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Sovereign GT.....Threshold

G

Gmoney7

New member
Hi all,
New user here.... Received my new toy Friday. Read the manual and sifted through many user posts on this site.
I do have a few questions.
When ground balancing today, I never could get a solid consistent threshold tone. Was it the soil content and or possibly just a trashy site(or me). Today I noticed a consistent change in threshold tones. Also, multiple times the threshold would go silent when making a pass even very slow passes. Yesterday on a sandy beach the threshold was steady and changed little. Learned a lot about my tones and how to avoid unwanted items.....Those aluminum pull-tabs fooled me several times.....they gave very similar tones to a gold plated ring I found. What could I have done to get a good ground balance and solid threshold?
Pinpointing items is not to difficult. I believe I figured out how to do the Sovereign wiggle. I would still rather dig a smaller hole in the harder soil. Do many of you use pin pointers for less digging? If so, what kind is needed.

Thanks
 
I usually set my threshold while holding the coil up about waist high. Other than that, sounds like you are just experiancing the Sovereign. Have fun with your Sovereign. It'll treat you right when you get to know it.:thumbup:
 
You need to read the manual again. The GB is only done in the all metal mode. In Disc, you leave it in Track for it to set itself and change it to Fixed if you think the ground isn't changing. It just depends on where your at.

The threshold goes silent on you because that is the Iron Mask that is turned on. After you null on a piece of iron the threshold comes back as a different tone and higher in pitch. Don't worry about the tone, it will still respond to a gold ring or it will return to it's normal volume by itself.

You have to hear the pull tabs if you are ever going to hear a gold ring because 90% of the gold rings are disc out when you disc out pull tabs. Sorry, that is the way it is on all the detectors so far. You need to learn to pinpoint off the tip of the coil without even using the piinpoint mode. If pinpointing is difficult, Sunray makes a inline probe (S-10) that works like a 1 inch coil.

You should read the books by CJC on using the Sovereign GT and Excal. Also visit the website http://www.thegoldenolde.com/
 
Try setting your threshold at 1:00 and your volume at 2:00.

Your volume and threshold controls work together. If the threshold gets too "busy" for you, don't be afraid to switch to silent search. You may need to turn the volume up to actually pass above the threshold and go silent. Fool around with it and you'll figure it out pretty fast.

HH

Mike
 
Maybe I understand the Sovereigns different than others do, but been using them for over 12 years now. In disc there is no ground balance as it don't need to be, this is only in all metal where you run it in track and once you have swung the coil over the ground a little and want to keep it at that setting you can lock it. This I know come in handy if you want to go over a target several times as it wont track out the target.
The Sovereign does null a lot and the tones do change a lot in most hunting I have done, but did get to the beach one time and it runs real smooth there in the dry sand. The switch that says lock/track and pinpoint is only activated while the iron mask off/ iron mask on/ and all metal is in the all metal position, so I hunt in disc so I leave that switch in pinpoint so all I have to do is go to all metal and I am in my pinpoint mode. The Iron mask on or off I run in the on position like the older Sovereign will as it may false more on iron, but you will hear coins close to iron where with it off you will not ans only hear a null of the iron. This is explained in the manual.
Now when swinging the coil for me the threshold is coming and going all the time as when it null it is iron or any item you have disc out, so I run no disc and listen for the tones I need to hear and then look at the meter for those close tones. Gold will sound like a pulltab, but will be smoother sounding from what I have seen, but not 100% either as some do sound like trash too. Many times I have had to swing very slow and lower my sensitivity to keep the threshold coming and going, if it is a solid null you have to lower the sensitivity or go slower and sometime even have to use a smaller coil.
Now being you are new to the GT I would run the auto sensitivity until you learn it a little more as the threshold will run a bit smoother and easier for you to understand learn the Sovereign. The Sovereign is not the easiest detector to learn for many, but once you do you will see how this detector gives you much more info about all the targets and lets you the operator decide if you want to dig or not. Take time and patience plus in the field experience to really get to know this detector.

Good luck and remember to have patience and learn something new each time out with it.

Rick
 
As Rick says in disc mode the track/lock does nothing,
extract from the manual below

7.8. Ground Balance switch ( Track/Fix/Pinpoint )
When operating in Disc mode, the Sovereign GT uses digital filtering to
compensate for ground effects and the Track / Fix / Pinpoint function is disabled.

When operating in All Metals, Minelab
 
Thanks for all your replies. Very informative. Sandman, I have the manual out again...and likely a few more times till I learn my new machine. After a couple of outings fiddling with knobs, changing settings, hearing tones and listening to everyone here, the manual is making more sense to me. It's starting to sink in guys.... I get the feeling I am really going to like the Sovereign and what it has to offer.

Thanks again,

I'll keep you informed of any great finds.......
 
But once it does you will see the power of the Sovereign and how valuable those threshold tone are for finding what others have left behind.

It took me a few time re reading the manual too for some of it to make sence.
 
