Excal Hip Mount Question...

[grouperguy]

After almost a year off from hunting, I just ordered my new Excal. I got so frustrated with my last one that I sold it on a whim. While I truly loved the machine when it was working, I had lots of wiring problems with it. Seemed like every other time I used the hip mount I would have another problem. I truly prefer to hunt with the hip mount, particular when in the water, as the drag is significantly reduced.

My question is... is it a common problem for the Excals to have wiring issues when using the hip mount most of the time? Should I play it safe and just keep it mounted on the shaft?

 

[Critterhunter]

Look in the Excalibur Accessories sticky as there is at least one pic of a guy with his Excal "belly mounted". Maybe you can see how he is taking stress off the cable near the pod in it. I would figure you want two or three wide (not tight) loops through a belt loop or something right before the cable goes into the pod.

Also, check out the pictures in that sticky of the Excals that are mounted on a long custom shaft or on one of those extensions (also pics of those in that sticky too) that you stick on the back of your existing shaft. That way the control pod is as high as your shoulder or head at least and so it never drags in the water unless you are maybe neck deep or something, or at least until you get say chest deep or so. All depends on how high of an extension you use on your shaft, or if you make a custom shaft or buy one that is longer for this reason and no extension is needed. I know I posted several good pics in that Excal accessories sticky where people had the pod mounted way high on the shaft. I'd figure that also makes for easier access to the controls on the pod too if they are right up around your shoulder area or higher, rather than way down by your waste on the stock shaft.

If you hip mount it's critical to loop the coil cable a few times or so around a belt loop on your waste or something. You want to take all pressure off the coil cable where it gets near the control pod. Same deal for Sovereign guys who hip or chest mount on land or in the water. Usually if the coil cable develops a short it will be right near where it enters the pod, or in the Sovereign's case the coil cable right behind the coil connector, as the cable can't flex as well in those areas on both machines due to obvious reasons which makes the cable more rigid and prone to shorts due to back and fourth flexing there. Normally the coil cable isn't much at risk to a short because they are meant to bend and flex with use along their entire length, but right up against the box or pod there is no ability for flexing/moving to take stress off the cable right there.

Another spot of concern is where the cable enters the coil. On land or in water if that cable right by where it enters the coil is moving all the time with swinging on land or due to water resistance you've got a good chance to develop a short right there. For that reason always make sure the cable is secure to the shaft well in that area. Besides, cable movement might cause slight falsing as it's moving in the coil's detection field on the top side of the coil. They don't just detect down but up too, and those cables have foil and copper inside them that might cause falsing or something.

I've used the stock Excal setup a bit on land and it's a posture killer, not to mention a boat anchor with the heavy old BBS version of the 8" coil my friend has on his. Why Minelab would put such a advanced machine on a mid evil S shaft is beyond me. Has to be the worst stock shaft I've used on any detector. First thing I'd do if I got one was throw the stock shaft in the garbage and either buy one of Pluggers or Anderson's (sold by Findmall sponsors), or I'd just built my own shaft. It's so easy to do and cheap that I'm surprised more people don't do it for both their Excals and their Sovereigns. My light weight land shaft for my Gt was easy as pie to make and saved me a bunch of weight.