Returning to the world Of BBS.....(1/19/17 Update..Picked up a scorcher of a GT went ahead and modded it too)

I always enjoy your videos. I also love the Sovereign. You guys keep this up I'm going to have to start looking for one.

Des D [ PM ]
Re: Returning to the world Of BBS...New ((VIDEO))Explaining Plate Getter...Live dig ((VIDEO)) of weird coin
July 07, 2016 10:44AM Registered: 1 year ago
Posts: 290
"Would anyone have any interest in watching an older Sov XS2a in action with an original [ bar ] meter and the later DTI meter? Beach & Land?"

Would love to see some videos of the Sov XS2a in action.

goodmore I went on ebay and found a Sovereign XS2a-pro and bought it. I had never even heard of a Sovereign detector until Keith posted about his and when I seen his videos using one it peaked my interest and wanted to try one. Got some sites I want to test it in.

I'm probably going to go the route of the AT Gold for now and keep an eye out at the end of water hunting season for a good used, out of warranty Excalibur. I would like to find one with the 8" coil on it. I have been studying the mod charts and such for hard wiring in other coils to the Excalibur and it seems pretty easy and straight forward to me. I researched the Excalibur before I got one the last time and everyone recommended the 10 inch coil for covering ground. In hindsight, I wish I had gone the 8 inch route with it after I got it. I just don't have miles and miles of beach to cover here; even our swimming areas are pretty small at the lakes and such. It does seem like I remember the headphones being pretty bad though.

Does anyone have the newer Tornado 8 inch or 10 inch coil that works on the Sovereign XS2a-PRO. Looking for some used ones at a decent price. Thanks, Kevin

Daniel

the headphones are pretty decent on the excal's by todays standards as to hearing = way better than the junk they sell now for the CTX's/etc. for water hunting that you can't hear a thing in no matter how high you turn up the vol.

The thing I never liked about the excal's HP's though is that they hurt your ears after a short while of wearing them (just like on the CZ20's of the same time period) and every other wired water machine HP's out there

Looking forward to your experience/s and reports of the AT Gold = I've had a few of the AT pros but not the gold because way back when they hit the market I tested both of them side x side in the store on test targets and the AT Pro's air tested far better depth wise on most of the targets so I skipped ever buying the Gold

Keep us posted

Ok the Story!!

Right after my buddy had dug the Deep C.S.A. buckle with the Sov.I had to get one ASAP...Luckily back then My buddy in Ellijay Ga. was a Dealer...

So rode up and got one that week..

And I was off with it on a Hunt in no Time..I grabbed one of my hunting buddy's and we rode down to a cavalry camp on the River...place was huge back then ..right across from Six Flags Over Ga Park....mostly under concrete Now...

Any how on the ride I said I'd like to at least snag me a large cent today if no buckle turns up.. I haven't dug one in awhile......He was a newer hunter and said whats a large cent???I said pennys before Indian heads were rather large ..I omitted the flying eagle as I didn't want to add confusion to my statement LOL..

He said cool....anyhow we got to the site and walked back in the woods a ways to the camp...I knew were an old house had stood and wanted to try the Sov. there for a Belt plate...

The chimney was left and the road coming up to the house was still visible as a depression ..I started hunting in the roadbed close to the chimney and got a sweet high tone almost right off the bat..in the midst of older dig holes from other hunters..I dug down about 3 or so inches not deep really and saw a carriage bolt about 4 inches long and about 3/8ths diameter...I said to myself..Dang machine just dug a piece of Iron.. my Buddy who dug the plate said these things hate iron...What gives it was a good high tone and read like a coin on the meter...???

I ran the bolt past the coil and the threshold went silent..I thought that's goofy...then I looked in the hole...right in the bottom of my hole I saw a green disc..i picked it up and it was stained with iron rust on it..I turned it over and it was a 1819 large cent...in beautiful shape...I ran it past the coil and there was that sweet sound..

I said heck man here's the large cent I was after today..he said that's all you have to do is wish for it.. lol..

