sovereign xs-2 pro unsteady threshold

[scaupus]

i bought a sovereign xs-2 pro on ebay, and I've been having a lot of trouble with a very unsteady threshold. Sometimes I hear a slight, evanescent "pop" or static sound when I sweep over something.

if i turn it on with the coil attached, and keep it in one location, the threshold is steady. If I move it around, the thresholds changes somewhat, but returns to its original point (about 390 on the 560 meter) when I stop. Outdoors, it gets very unsteady, even when I hold it up in the air. at a small condo private beach yesterday on the bay, {with outdoor lighting and I know there are conduits around, and lots of iron under the sand,} it was all over the place.


Is it more sensitive to electromagnetic fields than single frequency meters? - with 17 frequencies, I wonder if that's a particular problem. Or, do i have a problem with the old-style 10" BBS coil?

Overall, I find it pretty uncongenial to use, and I'm not sure if the wandering threshold is part of my problem, but the ground is very noisy and a lot of it does not repeat. I know this happens with my single frequency detectors too, depending on the ground, but it seems particularly annoying since I feel the wandering threshold is also contributing to the randomity.

Pinpointing is vague, even in the all metal mode. Another oddity, is it seems to go markedly deeper in discriminate than all metal.

I will have to get a straight pole and an 8" tornado coil, even if i chest or hip mount it, if i plan to keep it. It's kind of impossible to use as it comes stock, very weight forward and heavy, kills my arm.

 

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[goodmore]

I'll try to help if I can.
First off the meter is a 550 meter not 560. Run over a quarter and adjust it by turning the knob to get 550.
The 550 meter was notorious for target ID fluctuation. That is why everyone went to a 180 meter.
There is no natural return position on the meter or threshold. The threshold retains the pitch or tone of the last target detected until a new target is detected.
Multi Frequency detectors do suffer from EMI more than single frequency ones.
All my Sovereigns were deeper in discrimination than all metal. Some on the forums disagree, but I have had 4 different models and they are all the same.
The blanking or popping is the detector nulling on iron. In discrimination mode iron is automatically discriminated out.
I could never turn my Sovereigns on inside my house.
Many buildings will probably transmit too much EMI especially with the coil in the air.
Pinpointing I do by Xing the target. All metal pinpointing sucks on the Sovereigns. Practice. Smaller coils are easier. The beach is a great place to practice. Raise the coil on shallow targets.
Nothing beats a Sovereign on discriminating Iron. It blanks out and the threshold goes low tone until you run over something that gives you a higher tone. Then the threshold changes to that tone.
Try running in auto sensitivity for a while. You might be running the Sovereign too hot. Remember the adjustment is backwards.

 

[jeff of pa]

Sensitivity all the way Counter Clockwise till
it clicks on auto.

You should only hear pops when sense automatically adjusts.

otherwaise ? Don't Know ?

 

[Sandman]

We are relying on your interpretations of unsteady threshold. For one, clean out the coil cover if it has one. Also make sure the coil cable is tightly wound on the shaft. Make sure the batteries are fresh and inserted correctly. Any of these can make the threshold change tones. Aside from not having another coil to install for testing all I can say is get away from your area completely as there might be microwave towers, security fences or dog fences to give off interference. But I think the main cause is a bad coil as it might have been dropped. Visit a local dealer to check the coil. The Sov is a great detector.

 

[scaupus]

Hi

Great replies, folks, some good info here. I have to correct some of my details. Inside the house, when it was steady...it was in All Metal, I didn't realize that, sorry.

Anyhow... update...I put in fresh batteries and it is a bit smoother it seems. Basically, I can turn it up to 3 o'clock before it starts changing tones on its own pretty much continously. Putting it in auto doesn't help particularly.

I have to say that this doesn't seem as terrible to me as it might sound, because even at 3 oclock it goes about as deep as I would expect any VLF to go, giving me a good tone on a quarter buried inside a planter at about 8" deep.

There is what looks like a sharp indentation in the base of the coil, the sort of mark you would imagine an ax blade dropped from maybe a foot up would make. I didnt see that when i bought it as i didn't take the cover off until months later.

I joined a local club. There is a picnic march 11 and I am told there will be sovereign users there with their machines...hopefully I'll get some feedback, maybe be able to hook up a tornado coil and see what happens. If that makes all the difference...and as I would much rather use an 8" tornado coil anyway...I guess I'd have to think about making that investment if i want to keep this machine.

 

[scaupus]

Final update for the record: the Sovereign is fine. The random reads were EMF interference. Out on the ocean beach it was fine. Then, on the causeway beach, it was fine...until the street and parking lot lights came one. Back home, I had tested it in our corner park at night when it was flunctuating. Lots of lights all around and in the park. Went back in the daytime, and no problem. At my mother's condo, the entire area is full of EMF's, the place is cabled up like the Pentagon, and the tiny little beach is full of it. And my house has buried lines and transformer nearby.

I will say this...it is pretty sensitive to EMF's.

 

[GibH]

A straight shaft might be nice, but if you can find a 5x10 Joey coil for it and mount the box under the elbow, you will be able to swing it for hours on end. It is as deep (or close) as the stock 10". They are bit pricey new, but if you can one used it would be well worth it.

 

[scaupus]

A straight shaft might be nice, but if you can find a 5x10 Joey coil for it and mount the box under the elbow, you will be able to swing it for hours on end. It is as deep (or close) as the stock 10". They are bit pricey new, but if you can one used it would be well worth it.

Thanks for the tip. I'm wearing the box on my chest. I replaced the OEM bag with a modified bicycle bag that's more durable and hangs better. I'm thinking of adding a counterweight to the end of the S-rod to balance it better, I used to have a studio boom counterweight around somewhere, not sure if I sold it, it had a knob to tighten it onto different size poles.

I think I'm developing a workable rig. I may eventually put the box in a watertight container so as not to worry about getting it wet.

 

[GibH]

The Joey coil is sooooo much lighter than the stock 10", I'm not sure how much lighter than the 10" Tornado coil though.

 

[sprinter]

These machine s are getting on a bit now but they still perform , and I have sent mine to an ex minelab engineer , get it check out and a serviced ,well worth doing , yeh theres a cost , but there aint no shops in heaven..