Sovereign XS-2a Pro ?'s

[Art (NWOH)]

As far as I know, all Sovs will follow the conductivity of the target the best they can as the coil is swept over it. This will be in the audio and on the meter both, provided you sweep slow enough to see and hear the changes.
There gets to be a problem with some coils.....some have a pretty wide detection window and tend to give more of a singular tone and meter reading. The coils that have a narrower window (better seperation) tend to give a better pattern of sound and meter variation.

All of this happens because a Sov starts giving you audio and meter as soon as it sees a target, and will continue updating both until it loses the target.

The problem I have with my GT in not tracking conductivity right may be in my detector only. I am the only one who has complained about it.
As for pulling up a target and holding the value, I don't like it . I want to see and hear a pattern as I play with it.
HH

 

[Willee - Texas]

I doubt there is anyone that has tried more detectors than me.
I have been using them since the mid 70's and always looking for something better.
I have 2 XS-2A detectors and no plans of getting rid of them.

 

[deepdiger60]

In my book there is nothing more better worth learning then a Sov.GT its the best made deep detector out here its like learning to drive you try it once and say that's it i quit ? in the old colonial fields out here on Long Island east end 12 to 14 inches is a piece of cake for the Sov.GT on all the beaches out here wet sand hunting i would not use anything else S-12 coil WOT 15 coil Hip mount bag black widow head phones its a monster !!!

 

[jbow]

In fact if I could only keep one machine, truthfully... I would have to keep the E-TRAC but I would hold on the to GT untill the very last minute and I know I would struggle with which one of the two to keep. All the other machines... no question... the two that I would have most trouble parting with would be the ET and the GT.

The Sovereign was my very first machine so I didn't have any preconceived ideas. I still learn new things about the Sovereign whenever I use it and usually when I read this forum... like running the sens at about 2:00 for the best performance. I haven't tried this yet but you can bet I will. I've dug a lot of great targets with the GT and expect to dig many more. It is head and shoulders above all the others I have for jewelry at any site and for salt beach detecting. I have been thinking about that 12x15 SEF ever since I read about it last week, I think it was Critter who posted about using it. My current coils for the GT are the stock 10" Tornado, which I almost always use, and an 8" coinsearch. I have had and sold an S-5 and an S-12. Sometimes I use the S-1 probe and sometimes I use the Uniprobe.

Everyone should have a Sovereign to learn and use. It gives more audio information that any detector ever made I think.

J

 

[goodmore]

I have found that the Sovereign definitely holds the target ID on the meter better with lower sensitivity. In auto mine is pretty dead nuts on. Now I don't hunt in auto that often, but then I can always switch to it. On the beach I don't even look at the meter.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

One problem with my GT is considered a good thing by most. The other is something that most would agree would be a bad thing.
The 'good thing' is that it pulls up and holds the highest reading that it can get, however it loses the sound patterns and meter variations when it does this. Sure, it makes the meter reading more solid, but it loses information in the process. I do not like this.

The bad thing is that it is persistent in holding onto the last reading. Get a dime reading, then move on to a zinc or screwcap and still get the dime tone and meter indication. It takes a tab reading or lower to get it to let go of the dime ID. Going from lower to higher works, but not from higher to lower.

HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

Julien, You must be seeing what I see exactly on the Sovereigns and the E-Tracs.
I have tried many different detectors over the last 37 years and when I got the first Sovereign it was different and didn't know what to think, but once I got to know it I was picking out some nice coin in areas we thought were worked out that some were deep and some were not. Tried all the Sovereigns series and like the GT the best with the XS and XS2 the easiest to use. Tried all the different Explorers and I like them too but the GT was the one I seem to grab when doing the more serious detecting. Tried the E-Trac and this was the first detector that I grabbed more than the GT as it works so much better then any of the Explorers in my opinion. One other detector I tried I like too for some area is the Fisher F-75 and got to try the F-75 LTD which I liked even more it seem than the reg F-75.
Money got tight over the winter and sold the E-Trac, my GT and then the F-75 LTD with the idea of replacing them around March of this year which was a mistake as the GT and the E-Trac have been back ordered since March while the new F-75 Special Edition release date keeps getting changed. I do have a Sovereigns XS2a to use, but when you get to know a GT it is hard to use anything different.
I know how you feel on the GT and the E-Trac as it would be hard to chose between the 2, but before the E-Trac it was a easy choice as the GT had it hands down.