And sometimes it never sinks in, and you just struggle with like I'm doing. I'm the blind squirrel that finds the acorn once in a while. Maybe someday...
 
Yes some do have a problem learning this detector as I have seen and it is not a detector to use once in a while as it takes time to learn and the way you learn is using it. Some I see try to swing the coil too fast and it just nulls, some even try to max the sensitivity out only to find it is harder to understand and learn while some just dont understand all the tones this detector will make. Many have given up on it as they dont have the time to get out and use it and understand it, took me quite a while too while a friend I sold my XS to when I got a XS2 and he learned it well enough in one afternoon to start picking up some nice coins in areas many have detected and considered worked out.
From my experiences I recommend the 8 inch coinsearch coil to learn the Sovereign with as it give nicer and bigger tones, run the auto sensitivity to help get smoother tones with until you learn the detector a bit. I also recommend a good meter, in my case a 180 meter as the number lock in better plus a good set of headphones and go slow and listen for the good repeatable signals and when it all click you will be amazed at this detector. I also recommend getting out to use this detector as much as you can and even go to places that have only new coins as it will help understand the tones and what to listen for. Stay away from the real trashy areas until you know it a little better as this too will make it easier to understand it.
I will also say after the first week with the Sovereign I thought I made a big mistake and ordered in a Fisher CZ7 and a Garrett GTI 2000 and later I realized the mistake was ordering in these detectors as once the Sovereign all clicked for me it would run circles around the others for ID and depth.

Good luck
 
Well put Rick, i see so many sovereigns for sale with "only used 3 - 4 times" in the add or "very little use" It takes time, i think its a case of you never stop learning, each outing I learn something new. You can switch on and go find things, but to get real success takes time, patience and regular use.
 
I agree with you 100% and I have notice the more you get out with it the better you get to know this detector, the more you learn the deeper you can go and trashier area you can hunt. The Sovereigns have impressed many people over the year with what they can do once learned well, even myself have been impressed at some of the site I been too. The Sovereigns will go down as one of the best detectors ever made like the Teknetics Mark 1 I feel.
 
To put in terms that most men can understand........lol.....think of it as a woman. You got love the woman, you got to listen to the woman, and just because it says one thing don't mean it is talking about something else. BUT with a little tweaking you can understand EVERYTHING SHE SAYS. So dance slow and don't move too fast or she will null you out.
I know I am going to hear about this one.........:thumbup:
 
the sov is definetly one of if not the single best detector ever made, in my opinion:cheers:

Im loving my explorer but over the years the sov has rewarded me more than any other detector and is still to this day one of the most versatile detectors made. Minelab really made their mark in the industry with this one.

HH
Neil
 
It took the detecting world by surprise as it was different than we had seen before for coin hunting and I am sure to begin with the first people that had the Sovereign they had their share of problems understanding it as there was no help around then. There is no question that it opened up many peoples eyes when they seen what this detector can do.Those that wanted a beep dig detector didnt like it, but those that used it and learned its language have seen some great finds that have been missed over the years.
 
I have had mine for about 4 months. It was my first detector. At first it was a bit confusing but after I put in some hours, got some advice and a meter it is starting to come together. I cannot really compare it to another detector but I can tell you at the beach I dig coins so deep I will not even say the depth because some folks would not believe it unless they owned a GT also. I am starting 2 hit the dirt a bit more now.

I have only found 1 wheatie in the dirt but on the beach I have found 3 rings an earring a braclet and about 40 bucks in change along with misc hot wheels cars sunglasses and my fair share of pull tabs etc. . Oh yeah these machines love quarters...lol
 
cap10joe2000 said:
I have had mine for about 4 months. It was my first detector. At first it was a bit confusing but after I put in some hours, got some advice and a meter it is starting to come together. I cannot really compare it to another detector but I can tell you at the beach I dig coins so deep I will not even say the depth because some folks would not believe it unless they owned a GT also. I am starting 2 hit the dirt a bit more now.

I have only found 1 wheatie in the dirt but on the beach I have found 3 rings an earring a braclet and about 40 bucks in change along with misc hot wheels cars sunglasses and my fair share of pull tabs etc. . Oh yeah these machines love quarters...lol
Click to expand...
Amen.....
 
Rick(ND) said:
I also recommend a good meter, in my case a 180 meter as the number lock in better plus a good set of headphones and go slow and listen for the good repeatable signals and when it all click you will be amazed at this detector. Stay away from the real trashy areas until you know it a little better as this too will make it easier to understand it.

Good luck
Click to expand...


After a few outings, reading the manual and listening to other users, I am seriously considering a meter. I went to a small park today(old park) and it was so trashy I left. I was getting 3 or for items in a square foot area...... to much for a newbie.
I am also going to buy a pin pointer. I have found myself digging holes 8" in diameter to retrieve my fortunes..... I know that has to do with my inexperience, but I still want a pin pointer. Also, what do you guys use to dig your holes with when the ground is VERY hard. We need some rain down here.........



Dave
 
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