Sov XS2 DTI numbers, does this list look correct?

[radarwill]

My meter is un-modified so it supposedly goes from 0-550. Heres a list of 4" air tests:

Old rusted small nut nulls large neg number
heavy foil 250
1997 Quarter 250
1993 Nickle 495
1936 Buff nickle 505
pull tab with tail newer style bigger 550
pull tab no tail old style smaller 567
1952 Ros Dime 580, kinda of a wavery but solid coin tone and some meter fluctuations
1936 Liberty exactly the same as the Ros dime
20 Gauge Shot shell 586-606
10ct Mens Band 601
1997 penny 612
2000 Dime 621
1945 wheat 624

The manual says to place a us quarter, sweep and adjust for 550. I used a 1997 Quarter, date of book, and can adjust from 180-250.
I aware that everyone has done the 180 mod or has an after market meter etc.., but does it sound like my meter is reading correctly based on conductivity.
I found the attached chart on Garrett's web site, so this is what I'm going by, is the phase shifts from 0-180 degrees.
Other than these numbers I'm sure the detector is working great. I've found around 40 clad coins with the deepest being 5" in the frozen ground. Also, I have purposely dug a lot of junk and iron and depth/discrimination couldn't be better.

Any thoughts on the numbers or my understanding on the 0-180 phase shift thing are greatly welcomed.

 

[Rick(ND)]

Something is not right with the quarter as it should read the same as a wheat penny or a dime, try a different quarter or even a new dime and set the calibration for 550 max as that should be the highest signal you should get, then do your test again and let us know. This quarter is not a Canadian one is it by any chance as they will not read correctly. The USA quarter will be the easiest to set the calibration with as it will lock in better because it is a bigger coin, but a dime will also work and will read the same given a number or 2 with the 550 meter.Most nickles will also read within a few number, but the War Nickles can read higher because of the silver in them.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

That is totally screwed up!!!!!!!!

A DTI should be a 180 meter.

Are you using something other than the sunray meter and trying to calibrate in all metal by some chance????

Calibrate ONLY in disc mode!

HH

 

[brobox]

You cannot have a 550 meter reading in the 600's and be correctly calibrated, especially on 10k targets.

Chuck in Cape Coral

 

[Rick(ND)]

Make sure you have a good battery in the Sovereign too before trying to calibrate the meter. While calibrating the meter make sure you have nothing metal on your hand or arm if you are waving the coin across the coil, if you have the coin on the ground make sure there is no other item close. When calibrating go only over just the target and try to get that number as high as you can and then turn the control until you can keep it at around the 550 numbers. Some of the older 550 DTI meter (Minelab) seem the numbers are not as stable so these numbers may vary a bit when calibrating, just try to get 548-554 or so.
Nickles if I remember right will be around 100 numbers lower than your copper penny, dimes and quarters will read, many pull tabs will be higher than a nickle while the alum foil will be lower than the nickle will be.By looking at the numbers you posted the only coin that sounds completely wrong is the quarter, the rest sound about right I think giving the calibration is not set right. I only used the 550 meter for a couple of weeks, then got a Sun Ray 180 meter like I had on my XS I sold with the meter on when the XS2 Pro came out.
Over all looking at the numbers you posted we know your meter is not calibrated as the numbers are reading too high other than the quarter you are trying to use. The tones on the copper penny, dimes and quarters should be the same tone along with the meter readings given a number or 2, if not take the meter off and try it again without the meter and the tones should be the same if using US coins. If it is not the same you have problem in the control box as they should be the same.
Try your calibration again and make sure you have a good battery, try a different quarter or even a new dime and set the calibration as close as you can to 550 while trying to get the numbers as high as you can with the 550 being the highest, or close as you can to 550. Now run all your coins and trash across the coil one at a time and let us know what the numbers will be.Those the use the 550 meter will tell you if these will be in the right area, I feel they will be.
Here is the chart from Ken Wildherre site on the 550 meter readings.
Calibrate to 550 with quarter
549-550 quarter,dime.1/2 dollar,silver dollar,copper penny,two cent,others
547-548 12 ga. Shotgun slug
542-547 1715 Spanish 4 reale
538-544 aluminum screw caps
535-540 zinc penny,large 14k ring,7mm mag. brass
528-533 1715 Spanish 1/2 reale
527-529 1/2 dime
525-530 1"x 3" brass
515-516 30 carbine - 45 cal. brass
512-518 medium 14k gold ring
510-515 aluminum,melted
490-515 pull tabs,round
480 ? bottle caps,won't lock on
465-480 square pull tabs,won't lock on if twisted
445-448 nickels and some small rings
432-438 very small 10k gold ring
428-433 indian head nickels
376-388 medium 14k gold diamond ring
345-355 small 14k yellow gold ring
330-450 foil,heavy,won't lock on
328-378 small 14k white gold ring
250-300 very small 10k white gold ring,wouldn't lock on well
216-292 small foil objects
-1525 all small iron objects
-1528

