Hi folks kind of new to the Minelab side of the forum but have been detecting for many years mainly swinging Tesoros detectors. I had a fella wanting to trade a Sovereign XS-2a Pro for my Tesoro, I took him up on the offer. I have a feeling that I won't like the Minelab (very heavy,slow response/recovery time,problem with iron,etc.). These are some of the negatives that I have read searching the forums. I figure from a $$$ point of view I done the right thing, if I don't like it I can always sell it, I see that the Sovereign XS-2a Pro is in demand. Or try to trade it for a Tejon, it is one Tesoro that I haven't had that have always wanted to try. But I am going to give the Sovereign XS-2a Pro an honest try first. Just wondering what you folks that have or have had the Sovereign think about it. I hunt school grounds/parks/toto lots/ for coins & jewelry and never any beach hunting, I am figuring that this machine might be too much for such a task??? It is comming with a 10" coil (larger than I'm used to) and DD coil at that & it has a 180 meter (Ibelieve a 180 could be wrong might of said 150 not sure). Is the meter on the Sovereign XS-2a Pro like most other detector brands and models - not very accurate. Thanks all. Steve.
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
Sovereign XS-2a Pro ?'s
- Thread starter SkiWhiz
- Start date
Art (NWOH)
New member
n/t
Art (NWOH)
New member
I know you...even without knowing you.
Seen it many times before. Someone comes on here talking about a different brand of detector, tries a Sov, and is completely overwhelmed by it , goes back to old brand. Very predictable.
On top of that, you have already focused on the negatives that you have heard about,,,(you are in error on the meter...very accurate).
Sure, it's a heavy bugger...most of the weight is in the battery pack and coil. The stock rod sucks.
You have to understand that this is so strange in operation compared to any other detector (other than the FBS machines) that you will have to start from scratch and adapt to how this animal works. Many cannot adapt to it.
These detectors are really great once you get the hang of them. They can be very easy to use once the whole thing clicks. Trouble is a lot of us old geezers are not too good at adapting.
So, without attempting to rile you up or insult you I have simply stated why I don't think you will keep it. Let's see if you are the exception.
Plenty of people here to help you if you want to give it a good try.
I have the 2a and the GT. Like the 2a better.
HH Art
Seen it many times before. Someone comes on here talking about a different brand of detector, tries a Sov, and is completely overwhelmed by it , goes back to old brand. Very predictable.
On top of that, you have already focused on the negatives that you have heard about,,,(you are in error on the meter...very accurate).
Sure, it's a heavy bugger...most of the weight is in the battery pack and coil. The stock rod sucks.
You have to understand that this is so strange in operation compared to any other detector (other than the FBS machines) that you will have to start from scratch and adapt to how this animal works. Many cannot adapt to it.
These detectors are really great once you get the hang of them. They can be very easy to use once the whole thing clicks. Trouble is a lot of us old geezers are not too good at adapting.
So, without attempting to rile you up or insult you I have simply stated why I don't think you will keep it. Let's see if you are the exception.
Plenty of people here to help you if you want to give it a good try.
I have the 2a and the GT. Like the 2a better.
HH Art
Thanks for the info Art, appreciate the info. Is it not that I focused on the negatives it is what I have read & wanted some input on it. Wondering if these things are true or not. I am not going to dislike it before I get it, but don't want to tell myself that I am going to love it and not be satisfied with it when I get it. Thanks. Steve.
I feel you been reading articles of those that never had the patience to get to know the Sovereign or plain gave up as they didnt want to learn it. The Sovereign is heavy, but it can be hipmounted or put on a straight shaft that Plugger builds that will balance out real good. The Sovereigns hate iron like no detector I have ever used before and you will get some falsing but real easy to tell compared to other detectors. I find the tones and the 180 meter makes it one of the best ID detector I have ever used. You do have to swing these detectors slow if you want it to see all those good targets others have left behind for you. When the targets are deeper the signals will be smaller too and why going slow you will hear these and by doing the Sovereign wiggle you will hear the good tone of a good target.
I tell most that it takes a little time for some while others it dont take much time to get to know it as it is different that what you have been used too. With the Sovereigns and the Explorers between the tones and the meter readings it let you the operator decide if you want to dig or not while other detectors just beep because it thinks it is a good target and those good targets closer to trash many will not signal on while the Sovereigns and the Explorer you can hear they are differnt once you get to know it.
