Sovereign XS2 repeatable sounds?

[radarwill]

Hello all, new to this site since I purchased my used XS2. I've used it to great success in the two weeks I have had it finding shallow, 3-4", clad coins. I have read many posts that say that if the signal is repeatable then dig. I hunt in all-metal mode until I get a signal, do some quick bi-directional pinpointing, then flip to DISC to let the machine "ID" the target. This has worked well with all the clad finds ID'ng where they should on the unmodified 500 meter.
Often times, I will get a signal of a target that I know is probally deeper that what I have dug so far, around 5". It is a clean signal, small in area, and repeatable in all-metal mode in multiple sweep directions when I do the "Minelab Wiggle". When I pinpoint and go to DISC, the detector nulls and won't make a sound for a second or two, then maybe a low blurp and rite back to null. Are these Iron targets I'm hearing in AM? My meter often displays a large negative number for these targets. It seems that the signal is not strong enough for the DISC mode to ID, or they are really just iron targets. Should I be digging these signals?
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
I'm using the 8"BBS coil and it's loose loam down to around 10". I have played with the sensativity but cannot get DISC to do more than just report a neg number and null.
Thanks

 

[Rick(ND)]

Myself I never use the all metal mode myself as I find that the disc will go deeper for me. Being new to this detectors i feel running it with the disc turn all the way down, notch off and sensitivity should be set in auto as it will make a smoother threshold to help learn the Sovereign. Also I run the threshold with a slight hum so you can hear it null and also hear the slight tones of a non ferrous target. Now by swinging the coil you will hear it null on iron and also hear anything else the coil may see and this is where you will have to tell the ones you want to dig. When you get a tone change of a non ferrous target you will have to swing only over the area giving you the signal and try to get it to repeat. Now try to get the signal to give the best reading on that target with both the tones and the meter reading as you want to get it to go as high as you can which on deep ones. Sometimes you will see it give a good signal and then null which can be a good target close to iron, so you try to wiggle in just the good signal and even try it from a different angle to be sure. If it seems to move it is possibly a false off of iron. One of my ways i will also check this signal out is now go to pinpoint all metal and swing the coil over just that area and if you notice it is a one way signal more than likely it is iron, if it is still around the same area and repeatable then I will swing the coil side to side to get it under the hot band of the coil, push the coil to the ground so it don't move off that spot and turn 90 degrees and then go side to side again and when you get the loudest signal that target will be right under the very center of the coil. Now i will hold the coil still and switch back to disc and slightly wiggle the coil and if it nulls you have iron, but if the threshold stays the same or increases it is one you will want to check out. I find most of the time if it is a good coin not more than 7 or 8 inches down it will ID correctly, but deeper it seem like the tone and ID want to get there, but cant quite make it are ones that are 10 or more inches deep.Most of this you will learn from experience with the Sovereign and also running manual sensitivity as high as you can for the area.
I find that my Sovereign for my land hunting will null more than anything else, so I have to go slower and listen for any positive signal coming though with sometimes just a change in the threshold and try to get it to repeat and doing the wiggle over it trying to get the tones as high as I can and using the meter to help see what I am hearing. After a while you will see when swinging over a target and then coming over it again you will tell by the tones if you want to check it out or not as some tones will just stop me in my tracks as I know they are good or close to it.
With the Sovereign you have to swing slow and keep the threshold coming and going and just listen for the right tones. If it is nulling all the time you know you have to go slower or use a smaller coil as there is a lot of iron or targets close to one another. I can do well with my 8 Inch coinsearch in some heavy trash and iron, just have to go slower.
The Sovereign takes some patience and some time to get real good with it, but as most will say when you get to know it it will ID better than any other detector and get some great depth, but you have to go slow and you can not go too slow with the Sovereign, but real easy to go too fast and lose a lot of depth.
In all metal for me I find I hear many signals off the iron and if I had to switch to disc and check each one out I wouldn't get too far in a day and wear out the toggle switch real easy. I also see where I can get some deeper targets in disc and when I try to go to pinpoint I get no signal or will pick up iron or another target close to the one I am trying to locate. If I am not mistaken in all metal you are not using the BBS (Broad Band Spectrum) of the Sovereign as it is only is for disc only as that is what my Sovereign GT is and has to be ground balance if you use all metal by the tracking feature or lock.
I think you will find that most use the Disc for hunting and only the all metal to help pinpoint.

Good Luck as you have a great Sovereign if someone hasn't tried to modify by opening up the control box and tried to tinker with it.
Rick