Still was amazed the Sovereign had seen that large cent...just a bit of the coin could peek out around the edges of the bolt shaft..

But that's where the Sovereign shows off after you get use to it..its those targets that peek out enough and yet on some units will be heard but the iron is heard too ..so its a type scenario that the quietness allows for the goodies to be heard instead of the Noise allowing for goodies to be heard and at times missed...larger than nail iron is tough to work with unless you just remove it for finding goodies...the BBS can help with that scenario..

Like a large carriage bolt..... machines will false off them but usually aren't strong enough to fool us into digging them up..we know there iron so if the sites not worthy of cleaning out we leave the bolt...and by leaving the bolt the coin peeking out gets left too..

again a tool that will work for you and find you things you may not find with just any unit..

If you're down to dissecting nails then its not the best unit for that..of course but if its a site that's Busy BBS is at times astounding!


Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2016 09:44PM by Keith Southern.

That was a good story Keith. I just ordered 2 coils for my Sovereign. The 8 inch and 10 inch Minelab Tornado coils. EPL II told me they worked great on that detector.

The 8 inch tornado will be your workhorse..

Great in trash as its really 7.25 and also very deep...


the 10 tornado is lighter than the 10 BBS coming on your XS2...But is it any better??

Depends ..most if not all the XS2a units had the better 10 BBs than the XS2 had..they were problematic with noise ..but by time the A model was made about the only problem the 10 BBS coil had was weight but not performance..I never saw much difference in terms of performance over a PROPER 10 BBS and a 10 Tornado..

Th deepest 8 i eIver used was the white solid coinsearch on the first models..But they were prone to cracking ears quite easily and at this point there about at least 20 + years old..so the windings and such could be going out of tune by now...

The 8 coinsearch was a true 8 inches so slightly deeper than the 8 tornado close to the 10 tornado but the white also had a different more drawn response on targets.. Minelab contracted to have them made from another source and they were extremely HOT coils in term's depth for size..they held to a target with that resonance type report..I think it might be the company who became coiltek??

The epoxy Tornado's should be a lifetime coil..and the 8 tornado will serve you well..its about as deep as the coinsearch but works better in trash..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I'd love to see some Vids Des!!

Load em up..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

There was a sweet elite that just sold on the Depot for 300.00! He said it was hardly used. If so that was a steal!

Post up the Videos Des = would love to see them!

I found an old write up on the GT of yours a while back - always a good refresher when needed!

[www.minelab.com]

Minelab management never knew what they had when it came to you and your videos. Very educational.

Des D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Would anyone have any interest in watching an
> older Sov XS2a in action with an original [ bar ]
> meter and the later DTI meter? Beach & Land?"

Heck yea! Have at it.

dam i want one to try!! Why they stop making them???

I understand (at least I think I do) the electronic differences between FBS & BBS. I've had a couple of Explorers and Etracs and presently have a CTX. The only BBS machine I've used was an Excal I owned years ago and I only used it in the lake and at the beach a few times.

Having never used a BBS machine inland it never occurred to me to pit them against each other. Has anyone here ever ran FBS & BBS machines head to head in a heavy iron "busy" site? If so, what were their similarities and/or differences? I would assume they'd be very similar but assuming has gotten me into trouble on more than one occasion.

They still make the Excalibur ..same unit but waterproof..

I think the main thing was Price points ..sad but true..

Why redevelop a BBS into a new package like an xterra frame...cost money to do and maybe cut into the explorer...now the explorer is gone and we have the safari..so its phase out type stuff..but its all about money at the the end of the day..BUT it to godd of technology to thorugh to the wayside..is it perfect? no..But it has a Knack and a niche..and can run anywhere..smooth and trash free for the most part...

I hope to maybe see BBS return one day in a newer package...its a ground breaking technology that is still very much relevant to this day...no one has done Mujlti freq like that to date..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I've ran them side by side Neugene many times..

the strong points are targets of high conductance in larger than nail iron being exposed...

like quarters ...halfs dollars big pennys.. Buckles..etc in larger than nail iron like kettle iron and such..the stuff that makes most machines hard to discern large iron from large goodies is where the BBS really shines especially when intermingled. .and the depth in all metal mode and a tuned ear is as deep as any thing ever made mode for mode....maybe deeper if the soil is harsher..Ive dig thousands upon thousands of minnie balls at great depth in all metal with a sovereign..