 

[jbow]

You must be miserable not having either the GT or the E-TRAC. I am sorry to hear that. If I decide to sell my F75 LTD I will PM you first. I am not sure about it yet. I think I may prefer my T2 and and thinking about maybe trying a T2 LTD or SE once it becomes available. I can't use both because I confuse the TID numbers if I use both the F and the T.
I completely agree about the ET being WAY better than the Explorer... there is no comparison IMO. I have also been trying to like the V3 but so far I just can't seem to warm up to it. It is really seductive with all the colors and screens. All the things to tweak but somehow I just don't make the finds with it that I do with either the GT or the E-TRAC... the E-TRAC is spot on with that CO number and with the GT I have found jewelry in small areas where I hunted over with all the other more high end machines... the Sovereign gives the a more stable tone and TID number on good targets than any other machine i've ever used.

I wish ML would make an updated Sovereign in a super lightweight package. With a Minelab factory installed inline probe. Make it with a screen like the Exterra series with digital touchpads for less weight and keep offering the SovereignGT for those who like knobs and who don't like change. Make it run off 4 AA batteries like a Tesoro.. I think it would be a huge seller for them. Also make an 11" Pro coil for it. As huge a success as the Sovereign has been, its proven stability and depth could really be exploited by Minelab to make a detector that would sell like pancakes.

Rick, I hope you get your favorite machines back soon...

Julien

 

[jbow]

A switch to change between the two modes would be a good addition if anyone could figure it out. I see what you are talking about but i've never used a Sovereign other than the GT. I may look for a good deal on one that does what you are talking about... which other model would best compliment the GT?

J

 

[Art (NWOH)]

you want one that works like mine does???
You gotta be kidding me.
HH

 

[Critterhunter]

One problem with my GT is considered a good thing by most. The other is something that most would agree would be a bad thing.
The 'good thing' is that it pulls up and holds the highest reading that it can get, however it loses the sound patterns and meter variations when it does this. Sure, it makes the meter reading more solid, but it loses information in the process. I do not like this.

The bad thing is that it is persistent in holding onto the last reading. Get a dime reading, then move on to a zinc or screwcap and still get the dime tone and meter indication. It takes a tab reading or lower to get it to let go of the dime ID. Going from lower to higher works, but not from higher to lower.

HH

Now that I'm running sensitivity lower for "best" depth on my GT I'm seeing what older Sovereign model owners have said...That a real deep good target might only "climb" in numbers as you do the wiggle. If it only climbs so far and then stops and mostly locks on there than that's it's ID number, but if it keeps trying to climb in the 150's, 160's low 170's, or maybe even gets to 180 here and there with a little work then it's probably a coin and not trash. The audio also climbs as it does this. When I was maxing out sensitivity I didn't notice this on my GT. It would either lock right on or keep jumping around, but with a lower calibrating setting anything real fringe will some times do the older Sovereign "climb". It's an interesting debate in my head on which is best. Yes, I can see how tone and climbing numbers can show certain patterns, but so long as it gets to where it needs to be then that's what really matters. If the target can't get there and isn't trying to steadily climb (even with a higher sensitivity level) then it's not going to be a 180 coin, so either way gets you to the same results I think. An eratic pattern and audio will still clue you off to the target being something other than a coin or a ring. Regardless, I still think the GT has better audio and ID than any machine I've used thus far. It has much more to let me listen to and pick apart, even if it might be slightly limited running at a higher sensitivity setting than it would on an older Sovereign. Just lower the sensitivity a bit and I bet you'll see the same traits of an older model, as the main difference is the GT is a little deeper/hotter, which would directly relate to this adjustment.

Also, I've noticed one great way to tell a deep/fringe target from a false iron hit is to watch the VDI. If it is often bouncing down into the negative (iron) numbers then it's more likely iron. However, if it stays well into the positive numbers for the most part and keeps trying to climb then dig...