Sovereign GT?

[DanTheNewbie]

So I posted some thing like this is general discussion and didn't hear much back.

So I thought I'd try here instead,
I'm currently using a whites DFX but am unhappy with it.

I'm looking at other machines in the 800-1000$ range fisher f-75 sovereign GT trying to figure out which ones best for a mix of coin shooting in high trash areas and beach hunting.

Also would it be best to just go all out for a E-TRAC

 

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[dirtynails]

From what I've read the sov is great on beach. Slow recovery might be bad in high trash. I'm thinking of getting one for beach use.

 

[Rawhide]

I bought my F75 used from a guy in New York who I believe used it for the beach and parks hunts. I cant say how good it is in wet sand, as I live in the desert and have nothing but beach. But I am very happy with the F75. It is easy on batterys, 4 AA's. It is light and designed well as I am week from Diabetes. I can swing it all day with just a few breaks. It has a large VDI screen as I don't see so well, I love it. The F75 has many settings, and programs. Runs around 13khz, which is good. The learning curve is a little hard, but not impossible. If you want to hunt by target id you can, or sound. All the machines you mentioned are good deep machines. The F75 can go deep. I cant run it too high of sensitivity in the park, and I still dig at 11" inches or more regularly. The F75 is noisy, and emi really effects it. You can switch frequency's, and choke the settings, but you want to run it noisy. The good targets will stand out. Its easy to pinpoint with. After saying all that, I want a minelab, period. But will keep the F75 till it dies.

 

[Sandman]

The Sov GT is the king of beach detectors in my opinion as it is like a Excal only with more features. I have a Sunray S-1 inline probe on mine for land use and love it.

 

[DanTheNewbie]

I'm pretty sure I'm going with the sovereign GT, maybe ever waterproof it

 

[Keppy]

Yes you can not go wrong with a Sovereign I have been using them since they first came out...... From the ..original Sorvereign to every model they made and now have the GT... The first sovereign came out in 1991.. And that is when i got my first Sovereign WOW that means i have been using Sovereign's for about 22 years now.........

 

[Keppy]

From what I've read the sov is great on beach. Slow recovery might be bad in high trash. I'm thinking of getting one for beach use.

.....I don't understand why some say that..... I have used my Sovereigns in very high trash areas ...... And it never seemed to bother me...... I have found a lot of good items in high trash areas with my Sovereign...... I just think that some like to go and hunt like they are in one of them salted treasure hunts....You know one of those treasure club hunts were every one looks like they are in some crazy frenzy hunting.......... The slow recovery never bothered me i liked it and i still do.........it works fine for me.....

 

[DanTheNewbie]

.....I don't understand why some say that..... I have used my Sovereigns in very high trash areas ...... And it never seemed to bother me...... I have found a lot of good items in high trash areas with my Sovereign...... I just think that some like to go and hunt like they are in one of them salted treasure hunts....You know one of those treasure club hunts were every one looks like they are in some crazy frenzy hunting.......... The slow recovery never bothered me i liked it and i still do.........it works fine for me.....

I'm pretty sure at this point I'm going with the sovereign GT. I don't mind going slow, and after searching around I've found some good reviews on it. Just need to figure out what coils to get for it. Maybe 15" Wot for beach and I need to figure out the best one for trashy areas.

 

[pulltabs]

I can tell you Im getting plenty of depth with the 10 inch tornado. I would use the 15 inch wot on a very clean beach. Make sure you have a great scoop! I dont have a lot of experience with the machine but it kind of tells you to go slow. So far I love it.

 

[Sovereignelite]

I have gone slow with all my detector brands I find more stuff and miss less stuff that way.

.....I don't understand why some say that..... I have used my Sovereigns in very high trash areas ...... And it never seemed to bother me...... I have found a lot of good items in high trash areas with my Sovereign...... I just think that some like to go and hunt like they are in one of them salted treasure hunts....You know one of those treasure club hunts were every one looks like they are in some crazy frenzy hunting.......... The slow recovery never bothered me i liked it and i still do.........it works fine for me.....

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

I have 2 of them left for anyone looking.

