Sov XS in trashy areas

[rick201m]

I went to one of our local parks yesterday which is a pretty popular place. I was getting so many targets and kept digging up pull tabs. I still learning the Sov and starting ignoring certain types of targets and was only digging up the coin hits.

So, I started digging less pulltabs but now was digging up bottle caps and the older "ring" style pull tabs.

Do the more experienced Sov people have any tips to avoid these digs? Also, I see you all talk about about using the Sov's different tones, but I only get one kind of sound in mine. Is there a setting to switch it from monotone?

Thanks very much,
Rick in CO

 

[Rick(ND)]

If you do there is a switch on the front of it for single tones that has to be switched to multi tones. If this isn't the problem and the tones are the same in disc then you have a problem with the Sovereign and has to be sent in to be repaired. You should be able to pass the coil over a nickle and a dime and the tones should be different pitched.
Now if you have a 180 number meter you should be able to calibrate the numbers to 179-180 when swinging the coil over a new dime or quarter. Now you dig all the 179-180 numbers and you will get copper pennies (those before 1982) all dime and quarters either silver or clad and a 176-177 number will be the newer zinc pennies, the IH and some of the older wheat pennies. Any numbers from 149-173 are pull tabs and some gold rings while the nickles seem to read 144-145 in most cases, but some will read a little lower if deep which you can tell by the weak signals. Now you shouldn't dig any older round pull tabs, but some of the alum screw caps will read like a new zinc penny and some will be slightly higher, but shouldn't get to 179-180 very often, but have seen it happen.
First thing I would do is make sure your tones are working correctly so if you have a XS2a which is the only one with the single tone toggle switch on the Sovereigns I would check that first. If this is not the case then we will have to see why and get it repaired. Like I say try a nickle and a dime as you should hear a different tone along with a different meter reading.
In all metal pinpoint the tone will be the same and the meter will not ID either as both the tones and meter reading are in disc only.

Rick

 

[adam in cal]

from the statemets you made it almost seems as if there is some tone difference .you said you only started to dig coin hits after awhile,but then started getting bottle caps and round tabs ,what made you think these were coin hits ?? I think you must have heard some difference, the tabs you dug in the beginging were sounding low,so you dug ''coin hits '' which i assume you musta felt sounded higher?? thats where the caps and round tabs came into play they sound a touch higher, what kind of headphones were you using ?? or was it just the external speaker ?? and as Rick asked what machine was it?? the Sov. XS doe not have the multi tone switch,so it should sound drasticly different between a wad of tinfoil and quarter, try those two items and see if you hear a distinct difference,you should hear the foil item sounding Low and Growly where the Quarter will sing in and kinda ring ring. You can adjust the tones on the sov.xs but it has to be done internally, Did you buy this unit used ?? If the tones are the same for evey item ,or just barley different then it may had the tones ''mellowed out'' ,send it to minelab and have them check it over,the cost will be minimal for good service and then you will have the piece of mind to know its working as it should. But first ,if its the xs2a pro make sure its switched to variable tone,then try a good wad of tin foil and a quarter and see if it is different, also if the headphones are cheapies there maybe some nuiances you are missing,or if not using phones you may not hear a difference.I think you will see it takes so pratice and paitence to figure that machine out.. stick with it you will be rewarded for your time and effort on that machine.also if you dont have a meter, you might consider giving one a try ,they pop up used from time to time on the classified section. Good Luck ...............Adam

 

[rick201m]

Thanks for your response, Rick. I have the Sovereign XS not the XS2a. So, there is no switch for variable tone. The tone I get from it is a ping-type sound. There is no higher or lower pitch to it. The only differences I get are if it is with aluminum foil...then I get a "quivering" type "ping" and can tell that difference.

Does the Sov XS have the ability to change to multiple sounds? I have the bar graph type meter that came with it. It has a normal and expanded mode.

Thanks for any help you might have.

Rick in CO

 

[rick201m]

Thanks for your reply Adam.

I did buy it used back a few years ago. Have only used it a handful of times, but would like to start getting into it more...and I know this detector is a good one.

Can a guy change the internal setting to go to a variable tone easily?
Anyone try it before?

Does anyone have a copy of a Sovereign XS manual? I think mine has been lost.

Thanks again,
Rick in CO

 

[Art (NWOH)]

You should not have only one single tone frequency in disc mode. If you do, then the detector is broke or someone has figured out how to modify it to single tone.

Also, is it silent search in disc mode??? (no threshold tone??)

HH

 

[adam in cal]

it is an internall modifacation, I heard of it being done, some people like a ''mellower'' tone and you can adjust this inside the control box ....I will try to get a schematic for it or something ...Oh it may also be on the Sovereign MODS website ............ http://www.geocities.com/sovereignmods/tonestext.html

<<HERE YOU GO >> GOOD LUCK

 

[Art (NWOH)]

I'm not talking about adjusting the tones (have done this on my 2a).........I'm talking about shutting the variable tones OFF so it will have only single tone.

 

[Rick(ND)]

I believe there is a jumper wire like the Silent search mode that will change it to a single tone if I remember right as it was discussed back in 1996 when I became a Minelab dealer. I never found anyone that wanted a signal tone, but there are some that like to open the control box and tinker with everything thinking they know more than Minelab does. What they do is make a detector that is no good and then they sell it to someone that don't know how a Sovereign is to work. I bought 2 used ones a few years ago that were tinkered with and didnt know it when I bought them and the person sold them thought they couldn't understand the Sovereigns, but all it was is the Sovereigns were messed with so they wont work right.
I think in this case the Sovereign may have to be sent to Minelab to have it checked over and set the way it is suppose to be. Maybe David at Dixie will know too how to set it back to multi tones as he does some of these mods, so a person could get a hold of him too and see what he thinks.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

This is why I asked if it was silent search.......to get an idea if someone had been into it and done mods or damage.

At any rate, if i'm getting the story right, it needs to be fixed or un-modded.

HH

 

[Rick(ND)]

Art, when I was buying used Sovereigns off the classified to check out and resell one of the first questions was has the detector had any mods done to it. I bought 2 of them before I learned my lesson to ask as too many people that didn't know what they were doing would try to tweak them. It was a good thing I was able to figure out what was done and set them back to factory setting. Both had to do with the tones being changed and being I had one that was new to compare the tones too I was able to adjust it back to factory settings.
Like you say the first thing that will have to be done with this Sovereign is send it in to be repaired or to have it adjusted back to the way it was designed to work, then go from there with tips to make this a great detector.

Rick