Mel Parker
Member
The pictures show the sequence of events with more details to follow.
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Finally added a MODE change push button on Excal
- Thread starter Mel Parker
- Start date
Mel Parker
Member
n/t
Mel Parker
Member
n/t
Mel Parker
Member
n/t
OldBeechnut
Well-known member
Finally! I Love IT!!!! Great Job, looking forward to more details.......Joe
Steve from Ohio
New member
n/t
OldBeechnut
Well-known member
Mel Just got a chance to take a closer look at your work, Very nice Job. Special request on a better Picture on the mainboard work, All Does not look to hard, other then the mainboard connection. Thanks for sharing...my email is oldebeechnut@yahoo.com if you have anymore pics or tips on this great convert for all of us Am/PP hunters, Now I'm inspired & ready.........Joe
southernstyle
New member
Sweet. These detectors have been out since 1994 and this is the first time I have seen this done. BRILLIANT!!! Thanks for paving the way for the rest of us. I am sure there are more to follow...
Like me. No more calluses on wrist from turning the disc knob.
A few more detailed pics of board connection would be great. Where did you get the extra double end for the unit? Buy the way, you unit looks to be in pristine condition for its age.
Chris
Like me. No more calluses on wrist from turning the disc knob. A few more detailed pics of board connection would be great. Where did you get the extra double end for the unit? Buy the way, you unit looks to be in pristine condition for its age.
Chris
GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va
New member
n/t
Mel Parker
Member
I'll get you some close ups of the circuit board wiring later.
Critterhunter
New member
Always like to see people mod things themselves. Great job.
Mel Parker
Member
Excal Push Button Mod.
This is my first attempt at this mod and I have one more of my units to modify. Im going to list all of the materials that you will need and hopefully not leave out a step. I even thought about putting this on You Tube to clarify the procedure.
You need to start with a handle and I choose bike bar ends because they are adjustable and if your Excal should fail some where down the road its easier to include the handle with the unit when you send it to Minelab for repair.
I could not find bar ends long enough unless they had a curve in them so I cut out the curve and spliced in a straight section of proper length, most grips are 5 long.
Additional materials required are as follows.
1) Double end cap supplied by Minelab. This is the same end cap that is used for the battery and coil leads. (Dont forget the O ring)
2) Ergo grips that Wal-Mart sells. They were two for six dollars or use what ever you like.
3) One normally open push button switch sold by Digi-Key. These are IP67 rated and submersible to over three feet. The part number is 679-1096-NO and they come in different colors. (These switches are rated for 500k operations.)
4) One plastic bushing that the switch will mount in. These can be bought at Ace Hardware.
5) Computer power cord cut to what ever length you want. Just cut the ends off but make sure that the jacket is plastic and not rubber. Rubber will crack and dry rot.
6) I drilled two holes in the handle one for the cord to come out and the other to pour in the epoxy. I got the epoxy at Ace Hardware and the silicon RTV at Auto Zone. Make sure the RTV is the flowable type.
7) After mounting the switch in the bushing solder the wires to the switch then feed the wire through the handle and out the bottom hole. Snap the switch and bushing into the handle and take up any slack in the wire by pulling it from the bottom.
Mount the handle upside down in a vise and pour the epoxy mixture into the handle covering the switch by about an inch. When the epoxy is cured pour in a small amount of the flowable RTV sealant. Set this aside until everything has cured. This makes the switch assembly water tight and even if the switch should fail and leak, water will not wick up into the cord.
9) Install the ergo grip making sure you align it properly on the handle.
10) Now comes the FUN part you have to remove the circuit board assembly from the Excal housing and slide it out where you can work on it. If you have never done this before be careful or get help. Its best to work on an anti-static mat so that you dont stand a chance of destroying any of the ICs.
The PP/Disc switch on the Excal consists of a potentiometer switch combination and the potentiometer part is not used its connected to ground. The contacts on the switch are normally open when your in the PP mode and closed when your in the Disc mode.
What you want to do is wire your new switch in parallel with the Excal switch so that when you are hunting on PP or all metal and want to change to Disc all you have to do is push the button. If you want to stay in Disc just flip the switch on the Excal to Disc and it by-passes the push button.