 

[johnnycat]

Try the 8" coil it's best for me in trashy areas. IF you can find a SEF 12x10 it will (IMO) make the GT into an even better machine. What I like about the 12x10 is that I can run the sensitivity full bore and be as stable as a sleeping baby! But, good luck in finding one. I can't vouch about the beach, (I'm in NM) LOL. But this GT is a killer on coins and rings. Easy to learn basic stuff but you need to put the hours in to really know it.

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

Try the 8" coil it's best for me in trashy areas. IF you can find a SEF 12x10 it will (IMO) make the GT into an even better machine. What I like about the 12x10 is that I can run the sensitivity full bore and be as stable as a sleeping baby! But, good luck in finding one. I can't vouch about the beach, (I'm in NM) LOL. But this GT is a killer on coins and rings. Easy to learn basic stuff but you need to put the hours in to really know it.

Good post!

 

[windage]

My first MineLab was the Etrac, over 2 years ago, replacing my Tesoro Royal Sabre as #1 machine. Good, but the tones are synthesized, not analog, so the tones are not the greatest and you will find yourself watching the screen too much. I just recently "discovered" the Sovy GT and I am hooked on the tones...you can actually hear the clear tones of good targets and the mixed tones of lesser noble metals, (alloys). You have to work the machine, but I FEEL I get more out of it than the Etrac. I can understand Minelab discontinuing the Sovy.....it takes a thinking man to run it and thinking men are in short supply...everybody wants a meter/screen to tell them what's in the ground before they dig ...but as we all know, that AIN'T happening....Prove it, you say?...just go out and build yourself a "coin-garden", complete with iron infested target holes, tabs, rings, clad and silver, let it age and run it often, in all weather; the real McCoy.
Back to your question..(I may catch alot of hell for this statement, but remember, I run an Etrac) if you want to fiddle with "programs", dig shallow clad targets, little trash, ID each coin and do it fast, get the Etrac. If you are looking for the deep stuff under the trash...Sovy GT and work it slow.

 

[DanTheNewbie]

I'm definitely going with sovereign gt I like learning by sound rather than the screen! I just recently found a 1788 Massachusetts common wealth cent and I can tell there's deep objects I'm missing ill get a hit and it will just disappear. I dunno I just feel the sovereign gt will perform better than most

 

[Sovereignelite]

That's the only thing I really don't like about the Etrac are the tones and I'm still not 100% used to them. I used a Golden Sabre before so I know what you're saying. I do however find plenty of good coins under and next to trash, I've dug shallow clad targets with all of my detectors. I can tell shallow targets very easily with the Etrac. I have 4 or 5 programs and/or patterns and find them simple as pie to use after only a few months.

My first MineLab was the Etrac, over 2 years ago, replacing my Tesoro Royal Sabre as #1 machine. Good, but the tones are synthesized, not analog, so the tones are not the greatest and you will find yourself watching the screen too much. I just recently "discovered" the Sovy GT and I am hooked on the tones...you can actually hear the clear tones of good targets and the mixed tones of lesser noble metals, (alloys). You have to work the machine, but I FEEL I get more out of it than the Etrac. I can understand Minelab discontinuing the Sovy.....it takes a thinking man to run it and thinking men are in short supply...everybody wants a meter/screen to tell them what's in the ground before they dig ...but as we all know, that AIN'T happening....Prove it, you say?...just go out and build yourself a "coin-garden", complete with iron infested target holes, tabs, rings, clad and silver, let it age and run it often, in all weather; the real McCoy.
Back to your question..(I may catch alot of hell for this statement, but remember, I run an Etrac) if you want to fiddle with "programs", dig shallow clad targets, little trash, ID each coin and do it fast, get the Etrac. If you are looking for the deep stuff under the trash...Sovy GT and work it slow.

 

[dirtynails]

So I did get a sovereign, an elite. It is awesome on the beach. It has a 10" tornado and that is fine for me right now. Found 3 rings in 1 trip. No gold yet though. It does have a slow recovery but that has not been a problem. If you get a null, just swing back around that area for a second look to make sure there is no good target there. If you get one and waterproof it let us know. I would like to do that to mine. I'm saving all finds for a good scoop, right now I have a shovel and a dry sand scoop. Good luck.