First Detector.. advice for beach use?

[MrNelson]

Exciting news to share with my friends here @ tnet!!
So after months and months of hunting online between here, ebay, and craigslist I finally pukked the trigger and bought a detector.
Guy had listed minelab sovereign for $100 bucks, so i jumped all over it. When i get to said persons house, he pulls it out of the bag and mind you, im expecting the original black and red sovereign.. He pulls out a grey colored detector and says "Here ya go, $100 bucks and shes yours." I look at the side and it says sovereign elite!!!!! It came with a meter 180, s shaft, 10" tornado coil, minelab hip/shoulder bag, rechargable pack and AA pack, charger and tall sand scoop. I couldn't just take him for a fool, so i told him what he had and he still let me take it for the $100 price! Said he'd rather sell it to someone who appreciates the hobby than a reseller. I guess i get double karma points for being genuine, huh?

Anyways, I was wondering since now i have a really good starter machine what would be some things i need to watch out for or prepare for? Im going on my first hunt early this morning at the beach and was wondering if i should go for high tide or low tide, etc etc. Also, how does this machine fair on regular inland soil, ie North Florida area? ANY input is much appreciated, and I thank you in advance for taking the time to share your knowledge. I can't wait to post my first finds!!

 

[Sandman]

You found a real deal there. Here is the field test Minelab Electronics Sovereign Elite | Lost Treasure Online - Official Website of Lost Treasure Magazine

You knownledge of hunting beaches will improve by reading and bookmarking this site.
http://web.archive.org/web/20080202045558/http://thegoldenolde.com/

Good Luck,
Sandman

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

You found a real deal there. Here is the field test Minelab Electronics Sovereign Elite | Lost Treasure Online - Official Website of Lost Treasure Magazine

You knownledge of hunting beaches will improve by reading and bookmarking this site.
http://web.archive.org/web/20080202045558/http://thegoldenolde.com/

Good Luck,
Sandman

Agreed! Great deal!

 

[Terry Soloman]

Congratulations on a SMOKING deal! Yes, you are good in dirt, dry and wet sand! The beach is divided into two-sections - The "Dry Sand" or blanket area, and the "Wet Sand" or swimming area. When detecting the dry sand areas, successful beach hunters "grid" individual sections of the beach. Start by choosing an area 50-feet long, by 50-feet wide. First detect from the North to South. When you have detected the entire grid, turn 90-degrees and detect it again East to West.

Moving slowly and methodically, you will be able to pass your coil over every inch of the 50' x 50' area. Coins, watches, rings, bracelets, Ipods, cell phones, car keys - you'll find it all! The phrase to remember is "low and slow." Keeping your coil as low and flat to the sand as you can, while moving slowly enough to assure your sweeps overlap each other is the real key to success.

You can get to these treasures much more quickly during Low tide. Look for streaks of Black sand on the beach at the waterline. These are always an indicator of where other heavy things like coins and jewelry will be deposited. Many beaches will only have Black sand streaks after a storm, or unusually heavy wave action. Storms uncover things that have been out of reach for many years as the sand gets ripped away. You have to act fast however during low tides, as a couple tide changes can start covering it all up again. After a violent storm, look for hard clay patches that are showing and, detect the small depressions that look like miniature potholes.

Before packing your vehicle with your beach gear and metal detector, be sure to check your local city and state rules and regulations. Many states and cities are now requiring you to possess a valid "Metal Detecting Permit," and have strict guidelines for detectorists. Along the "Treasure Coast" in Florida, you may detect the dry sand and shore only to the waterline because the state leases the water rights to treasure hunters (similar to gold claims). These waters are vigorously patrolled by the state.
In New York for instance, you must have a permit to detect the state-owned beaches of Long Island. The annual permit is good from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, and costs US$40.00. The state parks like Jones Beach, and Robert Moses, are heavily patrolled. A ticket for detecting without a permit within a NYS park is US$165.00. Do your research and have the permits and permissions required to be on the beach you will be hunting. Good Luck!

 

[MrNelson]

@Sandman Thanks for the links, i'll be neck deep in that info so i can be neck deep in finds!
@Terry Thanks for the lay of the land. I am still trying to learn what all the terminology is, like cuts etc..
I am going to walmart for a couple of pouches (keepers and trash) and a belt then off to hunt the low tide!
Only thing wrong with my rig is my meter.... it constantly reads -000 with a random fluctuation to 001... any advice on that?

