Sov GT Question

[jspoon]

I 'm just getting use to my new GT, my question is why is there an iron mask off switch position when the all metal setting does the same thing?
Thanks in advance..HH

 

[Tin Fin]

js,

I don't think they do exactly the same thing. With Iron Mask off, you will know you are going over iron, but in all metal, you only know that you are over some kind of metal. With Iron Mask on, it will usually null over iron, but you will be able to ID other metals that are non-ferrous. I may be wrong about this aspect of it, but that's my understanding of it. I've had my GT not quite a year yet, and I love the thing. I still learn something about it each time I go out, and I don't think I'm going to learn all it has to teach me. There are others here that can expound to great lengths about the differences between these choices, I'm just giving you my thoughts on it based on my own experiences.

 

[jspoon]

Thanks Tim, I'll play around with it, Ive been out sweeping but no digging as the ground is too hard trying to seperate the tones and can't tell much difference, I do notice a subtle difference between my gold wedding band and a quater but I only hear about 2 different tones, Hopefully when I start digging I'll feel more comfortable. Everyone that masters this machine seems to love them, I can't wait!
Thx John .. HH
Previous machines
All Whites
classic SL 111
classice IDX
MXT
M6

 

[Neil]

I 'm just getting use to my new GT, my question is why is there an iron mask off switch position when the all metal setting does the same thing?
Thanks in advance..HH

put some time in hunting the detector, those two settings are far apart in how they work, one is all metal, one is a disc mode. didnt you notice the responses being so different?

 

[Neil]

js,

I don't think they do exactly the same thing. With Iron Mask off, you will know you are going over iron, but in all metal, you only know that you are over some kind of metal. With Iron Mask on, it will usually null over iron, but you will be able to ID other metals that are non-ferrous. I may be wrong about this aspect of it, but that's my understanding of it. I've had my GT not quite a year yet, and I love the thing. I still learn something about it each time I go out, and I don't think I'm going to learn all it has to teach me. There are others here that can expound to great lengths about the differences between these choices, I'm just giving you my thoughts on it based on my own experiences.

Tim the sov, in disc mode, will null over iron whether iron mask is on or off. iron mask is iron disc and at 0 setting in disc the sov is knocking out iron. the switch just gives you an option as to how much iron is knocked out. unfortuneatly there are only the two settings. the rest of the disc range is small foil and up to just below coins.

 

[jspoon]

Yes I did notice a difference between am and disc. It seemed redundant to have iron mask off on the same switch when I asume am will find iron as well as iron mask off?
Thx

 

[bootyhoundpa]

it is a little confusing ,the whole -iron mask on- iron mask off-.... from my experience believe it or not you are more likely to get iron signals in iron mask on mode than in iron mask off mode, but i find iron mask on gives me better depth so it is usually the mode i prefer to hunt in.... if the place is a little trashy i may try iron mask off mode- it seems to run a little smoother more stable ..... i would suggest trying both modes over the same area and comparing the results .......

 

[Neil]

Yes I did notice a difference between am and disc. It seemed redundant to have iron mask off on the same switch when I asume am will find iron as well as iron mask off?
Thx

when your in all metal, the entire disc mode is disabled.

when your in disc mode, the all metal mode is disabled and both of your iron mask choices are active. the iron mask choices are two seperate iron disc settings. they are very close to each other, but there is a difference..

at 0 setting on your disc dial, with you toggle set on iron mask off, take notice how the sov will still null on most iron. the sov starts out knocking most iron out at 0 disc. its not like a tesoro/whites/garrett in its progression of discrimination in the iron disc range. it more starts in the low foil range, then its similiar to other detectors you may have used.

experiment, some like to hunt in disc with iron mask on, some like it off, some prefer the all metal mode instead of disc. see what works best from you, in the field, in your hunting areas.

 

[Neil]

it is a little confusing ,the whole -iron mask on- iron mask off-.... from my experience believe it or not you are more likely to get iron signals in iron mask on mode than in iron mask off mode, but i find iron mask on gives me better depth so it is usually the mode i prefer to hunt in.... if the place is a little trashy i may try iron mask off mode- it seems to run a little smoother more stable ..... i would suggest trying both modes over the same area and comparing the results .......

 

[Critterhunter]

http://youtu.be/3EUenmVu4Xs

 

[jspoon]

Thanks all for the great info, I took my GT to a city park today that I've hunted with my M6, the ground was still to hard to dig but I was getting alot of smooth signals, I'd raise the coil about 4 " maybe and the signal would dissapear, could these be those deep untouched older coins i'm after? What do you all think?
He He...ha ha!

 

[Critterhunter]

Minelabs often don't like any air between the coil and the coin. One of the reasons why they tend not to do as well in disturbed ground like a freshly plowed field. Sure, they'll still get good depth in freshly moved ground, but often not the Minelab depth they are known for. I've seen this myself at construction sites and such, but in that case I'm not looking for a 12" dime but rather shallow exposed stuff anyway, so maxing out at say 7 or so inches isn't a big deal to me at that kind of fresh ground.

Don't try to swing that machine as fast as your M6. Most say Minelabs should be swung very slow for max depth. I've found though in my soil that what I would call approaching a medium speed for a Whites seems to get me max depth.

Trust that machine, and another thing- This Sovereign doesn't need the sensitivity cranked to the edge to get outstanding depth. One of the things I was used to on my non-Minelabs was having to tweak sensitivity to the very edge of stability to punch as deep as I could. Sure, I still do that with the GT, but the point is that you don't need to have the machine set up "fussy" with chatter to punch that deep. Back it off until it's stable and the threshold isn't nulling out all the time. Nulling isn't always iron, but can be due to too high of sensitivty setting for the EMI or minerals. How to know? Hold the coil stable in the air (still horizontal). Still chattering or nulling? Then it's EMI. Lower it a bit until stable. Now sweep around. Nulling? Move back over that same null spot with a slower sweep. If the nulling is always there then it's iron. If it comes and goes then you either have sensitivity too high for the ground minerals or you are sweeping too fast. Before slowing down your sweep try lowering sensitivity a bit. All dependent on sensitivity levels and minerals as to the sweep speed you can use too. For me a somewhat faster one hits deeper at many of my sites. Not lightning fast like a Whites, but no where near as slow as the often said 4 second sweep.

PS- Try running in Auto for a while until you learn how the machine should act when stable. When you learn that, then tweak it in manual to where it's just a tad unstable. Then you'll know what is a false chatter or a real target at fringe depth...With practice that is.

 

[jspoon]

Thanks for all the great info. This makes the machine much easier to learm! HH