Minelab Excalibur ikelite headphone connector mod

[Atlas]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has done this mod for the headphones? Seems like I heard that you can put a two pin ikelite connector in place of the hardwired headphone connection.

Presently I have developed a short in the headphone cable near where it connects with the control housing. I have tapped down to keep from shorting but this is not a permanent fix.

If I do the mod would you need to replace the entire set of headphones or just the cable? I'm not sure where the short is and if you had to cut to much wire out you would be into the coiled part of the cable and that would not be good.

Are a new set of headphones recommended for this modification and if so what type? I really want to stay waterproof - submersible for diving etc. where do you get the connectors for this type of modification.

This whole thing may be a little beyond my experience level but who knows just looking for a little advice. It sure would be nice to disconnect the headphones for transport.

 

[Tin Fin]

Search for posts by OldBeachNut (OBN) - he has a lot of information about such mods. I've not made any of these mods my self, but plan on replacing the headphones when I can. You can hardwire them into place, or use a connector; there are a couple different connectors you can use, but if you search for OBN's posts, you will find a lot of information. Good luck and keep us posted as to what you settled on.

 

[OldBeechnut]

Having some endcaps made, (10) solid which can be drilled for the ikelite females....Talked to my vender last night, he is making (4) samples up this coming week for me to look at, going to take a empty POD up to check the clearances, and make sure all is perfect. Another OP, you can go the route of using a Battery endcap,............................ or Cut the headphone wire then drilling out the original, and fitting with female Ikelite connector, which I may not trust if used for diving

Few Pics to show you what your up against, and looks little tuff but easy if you take your time

 

[OldBeechnut]

You may want to go Greg ghost or the Goldmasters, , I know the GG are good for diving..if you get a set of Orignals from Minelabs they are 199.oo, ............................ the GG & GM's come with the Ikelite male connector installed. Not sure if the GM's are good for under, may have to check...for future reference, once retired, I more then likely will be doing these mods....................Oct 2013

 

[Atlas]

OB: Thanks for specking it out for me. Ouch on the price for the new minelab phones.

From your pictures I'm concluding that the black female Ikelite connector sits on top of the outer side of the solid drilled end cap? Can you make this connection waterproof? What kind of depth rating can we expect.

From your pic it looks like the stock EC has electronics embedded in the plastic? If so how do you deal with that?

The battery pod end cap solution is a great work around but will cost about $70 for the pod I think. Another thing about the alkaline battery pod is they say they are only rated for 10 feet. So is that the waterproof rating of the O ring seal? I would want to make sure before diving beyond 10 feet since that cap would now be protecting the electronics. I take it the grey ghost male connectors will then just plug straight into the female.

This is new to me that the GG and GM phones come with male Ikelite connectors. What machines are they being made for?

 

[howie]

Hi all, just did mod to my excal. used old rechargeable end cap installed on excal elimnated yellow wire ground from circuit board and install red and black to board,left all diodes and resitors out that were in the orignal end cap with stock head phones. Its not hard to do and seems to work find and in the underwater as well.

 

[Atlas]

Howie

Did you re-use your stock head phones or change over to GG or GM phones? Do you have any pictures? Also what's the purpose of the diodes-resistors in the stock end plug? Sorry for the question but I'm not an electronics expert.

I contacted Minelab and like OB said the repair (headphone replacement) will run around $270 (parts and labor) installed pressure tested and shipped back home. They don't just replace the cable. I also asked about returning parts and they don't provide that service.

I guess if I'm to chicken to do the repair I could disassemble keep the old parts and send in for a new set of phones and endcap. I guess at that point I'm halfway home. My biggest concern is getting the unit watertight and I'm not as worried about the O ring as the Ikelite connector. Using the endcap from the rechargeable batt pack sounds like a good solution. Or try one of OB's new end caps. Looks like I'll be getting new phones either way.

 

[OldBeechnut]

howie
Hi all, just did mod to my excal. used old rechargeable end cap installed on excal elimnated yellow wire ground from circuit board and install red and black to board,left all diodes and resitors out that were in the orignal end cap with stock head phones. Its not hard to do and seems to work find and in the underwater as well.

Sounds like you did the excal II, I have done a couple and got complaints about the machine being unstable less the yellow ground wire..Let us know how she does at the beach for you. Also I would guess you had to cut the slot in the endcap for the PCB/main board?

Also what's the purpose of the diodes-resistors in the stock end plug?

