Excal questions.

[Greg (E.Tn)]

I plan to mail my Excal 1000 to Minelab at Kellyco for maintenance and a checkup, so to speak.

I know to only send them the coil and control unit, and that it will probably take them quite some time to get to it.

Basically, I want the machine given a good going over--checking the calibration, O-rings, coil, and coil cable, make sure everything is working well and at peak efficiency.

IF, they recommend a new coil, will they only install minelab manufactured coils, or will they install aftermarket coils as well?

If have been waffling back and forth about whether or not to keep the stock coil on it, or switch to an aftermarket one.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[Champ Ferguson]

You could always ask them to install a waterproof connector so that you could switch coils as desired.

 

[ROBOCOP]

I have one over there now. I brought it in on June10th. I talked to them yesterday and they said it should be on the workbench this week.

They are great guys and have done excellent work for me before.

I'm having the threshold potentiometer replaced and wire to the coil connector replaced (insulation).

I already have other mods done to it. (12 x 15 SEF coil, headphones and pinpoint mod).

When you get a detector back from them it's like getting a new car off the showroom floor.

So probably about a 12 week wait. I have other machines and I knew it going in.

ROBOCOP

Also what part of E. Tenn? I have friends in the Newport/Hartford area

 

[dewcon4414]

Best bet always.......... is to give them a call and tell um what you need. We can tell you all day what they did for us or may do for you....... remove the guess work.

Dew

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

n/t

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

I did an online search (maybe not very well) and had a hard time coming up with coil possibilities.

I was going to opt with the standard 8" minelab coil.

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

My pinpoint/disc. knob seems to be reversed.

When I have sens set in autotune, it seems to be the least sensitive setting. When I crank it up to the 9:00 position, and all the way to the 12:00 position, the threshold pitch changes with each sweep of the coil, making it hard to determine if I'm getting a signal from a target, from mineralization, or maybe the coil cable is sensitive to the river current I'm sweeping it in.

That part being said, I'm using it mostly in a knee-deep fast flowing river where tubers congregate. I've been wondering if increasing the sensitivity causes the cable to be more sensitive to the river current, or maybe there's a connection issue somewhere in the cable itself.

It's an Excal 1000, so it's got some age on it, and I'm not the first owner.

 

[ROBOCOP]

Here's some coil choices. Not pictured is a NEL which I think is the latest and greatest hyped anyway.

SEFs 12 x 15 and 10 x 12, and old Sunray 12" and WOT 15 on the Sovereign.

.

 

[dewcon4414]

I prefer the size of the stock coil...... be it the slim line or the Sov. 7 1/4" isnt enough coil for me, but im a beach hunter.

That first one really has me scratching my head. Are you saying when the arrow is pointing to disc its in AM? If so sounds like a broken switch.

Auto ...... is the least sensitive. Its designed to run smoother in Auto like most detectors..... which is most cases means less depth that pushing the envelope in manual.

At 12 it should be pretty smooth.... about like auto. Have you checked the cable for cracks? The 1000s did have a few years of bad cable. Coil flip will do that...... hot rocks might....... split coil will..... bad pot. As you can see lots of things. That machine should run pretty stable in fresh water..... more so than the Xcal II.

 

[Champ Ferguson]

Hi Greg,
north Knox here. I've done some of those tubing creeks/rivers (depending on season) on the Crosby side. Found sunglasses, full beers, dope pipes, shoes, and various other interesting items, but no gold yet. Hope you can do better than I have!

As to coils, I'm the wrong guy to ask. I think ROBOCOP and others above covered it tho. I like the 10" stock coil and didn't want to put another way for water to infiltrate on my machine. Just threw it out there as an option Ive seen others talk about. I would think that a smaller coil would be better for the type of waters you are hunting to get between the large rocks.
fwiw, I use the CTX in fresh water and the Excal is used solely at salt beaches.

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

I use the Excal in shallow rivers with rocky bottoms, so a larger coil is a hindrance, because of the resistance in the current, and I can't get a large coil in between rocks and into crevasses.

