old excalbur questions, need help

[jkoaltrades]

Thanks jko, All is Ok..


Finding anything for that model is next to impossible. Only if you come across a used or broken. And I have only seen a few of those over the years, most were on Ebay, and went for about 275.oo as parts machine.

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joe, that'd be more than what i paid for this working unit with the cracked battery holder:sad: i hope to do like tvr and get a newer holder. i think i'm just confused because the holder for the battery is also referred to as a pod, but i think some use the term "pod" as the battery itself? also i am confused by seeing the NiMH holder, NiMH battery (i know is rechargeable), and the alkaline battery holder, which is listed cheaper on e bay than the NiMH holder! can't i just buy the newer alkaline holder and also install the NiHM battery in it as well as AA batteries??? i'm sorry that i'm not as knowledgeable in this regard, and am asking so many questions. i really do appreciate all your help, and tvr's help, as well as anyone else that cares to share their knowledge. i only hope once i get this fixed, and dunk this unit in the water that the unit doesn't leak into the electronics i think i might take and spray things with a coat of "flex-seal" prior to trying it out, for added insurance

 

[tvr]

Ok ... so I use the term pod to mean the plastic case holding the battery that includes the end piece with the connector, and may include batteries. You can buy a new Excall II type of pod with factory rechargable batteries warrantied to be water proof at full rated depth, or one that comes with a battery holder for 8 alkaline batteries (the one you found for $94). The two plastic pods ( the outer pieces) are the same with different labels, but the factory sealed ones with the factory rechargables are warrantied to be water proof. The ones that come with the alkaline battery holder are not warrantied and only recommended as water resistant because the factory can not guaranty that a user will put it together properly.

I used a pod like the one you found for $94; took the alkaline holder out of it and put the $40 pack of NiMH rechargables in it. The reason the alkaline pack is not for use with rechargeables is that the holder will hold 8 AA cells. 8 alkaline batteries in series have a nominal voltage of 12 volts. Putting 8 NiMH AA batteries in the holder will give you a nominal voltage of 9.6 volts; not enough to run the detector for long if at all. The replacement NiMH battery packs are 10 cells and that brings the series voltage of the NiMH battery pack up to 12 volts. The battery pack that fits the Excalibur pods can be had via the on-line auction site or here: Replacement Battery Pack They also have instructions for installing the battery pack in the pod that can be down loaded in a .pdf file. I think I remember that the instructions came on a sheet of paper with the battery pack too.

To do a quick check on the integrity of the Excal unit you have. Fill a bath tub with clear water. Carefully submerge the unit in the tub while looking into the Excal tube through the clear parts. If there is any sign of water leaking in, get it out of the water. If there are no signs, sit it on the bottom of the tub and wait. Still no signs after several minutes give it half an hour. Still good, you are probably good to go as deep in the water as you can stand up in and still breath. If there is leakage, it needs to be fixed before you go in the water with it. I would guess most leakage points are around the O-ring seals at the knobs or the end plugs.

Cheers,
tvr

PS This evening there are alkaline battery pods listed on that on-line auction site for $87, I also see at least a couple of forum sponsors offering the alkaline pod for $87. I did not check shipping charges though.

 

[jkoaltrades]

Ok ... so I use the term pod to mean the plastic case holding the battery that includes the end piece with the connector, and may include batteries. You can buy a new Excall II type of pod with factory rechargable batteries warrantied to be water proof at full rated depth, or one that comes with a battery holder for 8 alkaline batteries (the one you found for $94). The two plastic pods ( the outer pieces) are the same with different labels, but the factory sealed ones with the factory rechargables are warrantied to be water proof. The ones that come with the alkaline battery holder are not warrantied and only recommended as water resistant because the factory can not guaranty that a user will put it together properly.

I used a pod like the one you found for $94; took the alkaline holder out of it and put the $40 pack of NiMH rechargables in it. The reason the alkaline pack is not for use with rechargeables is that the holder will hold 8 AA cells. 8 alkaline batteries in series have a nominal voltage of 12 volts. Putting 8 NiMH AA batteries in the holder will give you a nominal voltage of 9.6 volts; not enough to run the detector for long if at all. The replacement NiMH battery packs are 10 cells and that brings the series voltage of the NiMH battery pack up to 12 volts. The battery pack that fits the Excalibur pods can be had via the on-line auction site or here: Replacement Battery Pack They also have instructions for installing the battery pack in the pod that can be down loaded in a .pdf file. I think I remember that the instructions came on a sheet of paper with the battery pack too.

