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A day at the beach with the GT.....(long post)

A

Anonymous

Guest
yes I bought a Sov GT <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> I have been hearing a lot of good things about the GT and a couple not so great things so I decided to give it a try for myself. The first thing I was happy to see was that Minelab put the Threshold and Volume Controls back the way they were prior to the Elite. One of my main problems with the Elite was that I kept bumping the Threshold Control out of adjustment. I like the new straight shaft of the GT. It was very comfortable and well balanced.
Today I took the GT to the Jersey Shore to see what it could or couldn't do. I ran into a friend of mine using an Explorer which made comparing targets easy <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> I hunted most of the day in Discriminate Mode with the Ironmask turned OFF. Whenever my friend would get a low conductive target he would call me over and we would see if the GT could see it. I was happy to see that the GT could see every low conductive target that the Explorer could see. With each target I tried both with the Ironmask Off and with the Ironmask On. None of the low condtuctive targets were rejected by turning the Ironmask on. I ahd also brought some small gold targets including a gold chain that I ahd previously found with my Explorer so that I could check them on the GT. The GT was able to detect all the gold targets with the Ironmask both on and off including the gold chain. I was surprised at that. After hunting all day with the GT and turning the Ironmaks on and off as well as hunting a very heavily iron infested section of beach I can NOT see any difference at all in the way the GT responds to targets with the Ironmask on or off. I know a couple of people have said that they could hear a difference but I can not. To me the GT responded exactly the same with the Ironmask on as it did with it off. As far as overall depth is concerned I dug several coins that were over a foot deep. The GT can easily keep up with the Explorer on overall depth capabilities and I am beginning to think it will be able to hold it's own against the Explorer when it comes to gold. One thing I didn't care for is that when you are in the Discriminate mode there is no easy way to get to the Pinpoint Mode. To get to Pinpoint from the Discriminate mode you have to first switch from Discriminate to All Metal and then to Pinpoint. Luckily on the beach you can dig big holes so I pinpointed in Discriminate mode and didn't use the Pinpoint mode. The GT was really stable in the wet sand just like all Sovs. I was running manual sensitivity set just below the point where the detector would false. At this setting I would only get a false signal when the coil swept across car tire tracks as the cars had compressed the wet sand changing it's density which was such an abrupt change that the detector thought it was a target. If I would have lowered the Sensitivity a little more it would not have falsed on the tire tracks. These tracks that I am talking about were not deep depression type tracks. They were just barely noticeable on the hard packed wet sand. I have been so spoiled by my Explorer I wasn't sure I would like the GT. But as it turns out I do like it very much and can't wait to take it out again. I do wish that with the Ironmask turned off and the Discrimination set to minimum that I could hear the iron rather than having it still null on the iron. But I guess I can live with that. Oh there was one target that the Explorer did give a good positive signal on that the GT nulled on. That was a small stainless steel nut. I would be a little more positive about the GT small gold capability if it had given a positive resonse to this small nut but other than that one target every other target bave the same respnse as the Explorer. All in all the GT seems like a great little detector. One last thing. In the owners manual it says that there is a slight loss of depth with the ironmask turned OFF. I checked my deep targets with the Ironmask both on and off and I could not hear any difference in signal strength of the targets. If there is any loss of depth by having the Ironmask turned off I think that you will be hard pressed to notice it!!!! Sorry for the long Post!!!!
HH
Beachcomber
 
Thanks for the update Beachcomber,
Enjoyed what you had to say about the GT, It does respond to smaller stuff Both the Sovereign and Explorer can't detect.
Yesterday, We did a foil test compassion with my friends GT and my Explorer. Kept reducing the size of a foil wrapper until the Explorer couldn't see the tiny piece of wrapper, Kept reducing size of wrapper and the GT kept responding until it finally didn't see what was left of this tiny piece of foil wrapper. I was impressed!
I would get one but after putting so much work and $$$ into my Waterproof Sovereign I will have to pass on the GT, It's a winner.
Thanks again for the update Beachcomber,
Paul (Ca)
 