There are different ways to wire in the new push button so that you can get different combinations of operations, but I like to keep things simple and easy.
Ill try to supply more detailed pictures later on. For now good luck!
This is my first attempt at this mod and I have one more of my units to modify. Im going to list all of the materials that you will need and hopefully not leave out a step. I even thought about putting this on You Tube to clarify the procedure.
You need to start with a handle and I choose bike bar ends because they are adjustable and if your Excal should fail some where down the road its easier to include the handle with the unit when you send it to Minelab for repair.
I could not find bar ends long enough unless they had a curve in them so I cut out the curve and spliced in a straight section of proper length, most grips are 5 long.
Additional materials required are as follows.
1) Double end cap supplied by Minelab. This is the same end cap that is used for the battery and coil leads. (Dont forget the O ring)
2) Ergo grips that Wal-Mart sells. They were two for six dollars or use what ever you like.
3) One normally open push button switch sold by Digi-Key. These are IP67 rated and submersible to over three feet. The part number is 679-1096-NO and they come in different colors. (These switches are rated for 500k operations.)
4) One plastic bushing that the switch will mount in. These can be bought at Ace Hardware.
5) Computer power cord cut to what ever length you want. Just cut the ends off but make sure that the jacket is plastic and not rubber. Rubber will crack and dry rot.
6) I drilled two holes in the handle one for the cord to come out and the other to pour in the epoxy. I got the epoxy at Ace Hardware and the silicon RTV at Auto Zone. Make sure the RTV is the flowable type.
7) After mounting the switch in the bushing solder the wires to the switch then feed the wire through the handle and out the bottom hole. Snap the switch and bushing into the handle and take up any slack in the wire by pulling it from the bottom.
Mount the handle upside down in a vise and pour the epoxy mixture into the handle covering the switch by about an inch. When the epoxy is cured pour in a small amount of the flowable RTV sealant. Set this aside until everything has cured. This makes the switch assembly water tight and even if the switch should fail and leak, water will not wick up into the cord.
9) Install the ergo grip making sure you align it properly on the handle.
10) Now comes the FUN part you have to remove the circuit board assembly from the Excal housing and slide it out where you can work on it. If you have never done this before be careful or get help. Its best to work on an anti-static mat so that you dont stand a chance of destroying any of the ICs.
The PP/Disc switch on the Excal consists of a potentiometer switch combination and the potentiometer part is not used its connected to ground. The contacts on the switch are normally open when your in the PP mode and closed when your in the Disc mode.
What you want to do is wire your new switch in parallel with the Excal switch so that when you are hunting on PP or all metal and want to change to Disc all you have to do is push the button. If you want to stay in Disc just flip the switch on the Excal to Disc and it by-passes the push button.
There are different ways to wire in the new push button so that you can get different combinations of operations, but I like to keep things simple and easy.
Ill try to supply more detailed pictures later on. For now good luck!
JOHNMARKHAM
New member
now thats what ive been asking about......nice job....
thanks for sharing......
i just dont understand why minlab hasnt done this already......
great job...
so are you doing this for anybody elses machines...
ill send you mine ?
again nice job..
john
thanks for sharing......
i just dont understand why minlab hasnt done this already......
great job...
so are you doing this for anybody elses machines...
ill send you mine ?
again nice job..
john
Critterhunter
New member
I'll tell you what, once you've wired a remote pinpoint switch on an Excalibur or GT it will bring a big smile to your face. I've only played with my remote switch install on my GT in my garage thus far but it REALLY makes the machine feel much nicer to use. Reminds me of my Whites the way I mounted my switch. No more trying to pinpoint in discriminate, which works but I don't feel is as percise as pinpoint mode for me. No more having to reach under your elbow to flip that switch (though it will still function in all 3 modes as stock). No more reaching for it when hipmounted and ending up dropping a lot of sand, dirt, or mud off your hand and onto the face plate. It's an amazing feeling to have it right there where it should be like any normal detector. I also plan to try more reverse discrimination hunting in either PP or all metal fixed to see if either is deeper than discrimination on my GT. I don't think pinpoint is as deep because sometimes I can't hear a deep target that discrimination hears fine. Maybe All Metal Fixed is deeper and I'm anxious to try.
