I have searched and read every post on sensitivity but didn't see anything that explained setting it for a max usable setting. I have seen where it said set on 11 or 12 o'clock. I have read that to much sensitivity causes loss of depth. It looks like sensitivity is one of the main keys to using the sovereign. The thing that I read that actually comes the closest to the sensitivity setup is "if when using a slow sweep and it nulls more than half the time the sensitivity is set to high". Could you folks please shed some light on how to set sensitivity , I am a brand new sovereign user and this is puzzling.
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Setting the GT's sensitivity
- Thread starter MXTerer
- Start date
Art (NWOH)
New member
Simple.......
If ground conditions cause nulling of the threshold , then the Sov is not correctly analyzing the ground. It thinks that the ground is a metal object instead of dirt.
If nulling is caused by iron trash, then too much sensitivity will cause a Sov to see so much of the iron response that it can't see anything else. It takes a very strong hit on a good target to get through a iron null.
If sensitivity is set too high, then ground noise will swamp out the Sov and cause loss of depth on good targets. It chokes on induced noise that may not cause audible falses.
The Sov needs to see the ground for what it is to determine what is dirt and what is metal, and it must not be overpowered by junk to see desirable objects.
HH
If ground conditions cause nulling of the threshold , then the Sov is not correctly analyzing the ground. It thinks that the ground is a metal object instead of dirt.
If nulling is caused by iron trash, then too much sensitivity will cause a Sov to see so much of the iron response that it can't see anything else. It takes a very strong hit on a good target to get through a iron null.
If sensitivity is set too high, then ground noise will swamp out the Sov and cause loss of depth on good targets. It chokes on induced noise that may not cause audible falses.
The Sov needs to see the ground for what it is to determine what is dirt and what is metal, and it must not be overpowered by junk to see desirable objects.
HH
Piero franchi
New member
In other words turn it down.
But then you end up running at about 2 O clock like me, or worse still, in auto.
I feel your pain, as I to find the sensitivity and nulling thing a big pain
But then you end up running at about 2 O clock like me, or worse still, in auto.
I feel your pain, as I to find the sensitivity and nulling thing a big pain
I am sure if you are brand new to the Sovereign this may confuse you and why it is recommended if you are new to run auto sensitivity until you learn the Sovereign a little as the threshold will run the smoothest.
Once you understand the tones a bit more you can run manual sensitivity as you will know what to listen for on a good and bad signal with the threshold coming and going. Even in auto that threshold will be coming and going and this is where you adjust your sweep speed so it is not a solid null. When you run manual sensitivity I tell most that the higher you set it the slower you will have to sweep the coil as the threshold will be going more than it is there in most sites. By going slow is where you get the depth too running the higher sensitivity. I think you will find most will tell you they have found that between 12 and 10 o'clock position is where they have found works the best for them and adjusted their sweep speed to make it work. I have run max sensitivity at times if it don't chatter with the coil in the air of electrical interference. When sweeping I have to very very slow and listen close to all the nulls to see if I can get a good tone on the edge of a null.
Once you understand the tones a bit more you can run manual sensitivity as you will know what to listen for on a good and bad signal with the threshold coming and going. Even in auto that threshold will be coming and going and this is where you adjust your sweep speed so it is not a solid null. When you run manual sensitivity I tell most that the higher you set it the slower you will have to sweep the coil as the threshold will be going more than it is there in most sites. By going slow is where you get the depth too running the higher sensitivity. I think you will find most will tell you they have found that between 12 and 10 o'clock position is where they have found works the best for them and adjusted their sweep speed to make it work. I have run max sensitivity at times if it don't chatter with the coil in the air of electrical interference. When sweeping I have to very very slow and listen close to all the nulls to see if I can get a good tone on the edge of a null.
Mike (Virginia Beach)
New member
Set it on 12 noon and run a light threshold, like the gentle buzz of a bee. You will get near max depth and good stability this way.
If you have the 12.5" or WOT coil, you probably want the sens at about 1 oclock. If you have the 10" then probably at 11 or 12 oclock. If using the 8", then you can probably turn it up as high as 9 or 10 oclock with good stability. The bigger the coil and the tougher the ground, the more you need to twist it clockwise. The smaller the coil and the more neutral the ground the more you can turn it towards the "Auto" mark. Max sensitivity is experienced just prior to clicking into "Auto", at which point you will lose a lot of depth in most cases. Best to stay safe and run it at around 11.
If you have the 12.5" or WOT coil, you probably want the sens at about 1 oclock. If you have the 10" then probably at 11 or 12 oclock. If using the 8", then you can probably turn it up as high as 9 or 10 oclock with good stability. The bigger the coil and the tougher the ground, the more you need to twist it clockwise. The smaller the coil and the more neutral the ground the more you can turn it towards the "Auto" mark. Max sensitivity is experienced just prior to clicking into "Auto", at which point you will lose a lot of depth in most cases. Best to stay safe and run it at around 11.
Set it on 12 noon and run a light threshold, like the gentle buzz of a bee. You will get near max depth a good sensitivity this way.
That is a broad statement. I have a yard in town where I cannot run the sens above 4:00 without excessive null, constant null at 3:00. I have had much trouble learning the GT because of this kind of ground. It will still make finds but I am learning to lower the sens, the volume, and adjust the swing speed. Also no disc and no notch will help you to keep a threshold while swinging faster and AM will let you swing fast and not overrun targets. The most important thing I have learned lately about the GT is that you can, in really bad ground, just go all metal and check good tight targets in disc. The GT in all metal still give's a lot of info through the tone. I have not put the time in with it to learn AM hunting but I am going to do it.