There is a learning curve like many detectors and if you have the patience to learn it you will find it is one of the easiest detector to use and will impress many plus yourself what you can find in many area others say is worked out.
I used to sell the Tesoros myself and they are a nice light weight detector and easy to use, but never seen any that will get the deep targets the Sovereign will get and my opinion the best Tesoro is the Tejon the one you never tried yet, so if you dont have the patience to get to know the Sovereign and like the Tesoros I would try a Tejon.
With the Sovereign you will hear a lot of differnt tones as it has a differnt tone for different conductivity and will null a bit too from iron or any item you have disc out, but you will acualy be able to hear the good tones of a good target when the coil see it even with all the other tones once you get to know it.
Like many when I began using it in 1996 I wondered what did I get myself in for as this detector is squeaking differnt tones all the time.With the help those on these forums that kept telling me how great it was and have patience and try to use it as much as I can to get to know it I stayed with it. Then one day everything clicked and places were like virgin again,not only deep, but many shallow coins the Sovereign was able to see. It seem like the first year or 2 I learned something new every time out with it and feel I have mastered the Sovereign now.
It is a great detector if you have the patience to learn it which is not hard for some at all, for some they expext it to work the way they think it should work which makes it harder for them.
Her is a picture of my finds of one very well worked park in Fargo ND that is considered worked out and I was chalanged to find one old coin that others have missed, it was tough but by going real slow and listening close I was able to get these with one a 1931 S wheatie I needed for my collection. Very little new coins as it had been worked so hard.
[attachment 125388 scanner054.jpg]
I tell most that it takes a little time for some while others it dont take much time to get to know it as it is different that what you have been used too. With the Sovereigns and the Explorers between the tones and the meter readings it let you the operator decide if you want to dig or not while other detectors just beep because it thinks it is a good target and those good targets closer to trash many will not signal on while the Sovereigns and the Explorer you can hear they are differnt once you get to know it.
There is a learning curve like many detectors and if you have the patience to learn it you will find it is one of the easiest detector to use and will impress many plus yourself what you can find in many area others say is worked out.
I used to sell the Tesoros myself and they are a nice light weight detector and easy to use, but never seen any that will get the deep targets the Sovereign will get and my opinion the best Tesoro is the Tejon the one you never tried yet, so if you dont have the patience to get to know the Sovereign and like the Tesoros I would try a Tejon.
With the Sovereign you will hear a lot of differnt tones as it has a differnt tone for different conductivity and will null a bit too from iron or any item you have disc out, but you will acualy be able to hear the good tones of a good target when the coil see it even with all the other tones once you get to know it.
Like many when I began using it in 1996 I wondered what did I get myself in for as this detector is squeaking differnt tones all the time.With the help those on these forums that kept telling me how great it was and have patience and try to use it as much as I can to get to know it I stayed with it. Then one day everything clicked and places were like virgin again,not only deep, but many shallow coins the Sovereign was able to see. It seem like the first year or 2 I learned something new every time out with it and feel I have mastered the Sovereign now.
It is a great detector if you have the patience to learn it which is not hard for some at all, for some they expext it to work the way they think it should work which makes it harder for them.
Her is a picture of my finds of one very well worked park in Fargo ND that is considered worked out and I was chalanged to find one old coin that others have missed, it was tough but by going real slow and listening close I was able to get these with one a 1931 S wheatie I needed for my collection. Very little new coins as it had been worked so hard.
[attachment 125388 scanner054.jpg]
Art (NWOH)
New member
Target response. The 2a follows the conductivity pattern of an object better with coil movement. The GT tends to pull up the highest value and hold on to it.
I consider this to be an information loss on the part of the GT.
HH
I consider this to be an information loss on the part of the GT.
HH
Art (NWOH)
New member
O.K. Steve. Your post seemed all too familiar.
Two of the bigger advantages are ground coverage with the DD coil, and the audio. Did not include the very accurate meter for a reason....you learn the detector, you seldom look at the meter.
You also forget about the disc, notch, and fixed tone controls. It's sound and motion.
HH
Two of the bigger advantages are ground coverage with the DD coil, and the audio. Did not include the very accurate meter for a reason....you learn the detector, you seldom look at the meter.
You also forget about the disc, notch, and fixed tone controls. It's sound and motion.
