With the wireless headphones on the new CTX3030 this may be a good feature on a Excal??Thanks Ron
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Anyone have thoughts about a new Excal with wireless headphones.
- Thread starter Ron from Michigan
- Start date
You can't transmit wireless anything through water and since the Excal is marketed for underwater detecting at depths (ie scuba diving) its not likely to ever happen. People have adapted the Excal to shallow water hunting but that wasn't its true market. But it was the only fully waterproof machine Minelab made so it filled that void.
Gemini13,information apprciated.Thanks Ron
dewcon4414
Well-known member
Id be more interested in the ability to change coils and headphones. ML should give us a discount for using those headphones. I dont know if we are going to get anything better right now Ron.... if they gave us the mods we have done ourselves.... they would call it the 3030.
Dew
Dew
Dew,agree a quick connector for the headphones and coils would be a major improvement.I had a couple of Excals and CZs and agree they should pay people to wear a vice on their heads.Thanks Ron
scubapirate
New member
Gemini13 said:
Suunto "D9" wrist dive computer has a wireless option for tank pressure. The transmitter attaches to the first stage and sends a signal to your wrist computer. (At any depth) So a wireless headphone is by far not imposable. I personally can not see a "real" benefit from being wireless.
As far as I now the various underwater dive communications (wireless) all use SingleSideband RF and I don't think there are any consumer wireless headphones out there
that use this, so nothing to use off the shelf that can be rigged for waterproof.
But if one could afford the initial cost for one of the industrial underwater com units, it would be easy to rig for headphones.
that use this, so nothing to use off the shelf that can be rigged for waterproof.
But if one could afford the initial cost for one of the industrial underwater com units, it would be easy to rig for headphones.
Hopster.interesting.Thanks Ron
Scubapirate,maybe someone could figure this problem out and make a couple of bucks in the process.Thanks Ron
A completely new waterproof purpose built BBS beach machine is what Minelab needs to produce, lets say hybrid between the Excal and the GT and in MHO I believe that this new machine is already being developed as Minelab has been behaving really weird with regards to the GT. Dropping the meter was the first sign then their dealers dropping popular accessories such as the SEF 10x12 and the Ultimate 13" to me seem to be indicators that a big change is coming. Again IMO 
Critterhunter
New member
The 12x10 and 13" Ultimate are not made by Minelab, nor are they carried by Minelab dealers. The only source in the US for those Detech made coils is Kellyco. Far as I know Kellyco still carries the Sovereign version of the 12x10. It's just hard to find and hidden on their site. You have to google "12x10, Sovereign, Kellyco" to find a link to it the easiest way on there, as it doesn't show up in most of the normal links on Kellyco's site in terms of the Sovereign version. There is a 13" Ultimate Sovereign version now, but JW told me they were planning to carry it but he expected around mid May to carry the Sovereign version, but haven't heard if they have it by now.
The curious thing to me is that Minelab stopped making the Digisearch meter. That makes me wonder if they are discontuing the Sovereign, as nobody else currently makes a meter for the Sovereign commercially except a certain internal meter that goes into the speaker hole, and thus isn't useful unless you hip or chest mount the control box. I'm saying commercially here, as there is a guy who as a hobby makes meters for the Sovereign for people, as people can rather easily build a meter for it if they know a little about electronics and can modify a volt meter which is all they are.
Yes, I was hoping (and still am) for a Xcal/Sovereign hybrid that has a built in VDI and is light, thus equally at home in the water or for use on land. Make it at a price below or around $1000 and I feel Minelab would have a real winner on their hands. Just look at the popularity of the AT PRO. A LCD screen full function LIGHT detector that is waterproof, and thus equally at home in the water as well as on land. The AT Pro might not get the depths of a Minelab, especially in mineralized ground or in salt water, but just based on it's price alone (well below $1000) it's a sure winner in terms of somebody who wants both a water and land machine. Up until it, there weren't really any machines on the market that had screens and full functions, as well as being light, to be both a great land and water hunter...At least at such a reasonable price.
Many say that BBS is the deepest VLF machine they've ever used, and runs smoother, at certain beaches as well as certain land sites, than any machine on the market in terms of VLF technology (and that includes "newer" technology), in terms of a machine with full function discrimination and such. Sure, some PI machines are deeper, but without discrimination abilities, and there is the Blisstool in terms of a VLF machine, but again it doesn't have full function discrimination, tone alerts, or a VDI...So it's rather limited in terms of areas it can be used just like a PI. It also is said to be sensitive to EMI and salt water, and will false badly even when those conditions don't exist, for largely it's limited to a remote field relic hunting machine I think.
The curious thing to me is that Minelab stopped making the Digisearch meter. That makes me wonder if they are discontuing the Sovereign, as nobody else currently makes a meter for the Sovereign commercially except a certain internal meter that goes into the speaker hole, and thus isn't useful unless you hip or chest mount the control box. I'm saying commercially here, as there is a guy who as a hobby makes meters for the Sovereign for people, as people can rather easily build a meter for it if they know a little about electronics and can modify a volt meter which is all they are.
