Lets re-address the excal question i had earlier today

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

lets start from the beginning

this is a kinda new excal II in july

until last week, it worked great below and under the water

i sent it to minelab to have the coil changed from 10" to 8"

got it back and went for a dive and that is when i first noticed the chatter...........it worked ok, hit the targets ok. used it monday and as long as i was above the water and battery pod was dry, it worked wonderful, but once it was submerged, here comes the chatter again

today when i get home, i switch battery pods and clean the prongs on the battery plug and take a spin on the bay by the lynnhaven bridge

same deal................works wonderful............get the pod wet............noise

i do not like it

comments welcome

max

 

[Mike (Virginia Beach)]

OK, first let me ask a stupid question.

- Is the rubber gasket on the battery prongs in place and in good shape? I saw a fellow hunter recently who was running his Excal II with no rubber gasket on the battery pod. Where was it? On the charger.

- Assuming the answer to the first question is "yes", try taking the gasket off, coating both sides lightly with some silicone grease, and putting it back on. Sounds to me like it's a gasket issue.

- Also, check the end-cap gasket and silicone grease that too. And check the plastic around the end cap and allen screw for cracks.

Other than that, I can't think of anything.

 

[PaPa-Joe-Fla.]

Max I have had that happen a couple times just as the battery pod goes under water it chatters. I checked the inside of the connector that screws on the battery and it had a small droplet of water, very small. I dried it out and screwed it back on and it went away. I just had to replace the ends of my battery pod also, they cracked all the way out to the threads. Excal. sent me new ones for free. No problems lately. HH

 

[Sanddigger]

n/t

 

[mattockman]

I wonder if the ground changes as you go deeper in the water....maybe try backing off sensitivity a tad to see if it goes away....the machine can be trying to stablize itself searching for stable ground....doesn't it auto track ground conditions? I found when it starts chattering, I readjust the threshold volume...alot as a matter of fact. in very small increments...and stop moving coil and adjust till it calms down...there seems to be a sweet spot and it takes a few mins. to find it....the excal, if pushed to- too high a sens. needs constant readjustments.....Clive Clynicks Book-"Advanced Methods for Finding Gold in the Water" Woke me up to this constant readjustments if running the Excal to the highest abilities....Next time I go out and water hunt I will have to try and see if just by turning down the sens. a little if it will fix the taunting constant fiddling with the th.hold volume knob....I know it will alter the depth I get but if ground is real bad in iron minerals...maybe it is what the doctor ordered....sometimes too high of sens. can also decrease depth???....There is always a sweet spot for everything and all diff. conditions...

But Yeah....use a good water resistant grease(as long as it is not conductive) on those rubbers!

 

[mattockman]

page 32 is a chart on too high and too low of settings and its symptoms......and page 33 is how to set the threshold in discrimination......an effective setting is not very faint....it is very, very, very faint! And I find a constant adjustment follows now and then....but it works most times for me...

 

[gold-digger]

n/t

 

[GraveDiggerMax-VaBch-Va]

dropped the sensitivity back to 4, 3, 2.............still chirps while submerged

swithched to pin point......................works great

turned threshold down to silet..................seemed to help

but, before i sent it to minelab for coil change, i hunted around noon above and under the water and no chirping - my other excal with 10" works fine and this is with threshold kinda loud

i like to be able to hear the threshold over the waves to a degree.

some say bad coil, but it works absolutely perfect in the water, sensitivity up to noon and good threshold tone, but the second the pods enters the water...................bingo

my hair is turning grayer

 

[mattockman]

I hate to say it...but....sounds like you need to get it checked out....or suffer with trial and error and waist even more hunting time if you add it all up...or just don't dunk the controller.....Dunk it in the tub at home and kkep a close eye on it and see if any bubbles form due to a leak....if none...then dry off out side well and take connections apart from battery and coil if it is removeable and see if gaskets are dry....kinda like checking a tire for a leak...I am a gas station attendant from wayyyyyyyy back......that did tires.....now I is an Electrician.....

 

[GaBeachsweeper]

n/t

 

[Arkie John]

Can you change out the pods with your other Excal? (I dunno how old your other one is) That should pinpoint the issue if you can and the chatter clears up with the other batteries.

Otherwise, find another excal user and exchange batteries for a spell to isolate the issue. If you still have issues, swap the coils and test it again in the water. If that doesn't work, if I was you, podnah, I'd pack 'er up and let Minelab lick her calf over again.

You don't wanna go too far to give them an excuse to void what little warranty they give.

aj