I currently have the stock 10"? coil, and I think the 8" coil would actually work better for me. I was hoping there might be an 8" or comparable aftermarket coil that would work that has comparable depth to the 10" coil.

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

A friend of mine told me he lost two wedding bands at "Grumpys" on the Ocoee. Haven't been down there yet to see what's going on.

I've considered the CTX, but the high price, glitches I've read about on that forum, and that I already have a minelab water machine have deterred me thus far from getting one.

My water hunting buddy uses an AT pro with a small NEL coil which works pretty well for him, but it doesn't get the depth the minelab does. But at $500 or so, it does good enough--he gets his share of rings, can move it quicker in the water, and with his target ID, pretty much anything between a 45-52 on his machine is a ring.

I also have a Fisher CZ20 which does a pretty good job, which is why I will probably send the Excal in for a checkup.

Don't disparage those sunglasses. We've found some that sell for $200 and on up. Some brands command a pretty good price, and when you think about it, are worth more than the gold value of plain wedding bands.

Thanks for the kind words and advice.

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

Exactly, when the switch is pointed at Disc it's actually in pinpoint, and vice versa. I think the knob is just set up wrong (I did it). :|

Where I use it, there are cabins, vacation homes, and other residences along the riverside. I thought maybe I was picking up wifi signals.

In autotune, when the machine seems to be running well, I get a consistent low threshold until I sweep over mineralization or a target that causes the pitch of the threshold to change.

When it's not, each sweep of the coil in the current brings on a constant change in threshold, from low to high and back. I can swing my pinpointer under the coil to bring back the low threshold, but it only lasts for a second or so.

I "think" optimal performance in auto tune would consist of having a constant threshold, which should null out over iron, then return with a low threshold. And maybe if I swing over a deep "good" target, the threshold might disappear, but return with a high threshold.

So, what I have been doing is suffering through the cacophony of constantly changing threshold pitches, listening for that sudden, repeatable high or mid tone that signals either a coin or ring.

Thanks for the advice and assistance.

 

[dewcon4414]

Depth isnt everything. Sometimes reducing depth is a better way to hunt. Reducing sensitivity or a smaller coil takes in less soil/EMI and you have less coil shut down. So you start picking up shallower targets that had been masked or that the process wasnt seeing with all the other targets and challenge to the processor. Fresh water, yes a good single freq water machine with a much faster processor like the AT pro might be a better choice. The Xcal has a slow processor, is lacking on tiny gold, and can null way to much causing you to miss targets. Also, unlike the ocean, rivers iron/targets dont deteriorate as quickly.

Dew

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

n/t

 

[Champ Ferguson]

Agree with dew, especially with the type of hunting that we are talking about here. Small coil is much more important.

I hear ya Greg on the sunglasses. Seems the only ones I get are the cheapies tho. You've probably seen aquachigger on youtube, but if you haven't, he's the one that got me interested in rafting/floating sites. He doesn't even use a detector on those sites sometimes and still brings home the goodies.

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

I know there are a couple of rafting sites on the Pigeon, Nantahala, in Cherokee, NC, Townsend, the Hiawassee down near Cleveland, and the Ocoee.

I've never detected the Ocoee, though as I mentioned a friend of mine has lost two wedding bands at the same place on the Ocoee, and officials artificially manipulate the river water levels so that there are times it's running at a mere trickle.

I agree snorkelers and/or scuba divers with masks can eyeball a lot of stuff, but I have to believe they miss a lot more than they find, unless they are in the same hole, every day--especially where rings and coins are concerned. Once a ring hits the bottom it will start working its way down to the hardpan, unless it hits a rock or gets wedged in a crevice or something.

 

[pasttom]

Hard to diagnose from text, but what you describe could be the pinpoint pot (rotating switch) is wire backward or replaced with wrong pot. When you buy a used machine you never know what has been diddled with. Way too many people play with the internals then sell off the less than optimal operating unit without mentioning any issues. I have 2 Excals in such condition and 2 that are just fine. Some of life's lessons are NOT tuition free!
If it goes in the shop tell them about it and they can rewire very easily.

 

[Greg (E.Tn)]

n/t