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Excal Build

C

cjc

Active member
Interchangeable phones / coils. Not as easy a project as one might think--at least not for me. The Bucaneer Standard W/P Connectors are great but you have to get the wire lengths just right. You also have to mirror your connections--not duplicate them. Nothing hard about that. Now for the interchangable phones, an endcap has to get got. An alkaline pack will set you back $100. (Anyone want to buy the rest?) It's then got to be notched for the board--too low on the circle and your controls won't catch. Hoping that some of the "overshielded" stuff I've heard about this combination are not true although it was noisy in a very harsh / fast salt environment on it's first trip. MGM is saying that the old Blue Tubes are much more stable and better suited to this project. I've gotten great results with the WOT in fresh water though and have high hopes for this set-up. The MGM's have awesome sound quality but not quite as wide a tonal range as the "Redheads" --great to have the choice for different applications.
Pride O' the fleet!
cjc
clivesgoldpage.com
 
Clive,
Very nice build.

I was fortunate to recently pick up a blue tube in excellent shape. Am going to work on improving it in small increments. It has a good start though with decent headphones (not stock) that were already in place when I got it.
Cheers,
tvr
 
What....had that apart and didnt add a PPer? I know u r a PI guy it would have really finished it off nicely. Did u rig other coil to swap? Keep an eye on that connector... get any crackle that the first place id check. Looks like u used abattery cap connector for your phones......ive seen that done by Gary Storm. Clean.... real clean looking machine u got there. Drop yourself a MaxxPac batter in the pod..... those 1500s r a great improvement over the 750mah that come in them.

Dew
 
Looks Good Clive!! I think maybe we should make you the Mod Man!! :thumbup:
 
Thanks Joe. Glad to have gotten through it. Other one has gone to M/L.
Regards,
clive
 
Hi Dew
Thanks for the pointers. Bat end cap had to be notched--terrifying. Maxx cell gives better power or just a longer run time? MGM likes these connectors the tube ones need to be really watched. Why the WOT comes with one side and they can't be found anymore beats me.
WOT Excal 11 combo seemed noisy in fast salt though needed to be run below 3 to settle it out. Nice in fresh water though superb small object sensitivity.
Regards,
clive
 
Im told that it doesnt matter because the amount of juice going to the coil is controled. Not sure i totally believe that. Just me im sure, but i feel the longer i can keep the battery closer to peak the better she runs. The batteries give longer time.... much like AAs. 10 batteries....1.2 mah each. Measuring befor and after they dont loose a lot of power. Sweet to be able to charge them in about an hour with a charger that has a light.

Know a local guy... he has to really turn his WOT down too....but it gets ge eat depth.
 
Clive,nice work.LOL nothing goes as easy as expected with any project.By the way I just started from scratch building a Yamaha TT 500 engine, and forgot how much work is involved.Thanks Ron
 
Ron I sure don't miss those days of Hot Rods and Choppers....Those dag jap bikes and there metrics, in the day it was all normal then they started bring them in...more tools to buy..Good Luck with your project...


Clive I swear I do better with the other coils then that WOT, if drysanding or wet I use the ULT 13...saltwater I go the 10 and in PP..And Hot...Hopefully this year the DF will see some Boat action...Got your book on that, I need to sharpen up..thanks for all the great info over the years...

And Dew that LiPo is going on eBay the first of the year....Burnt the board out after 700 hours, My best machine..Gone to Heaven..Streets of Gold so they say..
 
Those old XT and TT 500s are cool.LOL they can be a lot of work.Use to have a 441 BSA Victor I would use in New Mexico to metal detect at remote sites sure glad that old Beezer fired up.
 
True deal on the streets of gold, OBN. But if it burned out it may have gone the other way. Does it null out perpetually? If it did make it to Heaven it should sing like an angel or an Etrac over big silver. Of course, you gotta have the right headphones and a lotta faith to hear it 'cuz it only works in non-motion DISC mode. :detecting:
 
We can always start a 700 hour rule...... after 700 hours you have to let your HOT machine rest for 6 months. Sorry about your machine..... with the board gone its as cheap to just buy another used one because they would be replacing it with an Xcal II board anyway. Im kind of like you on the really big coils.... once they hit salt water you have to turn them down a good bit..... so in some locations the standard or maybe a 10X12 might be the better choice. Never tried a NEL..... but i like their design. Do they even make them for the Sov and has anyone tried one? Hows the salt water affect the WOT in PP mode Joe since PP isnt nearly as sensitive to conditions like disc mode. I tell you Clive PP mode offers some real advantages especially with a PP switch. Joe.... you like the DF over the Finny?

Dew
 
Dew, the WOT coils have served me well when attached to a nice stable X2 Pro in fresh water using PP mode. Awesome depth and ID. Now, I'm kinda like a junkie trying to recreate that --with not much luck. I appreciate getting the run down on the SEF's and other products because that's the beauty of w/p connectors. With the Excal 2, the waves and bottom are noisy--a real disappointment. Down at "3" Sens, it doesn't feel like much juice is going down--although this is conditions-dependant. With the Blue Tubes that Joe built for me , the deep responses in disc were flutterey but coins were getting got down 18" +. Hoping that board can be saved. The potential is there for a great main machine given the proper tweaks. The stock 10" is a great coil in PP and can be run hot but once you hear that lilting sound I believe that it's loosing depth from the fast water interference. I've gotten great results down at "4" or "5" tops. What's a finney?
cjc
clivesgoldlpage.com/
 
Clive..... a finney is a Garrett Infinium PI. I believe they made some changes to the Xcal II..... either tired to reduce the IM/salt setting or the GB isnt as good as the older Xcals. I dont know that making them HOTTER is the answer since most of that power cant be used in disc anyway. However, in PP it may well pay off. I think its more of a GB issue since you really notice it when you dont use good coil movement or you get a little to much coil float. Just like having a large coil like the WOT...... all that power, but you still have to get it stable out there or its loosing you depth and target ID. I know you are a big PI guy Clive, thats why im surprised you didnt pop a switch on your machine.

Dew
 
Thanks for your suggestions, Dew. If there's one thing that running a PI teaches you, it's just how much interference there is in the water--especially salt water. The Excal 11 / WOT combo has potential but as with the stock tuning is everything. It's a shame in that Coiltek recently released a highly shielded coil for I believe the GPX series can't help thinking that one for the EXcal would sell more in that most of the time even a Sens setting about 12:00 us unusable and brings up distortion. I learned a lot about running the WOT in PP from a guy who goes by the handle of BBSailor--a very bright man. I'm trying various settings in PP--3, 5, 12 and even 7 (impressive although not likely usable in-ground) to see just how they each sound in air tests. I then tweak the T/H to listen for what this does-silent, normal and high. This process worked great with the WOT / X2 Pro. In ground knowing how the Excal sounds when it's loosing depth is key--and finding a balance between a weak signal and an oversaturated one takes time and patience to test in various conditions.
cjc
clivesgoldpage.com
 
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