E-trac Coil Connector...

[grumpyolman]

How many conductors are their inside the coil wire on an E-Trac that are being used? I am doing the brain work on maybe an underwater housing for the E-Trac and am exploring the various waterproof fittings. Need to know if I need a 4 or 5 conductor or whatever.

Also...Since nobody makes a waterproof coil for the Epxlorer series, water proof as like in the Excalibur that is good to 100+ feet, any ideas what coil I could use. It'd be great if the Sunray 8" or the 8X6 SEF would work in that application. I'll have ambient pressure squeezing the dickens out of the coil connector at the coil and if there's any airspace between the plastic coil coating and the coil I might be toast.

I really don't need it to withstand the pressure for 250 feet like some advertise, but a bit of a fudge factor is good insurance. Jim

 

[david.di]

You need a 4 point/way connector. You can easily make the stock connectors water proof with a clear tube sleeve that goes over the connection and you can use a silicone or polyurethane to block off the ends.

I'd say 95% of the coils available for the Explorer(they all fit the Etrac) are waterproof. To what depth is hard to say.

Like those of the ML Excalibur, the majority of the coils are a solid resin fill and would most likely resist immersion. On a water proof version of the Explorer XS I've used the Coiltek Platypus, Coil 15 Inch WOT, 7 1/2" ML, all the Stock Explorer coils and the stock Etrac coil underwater. NOT to 250 feet or even 100 feet. At most , about 4 feet. BUT I would say that they all work fine. I don't have the Sunray 8", but I imagine if it's a solid resin filled coil , it's most likely capable of being immersed in water at a reasonable depth.

You might want to consider the Etrac stock coil as a worthy contender as well. I think it could easily handle immersion at a pretty good depth.

All the coils for the Etrac and the Explorer genre of detectors seem not to contain anymore, other than the coil wire in loops.
Unlike the Sovereign and Excalibur coils that have a circuit built inside the coil. Worst case(based on the experience where I had one of my connectors go "dodgey" on me), if water was to act as a conductor and short between the wires inside or outside the coil, the detector goes nuts on you. You'd probably loose all your user inputs and have a very limited detection ability. So in the case of the E line of detectors, I can safely say you wouldn't actually toast anything if the coil was not water proof and you'll most likely know exactly when and if this has happened.

BUT

What ever you do , don't get the detector control electronics wet and if you do, make sure you can disconnect the power to it immediately. Doing so MIGHT help in saving it.

david di