I can't understand why Minelab doesn't do this at the factory because it's like $4 in parts (probably well less than a dollar for them). Provide a jack on the GT and a plug in stereo cord with the switch. Make the switch so it can be quickly taken off the shaft along with the stereo cord if you don't want to use it. I bet it would increase GT sales.
I can't understand why Minelab doesn't do this at the factory because it's like $4 in parts (probably well less than a dollar for them). Provide a jack on the GT and a plug in stereo cord with the switch. Make the switch so it can be quickly taken off the shaft along with the stereo cord if you don't want to use it. I bet it would increase GT sales.
Critterhunter
New member
"The PP/Disc switch on the Excal consists of a potentiometer switch combination and the potentiometer part is not used its connected to ground. The contacts on the switch are normally open when your in the PP mode and closed when your in the Disc mode.
What you want to do is wire your new switch in parallel with the Excal switch so that when you are hunting on PP or all metal and want to change to Disc all you have to do is push the button. If you want to stay in Disc just flip the switch on the Excal to Disc and it by-passes the push button.
There are different ways to wire in the new push button so that you can get different combinations of operations, but I like to keep things simple and easy."
That's sort'a the first way I designed the remote pinpoint for the GT but it required the stock switch to be set in ALL METAL all the time, allowing you to then switch between disc iron mask on and all metal to use pinpoint or whatever. The new design I posted a schematic for allows the stock switch to function in all 3 modes whether the remote pinpoint is plugged in or not, and switch back and fourth between all metal and disc iron ON or disc iron OFF depending on what discrimination mode you have the stock switch set to. If you already have the stock switch flipped to All Metal the remote switch will do nothing, because you are in effect switching between All Metal and All Metal via the remote switch.
What I find interesting about your findings above is that it appears PP mode is when the switch is not making any contacts internaly but does to put the machine into Disc. On the GT it's the exact reverse. Disc Iron Mask On mode is when no connections are made on the switch. All Metal Mode is when the middle post is connected to the right post. Disc Iron Mask OFF is when the middle post is connected to the left post. I would guess the Excalibur is using an older Sovereign's electronics because those I believe had only a 2 pole switch which might have been configured differently to switch between various modes.
Once again great work! I've been hacking away as the completion of my remote pinpoint instructions for the GT as well as the lighter custom shaft/grip build thread. When it's done and I'm sure I've edited out all the mistakes I usualy make I'll be throwing it up in the Sovereign GT Mod thread in the modifications forum. I'm hoping I'll be done in the next day or two.
What you want to do is wire your new switch in parallel with the Excal switch so that when you are hunting on PP or all metal and want to change to Disc all you have to do is push the button. If you want to stay in Disc just flip the switch on the Excal to Disc and it by-passes the push button.
There are different ways to wire in the new push button so that you can get different combinations of operations, but I like to keep things simple and easy."
That's sort'a the first way I designed the remote pinpoint for the GT but it required the stock switch to be set in ALL METAL all the time, allowing you to then switch between disc iron mask on and all metal to use pinpoint or whatever. The new design I posted a schematic for allows the stock switch to function in all 3 modes whether the remote pinpoint is plugged in or not, and switch back and fourth between all metal and disc iron ON or disc iron OFF depending on what discrimination mode you have the stock switch set to. If you already have the stock switch flipped to All Metal the remote switch will do nothing, because you are in effect switching between All Metal and All Metal via the remote switch.
What I find interesting about your findings above is that it appears PP mode is when the switch is not making any contacts internaly but does to put the machine into Disc. On the GT it's the exact reverse. Disc Iron Mask On mode is when no connections are made on the switch. All Metal Mode is when the middle post is connected to the right post. Disc Iron Mask OFF is when the middle post is connected to the left post. I would guess the Excalibur is using an older Sovereign's electronics because those I believe had only a 2 pole switch which might have been configured differently to switch between various modes.
Once again great work! I've been hacking away as the completion of my remote pinpoint instructions for the GT as well as the lighter custom shaft/grip build thread. When it's done and I'm sure I've edited out all the mistakes I usualy make I'll be throwing it up in the Sovereign GT Mod thread in the modifications forum. I'm hoping I'll be done in the next day or two.