I just wish it wasn't so heavy. I am going to buy some load bearing suspenders to try with it.
J
That is a broad statement. I have a yard in town where I cannot run the sens above 4:00 without excessive null, constant null at 3:00. I have had much trouble learning the GT because of this kind of ground. It will still make finds but I am learning to lower the sens, the volume, and adjust the swing speed. Also no disc and no notch will help you to keep a threshold while swinging faster and AM will let you swing fast and not overrun targets. The most important thing I have learned lately about the GT is that you can, in really bad ground, just go all metal and check good tight targets in disc. The GT in all metal still give's a lot of info through the tone. I have not put the time in with it to learn AM hunting but I am going to do it.
I just wish it wasn't so heavy. I am going to buy some load bearing suspenders to try with it.
J
Piero franchi
New member
Hi Mike.
Were are you detecting???
I detect in UK farmland and more often than not, find it SO SO SO hard to turn the sens up past 1 O'clock, most of the time it is about 3 O'Clock, and I have to sweep very very slow.
All of which makes for a detector that is useless !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Were are you detecting???
I detect in UK farmland and more often than not, find it SO SO SO hard to turn the sens up past 1 O'clock, most of the time it is about 3 O'Clock, and I have to sweep very very slow.
All of which makes for a detector that is useless !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Art (NWOH)
New member
Run it where you need to run it to make it work good..............in the spot that you are swinging it. Don't worry about where the dial is set.
HH
HH
Mike (Virginia Beach)
New member
I'm in Virginia Beach. And I hunt all summer on the beach with the Excalibur with the 10" coil and run it at 10 oclock and 11 oclock. I also had a Sovereign Elite and did the same with the 10" coil and ran 12 noon with the Sunray S-12. I don't have a GT at the moment, but have a brand new one coming on Wednesday. I will have the 8", 10", and Sunray 12.5" coils with it so I will be glad to let you know how that works out but my expectation is that it will be exactly the same as far as the sensitivity is concerned. The GT has some new features but it is still at it's heart a Sovereign.
Mike (Virginia Beach)
New member
Yes, it is a broad statement. But it's a good rule of thumb too. Of course it has to be adjusted for the particular ground you're hunting and the type of hunting you do and HOW you do it. As far as that 4 oclock thing, that's nuts...you must be hunting in an iron pit. And I learned a long time ago that with Minelabs you don't want to run ANY disc...hunt with them wide open and then dig what your experience tells you to dig. That has worked VERY well for me. I hunt the beach all summer with the Excal. I have been hunting land for a few years with the Quattro then the Explorer II, then the SE. I used them all the same way...all metal in ID mode, dig what the tones and the visuals tell you is good. It takes some time behind the stick but eventually it's instinctive.
Murphdasurf
New member
Saying the sov is useless in iron infested or trashy sites is a bit of a broad statement also. I have never had a brand of detector in my hands that was not pretty much a nightmare in sights like this. Many of them you can quite down a lot more in these areas but IMO this only gives the illusion that the machine is working better and picking out the good from the bad is just as difficult no matter the detector.
Mike (Virginia Beach)
New member
Well I would never say any Minelab was useless in an iron-infested site. I've pulled too many good coins and relics from such sites with mine to believe that. You just have to adjust your technique (and machine and coil size) to the site. 
Mike (Virginia Beach)
New member
OK, well that's still IRON...it's just IN the soil. I know that orange iron-rich soil...hunted in it a few times...not fun!
Yeah.
I went out yesterday evening to my detecting garden with my SE and my GT. I have a quarter at about 10-12". I was able to hit it with the SE pretty well and id it. I started to adjust the GT so I could do the same. I was using the 10" coil on each machine. With the sens on 4 O'Clock I could not hit the quarter with the GT. I moved it to 12:00 and it would hit it as well as on 2:00. On 12:00 I could not get a solid TID but it would rise to 180 for just a second. The soil is not as bad here but anyway, I think I am finally learning some more about the GT. It is too easy to set the GT on auto or with the sens too high and still find things but it is not going to find the really deep stuff this way. I was able to hit it in both disc and am and it was a faint rise in the threshold, just like people talk about. I have missed this in the past due to not setting the machine correctly. I just wish it wasn't so darn heavy. I am going to keep my GT because it was my first detecor and because it is probably the best machine on the market for making one learn to detect. I am going to try using load bearing suspenders and a hipmount. I imagine the SE is a better machine but the GT is a good'un too.
I am very pleased to be learning more about my GT, it's about time. Clive Clynick's books have helped me a lot too.
J
I went out yesterday evening to my detecting garden with my SE and my GT. I have a quarter at about 10-12". I was able to hit it with the SE pretty well and id it. I started to adjust the GT so I could do the same. I was using the 10" coil on each machine. With the sens on 4 O'Clock I could not hit the quarter with the GT. I moved it to 12:00 and it would hit it as well as on 2:00. On 12:00 I could not get a solid TID but it would rise to 180 for just a second. The soil is not as bad here but anyway, I think I am finally learning some more about the GT. It is too easy to set the GT on auto or with the sens too high and still find things but it is not going to find the really deep stuff this way. I was able to hit it in both disc and am and it was a faint rise in the threshold, just like people talk about. I have missed this in the past due to not setting the machine correctly. I just wish it wasn't so darn heavy. I am going to keep my GT because it was my first detecor and because it is probably the best machine on the market for making one learn to detect. I am going to try using load bearing suspenders and a hipmount. I imagine the SE is a better machine but the GT is a good'un too.
I am very pleased to be learning more about my GT, it's about time. Clive Clynick's books have helped me a lot too.
J