I just got a Minelab Musketeer Colt the other day and got me thinking back to the one I used to own. The other one I had did not "sizzle" with sensitivity maxed out so I opened up the box and adjusted the disc. threshold trim pot. I adjusted it until it just barely made a slight sizzle sound @ max. There are three trim pots. inside one 103 10k pot. and two 104 100k trim pots. The 103 is for ground balance and the 104's are for all metal threshold adjustment and disc. threshold adjustment. Ok here's the thing, my new to me Colt does not sizzle at full sens. I opened up the control housing and someone at some time must of tried messing with it, because the top plastic piece on the 104 100k disc. pot is missing and there is no way to adjust it. I have heard that a person can gain 3-4 inches of depth if adjusted. My question is will this trim pot available at Rad. Shack work http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062302# I would also love to install a manual ground adjust dial and a threshold reset/pinpoint switch to the front panel like what is on the Minelab Musketeer XS but not sure of the values or where to get the parts. Thanks. Steve.
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Minelab Musketeer Colt mod. question
- Thread starter SkiWhiz
- Start date
Sven
Well-known member
Trim pots are cheap and basically all the same, the RS one will do. Sounds like someone damaged the trim pot in your Colt. Trim pots are not meant to continually fiddle with.
You can also, replace any or all with an external pot(s).
Cheap Alpha Linear Pots
The pinpoint reset switch has to be a switch that in center positioned, when toggled up has a spring to return it to center, when toggled down remains in that position (no spring return to center). Remove wire jumper marked in green and solder switch in place on your Colt.
To add external GB control use a single turn pot. Remove wire jumper marked in green and solder pot in place, you'll also see two solder pads marked fixed, add a toggle to switch back and forth from fixed GB to manual control (pot) or find a stacked pot with a on/off switch and solder like the picture of the Musketeer XS.
pot with switch
The Colt is basically the same as the Musky XS.
Parts can also be bought from Mouser, Digikey, Allied Electronics, ebay.
You can also, replace any or all with an external pot(s).
Cheap Alpha Linear Pots
The pinpoint reset switch has to be a switch that in center positioned, when toggled up has a spring to return it to center, when toggled down remains in that position (no spring return to center). Remove wire jumper marked in green and solder switch in place on your Colt.
To add external GB control use a single turn pot. Remove wire jumper marked in green and solder pot in place, you'll also see two solder pads marked fixed, add a toggle to switch back and forth from fixed GB to manual control (pot) or find a stacked pot with a on/off switch and solder like the picture of the Musketeer XS.
pot with switch
The Colt is basically the same as the Musky XS.
Parts can also be bought from Mouser, Digikey, Allied Electronics, ebay.
can any one tell me the exact part numbers for the pot with switch and the toggle switch with on off mom position i accualy may have found the toggle switch but having troble getting the pot with switch because the picture in this forrum dont give me a certain spec for acertain switch
thanks for the reply but i know i need a 10k ohm potentiometer but i dont know if its a audio linear or reverse audio or dual taper or what wattage and the alpha web site wont let me buy but like 1000 pcs min at one time so im kinda stuck guessing what i need unless i can find somebody who has ordered it before or find some body who works on them to tell me the exact one
the one i am looking at in this forum has 3 solder pins and 2 solder lugs oh and the toggle switch i need has to be on on mom not off on mom correct me if im wrong thanks for ur time help me if u can otherwise im gonna keep looking
by the way ive found some sweet relics and silver with my colt
the one i am looking at in this forum has 3 solder pins and 2 solder lugs oh and the toggle switch i need has to be on on mom not off on mom correct me if im wrong thanks for ur time help me if u can otherwise im gonna keep looking
by the way ive found some sweet relics and silver with my colt
Sven
Well-known member
Joverbey said:
All pots are linear,
Join the Musketeer group I started a number of years ago, it will be more helpful. Think I have the parts listed when I did a mod.