Hi/Low filters

 

[OldBeechnut]

[size=large]From your pictures I'm concluding that the black female Ikelite connector sits on top of the outer side of the solid drilled end cap?[/size]

Yes, with a rubber O-Ring between.....it would be double sealed, because you have the O-Ring on the base of the female Ike..and when you put it on, it is pulled tight, then I use a good shot of AquaSeal, then once that has set I use a 2 part epoxy to do the final sealing of the wires and all...Funny, I have been recommending a guy on another forum for coil changes and other modes..I just checked out some of his work from a few years ago,,,I was shocked to see that all he used was the Heyco pigtail IP 68 as the seal, and did not use a epoxy to finish off the sealing of the wires....

Can you make this connection waterproof? What kind of depth rating can we expect

.

Yes, not sure on the depth, I can test upto 15 feet now..Once retired if I do this as a side job I will build a Pressure tank..I have seen them for watches, should be easy to make....but will have to do some research on what kind of pressure to expect at different depths.

pic of a battery endcap

 

[Tin Fin]

OBN -

1 atmosphere = 14.7 psi.

It is the "standard" that we walk in on the surface of the earth.

A diver can go to 130 feet without special equipment/needs. 210 feet is about as deep as any diver can stand physically without other needs.

For every 33 feet deep, you have gone 1 more atmosphere (130 divided by 33 feet = 4.03 atmospheres) but 210 feet / 33 feet = 6.36 atmospheres.

The Excal is rated to 200 feet, so that = close to 6 atmospheres or (14.7 x 6 = 88 #'s per square inch maximum).

4 atmospheres (130 feet) = 58.8 #psi. So that's what you are shooting for when pressure testing, between 58.8 and 88 pounds per square inch.

I forgot to add, that at 33 feet, the diver is dealing with 2 atmospheres; the one we walk in on the surface of the earth, plus the 33 feet depth of water. So a diver at 4 atmospheres, feels 5, and a diver at 6 atmospheres, feels 7.

 

[howie]

I change over to the gray ghost purchase from RTG.Dont know what the resistor or capacitor are for but know what they do in electric circuirts.Gary at dector pro does not know either why ML puts them in.There is three wires in the GG head phones for excaliburs you must open connector and cut red wire and use the white and black wire,there is directions with the head phones.Yes I had to machine the end cap for the circuit board a file works perfect just pay attenion.The end cap from the rechargeable battery has a red and black wire on it,so I cut the wires to the circuirt board red and black and soider the red to red and black to black and tested before sealing unit and water test for leaks.It has a couple different tones now and sounds good to me.

 

[howie]

She works fine the unit is very stable and better then stock ones.also it seems I can turn up the sensitivity alot lot more in water with out it falseing. The second time out she gave me a 6.0 dwt 14k whtite gold band I think its working fine.My other unit named Boy because of the serial number is at ML under Warranty it is unstable and sounds like some ones djing mixing with records hope they can fix it second time back ,four months old ,as soon as it goes out of warranty its getting GG head phones and remote pinpoint switch.

 

[Tippy]

HI Oldbeechnut,

Do you have a part number for those Ikelite connectors?

Gonna fire up the CNC mill and make a few end caps !!

 

[OldBeechnut]

female ikelite connector #4105
I'm not sure if the still have them...let us know......

Tippy Gonna fire up the CNC mill and make a few end caps !!

I'm Jealous!! Thinking about buying a watch makers lathe, (Unimat) I Contracted to having some endcaps made up..it has been over 6 months...Machine shops are worse then ML...

 

[Hopster]

OBN,
Where does the yellow ground hook up to in the original Koss phones ?
I suspect it was important since they use no disconnect on it.
It leads to a bare conductor in the cap, and since on the II they hid everything in black potting compound, I can't see where it goes.

In any case, I just cut and capped mine off when I did the Ikelite mod an hour ago. (Using Grey Ghosts).
I hope I won't regret it, but sounds like it's working for howie so far.

 

[John(Tx)]

Did you open up the connector on the gray ghosts to switch the wires around? If so, how did you do it? I going to do mine tomorrow and just want to do it right. thanks......HH

 

[Golchaser]

Installed the GG headphone and took Joes advise removing the filters in the headphones.
Great tones on my Excal 1000 Blue.
Digging MUCH deeper than before and bettter discrimination too !
Upgrading to the MaxxPacks 1600 ma battery. Hope the added power allows me more strong battery life on the beach.

 

[RANGER6]

n/t