt from also sell's Minelabs. Those old post's got me all warm and fuzzy inside,so reminesent of the way I like to hunt. thanks, good hunting.
Southwind
Well-known member
As someone who starting detecting back when there were no visual displays and has owned the XLT and currently a Sovereign GT, let me add some food for thought.
At one time in my hunting past I was one of those that thought having a visual display was a crutch and did more harm than good. It was all about the sound. I was also one that years ago thought Windows was a crutch, and DOS was for real computer users. A little older, and a little wiser, I now realize a smart man knows they both have a place in this world.
Personally, I would never look at the Sovereign GT as a replacement for the XLT but rather an added tool. I realize having 2 detectors is not an option for some people so let me point out the strong points and weaknesses of each. I'll do that as soon as I get to work Sorry
At one time in my hunting past I was one of those that thought having a visual display was a crutch and did more harm than good. It was all about the sound. I was also one that years ago thought Windows was a crutch, and DOS was for real computer users. A little older, and a little wiser, I now realize a smart man knows they both have a place in this world.
Personally, I would never look at the Sovereign GT as a replacement for the XLT but rather an added tool. I realize having 2 detectors is not an option for some people so let me point out the strong points and weaknesses of each. I'll do that as soon as I get to work Sorry
Southwind
Well-known member
Your XLT can do things the Sovereign GT can't and the GT will do things your XLT can't. What you need to do is decide what's most important to you.
First I'd like to address the whole sweep speed issue. You can always swing any detector slower, but you can't always swing any detector faster. That being said, just because you can swing any detector slower, doesn't mean it's just as good. The Sovereign GT is the deeper detector hands down, but deeper isn't always better. Now that I've got you confused let me explain.
I like using Windows as an example when comparing detectors features because it seems to make features easier to understand. Windows is really nothing more than visual enhancements designed to make the computer(detector) easier to use. Especially for new users. Features on a detector, like the visual target identification displays, are a great enhancement as long as they are understood. Information overload can happen from not understanding the information being given, and at that point make it even more difficult to understand.
I have learned a lot from my Minelab SE and Sovereign GT that I have applied to using my DFX. My DFX is still my main detector, but my GT has it's place as well. Because of the DFX's better visual information and features, the DFX is my preferred detector for at lest 90% of my detecting. I now use tone ID for all my hunting, and that I learned from my Minelabs. The XLT is not all that different from the DFX.
When it comes to flat out depth on high conductive targets and relics the Sovereign GT is, in my opinion, is second to none and that includes the XLT, DFX and SE. When it comes to productivity the XLT is the better detector. In other words, at the end of the day you will go home with more goodies, on average, with the XLT. The GT excels on beach hunting relic hunting and squeezing a few more keepers out of those hard hit locations. For every thing else I give the advantage to the XLT.
First I'd like to address the whole sweep speed issue. You can always swing any detector slower, but you can't always swing any detector faster. That being said, just because you can swing any detector slower, doesn't mean it's just as good. The Sovereign GT is the deeper detector hands down, but deeper isn't always better. Now that I've got you confused let me explain.
I like using Windows as an example when comparing detectors features because it seems to make features easier to understand. Windows is really nothing more than visual enhancements designed to make the computer(detector) easier to use. Especially for new users. Features on a detector, like the visual target identification displays, are a great enhancement as long as they are understood. Information overload can happen from not understanding the information being given, and at that point make it even more difficult to understand.
I have learned a lot from my Minelab SE and Sovereign GT that I have applied to using my DFX. My DFX is still my main detector, but my GT has it's place as well. Because of the DFX's better visual information and features, the DFX is my preferred detector for at lest 90% of my detecting. I now use tone ID for all my hunting, and that I learned from my Minelabs. The XLT is not all that different from the DFX.
When it comes to flat out depth on high conductive targets and relics the Sovereign GT is, in my opinion, is second to none and that includes the XLT, DFX and SE. When it comes to productivity the XLT is the better detector. In other words, at the end of the day you will go home with more goodies, on average, with the XLT. The GT excels on beach hunting relic hunting and squeezing a few more keepers out of those hard hit locations. For every thing else I give the advantage to the XLT.