 

[radarwill]

Thanks Rick(ND) for the information.
From the list you posted I tested the targets that I had on hand.
Since I cannot get a reading anywhere near 550 for a US Quarter, I have been calibrating that coin as 250 which was max on the adjustment.

Here is what I did tonight.

Installed fresh batteries.
All targets were on my basement floor, well isolated and the coil passing (wiggling for best reading) around 2" above target.
Calibrated on a new US dime (in DISC mode) and adjusted to 550 (rock solid on the meter)
US Quarter would only cal to 250 MAX!

Some post cal target numbers:

Modern Cent 550 (rock solid on meter)
Square pull tab 550 (rock solid on meter)
round pull tab 500 (rock solid on meter)
Zinc penny 539 (rock solid on meter)
Modern US Nickle 435 (rock solid on meter)
Medium 14ct gold and diamond ring 375 (rock solid on meter)
small piece of foil from cigarette pack 250 (somewhat wavery on the meter but 250 average broken audio when coil raises past 3")
Small ball of aluminum foil 250 (meter is wavery)
US Quarter 1997-2007 5 tested 221 (solid, continues solid as coil is raised above 4")
Chewing gum wrapper, foil with used gum intact, found 1" deep 221 (solid, but gets broken when coil raised more than 3")
Small iron object (nut) -1545 audio nulls

It seems that Rick is dead on when he said it looked pretty normal with the exception of the quarter.
The tones on the copper penny dimes are the same tone along with the meter readings. The Quarter has a solid coin tone but much lower in frequency,
very similar sounding to other 220 range targets.

I bypassed the meter ans the tone for the Quarter is still low.

As I have said, I can tell that this detector is seeing fine, and now that I have calibrated on a dime, it identifies well except for the quarter.
Once I calibrated on a dime the numbers aligned themselves with the list.
Do you think it the coil, control box, or something I shouldn't even worry about. I think worst case I miss quarters or dig a lot of foil.
I'm considering sending it to Minelab and having a repair done.

Any thoughts?
Thanks a bunch.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

What you show looks pretty good except the quarter. That should not happen.
Get the coil away from the floor or anything else. Wave the quarter over the coil.

 

[vw242]

These results seem repeatable using modern coins and my favorite cap.

Don

 

[radarwill]

The only way I can get a 550 reading on 25cents is to stack two dimes over a nickle. I've tried everything else.
I'm gonna send it back to Minelab and get it checked out.
Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Rick(ND)]

It would have been nice if you would have had a different coil to try just to be sure before it was sent in to Minelab. If this quarter read this way i wonder if a half dollar or even a alum can would have too as it seems the bigger target like the quarter is giving you the problem as the dime don't and like you say even the dime was breaking up. I take it you bought it used as they haven't been made since 1998 I believe is when they went to the XS2a and if it was used I wonder if the person tried to do a mod and turned the wrong setting inside, or if this is why he sold it. Something isn't right thats for sure and feel the only option would be to send it in to Minelab to be checked out and repaired.

Good luck and I hope it will be a easy fix for you. I for one would like to know what they find out as I never heard of this problem before.

Rick

 

[radarwill]

I'll post Minelabs findings here when it returns. I have seen a pic of the circuit board and there seems to be only two adjustments; one for threshold and another fo tones. I don't think either of those would cause this problem. Anybody live near central MA that would let me try their coil for a quick test?
Thanks again everyone.

PS Is the Minelab Explorer SE or the Xterra 70 the way to go for all around hunting?

 

[radarwill]

BTW. I do not have a 50 cent or a dollar coin. But, I did use a canadian quarter and it gave good audio tone antd the meter reads 530. On a big Jamician coin, roughtly the size of an old US dollar coin, good tone and meter is reading 540. Aluminum can reads around 530 with kinda a broken tone.