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More trouble with my Elite

del

New member
I was out on Monday, I hit a few trash targets, then my threshold disappeared (that's the trouble). I flipped the toggles, twisted the knobs, nothing would fix it. I turned it off and back on. My threshold came back momentarily then disappeared again. As I switched off, "Low Bat" would show on the display. I replaced batteries when I went out today and it worked, initially. I hit some trash targets, then a few minutes into it, my threshold disappeared again. I tried every adjustment (threshold, sensitivity, bands, disc & notch, tone, on & off) and nothing. The batteries were brand new out of the box I bought last week. Anyone know what's happening? del.
 
The threshold will dissapear over deep iron I have hunted places where it doesnt come back for long periods (almost unhuntable in disc mode) .... ,due to constantly running over nails ect .....it takes a sec to reset,if you keep moving the coil it will keep seeing the iron and never return ...........did you walk away from that immediate area and try it again there ??? also sometimes it gets bumped but mine always goes louder when I bump it ..........porbally a bunch of deep junk ...what kind of area was it??? ....you can always send it in for a ''check up '' tune up and make sure its right.......sorry to hear you are feeling like you're having bad experiences......
 
On Monday I was at a picnic site near a lake. Today I was at a city park outdoor concert area. I did hunt on after losing my threshold and went for probably 15 feet without a target then hit an iron pipe piece about 3" x 1" but the threshold never came back.

I'm enjoying my time out, and my detector. I'm sure this, like my interference problem, will work out as I gain experience. My fear in hunting without a threshold is missing deeper targets that may only vary the threshold, so if I can figure out how to bring it back after it fades, then I'll be a happy hunter. del.
 
Del,

Try to run the sensitivity at auto (counterclockwise all the way until it clicks) as the threshold will run smoother there until you get more experienced. I feel it is just iron, or disc target why it is nulling, try to run with the disc set low (off) and the notch off. In some area you will see this more than others, so you will have to go slower in these areas. The threshold normally will be nulling and coming back on your swing of the coil, too fast and it will be a solid null.
To be on the safe side is set the threshold with the coil in the air and in all metal pinpoint to a slight hum, now switch to disc and you should have the same hum. Now when it nulls pick the coil up and wait for a couple of seconds and see if the threshold comes back,might not be the same tone but it should have a threshold. If not then you may have a different problem or you bumped the threshold control, so maybe turn it again for a slight hum while the coil is in the air away from any metal and try it again.
The Sovereign is different than most detectors if you have used others, but once you see what it is doing it is probably one of the easier ones to use and understand.
Good luck

Rick
 
if your threshold disappears you are over some type of ferrous object. it wont come back until it resets or goes over a nonferrous type object but most times it will reset. carry a penny in your pocket and if you think somethings wrong throw the penny on the ground and go over it. it will definitly reset things for you

stan pa sjmdc
 
Lay it over a chair in the living room, turn the sensitivity to minimum, and turn it on. Set the threshold to a level you can hear and let it run a few hours. You may get an occasional shift in threshold or "blip" from noise, but the threshold should stay.

You can always try unplugging the coil when the threshold fades out to see if it will come back.

Sounds broke to me, but would like to hear how this turns out.

HH
 
I thought Rick and adam in cal's posts about nulling over iron sounded plausible. I went out to the lake today where the problem first occurred and couldn't duplicate. Went to the city park where it also happened. Detected for about 15 min before my threshold disappeared. I dug the target it hit just before disappearing. I was sure it would be a piece of iron, but it was a pull tab. I followed Rick's advice, moved slowly across ground but threshold didn't return. I followed ikon's advice and dropped a coin to regain the threshold--didn't. Then I raised the unit horizontal with the coil at chest level and waited--didn't work. I switched off, waited a minute, switched on and the threshold returned. I swung it slow and sure while counting. 30 on the money and it disappeared again, this time without hitting a target. Repeated steps above to no avail. I switched off and back on but kept the coil raised at chest level and counted to 30...at 32 the threshold disappeared without ever lowering the coil! When I was having "interference" in my backyard, I'd switch it off and back on and have a 30 count before the tones would go wild. Sounds fishy. So, what say all of you? Send it in? del.
 
Lost a coil a couple years ago that did something like that.

Would make very long nulls , chatter, just go nuts after a few minutes of detecting. Sensitivity to objects was about zilch when it was acting up.
Unplugging the coil gave a nice smooth threshold.