Very good southwind. Like I said I don't dislike my XLT, I actually like it, I just think that i could concentrate better at a slower and more deliberate pace. I would truly miss the graph and the VDI number's. I stated that I don't go out and look for clad. Are these the goodies that you refer to at the end of the day? I would much rather find a couple of older wheat's and a silver dime or two than a handful of clad quarters, Also I have alway's only owned one detector at a time, I guess that could change. I have a couple good spot's where swinging fast wouldn't work so well, due to brush and high grass.I also like the idea of turning a disc knob to make small adjustments rather than accesing menu's. Hence the GT. No beach hunting up here. Thanks again for your opinion. Good hunting.
I have used many different detectors in my 35 years of detecting including the XLT, but really sold on the Sovereign GT as it has dug so much of the deeper and coins close to trash the XLT couldn't come close to seeing. The XLT is a good detector there is no question on that and you will have more coins at the end of the days than the GT, but you will not have as many older or deeper coins as what you will have with the GT. Now the down side of the GT is you have to learn it and go slower to get some of these deeper coins. The XLT will tell you what is good and what isn't while the GT will give you the info and let you the operator decide what is good and what is bad with the tones and a good 180 meter.
A couple of years ago we did some actual signal comparison of actual finds in a well worked ball field before we dug. We had a guy that had a XLT and felt he knew it well plus a guy with a Fisher CZ7a and when I got a signal with the Sovereign I felt was good and deep I would call them over to check it. The first one was a deeper one and my Sovereign showed it was repeatable and I could get the meter to read up to 179-180. The XLT got no signal at all, the Fisher said it was iron, but when dug was a barber dime at around 9 inches. A while later the CZ said a deep coin and my Sovereign nulled over it so I said it was iron and when dug was a rusty screw at 8 inches.
Myself I am sold on the Sovereigns with the GT the best of them all, but until you get to know this detector it may seem you made a mistake, but get to know it and I feel you can and will see some impressive finds in many of those worked to death areas, we have.
A couple of years ago we did some actual signal comparison of actual finds in a well worked ball field before we dug. We had a guy that had a XLT and felt he knew it well plus a guy with a Fisher CZ7a and when I got a signal with the Sovereign I felt was good and deep I would call them over to check it. The first one was a deeper one and my Sovereign showed it was repeatable and I could get the meter to read up to 179-180. The XLT got no signal at all, the Fisher said it was iron, but when dug was a barber dime at around 9 inches. A while later the CZ said a deep coin and my Sovereign nulled over it so I said it was iron and when dug was a rusty screw at 8 inches.
Myself I am sold on the Sovereigns with the GT the best of them all, but until you get to know this detector it may seem you made a mistake, but get to know it and I feel you can and will see some impressive finds in many of those worked to death areas, we have.
Southwind
Well-known member
I never intentionally dig clad unless it's a quarter. Whites spectrum series detectors are very accurate, in most cases, with ID'ing targets. It's easy to get spoiled and become more of a cherry picker with a Spectrum series, whereas the GT is more of a dig everything type detector. Granted, I don't have near as much time in on the the GT as I do the Spectrum series detectors, but so far the GT's greatest strength is depth. If you've got to have one strength as a detector, depth is a good one to have.
The GT is my solo hunting detector. I hunt with 2 buddies the majority of the time, and both use Whites Spectrum series detectors. I tried the GT several times hunting with them, but they were done and ready to move on long before I had hunted even a small area. I take the GT to the areas where I know the targets are deep and can hunt at the pace where the GT shines. It pays off.
Here is where I'll get myself in trouble.
