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Got my Sovereign XS2 today

A

Anonymous

Guest
Turned it on and it went beep then about a second later it died. Don't know if the batteries are bad or just neglected. It hadn't been used in eight months. Voltage read 5.35 volts. I think there might be a bad cell in there. I charged it for about fifteen minutes and took it out in the back yard.
Everything I had been warned about was true. Feels like there is lead in the coil and wire. It's heavy, even with the control box remounted back. The pinpointing is going to take some time. I couldn't make much sense out of the meter (550 model). The battery lasted about fifteen minutes so I got a little time to wander around with it. My yard has been hit hard with my old Whites. I sure like the iron mask. I think it even worked over a one inch steel pipe, but the six inch cast iron pipe is only a few inches deep and even at the lowest sensitivity it sounded off continuously. It's sure got a lot more power than my old Whites. I got a few what I thought were deep small signals but I didn't do any digging. The meter went way up, etc. I noticed with any discrimination (I know I'm not supposed to use any but I couldn't resist trying it out) I was getting some blanking that seemed to last longer than I was expecting (maybe two seconds?). I don't know if this is normal or if after some use it will work itself out a bit.
Hopefully the battery will be good tomorrow and I'll do a little digging. Otherwise I might try some surgery. Looks like I can open up the battery case and maybe zap the bad cell to try and save it or possibly replace it?. I charged it for a couple of hours and it still reads well over 13 volts so it might be okay. Just in case, does anyone know where I can get an alkaline adaptor/case?
I've read quite a bit on coils. It seems most people prefer the 8 inch over the 5 inch. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Thanks.
 
First thing is get the battery recharged fully which will take around 12 hours as this is what your problem is. Next thing is to calibrate the meter with a new dime or quarter. Turn on the detector all the way clockwise after you have the battery recharged , set the sensitivity all the way counter clockwise untill it clicks as this will be auto sensitivity which will try to keep as smoth as possible threshold.Switch the all metal disc switch to all metal pinpoint. Now turn the threshold to a slight hum, now switch back to disc. Now wave the quarter or dime back and forth accross the coil and try to keep the tone as steady as possible which will mean you may only have to swing the coin slightly accross the center of the coil. What you want to see is a 550 number and if you dont there is a control on the back of the meter you turn while swinging the coin back and forth and try to get 550 or as close as you can. Now you have it calibrated so any copper, clad or silver coin will read 550 or close to it. Now try a new zinc penny and see what it will read along with a new nickle and you will now see what numbers they will read. Try pulltabs and other trash too and you will see what the tones are and what the meter will read like.
Now being you have used a Whites before you already see that this detector is differnt. First thing is air test will not have much depth to them which is normal as the depth will be there in the ground. The Sovereign will lose depth if you swing the coil to fast, so you will have to sweep the coil a lot slower than you ever did with the Whites.
As you swing the coil the tones will be changing and it even will null over any item that is disc out plus all iron other than some bigger pieces,but you will know they way they act what it is. Being you are in auto sensitivity the threshold will try to stay as steady as possible, but it still will be comming and going, so the speed you swing will depend on how many target it see and how much it nulls of iron.After you know your Sovereign better will be the time to take it out of auto.
Most run no disc or very little so I set mine around the 10 o'clock positon to get rid of some of the smaller alum foil, but still see my small gold rings. Leave the notch control off (all the way counterclockwise) for now as you will be in the learnig stage and want to hear as many targets as you can to know which are good and which are bad targets.
Now when you get a signal you can swing the coil back and fourth and try to keep the tone as solid as you can by just going back and forth over just the target.Now that it is repeatable you can look at the meter to see what the numbers are and ID your target, if it is 545-550 you know this is one you want to check out. I am not sure what the other numbers are on the 550 meter,but after you have dug a few you will know what they are.
Now comes the pinpoint which there is several ways and if it is a loud signal and I feel not too deep will switch to all metal pinpoint and swing the coil back and forth like you did with the Whites, but not forward and backward. Now while swinging the coil side to side and trying to just go over the target you can start slowy bring the coil back twords you untill you lose the signal, then still while swinging the coil side to side go forward untill you start to get the signal. The target will be on the tip of the coil. Now if it is a deeper one I do this a little differnt so I can be right on. I will swing side to side again and narrow the sweep down so you have it centered, push the coil to the ground so it dont move off that spot and turn 90 degrees and then go side to side again untill you center the target. Now the target will be right under the very center of the coil. After you have done it a few times it is rather easy to do.
One thing i will recomend is a SunRay pinpointing probe as it will help for the surface targets as it has around 3-4 inches of depth. This probe will also help once you dig a plug to find those deep ones and those at a angle as it will be off on pinpointing. You will notice more of these as the Sovereign will see those at a angle that the Whites missed before.
Remember to have some patience with the Sovereign as it take a little to understand it, but when you do I am sure the Sovereign will surprise you like it has everyone else the has learned it and what this detector can do and the finds it will find. Also remember to go slow as the Sovereign see so much more and you want to hear those good targets in with the trash.
Good luck and keep us informed on how you are doing and ask question as that is how we learn.
Rick
 
Thanks Rick. I never tried the all-metal for pinpointing. I think that will make a world of difference. I'm getting an eight inch coil so I think I'll be okay.
I tried to sweep as slow as possible, but was getting a few signals that I could not pinpoint. Later on I realized that my shoes have some metal in them so I'm certain that was messing with me. Wouldn't you know it's starting to snow here (Billings). I don't mind sweeping a coil over the snow, but I'm just not that crazed to do any digging in frozen ground. Well, maybe when I get the other coil...
 
These are just some of the things I have learned with the Sovereign from experience, wish it was that easy with the Explorer for me.
 
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