Excal vs Sov. GT - Head to head

gin&kin · Oct 1, 2013

This is a post to share my most recent experience with both machines.

I started with a Excalibur II (well actually I started with an Ace 250

) and about a year later bought a GT for my wife.

Whenever I'm hunting by myself on the wet sand the GT has become my go to machine.

One thing I've noticed anecdotally is that the GT seems to be more sensitive to gold and the Excal platinum. If anybody can offer an explanation I'd love to hear it.

Also I used the GT for the first time in the water last week and boy was I impressed. The same beach the previous day I used the Excal, I had the sensitivity dialled up to near max. and was pulling coins and a few rings. Next day the sea was like a pancake so I took my chances and gingerly went thigh deep with the shoulder-mounted GT. I'd say the GT was hitting 3 times as many targets along the same stretch. I was incredibly impressed. :shock:

Needless to say I'm thinking of going water-proof box in the near future.... :yes:

CanSlaw · Oct 1, 2013

I have to totally agree. Others will argue but throw a CTX in the mix and it even gets a little better. I don't own a CTX just from what I have witnessed hunting side by side with one. That is one sensitive and deep machine to small gold.

gin&kin · Oct 1, 2013

CanSlaw said:
I have to totally agree. Others will argue but throw a CTX in the mix and it even gets a little better. I don't own a CTX just from what I have witnessed hunting side by side with one. That is one sensitive and deep machine to small gold.

I'd love to try one but I'm a bit too far away to borrow itsarings's :laughing:

Cfmct · Oct 1, 2013

I agree.. although my GT bangs on deep platinum.. I was surprised at the tone being so high though..

CanSlaw · Oct 1, 2013

gin&kin said:
I'd love to try one but I'm a bit too far away to borrow itsarings's

I am looking forward to Itsaring and IMA testing the CTX and GT side by side on the same beach, target for target. As soon as Larry gets comfortable with the machine, I know Greg is going to be bugging him :lol:

Lostandfound · Oct 1, 2013

I myself have a Whites DFX, Dual Field PI and a Gt. I like the GT out of all of them the best. The GT has been waterproofed and used in the water. There are very few false targets dug with it. I'll take the Dual Field out for non trashy water hunts. The DFX is just sitting collecting dust in the garage.
It's amazing the sound it responds to on a good target... Love it.

Here are two pictures of the GT. I made a mounting plate to place the box on it.
Mounted a aluminum tube that fits into the shaft on the GT and made it with a adjustable length to counter balance it when in the water.

Stunmi · Oct 1, 2013

Wow are ya TRYING to make me leave work early today with that positive review!

(Shoulder mounted my GT last weekend however water was too rough!)

Cfmct · Oct 1, 2013

Lostandfound said:
I myself have a Whites DFX, Dual Field PI and a Gt. I like the GT out of all of them the best. The GT has been waterproofed and used in the water. There are very few false targets dug with it. I'll take the Dual Field out for non trashy water hunts. The DFX is just sitting collecting dust in the garage.
It's amazing the sound it responds to on a good target... Love it.

Here are two pictures of the GT. I made a mounting plate to place the box on it.
Mounted a aluminum tube that fits into the shaft on the GT and made it with a adjustable length to counter balance it when in the water.

My Dual Field is collecting dust Gene, 99% of my gold this year is in the wet sand :lol:

gin&kin · Oct 1, 2013

CanSlaw said:
I am looking forward to Itsaring and IMA testing the CTX and GT side by side on the same beach, target for target. As soon as Larry gets comfortable with the machine, I know Greg is going to be bugging him

It'll be very interesting for sure :yes:

gin&kin · Oct 1, 2013

Cfmct said:
I agree.. although my GT bangs on deep platinum.. I was surprised at the tone being so high though..

Yes, it may just be be that the GT is more sensitive to gold and equally sensitive to pt.

gin&kin · Oct 1, 2013

Lostandfound said:
I myself have a Whites DFX, Dual Field PI and a Gt. I like the GT out of all of them the best. The GT has been waterproofed and used in the water. There are very few false targets dug with it. I'll take the Dual Field out for non trashy water hunts. The DFX is just sitting collecting dust in the garage.
It's amazing the sound it responds to on a good target... Love it.

Here are two pictures of the GT. I made a mounting plate to place the box on it.
Mounted a aluminum tube that fits into the shaft on the GT and made it with a adjustable length to counter balance it when in the water.