Think your coil is broke, but send the box and the coil both in.

HH
 
I had a Sov XS2pra that I Purchased new, when I started using it it did the same kind of erratic stuff, and I got frustrated with it I figured it was just to sensitive to hunt in town with so I sold it on Ebay. Turns out that there was a wire disconnected inside. So it could be anything!
 
n/t
 
I'm sending it in. I took it back out and did what Art suggested...unplug coil and threshold should return...Well, after I lost threshold, I turned off, raised it to chest level, unplugged coil, turned on and lost threshold at count 35. Must be in the box. I'll send both coil and box in just in case.

Rick, forgot to tell you...when I tried to set threshold in all metal mode, it chattered endlessly. I assume it's suppose to be steady as it is in disc...?

del
 
Sounds like you have a problem and it will have to go in. It is rare to hear of one that is bad or goes bad, most are people not used to the Sovereign and don't know it is different than what they have used before and the think it is bad. Yours does sound like something is wrong and need to be sent in.
The threshold in all metal will waver a bit and be more steady in disc it seems as it is sensitive.

You will have to send it in and let us know what they find out once you get it back in case we hear of another one with this problem.

Rick
 
Hi Del, I had exactly the same problem with my XS2A pro. I thought i was going to have to send it back for repairs. Before i did, I opened the control box & gave all the variable resisters a good spray with electrical contact cleaner, put it back together, presto, worked perfectly, never had a problem since. Cheers...
 
The Variable resistor is the threshold control.
 
The varialbe resisters are all those knobs that you turn, threshold, volume etc...give them a good spay with contact cleaner but to get to their working part you must really open the control box.

Warranty wasn't a concern for me, if you don't break any stickers or labels you should be OK.
BUT If in doubt, don't...
I can only say what you describe is exactly what mine was doing, intermittent threshold, a real pain in the butt.
 
I believe in contact cleaner too in some cases as these Variable resistors do get a build up of oxidation or what ever after a period of time. Now a new detector with new variable resistor should not need to be cleaned as there is no build up and even if they did I don't think I would use this in a detector that gets out in the dirt and dust. As you know contact cleaner leave a residue and dirt and dust will collect and start making the control stick and get more erratic yet. In these cases I used to use tuner bath as it would clean and most, but not all would not leave a residue. Some of the tuner bath and contact cleaners can be hard on some plastics too, so I wouldn't chance this on a new detector. I would send it in to be repaired correctly as if this variable resistor is a problem it need to be replaced as it is new not full of oxidation, but a bad one.
One way for Del to tell if this is a problem is when it act up just touch or wiggle the threshold control slightly and the threshold should becoming and going or changing the hum.
One thing would be nice is if Del had someone close to him that has been using a Sovereign for a while and knows the Sovereign and to try it and see what he thinks.

Rick
 
i dont know , this is a brand new detector and sovereigns run pretty smooth so its best he sends it back for either a repair or gets a new one
stan pa sjmdc
 
This is where the dealer that sold him the Elite will come in at. It sounds like he bought it new, so the dealer that sold the Elite should check it over and if it needs to be sent back for repair he should do this too for him as it is new and give him a loaner. Now if he bought it used then he will have to send it to Minelab himself to be checked over and repaired.If he bought it though the Mail order from a dealer he may just as well send it in himself to get it back as soon as possible, either way this Elite should be checked out at Minelab and repaired as this don't sound right.

Rick
 
I know what your saying, Believe me, if my machine was under warranty, i would have sent it back too.
My XS2A pro is like new, box is always covered & all toggles have rubber boots, I look after this machine better than myself.
So when my Threshold went silly on me, i thought how could this be??
I would turn the knob (i'd turn all the bloody knobs) & it would have no effect, turn the machine on a week later & threshold would be back, then it would vanish again. I was spitting chips, i thought these Minelabs were supposed to be Quality! Anyhow, The contact cleaner i used has no lubricant & was supposed to be residue free. I sprayed it into the back of the dials whilst turning them back & forth as a last desperate attempt to fix the problem. And it did!!
I might add that all my dials looked & felt 'As New', there was not a speck of crud inside the box at all. Salt air perhaps or maybe just a dud batch of dials who knows but i'd like to hear what the outcome is with Dels machine. Bottom line is, if you experience the same problem & your machine is out of warranty, it's worth a try.....Cheers
 
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