UK METAL DETECTING

mic.b · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Southport,M.side.

Wifey says I can get a used Sov if its cheap enough in the next couple of weeks.Which is the best older model please as I cant afford a GT.Your thoughts would be appreciated,thanks. Confused

...........anyone selling one?

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

Similar performances until the GT model

Sovereign. Grey shaft, battery with plug in connector. No RF shield. Solid white Coinsearch coil (good but not waterproof). Iron mask can be on or off which could give more depth on some sites. Has to be ground balanced before use.

XS. No iron mask switch. Its always on. Retained plug in battery and Coinsearch coil. No RF shield but one was added to reduce interference part way through the production run.

XS2. Drop in battery system. New black 800 fully waterproof "open" coil.

XS2 Pro. As standard with the new 1000 coil, target I.D. meter (most don't use meters in the U.K. and it adds weight). Nicads/charger and hipmount bag included. External tone switch (choose single or multiple tones). With earlier models you could open the control box and move a jumper to do the change.

Elite. More streamlined case, Nimh battery system, better battery door, two position noise cancel switch. Lighter coil (about time) but the control box is a little heavier than early models.

Original model should be cheap but will be ancient and there could be repair/parts difficulties.
XS nearly as old and the battery system not great.

XS2 and Pro version. Best combination of age to price if your hard up. Try to get one with the external tone switch if you go for one of these.

Elite best of the bunch age/features/lighter coil. Not to popular with early Sovereign users because Minelab swapped the knob positions around on the control box. If you haven't had a Sovereign it won't bother you.

mic.b · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 17 Location: Southport,M.side.

Thanks Brian for your detailed reply.Looks like the XS2 pro is the one for me.By the way,is the pinpointing good as I have heard its not brill on these machines and I use a C.Scope 1220xd non motion machine and the pinpointing is excellent.Thanks again,Mick. Very Happy

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

Pinpointing is poor compared to your C-Scope if you have the larger coils. Stick a WOT on and most use the edge rather than the centre.

Its not bad in the all metal pinpoint mode of the Sovereign ie doesn't move at depth or is offset like the Headhunter P.I. but the pinpoint mode is weak on audio.

With the 800 (7") I doubt if it will cause any problems and the 1000 coil is not bad, just not as good as what your use to.

wulmar · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

I had very little time with the GT and just tested it to see if it was a major step forward which performance wise I don't think it is if you only consider depth. The general opinion is slightly more sensitive and slightly less good iron rejection.
I don't think anyone would go back to the older versions having had the GT because it offers so much more control at your fingertips. Noise cancel can be worth its weight in gold as well.

I can't say I noticed any difference with the pinpointing. 1715 will probably come in on this...rumour is he sleeps with his Minelabs.

almadetect · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

1715Hunter · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 130 Location: South Florida USA

I was found not guilty of that Brian! but I do love my Sovereign GT , I have had it over a year now and I have a lot of time under my belt with it , I always use it wet sanding as my machine of choice over my Excalibur , not sure if it is just the Tornado coils but it is more sensitive to small stuff and run with the WOT coil , it has plenty of depth for what I am looking for. As far as pin pointing because of where I detect I carry a large sand scoop so I do not have to worry about pinpointing, I normally recover most targets with a couple of good scoops, shallow water hunting its the same thing. I have used most of the features on the GT except for the notch & disc they stay at minimum setting all the time. The Sovereign in my opinion is an ideal machine to compliment the Excalibur if you water hunt , same tones, same coils now , you just go from one machine to the other , plus the Sovereign handles black sand and if the ocean or lake is calm enough you can just chest mount it with the strap hanging around your neck and just get in the water adjust the sensitivity a little and bobs your uncle you have got the best of both worlds, I have 3 different coils mounted on separate shafts so I can be ready for anything, 7 1/4 inch , 10inch and the wonderful orange thing. I have to go now , puff the pillows up and tuck the Sovereign in .

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

I like looking at mine with their control boxes off, then I %$&£*&$£%.

While stripping out the secondary Pre Amp the other day I gave the whole Sovereign a good going over cleaning/checking wise.

I also never use notch or any discrimination. I found the discrim. knob was a little tight and the notch seized, no doubt due to a little salt corrosion and the fact they are never moved. They freed off with little effort but now I have applied a little vaseline and an off cut of rubber to stop any further salt spray.

I fitted micro switch boots when I first got the detector. Pretty cheap at Maplins and stops the sand in switches problem (Small Toggle Cover JR79L). There's no need to remove the switch nuts, there should be sufficient thread exposed to screw the boot straight on.

1715Hunter · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 130 Location: South Florida USA

I see on a few of the US sites where they water proof their Sovereigns in a hard plastic case and I know a guy who puts his control box in a ziplock type plastic bag, I am not sure how far out you go out in the water Brian but do you cover your control box ? Last year water hunting in Lake Huron Michigan I had a couple of close calls bending down to scoop and I dunked the bottom end of the control box in the water, its only fresh water and I quickly dried it off so no harm done, I have the nylon case over my box all the time to keep the sand out. I am thinking of going with the plastic bag idea pictured in one of the books on the Sovereign , the chapter aptly entitled the "poor mans excalibur".

UK Brian · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 431 Location: Wales

I use the plastic bag idea though I hardy wade anymore except when round the Med with the low tidal range.
The great thing with the Sovereign is that you can set it and forget it so being bagged is no problem.

What I did forget on the second hand Sovereign front is that Navy transmissions started to cause trouble (10 years back ?). No worry with the later machines but early ones suffered from a pulse interference. The solution was a re chip by Minelab which I assume removed the harmonic that the transmissions interferred with.
Anyway no problem with newer machines and older ones if in use at the time should have been rechipped. Could be a problem if one turned up in the back of an attic or you import an old U.S. machine.

almadetect · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

Are there books written on the Sovereign ?

Keen to get as much 'in the field' knowledge, as possible !

Vernon

1715Hunter · Joined: 22 Jun 2007 Posts: 130 Location: South Florida USA

Yes there are books by a freind of mine, Clive Clynick a Canadian author entitled "Finding gold, silver & coins with the Minelab Sovereign & Excalibur" , "Water hunting secrets of the pros" and "Advanced methods for finding gold in the water with the Minelab Excalibur", I like the last 2 mentioned because I am in them! , The first 2 books mentioned are more Sovereign & Excalibur orientated. Lots of good advice in Clives books , good sellers in the US. Yes I know its a shameless plug but he knows what he is on about.

almadetect · Joined: 06 Nov 2007 Posts: 4

No shame in advising bods with good advice, Gary.
Very Happy