This is just as I suspected mine will be there the end of the month when we get home from vacation my Eureka is going on the auction block and the GP and GT will be my main swings in the nugget patch...HH...Geo
 
From what I have read and seen on the iron mask was that in iron is where you will see a difference, with it on the search depth is a little greater and non ferrous targets can be located more reliably amounst ferrous trash, howerver with the iron mask on you will get the occasinal beep on large ferrous targets and the threshold is not as stable. This is why begiiners may want to use the iron mask off to learn the detector.
I also notice you were saying you had to go to all metal and then pinpoint in order to pinpoint?? I think if you are in the disc mode you only have to switch to pinpoint and not all metal. This is all i had to do in my air test I did. All metal is when you have to either run trac or fixed ground balance from what I understand.
I feel for most that are experienced Sovereign users that use it for coin and jewelry hunting the iron mask off and the all metal mode will not be used.
I will say in my air test against the Elite the depth looked the same, but the audio on the GT was more distinked.
Good report and hope you do well and able to post more on the GT.
Rick
 
Beachcomber Great report. I was curious about the gold chain.Does your Elite hear it?I hunt the beaches in All-Metal with my Sov.and check in Disc. So i was interested in the GT since i thought the biggest improvement was in Allmetal with tracking and more sensitivity toward Gold.If i did buy one i would put a remote switch on. Thanks Walter
 
I specifically took it to one beach that is loaded with iron and hunted for awhile in both modes but I really did not see any difference. But that could just be me. When I tried switching directly to Pinpoint and went back over the targets I was still had Audio ID so I assumed I was still in Discriminate Mode. So I switched to All Metal and then activated the Pinpoint Switch. It seemed to work properly then and I no longer had Audio ID. I will try some more experimenting with that. I probably won't get out again with it again until next weekend <img src="/metal/html/frown.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":(">
HH
Beachcomber
 
I sold my Elite so I can't check the chain on that machine to see if it can detect it.
HH
Beachcomber
 
I am really new with the sov but I get confused a little as to what switch I have in when pinpointing but when I get it straight its only one switch I am switching when I am in discriminate mode and wanting to pinpoint and that is switching the all metal mode switch out of one of the discriminate modes into all metal mode as the pinpoint switch I leave in pinpoint as its inactive while in discriminate mode but becomes active pinpoint when I hit the all metal switch discriminate switch.
When I start switching back and forth from all metal mode to discriminate mode to use the all metal mode then its like you say switching the pinpoint switch and all metal switch into proper settings. sometimes end up doing some wrong switching and only when I realize the tones are changing that I am in discriminate mode.
Get myself confused by all the switching back and forth to operate in all metal or discriminate.
But if I stay in one of the modes then pinpointing is a one switch operation for me. In all metal mode I am either in track or set. the pinpoint is off. I just have to switch to pinpoint to pinpoint. One switch only because the other switch is already switched from one of the discriminate modes to all metal mode. I did run into a park area that the iron is so bad that the detector stays nulled over the ground most all the time. I did get squirely signals in this place with the iron mask on. I did try to lessen the sens control . But the best operation I got here was with iron mask off and then I could increase the senstivity a little more. this is a place you can lay the detector down while digging and hear it sounding off with signals all by itself just laying there. You can pick it up again it quiets down but stand there a while it acts up again with the coil a few inches off the groud. Using auto sensitivity lost most all depth but got a real quiet detector.
Like you mention the iron mask seems to not make much difference in a lot of places I have tried it.
I keep it on in iron areas until I have to much of a nuisance intermittent falsing. Then I try various adjustments between senstivity , iron mask on or off etc. I know the iron mask makes a difference in hitting on some targets in iron as I got some feeble signals with iron mask on and turned it off and no signals over same spot turned it on again and a dim kind of signal dug and got a good hit on a coin an iron with it.Not an out right newbie in detecting but a newbie with the Sov.
Just comparing notes with you . (mostly for my benifit as your an experience sov user)
I don't have other sov experience but sure like this one. I guess most sovs are pretty nearly the same but like you mention its the all metal mode tracking and auto ground setup that is different mostly other then switches. I guess the small gold question to. Sure sounds good about how it compares with your explorer.
I have a very very small piece of gold that My sov hits on at a couple inches I will just have to show a picture of it. Its an insert I believe from the center a class ring. Had a devel of a time finding it in a volley ball sand pit without a pinpointer with me. Since I am a sov newbie I also am getting a new experience and that is finding good hits mostly coins in iron infested places I have gone over and thought I was doing real good with other detectors and with the sov I am hitting on a lot of targets not suppose to be there. actually just plain invisable before.
HH
Dan R.
 
