Here we go again Excalibur Back to Minelab

[Buried Crap NJ]

Short version it broke (threshold switch) in mid July came back in mid Sept. worked better than when new for 6 weeks acted up in Mid November. Have been working with Ewout and Minelab to trouble shoot it. Just works some days better than others?
This time the issue it threshold raising up after each target, so much that you have to keep lowering the threshold till you reach off. As if your battery was going dead. Problem is you shut the detector off it starts all over again. This happens for 3 hrs. Battery checks above 12 volts after each short hunt. Beside this I am unable to get a steady even threshold in AM/PP at anytime? We keep you up to date as the process goes? steve

 

[otlew]

I have an older Excalibur 1000, which has the threshold switch broken (rotates 360) and the result is no control over the volume of the threshold signal. It is loud or no sound at all. Off and when on LOUD, period. Is this a common complaint I wonder?

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Otlew, I am not sure this is a common problem. My first break was the switch rotated all the way around. Minelab fixed this when I sent it back they also checked the machine completely out. This time its just seems to be a pot problem. They are going to take a look at it and let me know whats up.

 

[hershey1]

Sorry you are having problems with your machine. Mine done that once but my headphone connection was barely loose. I'm sure you have checked all that but just thought I would mention it. Good luck with your repairs. HH

 

[ML]

Steve - I feel your pain. Mine is acting up again too. After about 30 minutes of use, it starts to false on every swing, just like it did when I sent it in the last time. In all metal, it runs fine. It doesn't matter were I set the sensitivity, max or minimum. I keep getting sand in the coil cover but I take it off with no change in performance. My Sov GT's run fine on these same beaches. I'm still under warranty but hate to send it in and lose it for a few months with the winter storm season upon us. I'm gonna contact Ewout to discuss, as my confidence level in my Excal is non-existent at this point.

 

[otlew]

I quoted a big name in metal detecting once before " If you have a good Excalibur its golden, if not you are going to be on a first name basis with a Minelab technician"

Sounds like you're living that experience.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Well just to make sure you all understand I have been working with Minelab closely to trouble shoot this problem in the field. The post should not have seemed to indicate a problem with service. I am confident that my service will come about just fine. I was offer a chance to send it back earlier and chose to work with them to get the problem pin pointed. Without getting technical we achieved the results needed to remedy a fix. And If Ewout from Minelab is reading this thanks for making this come about. steve

 

[bootybay]

oh boy, well good they are working with you.. I myself was going to send in my older one for minor repairs since its under warranty but.. I am sending in my new excal.. it looks great, it sounds great..only problem is no depth at all.. I seem to be only able to pick up 2 inches max deep targets..not a single sound deeper, buried a ring at 8 inches, Not one sound, odd, so I tried all different settings on the sens..everything sounds the same.. so I will email Ewout again and tell him my new ones going in first.. I tried it in pp mode too and nothing.. am sure they will fix her up for me..

 

[otlew]

Excellent,

This is what we all hoped for.

Well just to make sure you all understand I have been working with Minelab closely to trouble shoot this problem in the field. The post should not have seemed to indicate a problem with service. I am confident that my service will come about just fine. I was offer a chance to send it back earlier and chose to work with them to get the problem pin pointed. Without getting technical we achieved the results needed to remedy a fix. And If Ewout from Minelab is reading this thanks for making this come about. steve

 

[OldBeechnut]

Good Luck, hope this is the last time back.............

 

[vietvet]

Lotsa luck,I hope ML is listening!!

 

[Critterhunter]

Sounds like people might be better off buying an older used Sovereign model and sticking the box in a water proof container. More reliable than an Excal, lighter, cheaper, and so on. Those stinking POT dials on the Excal are the main problem people have with reliability. They didn't use a POT with a sturdy enough dial stop, and once the POT wipers/feelers get pushed into that part of the dial where they never were intended to ride the contact points distort the feelers, so even if you get the dial back into it's normal surface range chances are the feelers aren't making good contact with the surface area anymore. If I have one warning for Excal owners is DO NOT crank the dial hard trying to see if it's really in it's last possible position. Lightly turn the dial and when it wants to stop- STOP! Don't second guess yourself and try cranking things further. I know that's hard to do because I too like to crank on a dial on things to make sure it really has stopped or clicked, but you have to fight human nature here to avoid blowing past the POT stops.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Critterhunter, So true those dial are very fraigle. I am not so sure that is what happened with mine thie time. When I received it back from Minelab the unit worked so nice. I was able to hear clicks on the control. The original unit the AL/PP switch needed a good grip just to get it to move. Beeing it was new detector to me who would have known? I would like to think it was a power issue. It seemed to work with fresh charge in Discriminate but the All metal mode wouldn't. As they voltage drop the all metal would work. But the Discriminate would raise like it needed more power then 12v. Just a pain to use like that.
Again I am confident it the process now.

