Excal Sword P.C.B

[monkeybusinessaust]

Hello,

I am looking for some photos of the P.C.B for the early Excal Sword. I can only see the top and bottom boards on searches I have done.

I blew the surface mount capacitors and while disassembling from the tube I found a diode floating loose inside.

Would much appreciate any photos of the 3 P.C.B separated so that I can trace the diode back to where it came from.

Thank you, appreciate any assistance.

Len

 

[OldBeechnut]

I have a couple Old Sword boards, let me see what I can get for you, may take me a few days

 

[monkeybusinessaust]

Thanks Oldbeechnut. Would be good If I could get 3 clear pictures of each board.
This was an early Gary Storm model and was dynamite when it was working. I am based in Australia and cannot find anyone to repair it, so myself and a mate are going to try our best. So any info is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Len

 

[OldBeechnut]

This PCB was Toasted, So a friend in Florida passed it along to me...it is #203, will post a few more if you need closer.

You sure can tell it was modeled after the Sovereign... Sov Rev1.1 on the excalibur and On my XS2 Sovereign Sovereign Rev 1.1

RT4 RT5 are the adjustment pods

 

[monkeybusinessaust]

Thanks for the pictures OldBeechnut, much appreciated all the time and effort you have gone to for me. They printed out well. Gives us something to go by hopefully we can get it fired up.
Thanks again
Len

 

[Critterhunter]

Hey old Beechnut, when you've had the newer versions of the Excal open any hint as to what Sovereign model they were based on? From the sound of your post at least the old Excals were modeled after the Sovereign XS2. Just curious what the latest ones these days are based on, or if they are still using the XS2 revision. I've read a few people say their Elite or GT are a bit deeper and more sensitive to tiny stuff, so I'm guessing the newer models are still using a prior Sovereign's electronics maybe. Then again they might have been comparing them with different coils, or even say the old 10" BBS coil to a Sovereign with a 10" Tornado on it or something.

Also, I've heard a few in the past say the PP mode on the Excal is not the same as it is on the Sovereign. I doubt that since it wouldn't make any sense to me to have to re-do the electronics just to change PP mode. Just the same, can you tell if the part of the circuit PP mode activates on the Excal looks to have different components on the board than a Sovereign for that mode? That would be a good clue as to if there really was a difference.

From the looks of it by the pics the only real difference between the Sov/Excal is that the Excal's circuit board has been built in narrow layers to fit the POD, along with the POT controls being mounted directly onto the board where as they are on a separate face plate on the Sovereign.

 

[OldBeechnut]

I have a several newer boards, Blue head phones and yellow, I'll have to see if the numbers match on the processor, from what I remember, and I could be wrong, they are the same brain but have been programed different, because the PCB is stamped with what version is used. I will have to check on this but I think there are 3 different version...let me get back to you on that.

Again I'm not sure on this, at one time I thought there was a difference on PP, But now I feel each is the same but there is something that makes the Sovereign different and maybe it's the audio in the PP mode. A clues to this I can run Doc's audio amp on the excaliber, but not on the sovereign. I get a dead spot over the target center. So maybe the sovereign has a louder audio, and the amp diode blaster kicks in. There are a few people that say you can't run the excalibur headphones on the sovereign, this I'm not sure but I did build a set with piezo buzzers that worked fine. So my opinion they are the same.......
Some what related the depth difference could be this, I found that Doc's amp pulls up targets that a normal person cannot hear on the beach. But I did a test on the stock yellows on a 2004 model excalibur in a totally silient room, these signals are there but outside one would not hear them with all the ambient noise. So Maybe they have cranked up the audio some on the sovereigns and one does not need a amp to hear these deep signal in the PP mode. And that is why the Blast diode kicks in on Doc's Treasure Amp when one uses it on the sovereign? I'm still very much a rookie with the excalibur's electronic's and can only guess on the operations and differences. It's to bad we down have a person from Minelabs to explain this stuff, and then I'm not sure if they would know either...Maybe Gary Storm will shead a little light on all someday. It Would be a Honor to set and chat with him someday....Maybe I can work on that.....

Yes, I believe your right about been reworked, I have noticed several little difference from the old to the new PCB's but I'm sure it's because differene venders have been used over the years. Bottom line I, my opinion, the excaliber and sovereign's on the beach are the best choice. There maybe a few that come close, like the CZ20's, but both will more then cover most of your needs when your looking for treasure.

 

[OldBeechnut]

n/t