HH
Thats some great reading, thanks Rick and Art. I noticed that it has notch & didn't want to get into that this early. Had a Golden uMax with notch and I can live without the notching come to think of it multi-tones were hard to get used to also. Been a plain jane swinger for too long I guess but never too old to learn something new. Steve.
sovereign-fan
New member
i have a Sovereign XS2A Pro and wouldn't part with it. once you understand how the machine works its quick hunting from there on.
my machine has had a switch fitted so you can work in either silent search mode or not. the silent search mode is defantly more user friendly for new users.
in silent search mode, when you go over a target the machine has just found and hasn't canceled the signal out, the only sound you will here is the tone of the target found nothing else.
with the silent search turned of in the same situation the threshold quite often gives you pitch changing noses which can sound a bit confusing when your new to using the machine and will probably put you off from using the machine all together.
i love the way the machines automatic cancellation works. when your swinging the coil and you hit a target, swing the coil over the target again a few more times and if the tone stays dig it
but if the tone goes after a few swings and doesn't return, keep on walking the machines processor has tested the target and has decided that the target is junk. simple.
it does pay you to attack a target found in all directions though because sometimes a cancelled out signal comes back depending on how junky the ground is and the angle on with the target was first found ETC.
picture of switch fitted
my machine has had a switch fitted so you can work in either silent search mode or not. the silent search mode is defantly more user friendly for new users.
in silent search mode, when you go over a target the machine has just found and hasn't canceled the signal out, the only sound you will here is the tone of the target found nothing else.
with the silent search turned of in the same situation the threshold quite often gives you pitch changing noses which can sound a bit confusing when your new to using the machine and will probably put you off from using the machine all together.
i love the way the machines automatic cancellation works. when your swinging the coil and you hit a target, swing the coil over the target again a few more times and if the tone stays dig it
but if the tone goes after a few swings and doesn't return, keep on walking the machines processor has tested the target and has decided that the target is junk. simple.it does pay you to attack a target found in all directions though because sometimes a cancelled out signal comes back depending on how junky the ground is and the angle on with the target was first found ETC.
picture of switch fitted
sovereign-fan
New member
forgot to say the only thing i dislike about the sovereign is hunting were there is power cable near by. the ones above the railway tracks are the worst.
i have a 40 acre field i hunt in that has railway tracks running along side the field and i find it quit difficult at times to work the field.
you have to keep turning the machine off for a few seconds and back on again as the detector goes bonkers and this is sometimes in the middle of the field well away from the power lines. if a train goes by the machine most times gets wiped out.
its really frustrating as i have had some good finds out of the field and i don't have my musky any more which was less sensitive to power lines so god knows what I'm missing out on down near to the tracks.
this is the only trouble with the multiple frequencies.
VLF not so bad.
i have a 40 acre field i hunt in that has railway tracks running along side the field and i find it quit difficult at times to work the field.
you have to keep turning the machine off for a few seconds and back on again as the detector goes bonkers and this is sometimes in the middle of the field well away from the power lines. if a train goes by the machine most times gets wiped out.
its really frustrating as i have had some good finds out of the field and i don't have my musky any more which was less sensitive to power lines so god knows what I'm missing out on down near to the tracks.
this is the only trouble with the multiple frequencies.
VLF not so bad.
Wow that is some great finds harryo. It is not that I am going to try to not like it, it is just that I have detected for so many years using simple beep & dig single tone detectors that it will be a challenge. Hopefully if I get discouraged while out in the field I will think about your great finds. Thanks for the post got me itchin for a bit of silver now. Steve.harryo said:
If I decide to get rid of it I will look you up.
I am not doubting you but was wondering harryo, how did you find so many old coins in a hunted out park. Is it because that the Sovereign goes deeper than other detectors or just happens to do anextra good job with the soil in that particular park. Sure is someimpressive finds. Steve.
Steve,I think Art made a good point.The Sovereign is a very unappreciated metal detector by first time user's.The Coinsearch coil is an excellent coil for the beginner,but most important try only using this unit for a month.My second season with an Explorer,but the Sovereign is my security blanket very easy to use once learned and still continues to make my best finds with this detector.I still think a straight rod asm is the only way to go with the Sovereign and for some reason the Sunray probe works best with this unit.If you do use this detector for a month and sell it you'll buy another like most Sovereign users.Rick has a lot of good advice.Good Luck Happy Hunting Ron