Yes, I was hoping (and still am) for a Xcal/Sovereign hybrid that has a built in VDI and is light, thus equally at home in the water or for use on land. Make it at a price below or around $1000 and I feel Minelab would have a real winner on their hands. Just look at the popularity of the AT PRO. A LCD screen full function LIGHT detector that is waterproof, and thus equally at home in the water as well as on land. The AT Pro might not get the depths of a Minelab, especially in mineralized ground or in salt water, but just based on it's price alone (well below $1000) it's a sure winner in terms of somebody who wants both a water and land machine. Up until it, there weren't really any machines on the market that had screens and full functions, as well as being light, to be both a great land and water hunter...At least at such a reasonable price.
Many say that BBS is the deepest VLF machine they've ever used, and runs smoother, at certain beaches as well as certain land sites, than any machine on the market in terms of VLF technology (and that includes "newer" technology), in terms of a machine with full function discrimination and such. Sure, some PI machines are deeper, but without discrimination abilities, and there is the Blisstool in terms of a VLF machine, but again it doesn't have full function discrimination, tone alerts, or a VDI...So it's rather limited in terms of areas it can be used just like a PI. It also is said to be sensitive to EMI and salt water, and will false badly even when those conditions don't exist, for largely it's limited to a remote field relic hunting machine I think.
OldBeechnut
Well-known member
Excalibur, Wireless head phones, just something else to get knocked of your head and lose....with a cord there is hope of finding them ...
The original Excaibur was OK for the quick business experiment that it was - a repacking of the XXXX circuit into a waterproof container ect.
I own one of the earliest and while living overseas I had to do way too many repairs that should not have been necessary had the housing and other aspects been designed
properly. I'm sure it was "proper" from their point of view but the Excal has been falsly advertised from the get go.
Falsly - yes you may get a few dives in with it before the first failure.
But wait - first the repairs:
Coil failure: water penetrated coil wiring, repaired.
Coil failure (replaced with 10")
Power failure : (replaced diode on + wire at PCB ).
Headphone failure: (water penetrated cheap potting compound voids to destroy the transformer, replaced with homebuilt phones)
Housing cracked at mount ears : (fiberglass and plastic welder)
Knob shaft leaks too often: (add flat area along knob shaft row to support secondary o ring sand seals.)
Flood due to above: (rinse in distilled water, alcohol, and then water displacing penetrant).
I did all these repairs myself and the only part from Minelab was for the coil, otherise it would be a 10 grand detector paying their prices for repairs.
I love the Excalibur as far as the circuitry but I would never take one off the shelf diving without beefing up a few things first.
"Testing" in a pressure chamber while the machine sits still is not representative of real world use.
If the machine had ever been tested by using the real world repetitive actions that we put it through, such as occasional bumps,
lots of sand everywhere, knobs being adjusted constantly, coil angle being adjusted contantly,
water current action side-loading all of the connectors while surf detecting (sweeping) - then it would not have been released to market.
The newer excaliburs have a molded housing, better headphones, and a better knob shaft seal setup, but mine is already cracked at mount ears.
And due to it being molded - nothing to stop the cracks penetrating into the main housing.
Overall point : This is not a durable detector due to the cheap, flimsy underwater housing design,
so don't keep trying to improve it without starting over from scratch on the housing design first.
Then find out why the newer coils are less stable with water pressure acting on them and fix that.
Add abrasion wrap on all cords. NO brittle plastic parts !. Modular repairable headphones.
OK, and then the wireless option .....
I own one of the earliest and while living overseas I had to do way too many repairs that should not have been necessary had the housing and other aspects been designed
properly. I'm sure it was "proper" from their point of view but the Excal has been falsly advertised from the get go.
Falsly - yes you may get a few dives in with it before the first failure.
But wait - first the repairs:
Coil failure: water penetrated coil wiring, repaired.
Coil failure (replaced with 10")
Power failure : (replaced diode on + wire at PCB ).
Headphone failure: (water penetrated cheap potting compound voids to destroy the transformer, replaced with homebuilt phones)
Housing cracked at mount ears : (fiberglass and plastic welder)
Knob shaft leaks too often: (add flat area along knob shaft row to support secondary o ring sand seals.)
Flood due to above: (rinse in distilled water, alcohol, and then water displacing penetrant).
I did all these repairs myself and the only part from Minelab was for the coil, otherise it would be a 10 grand detector paying their prices for repairs.
I love the Excalibur as far as the circuitry but I would never take one off the shelf diving without beefing up a few things first.
"Testing" in a pressure chamber while the machine sits still is not representative of real world use.
If the machine had ever been tested by using the real world repetitive actions that we put it through, such as occasional bumps,
lots of sand everywhere, knobs being adjusted constantly, coil angle being adjusted contantly,
water current action side-loading all of the connectors while surf detecting (sweeping) - then it would not have been released to market.
The newer excaliburs have a molded housing, better headphones, and a better knob shaft seal setup, but mine is already cracked at mount ears.
And due to it being molded - nothing to stop the cracks penetrating into the main housing.
Overall point : This is not a durable detector due to the cheap, flimsy underwater housing design,
so don't keep trying to improve it without starting over from scratch on the housing design first.
Then find out why the newer coils are less stable with water pressure acting on them and fix that.
Add abrasion wrap on all cords. NO brittle plastic parts !. Modular repairable headphones.
OK, and then the wireless option .....