Like that big british penny I dug in the video I swung HF rigs all over that coin before..DEUS..Relic..F19..

Thats size stuff in that environ is it forte..

Its made for bad mineral and its made to Kill iron..

FBS works better in nails and such on smaller coins and such on intermingles..



Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Ground Today was super Hard red clay..Like a brick to work on..

Sorry for the focus issues I was pouring in sweat and it was hitting the screen ..LOL

Sort of Neat it's a Gerber model from the mid to late 40's

Hopefully i'll locate a piece of silver on here before long..NOT PLATED LOL..

Perfect spot to pick with the Sovereign.....tons of tin...

[www.youtube.com]

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Neat little spoon there Keith

You guys need some rain bad = that "dirt" (if that's what you call it!) looks like chipping thru red colored concrete

What's bad is it did rain,..LOL

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I have a Sov XS2A-Pro and I never did well with it land hunting. I have an 8" Coinsearch coil, a thick factory coil (don't recall which one, but it wasn't a good coil) and the Sunray 12.5" coil and WOT.

I found it to be great for beach detecting. I'd hunt in AM mode, and double check my targets in disc mode. Got pretty good at using AM mode at the beach, and dug some deep rings with it. Never understood why I didn't have success with it for turf hunting. I took a CZ70 to the same turf spots I'd detected with the Sov and they came to life with deep silver. I wouldn't mind getting another one on a straight shaft to play around with.

[www.youtube.com]

Hot today 100 degrees on this site..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Here's a Video of today's Hunt..

[www.youtube.com]

Dug a neat Local Button ...1911-1925 in operation for the company.........Georgia Railway & Power Co.







Seems to be remains of a nail stuck through the shank..

Heres some history of the company if anyones interested ..

[www.georgiapower.com]

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2016 01:24AM by Keith Southern.

that is a nice button! I can see where that machine would be a killer for plates.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/2016 11:00AM by Potomac run.

Thanks!!

Yes it loves Deep brass..That thin Brass square piece was pretty deep in that clay...it was on it quick..My HF rigs been all over that..they were all over that Big English Penny too..

I love the HF rigs for working/Sifting iron ..But they do struggle with deeper bigger objects above quarter size..I've dug very few plates with a machine above 13khz or 14khz o so..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Swings really well and I like the meter being out front out of the way .look at it when I need or forget about it..

used some spare parts form the parts bin...

One thing neat is the Mak/Nok lower rods fit the Sovereign.. Whole lot cheaper than sovereign rods....I just added one 1/16th" plastic washer to snug it a bit..


I used a Fors Upper ,Middle and lower rod....and a Bicycle handlebar extender for the grip..Whites armrest...

Meter is modded to 180 now...

This setup feels very good....I'm going to add remote all metal disc switch on top of grip ....Probably push button...pretty red one...

I got hold of another Sovereign XS last week I may put it in a Waterproof box??

Thought I would share what's going on..

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

I use the Sovereigns for about 90% of my hunting. I mainly hunt old ghost town sites 1850's to 1930's on land and salt water areas around old ferry dock sites. The ground in my area is pretty hot and littered with hot rocks and the Sovereigns have handled it better than most detectors I've used over the years. The only Sovereign I didn't like was the original. It was to hot in my ground and loved the hot rocks and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I haven't bought a new detector in about 7 years because the Sovereigns have worked so good for me but I've been tempted lately to at least try the GMP. here's my Elite and GT.

Keith can you share the schematic or instruction on how to do the remote disc./all metal mod on a sovereign?

Keith has gone and done it now. I just put claims on a Sovereign Elite. Looking forward to giving it a go in some of my tin and iron infested sites. Hope I can pull some big brass out of them.

The Elite is very simple to use. I have owned a couple in the past.