Hi Dan,
Sounds like you are doing well with the GT. I like your idea about leaving the Pinpoint switch in the Pinpoint Mode so that when you switch to All Metal you will already be in Pinpoint. I had left the Pinpoint Mode switch in the Track Position so that I would be in the Ground Track Mode when I switched to All Metal.
I dug some deep targets yesterday but none that I couldn't hear with the Ironmask both on and off. I think it would have a much more noticeable effect if when you turn the Ironmask Off you could hear the Iron like you can on the Explorer when you turn it's Ironmask Off. Still it was nice to see that even with the Ironmask turned on it was able to detect some pretty smal pieces of gold.
Good Luck with your GT as you are already finding out taking a Minelab to spots you have hunted with other machines produces targets that you never knew were there <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)">
HH
Beachcomber
 
Right off the bat moving that threshold knob was a major improvement and seems at least one guy agrees as I constantly bumped it myself.
Honestly don't own a GT but can see Minelab is finally working on the Cosmetic end as the design and ergonomics seem to be greatly improved.
I personally pinpoint in Disc. but to each his own and with the flip of a toggle GT surely gives us more options.With the exception of the new battery system and arm rest to me the Elite disappointed many who were looking for a better designed Sov. I have to congragulate Minelab as with the introduction of the GT they really have come out with
a nice unit and with time and feedback the ardent Sov. user will have indeed a new inproved Sov..
 
I seem to notice with my Sov org. that with iron mask turned off that bottle caps seems to brake up a little better do you notice this with the GT HH RonC
 
I don't get a break up but just a plain null, this gt does not hear or signal on iron or steel bottle caps and will give that low threshold of iron before returning to normal threshold tone. Some of the other types zinc and aluminum it depends on the sound and response I get and try to tell the differences. I noticed that on coins I can drop direct onto a coin hit and get a good tone id and sustain a threshold tone id but on some aluminum and zinc caps even though I may get a solid tone hit it won't sustain a lock in threshold high tone after raising the coil and the response when dropping direct down on the cap it does not act like a coin does. Its just different but consistent for the caps.
The coin responses are consistent also but different.
I can imagine all the various types of responses for relic detecting I guess if one paid attention to them.
I am really having fun learning the various responses I am getting with this sov.
HH
Dan R.
 
I to pinpoint in Disc Mode most of the time but sometimes I use the All Metal Mode to help judge target size. It took me a long time with the the Explorer to learn to judge target size...now it's easy. It will take me a little time to get to the know the GT that well.
HH
Beachcomber
 
This was my first time out and I didn't dig any bottle caps. So either I didn't go over any or it nulled them out <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> If/when I dig a few I will let you know. I am looking forward to getting out again with the GT!!!!
HH
Beachcomber
 
No,
The "Track/Fix/Pinpoint" switch can be kept in the "Pinpoint" position all the time...just need to switch from Disc to All Metal, so only one switch is needed.
See the control panel pic for a better idea,
Regards,
Tony (soon to buy the Sov GT <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt=":)"> )
 
Hi Beachcomber.
Nice post and good luck with it at the shore this year. Im hoping we have a good weather year, unlike last year:(
Regarding the chain you tested with the GT that the Explorer picks up also, have you tried another Sov on the chain? Like an XS or one of the others. Id like to know if there is an improved response to smaller gold on the GT. My XS does pretty well on all but the thinnest of chains, it mainly hits the clasp and of course the size dictates how deep Ill get it.
Thanks,
Neil
 
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