I know a lot of people believe in digging everything and that if you don't you are missing good stuff. While I do agree to a point, my experience has not shown this to be the case. As I have said I hunt with 2 other buddies and between the three of us we cover an area pretty well. I've been hunting with one of them for over 20 years and the other for 6 years. Both are very good with their detectors, and we go over the same areas each other has already hunted. We do this as sort of a bragging rights thing. If you can find something good missed by the other you will catch guff all day long for it. Maybe once or twice this year has anyone had bragging rights due to a missed goodies, and never has it been missed by me.
Now, I am a cherry picker by all possible definitions used by most hunters. I prefer to call myself a selective hunter. I've dug enough clad and crap over the years I just want the good stuff. This is why I use the detector I use. I can tell clad from the good old coins with a very high accuracy. A trait shared by almost all the Spectrum series detector. I've owned the Eagle Spectrum, XLT Spectrum and the DFX Spectrum and all are great at telling good from junk. While I'm sure I've probably missed some goodies by my selective hunting, I have yet to see it proved.
The GT is my solo hunting detector. I hunt with 2 buddies the majority of the time, and both use Whites Spectrum series detectors. I tried the GT several times hunting with them, but they were done and ready to move on long before I had hunted even a small area. I take the GT to the areas where I know the targets are deep and can hunt at the pace where the GT shines. It pays off.
Here is where I'll get myself in trouble.
I know a lot of people believe in digging everything and that if you don't you are missing good stuff. While I do agree to a point, my experience has not shown this to be the case. As I have said I hunt with 2 other buddies and between the three of us we cover an area pretty well. I've been hunting with one of them for over 20 years and the other for 6 years. Both are very good with their detectors, and we go over the same areas each other has already hunted. We do this as sort of a bragging rights thing. If you can find something good missed by the other you will catch guff all day long for it. Maybe once or twice this year has anyone had bragging rights due to a missed goodies, and never has it been missed by me.
Now, I am a cherry picker by all possible definitions used by most hunters. I prefer to call myself a selective hunter. I've dug enough clad and crap over the years I just want the good stuff. This is why I use the detector I use. I can tell clad from the good old coins with a very high accuracy. A trait shared by almost all the Spectrum series detector. I've owned the Eagle Spectrum, XLT Spectrum and the DFX Spectrum and all are great at telling good from junk. While I'm sure I've probably missed some goodies by my selective hunting, I have yet to see it proved.
Rick ]
u truly know the sovereigns I only listen to u from this forum on the sovereigns.
I have the sovereign xs and love it. last winter I found a wheat penny at 11" with the 8" bbs coil and the 550 meter read 549-550 with the wiggle. (Coil Actually 7.25")
Between U and clives book on sovereigns' I'm getting real good. I've had my sovereign for 2 years and still learning.
Thanks again Rick
u truly know the sovereigns I only listen to u from this forum on the sovereigns.
I have the sovereign xs and love it. last winter I found a wheat penny at 11" with the 8" bbs coil and the 550 meter read 549-550 with the wiggle. (Coil Actually 7.25")
Between U and clives book on sovereigns' I'm getting real good. I've had my sovereign for 2 years and still learning.
Thanks again Rick
Yes, I got to know my xlt pretty good when it came to clad also. I found myself walking right by the stuff. If it was a nice loud signal and the vdi number's matched some sort of new coin and you had a good graph going, but it was only an inch deep, it was probably clad. I didn't have many good signals with a good graph and vdi at the same time. I like all the positive opinion's on the depth of the GT,and the ability to search slowly. I feel that is imperative to finding good older ccoins. By the way the last time out with the xlt I got a nice.825 silver man's wedding band about 3 inches deep and an aluminum token about the size of a half dollar at 5 inches... Both gave a vdi of 91. Good find's I think. I like finding token's as much as coin's, most of them are from store's or business' that have been long gone .Thank's for the info and this is a nice freindly forum. I used to particapate on a bass fishing forum, talk about mean spirited. Do you think that meter is really neccasry? Wil it help that much?
NamVetLesTreasureSeeker
New member
gearbox, You're VERY WELCOMED!! Best of LUCK, hh, Les