 

[otlew]

No doubt the Excalibur dials/switches are a fiasco. I understand not trying to twist it off, but come on if your appliances where made this way nothing in your home would work more than 2 days. I used to look at people converting the Sovereign as just trying to save money and thinking, you should just bite the bullet and buy the Excalibur rather than going to all that trouble. Which is what I did, I now UNDERSTAND why they chose the Sovereign waterproofing route. I'll reconsider waterproofing of my Sovereign, let's just leave it at that.

 

[Mel Parker]

in my opinion they are made better than the newer Excals. I have worked on both and the tolerances are better on the older units, sometimes you can hardly get one of the new ones back in the tube. The problem with the knobs and switches is the larger knobs on the newer units are mounted on a 1/4" shaft that connects to a 1/8" shaft on the control. The larger shaft has to go through three "O" rings that provide the water tight seal, this creates drag, when you turn the control and you really don't get a feel for what's actually happening inside. People buy the larger knobs because they are easier to turn but the larger knobs increase the leverage you put on the control and sooner or later it's going to break unless your mindful of what's going on inside.

 

[Critterhunter]

Good points. Once you know you've hit the last "stop" or one of the clicked into areas on a Excal POT I would take a magic marker and mark a dash on the case that the dial is pointing to. That way you only have to guess once and "feel" for where things really end, then use your eyes and not your hand to figure out that it's set right.

 

[otlew]

in my opinion they are made better than the newer Excals. I have worked on both and the tolerances are better on the older units, sometimes you can hardly get one of the new ones back in the tube. The problem with the knobs and switches is the larger knobs on the newer units are mounted on a 1/4" shaft that connects to a 1/8" shaft on the control. The larger shaft has to go through three "O" rings that provide the water tight seal, this creates drag, when you turn the control and you really don't get a feel for what's actually happening inside. People buy the larger knobs because they are easier to turn but the larger knobs increase the leverage you put on the control and sooner or later it's going to break unless your mindful of what's going on inside.

Mel that is exactly what happened to my "new to me", Excalibur 1000. I popped it open, one thing that jumped out was the Pinpoint/Discriminate switch has a mechanical stop pin through the 1/4" shaft and and a vertical stop post on the circuit board, none of the rotary potentiometers did. Well the pin through shaft was bent, as I bet most are with over sized knobs. Unfortunately the previous owner(s) have over torqued the Threshold pot. So it will rotate 360. Has to be replaced for sure.

So having seen it for myself I understand completely what you are saying. The linkage shaft has to be tight to seal but, son of a gun it is tough to turn. I see the switch protector plates installed in pictures and wonder how in God's green earth could anyone bump these knobs out of position. You would have to drag control pod across boulders to turn mine.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

I have seen people with the larger knobs on the excal's they have yet broke a pot! I think the reason for over size knob on the threshold is good for very fine adjustment. You can kinda just squeeze it to get that tweak you need. With the stock knobs you have to support your hand and wish the knob to move just ever so little. I never had the machine long enough to get new knobs. I have to say I had to buy a new Minelab before sending this one back. I just didn't want to go through the good hunting portion of the year without one. Now if we could just get a storm to cooperate!

 

[Mel Parker]

to put a mechanical stop on all of the controls but there may not be room for them on the circuit board.

 

[otlew]

correct the problem. Mechanical stops are must. What impression would the buyer have if Minelab had warnings such as:

Caution: Turning knobs too hard to the left or right will destroy the internal workings. At least you will have been warned (and concerned).

I wonder if there are better controls that wouldn't break so easily. I know my Sea Hunter Mark II is a tank.