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/minelabmusketeers/info
cubsarmy73
New member
i just bought a musketeer old model i believe they are also called sovereign.i got it home and started to use it and doesn't seem like it has any depth to it ,i mean i threw some coins out in the yard and when i tried to find them it didn't give a very solid hit it gave a hit but it wasn't as pronounced as other detectors i have contacted minelab and i asked if they could calibrate it for me .what do you guys recommend one of the reasons i bought it was it was a minelab and i wanted a deeper machine. thanks
Sven
Well-known member
cubsarmy73 said:
Sovereign and Musketeer are two very different detectors
http://www.minelab.com/customer-care/product-notices/discontinued-products/sovereign-xs-2a-pro
http://www.users.on.net/~minelab/fieldtest/test_musketeer.html
cubsarmy73
New member
can someone like myself get better depth by replacing the pots on the minelab musketeer board i stand corrected i have the musketeer in the green boxi think it might also be called the sterling perhaps i just bought this detector for 125 i was testing it better whenb i got home and the depth is garbage im bummed any advice besides reselling it would be great
Sven
Well-known member
Since you have the Sterling, the electronics may not be the issue.
If it came with the white oval with the open center, those coils were crap. Problem coils, they were recalled and replaced with the solid white coil.
The solid white coil is the killer coil being a concentric, hard to find.
Alternative is to use later Musketeer DD spider coils.
When you have a proper working coil and if the electronics are adjusted correctly, you should get the air test results I got when I had a few Sterlings, Tribunes.
These are really pretty hot detectors and have reached cult status. If you have a working unit in minty shape, they have been known to go for around $250-300 at one point a few years ago. I scooped up any I could find that were less than $150. Get it working and you might just find its a keeper.
If it came with the white oval with the open center, those coils were crap. Problem coils, they were recalled and replaced with the solid white coil.
The solid white coil is the killer coil being a concentric, hard to find.
Alternative is to use later Musketeer DD spider coils.
When you have a proper working coil and if the electronics are adjusted correctly, you should get the air test results I got when I had a few Sterlings, Tribunes.
These are really pretty hot detectors and have reached cult status. If you have a working unit in minty shape, they have been known to go for around $250-300 at one point a few years ago. I scooped up any I could find that were less than $150. Get it working and you might just find its a keeper.
cubsarmy73
New member
its all green its the musketeer with cross rifles im stoked about it ,it has the supersearch coil on it im wondering by adjusting the pots if i may get some depth back i mean its horrible im selling my gta 1000 shoot i might just fix this and sell it for what i bought it for , so im going to finish fixing it then this minelab better behave. thanks for your reply i really appreciate it.
Sven
Well-known member
The Sterling, Tribune, Musketeer X are all the same, just built for different markets.
As long as there are no issues with the search coil, internal tuning, which may have been tinkered with
could be the result of poor air test depth.
You can try tuning it first, if it doesn't help, could be a bad coil. Any current musketeer coils will work on it, see if you can buy or borrow some ones coil for testing.
This is a direct link right to the download of the tuning instruction with no links to the rest of my website, so I don't think there will be a problem posting it, not being a forum sponsor.
Minelab Sterling, Tribune, Musketeer X Tuning Guide
As long as there are no issues with the search coil, internal tuning, which may have been tinkered with
could be the result of poor air test depth.
You can try tuning it first, if it doesn't help, could be a bad coil. Any current musketeer coils will work on it, see if you can buy or borrow some ones coil for testing.
This is a direct link right to the download of the tuning instruction with no links to the rest of my website, so I don't think there will be a problem posting it, not being a forum sponsor.
Minelab Sterling, Tribune, Musketeer X Tuning Guide
The Musky is a very underrated detector,i still use one of the older models for detecting river crossing and fords albeit the control box is not waterproof but have it mounted on long straight shaft setup and hav the control box hung around my neck on a small harness,use the smaller 7.25'' coil so it reduces the drag on faster current rivers,but it makes a great detector looking for Roman votive offering as they use to throw coins and other items into rivers to the water gods only to be picked up nearly 2000 years by a elderly Musky 
cubsarmy73
New member
thank you so much for your help .I'm going to install new battery connections crimp of course and install a new speaker then ill be able to adjust the pots i hope that's the problem if that doesn't work ill look into getting a new coil you say any musketeer coil will work i mostly hunt for coins jewelry because that's all we have accessible around here .but really thanks for your help .
cubsarmy73
New member
dearest Sven ,
i cant thank you enough well and Mr ken southern for the mods to the musketeer holy cow am i excited and i also just found out a dealer has got a couple of musketeer search coils still I've got my eye on a 7x9 elliptical for coins and jewelry thanks again Justin my air tests are amazing
i cant thank you enough well and Mr ken southern for the mods to the musketeer holy cow am i excited and i also just found out a dealer has got a couple of musketeer search coils still I've got my eye on a 7x9 elliptical for coins and jewelry thanks again Justin my air tests are amazing