DetectingWales.com

just wondering who has experience or info on these detectors? any good/bad reviews?

thanks
Bryn

had a se for a while now and to be honest i cant fault it im only upgrading end of year as its showing its age cosmetically and the amount of finds i have had with this machine has been brill and now beacuse of the high finds rate wants me to upgrade to see what else is there ;D

on a serious note the se is a switch on and go machine which you can adjust to your own settings later when you are used to using it,depth is great as well as discrimination, the se is is on a par with the e trac in most departments,if i could start this hobby all over again i would love to start with a se its what i would call a proffesional starter machine that will prove itself time after time ,,during the 2 years i have had the se its totalled me 70+ hammies 3 gold coins 7 dinari and a whole lot of enjoyment.

its obviously got a thumbs up from you then  ;).  you have any experience with the sovereign or know anyone who uses one?

yep my detecting buddy uses a soverign and even though he is a newbie at the hobby he finds his fair share,we did swop machines on 1 detecting session and to be honest i couldent tell a great deal of difference to the se ,,mind you he did have a stonking great coil on at the time. ;D

Hi again Roberts.
Both these machines are at the ends of long pedigrees, the SE 9 years and the GT 19 years.
They are difficult to make a comparison between as one is a VDU machine (SE) and the other (GT) is a tone only machine.
Both machines are refinements on their predecessors rather than advancements, ie. the SE is basically the same machine as the original XS with only a more user friendly menu and faster processor (now made more stable with the Etrac) but the depth with the same coils is about the same. (you can run the Etrac slightly hot without being punished).
The Sovereign has gone through a few more models but is basically the same machine in fact the GT shows some of the features done away with on the last models.
Both machines rely on tones for the best accuracy for target id and as for depth there is little between them.
For a general purpose detector for someone new to the hobby I would say the SE is easier to distinguish the tones with and is not so frustrating on highly iron infested sites.
However the Sovereign's are the only machine to choose if you are intending on beach and pasture detecting for their shear power.
If you are looking at Sovereigns and considering second hand then any of the models are equally as good, many sovereign users have tried the Elite (last model) and the GT and gone back to the XS2aPro (considered my many as the best model made).

on another note when i upgrade this year i aint px ing my se ,im keeping the bugger ;D ;D ;D

thanks fellas, seen a couple of good deals on ebay recently soo just wanted someone with more experience and knowledge to give some info about them :) both look like really good machines to me

did you have an se for sale about a month ago? :)

Yes I did, Still got 1 though and the Sovereign and wouldn't part with either.

wow someone is keen and has plenty of money ;).

if you could only have one and u intended to use on both pasture and beach im taking it would be the sovereign from your past comment?

Yes it probably would be, but remember I've been using Sovereigns since they came out and hadn't been spoiled then by the luxury of a VDU and programmable machine. Unfortunately not got plenty of money but I need them to test headphones, (well thats what I tell the better half)   ;D
Have you got or had a machine before???

yes i had a viking a couple of years ago cant remember the model name tho. wanting to get back into the hobby as am really interested in my local history so want to get more serious about things now. obviously i would like the Deus but noticed there are some other well priced second hand machines out there. also noticed alot of people say they think its a good idea to try alot of different detectors to see which suits you the best before going out and buying an expensive new machine. sounds sensible to me, plus i can save more money while detecting with my second hand machine lol

Very good idea. if thats the case then have a look on ebay for a XS2a Pro or an Elite (both sovereigns) which can go for about £300 (though one XS2a did go today for £500, which is just a stupid price)

as i always say,no good buying a ferrari if your still on L plates,,,,personally i love people who start going into the hobby with a dogs nads detecter as they usually end up on e bay for half the price 6 months later ;D ;D

there is one i believe for £230 at the moment

haha that wont be me  :)

would you say thats a good buy?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300446679270&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300446679270&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

and this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120597514869 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120597514869)

The GT and SE are not to bad at the prices they are but I would not honestly go over £400 for a Sov or £550 for an SE,
and £650 for the SE Pro.
That's just my thoughts.

I'm in the same frame of mind as you Roberts.
Which shall I go for, have been told that the sovereign is a very good all rounder ???
I intend to start do beach and river detecting, as well as land.

Dilemma, Dilemma >:(

I have a sov elite and an se pro, to be honest at times there doesnt appear to be much difference between them.

I find the elite more stable on very mineralised ground, whereas the se is very noisy. Every body has their own personal view point.


When your learning and jus starting the hobby, I would buy a sov, its a good all round machine. I would never part with mine. Found my first hammered and roman coins with it ! ;D

yeah seems like the gt is the one to go for then really as im just getting back into the hobby.

dont want to regret anything after tho  :-\

I seem to remember just before buying the sov elite, a fellow detectorist from Cwmbran said that the GT model was a sov with a display and you pay more !

In my opinion for what it is worth, i think most of the displays on minelabs are gimicky !

It really is down to understanding the tone in both ears ! ;D ;D

Choose carefully m8

The GT doesn't come with a display as standard, it is purely a updated Sovereign version.

guess its really just a matter of choosing one now and sticking with it.

think its going to be the GT as everyone seems to think it will be easyer to understand.

thanks for your help guys will kepp you posted on what i do  ;D

good luck buddt,whatever you chose im sure you will find loads of help on here.

the GT went for 630 on ebay today wasnt prepared to sepend that, the explorer se all seem to be going for 550+ and that wasnt with a pro coil

these machines do seem to hold there price pretty well,,,,but to be honest they both sound a fair price

GT new is only £650 i know the one on ebay had alot of extras tho, the explorers seem to be more reasonably priced

since i got my se it has paid for itself twice over,,think of it as a investment,,,get a good machine and good land and you cant go wrong

There was a XS2a pro that went for £310 this afternoon.

there is a new one listed now for 100 i think looks in good condition from the pictures