Thats a nice setup right there. I've never seen a behind the elbow GT before......hows the weight after a few hours?

zeemang · Oct 1, 2013

I know i found plenty with my gt in the water, it's plenty deep... as far as which is better on which metal, i await a test....

goodmore · Oct 1, 2013

Thats a nice setup right there. I've never seen a behind the elbow GT before......hows the weight after a few hours?

I also have mounted my Sovereign behind the cuff. The balance is so much better. It actually helps the coil hover just above the sand. The difference is very significant compared to the stock mount. Plus it adds a few more inches to keep it out of the water. I have also done it to my XS-2a with the V clip. I noticed how much nicer the Excal was to swing with a behind the cuff mount and incorporated it into my Sovereigns.

Crumble · Oct 1, 2013

Lostandfound said:
I myself have a Whites DFX, Dual Field PI and a Gt. I like the GT out of all of them the best. The GT has been waterproofed and used in the water. There are very few false targets dug with it. I'll take the Dual Field out for non trashy water hunts. The DFX is just sitting collecting dust in the garage.
It's amazing the sound it responds to on a good target... Love it.

Here are two pictures of the GT. I made a mounting plate to place the box on it.
Mounted a aluminum tube that fits into the shaft on the GT and made it with a adjustable length to counter balance it when in the water.

I like how you mounted that waterproof box. I'm trying to do the same with my Sovereign XS but using a bigger SKB box. Did you epoxy the box to that metal plate? Or just that strap holding it on?

itsaring! · Oct 1, 2013

CanSlaw said:
I am looking forward to Itsaring and IMA testing the CTX and GT side by side on the same beach, target for target. As soon as Larry gets comfortable with the machine, I know Greg is going to be bugging him

I made sure to print the instructions out today. :lol:

My 10" Tornado on the sovereign works better in iron than my 10" Excal.

S1u2r3f4 · Oct 1, 2013

I would kill to even hit gold or plat with either machine this year

Right Brain · Oct 2, 2013

gin&kin said:
One thing I've noticed anecdotally is that the GT seems to be more sensitive to gold and the Excal platinum. If anybody can offer an explanation I'd love to hear it.

I'm guessing it has something to do with platinum conductivity, I believe it's lower than gold...? When you look through forums, you might notice that Excal users find more white gold that with other machines. White gold also tends to be (typically) lower in conductivity than regular yellow gold, and certainly red/rose gold or other mixtures. Why might this be?

Others and apparently Minelab have also stated that the Excals are more tuned to the negative salt environments than the Sovereigns. If that is the case, than that would explain why Excals do better on very low conductive targets.

FoiledAgain · Oct 2, 2013

Right Brain said:
....White gold also tends to be (typically) lower in conductivity than regular yellow gold, and certainly red/rose gold or other mixtures. Why might this be?

White gold is typically an alloy of gold and nickel, while red/rose gold is alloyed with copper which is higher conductivity than nickel. Conductivity, high to low: copper, gold, nickel, platinum.

Foiled

Gold Digger 2 · Oct 2, 2013

I do not own a GT but I can tell you that when Dew and I did some target testing with his against my excal, it was a notable difference on pull tabs, hence, gold,,,,one wicked deep sensitive machine,,,,water proofed, heck yes

imalookin2 · Oct 3, 2013

I used to swing my GT 100% of the time. I noticed a real difference with the small 8" coil over the 10" and the larger coils I own. Those large coils I was using were good and they seemed deep but hard to quickly PP and dig. In the water on Atlantic beaches you have to PP and dig fast. That small coil hit hard on any target including deep ones and targets next to iron. It was equally deep to my 12" Sunray. Some might say it is too small. I was told I needed a larger coil by another hunter. (you know who you are) :lol:

Then I continued to find gold. :laughing:

Guys hunting in the rocks like Craig should be using the small coil all the time. I am certain of this.

Guys, the small Excal/Sov coil is hot. I can swing it in the water where other guys with larger coils struggle. I can swing it for a long time without fatigue. The main thing is I can swing it faster in the water than other guys. A faster swing causes the coil amp to raise the amplification to the head phones. Too slow on the BBS coils is bad. You will miss a lot. I have read a lot of bad information saying you have to swing slow with the BBS machines. I found that to be wrong. A slow swing on a BBS coil is not good. A too fast swing might be but in the water you need to move the coil. Tried and true.

Excal vs Sov. GT - Head to head

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