 

[Hosensack]

since now i have a really good starter machine

Can you say understatement? Good luck you will enjoy it. Sandmans links are great and there are a lot of Florida beach hunters on here that can answer geographical specific questions....Treasure Hunter (Florida) I believe used an Elite at one point so he will be a great resource.

 

[Sandman]

You will find since the Sov nulls on junk iron you will be scooping all the rest so take off the meter to save weight when on the beach. I sold my meter long ago.

 

[dougofpa]

@Sandman Thanks for the links, i'll be neck deep in that info so i can be neck deep in finds!
@Terry Thanks for the lay of the land. I am still trying to learn what all the terminology is, like cuts etc..
I am going to walmart for a couple of pouches (keepers and trash) and a belt then off to hunt the low tide!
Only thing wrong with my rig is my meter.... it constantly reads -000 with a random fluctuation to 001... any advice on that?

MrNelson,

Go to youtube and type in "crackbadger"...He metal detects the beach. He gives really good info on when, where and how to detect while on the beach. In one of his recent video's he goes into great detail explaining where to detect and why...check him out...and boy does he find the gold.

Good Luck....Wish I lived on the east coast near the ocean.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sov is a fantastic beach detector, just be sure to protect it from the salt spray in the air.. Keep it in its bag with the top closed...

Many ways to hunt beaches... I prefer to be on beach at least 2-3 hours before low tide and hunt till I can't hunt any longer, walk the tide out and back in.....

Set your sensitivity where detector is stable, it will vary from beach to beach and even different areas of same beach...

Use no descrimination, and no notching at the beach......

If it nulls (loss of threshold) be sure to resweep target from a different angle as it will null on iron from one direction, but tell you if there is gold there if you resweep it from different direction.

When you get the chance pick up a WOT or SEF Butterfly coil for it.....Any coil for the Sov also works on the excal so if someone is selling a coil they took off a excal it will work on your sovereign....

Set your volume wide open, then turn you threshold down so it is like a small mosquito in your ear....

Take your controls off your shaft and either mount it on a belt on your waist, on a harness on your chest or hang it from your neck, it makes hunting so much easier....

Don't worry about the meter, take it off, meters on the sov are for land hunting......

Crackbadger is a friend of mine, he is really a great beach hunter..... Not sure he has used the sovereign though, I do know he has used the excal, etrac, and he bought the CTX3030, he has also used ace 250 all of them for beach hunting.....

If you have any more questions either ask them here or if you wish send me a pm.............

 

[MrNelson]

I created a thread for this issue I experienced on the first outing with the machine under Service and Repair, but figured i'd throw it in here as well. So there I was out on the beach hunting away when all of a sudden my Elite went bonkers... literaly! The threshold went from a high pitched, slightly audible "bzzzzz" to a very loud, low and constant tone "Burrrrrrrr". I wiggled the shaft and it went away. Figured it was a fluke, but then it continued to happen from time to time and now its constantly hapenning. I did notice that when it does happen if I fiddle with the connector from the coil to the control box it goes away for a bit, but after a few swings it returns. I cant hold the thing in place while i detect, so I wonder if there's a D.I.Y. fix for this being that I just got it and am ADDICTED to hunting now!!!! All six pins are present in the connector on the conrtol box.

 

[gold4us]

I would try another coil first and see if it still makes your problem stop.

 

[extractor]

You will find since the Sov nulls on junk iron you will be scooping all the rest so take off the meter to save weight when on the beach. I sold my meter long ago.

Agreed ,, Loose the meter, The Sov is a great detector, after a few trips with good head phones you will be hunting by tone anyway.

 

[MrNelson]

I would try another coil first and see if it still makes your problem stop.

I don't have another coil.. I wonder if i should open her up and clean her out.. I'm fairly electronically inclinded and a can of duster wont hurt.

 

[MrNelson]

Good news my friends!!!! I opened my Sov. up today and lo and behold I found the problem!!! The nut that holds the connector to the plastic body of the control box came completely off and was riding on the soldered wires, thus the low buz tone. Tightened it back on and I'm in business. I am so stoked that this had fixed my detector! Now nothing can stop me from hunting! Muwhahahaha!

 

[lost hunter]

Good deal HH