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[Mike T]

I just started detecting after a 10 year break,and I've been using the sovereign to go to local parks etc. I have alot of prior experience but nothing to prepare me for this.
I am having a difficult time understanding its language, why does it register a solid coin, but when I switch to all metal I find its just the edge of a larger target? and what are the little snippets of sounds I get only in one directon, hard to track down? I also get faint good targets 2 or 3 swings then dissapeer?
I know this is one powerful machine cause I've been digging quarters at 7"or8" that sound like sprinkler heads LOUD!
Any light you can shed would be appreciated.
Also what is it about Garrets? when you go to their forums they're always finding stuff. It seems like every other post is a pile of silver! Mike

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Hi Mike.....

Let's do this backwards........first......don't worry about Garretts. If you hunt where it's at, then you will find it.

Next...
You may not realize it yet, but you are already learning what not to dig.........
The Sov will give you a coin tone on large junk or off the ends of moderate to large junk(bolts,larg nails , steel rod, any other moderate to large or oblong junk). Large bent wire, links of dog chain, sparkplug gaskets,mason jar lids and rings.....all kinds of stuff.
Guess what? My White's also will hit on the same kind of junk.
A lot of it has a particular feel to it. Seems to slide around in the ground and is hard to pinpoint. Does not pinpoint in the same place in all metal as it does in discriminate. Does not sound quite right for a coin. Seems too large for the loudness of the tone. Once you get used to it you can bypass this stuff most of the time.

When you talk about "snippets" I'm not sure which response you're talking about.
You can start to get a coin tone which cuts off abruptly then turns into a null followed by the low iron tone in the threshold (don't tell me you have silent search). These are usually iron, but can be a coin next to a piece of iron that is strong enough to overpower the coin's response as the coil approaches.
There is one I refer to "chitters".....A "chittering " sound when using the discriminate or notch when an objet is not completely accepted or rejected.

Objects that dissappear.....Usually caused by too fast a sweep speed or too much sensitivity. The Sov sees something abruptly (could be just mineral) before it can analyze the dirt and gives a false return. Takes a sweep or two more for it to get a good look and decide there is nothing there.

This is just how the detector works. It takes a while to get used to the sound patterns and how they relate to coil motion.

Hope this helps.

HH

 

[Mike T]

Thanks Art. I guess theres alot to learn w/sovereigns. I live in Salem Oregon, and I've heard the mineralization is pretty high. I try to hunt with notch/disc at 0, sens around 12 o'clock bareley threshold and only use the all metal for sizing. I guess the little pieces of signals that I only get 1 direction or don't repeat are minerals. I'll try lower sens. or my new Sunray S-5 coil.
Why does the threshold sound different in all metal than in discriminate? it seems so much smoother in disc. and kind of slower, wavery in AM. Mike

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Your sensitivity may be OK if you are not getting a lot of long threshold nulls when there is no object present. The occasional blip,snap-crackle-pop, or dissapearing act is something not to worry about.

Try to keep your sweep speed down to about 1 foot per second to give it time to have a good look. A little faster or slower depending on ground conditions and trash.

You can size targets in disc too once you get used to it.

I get a little bit of "rattlesnake" in all metal threshold too. Seems worse at some locations than others. The detector is processing differently in the two modes of operation. You get used to it and don't even notice after a while.

HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

Most people when they get a Sovereign want to wrap it around a tree as it is different for sure, but I will tell you from Experience there is not a Garrett that will see the coins like a Sovereign will. I had a GTI 1500, the GTI 2000 and the GTI 2500 and none of them could see the deep old coins the Sovereign could see when we did some signal comparison on actual targets.
Now the Sovereign is different and Art gave you some great advice and I will add some more. The good signals you should worry about at this time are the repeatable one that will repeat everytime you swing the coil over them. Now even if you turn and come from a different angle they should repeat with the good tone as the first time and in the same spot too and not 4 or 5 inches different. Go slow too if you want depth as speed will kill the depth of the Sovereign and I find when you get a iffy one you have to wiggle the coil over just that spot only. This may be just a inch or so, but it will be repeatable if it is a good signal.
Too many that I see try to learn the Sovereign will watch the meter too much or as soon as they hear it squeak they look at the meter and may see a good number like a 179-180 and they feel it is a good target only to see it is the edge of iron. From experience you will see that when you hear these you will stop and make sure you swing the coil back over that area to see it is repeatable before looking at the meter.
Like I say isn't fun learning the Sovereign, but stay with it and I am sure you will see why many of us just love these Sovereigns and you will have the finds to prove it.
I always use my pinpoint to check any weaker signals and to see if they will repeat in the same spot as where I get a good signal in disc. On deep iffy one I will do my 90 degrees pinpoint so my target is right under the center of the coil, then switch to disc to make sure it is a good target too.

Good luck and have patience as you will do well.

Rick

 

[Marc(NB)]

Ive had the same sov like you do since 01.It has a learning curve ,but remember for me its was my first detector.I wanted to get rid of it at first but now I have full confidence in myself when Iam using it.I did have difficulty to understand it at first but after many many hours of use its a great detector and you wont be disappointed.HH

 

[Dirt NC]

i would suggest that you buy andy sabisch's book titled SUCCESSFUL COIN HUNTING volume two. it was written for the sov., excal. user.you can usally pick up a copy on ebay for just a few dollars. this book answered alot of questions about my sov.and was worth far more to me in info than the few bucks that it cost me. it provides a very indepth look at some of the questions that you asked in your post. try it and i know that it will bring you a lot closer to becoming one with your sov.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Slow variation in all metal threshold is usually caused by uneven dirt with considerable mineral content or a lot of deep buried junk. My own back yard is a prime example. Fill dirt with who knows what buried under it. Response is wide and slow compared to coin size objects.

Was thinking about the noisy chit-chit-chit sound in my other answer.

Must learn to read questions more carefully.

HH