To do a quick check on the integrity of the Excal unit you have. Fill a bath tub with clear water. Carefully submerge the unit in the tub while looking into the Excal tube through the clear parts. If there is any sign of water leaking in, get it out of the water. If there are no signs, sit it on the bottom of the tub and wait. Still no signs after several minutes give it half an hour. Still good, you are probably good to go as deep in the water as you can stand up in and still breath. If there is leakage, it needs to be fixed before you go in the water with it. I would guess most leakage points are around the O-ring seals at the knobs or the end plugs.

Cheers,
tvr

PS This evening there are alkaline battery pods listed on that on-line auction site for $87, I also see at least a couple of forum sponsors offering the alkaline pod for $87. I did not check shipping charges though.

thanks tvr, i now totally comprehend the steps needed to fix my problem the only other question would be about the NiHM battery pack, on the auction site there is one listed "1600 battery and charger, buy it now $56.95" toolbay? it says the charger 600 ma peak detection? and is this type-o? is it suppose to say 1600 ma too? this is the one i need correct? also, what did you use to trim your pod with? also, i did not get a charger with this unit:angry:

 

[tvr]

That is the correct charger. If you charge the batteries too fast they heat up a lot and get damaged. The term "peak detection" means that the charger senses when the batteries reach their peak charge. There is a slight voltage drop when peak charge is reached. That charger will charge the battery pack a lot faster than the original trickle charger that came with the Excalibur and it will stop charging when the full charge is reached. The peak detection charger is a better option than getting one of the original chargers.

To trim the plastic, I used old technology ... took my time with a hack saw blade to get it close, then used a flat file to get it the rest of the way to a proper fit. Took me a little over an hour to do. Probably could have done it a lot faster with power tools, but it is easy to overshoot with the power tools.
Cheers,
tvr

PS The 1600 is in milliampere hours of total battery capacity. The 650 ma is the maximum charge rate of the charger in milliamperes.

 

[jkoaltrades]

That is the correct charger. If you charge the batteries too fast they heat up a lot and get damaged. The term "peak detection" means that the charger senses when the batteries reach their peak charge. There is a slight voltage drop when peak charge is reached. That charger will charge the battery pack a lot faster than the original trickle charger that came with the Excalibur and it will stop charging when the full charge is reached. The peak detection charger is a better option than getting one of the original chargers.

To trim the plastic, I used old technology ... took my time with a hack saw blade to get it close, then used a flat file to get it the rest of the way to a proper fit. Took me a little over an hour to do. Probably could have done it a lot faster with power tools, but it is easy to overshoot with the power tools.
Cheers,
tvr

PS The 1600 is in milliampere hours of total battery capacity. The 650 ma is the maximum charge rate of the charger in milliamperes.

thanks tvr, i just "buy it now"d : $87 + $6.95 for minelab excal 2 alkaline battery pod and $56.95 + free s&h for 1600 mah NiMH battery and charger. should get them within 10 days or so. the only thing is now my $250 "cheap" water detector is now still a "cheaper" $490.90 ,( hopefully soon to be), use-able water detector. i will check out the units control housing to ensure it is in fact water-proof as you suggest tvr. if it's not, then i'll have to learn about replacing those "O" rings, i hope those aren't too difficult to do. thanks for taking time to help me tvr i'll update you when i get it tested. thanks.

 

[jkoaltrades]

oops! type-o, my cheap $250 excal will now be just a cheaper $400.90 excal

 

[jkoaltrades]

Ok ... so I use the term pod to mean the plastic case holding the battery that includes the end piece with the connector, and may include batteries. You can buy a new Excall II type of pod with factory rechargable batteries warrantied to be water proof at full rated depth, or one that comes with a battery holder for 8 alkaline batteries (the one you found for $94). The two plastic pods ( the outer pieces) are the same with different labels, but the factory sealed ones with the factory rechargables are warrantied to be water proof. The ones that come with the alkaline battery holder are not warrantied and only recommended as water resistant because the factory can not guaranty that a user will put it together properly.

I used a pod like the one you found for $94; took the alkaline holder out of it and put the $40 pack of NiMH rechargables in it. The reason the alkaline pack is not for use with rechargeables is that the holder will hold 8 AA cells. 8 alkaline batteries in series have a nominal voltage of 12 volts. Putting 8 NiMH AA batteries in the holder will give you a nominal voltage of 9.6 volts; not enough to run the detector for long if at all. The replacement NiMH battery packs are 10 cells and that brings the series voltage of the NiMH battery pack up to 12 volts. The battery pack that fits the Excalibur pods can be had via the on-line auction site or here: Replacement Battery Pack They also have instructions for installing the battery pack in the pod that can be down loaded in a .pdf file. I think I remember that the instructions came on a sheet of paper with the battery pack too.

To do a quick check on the integrity of the Excal unit you have. Fill a bath tub with clear water. Carefully submerge the unit in the tub while looking into the Excal tube through the clear parts. If there is any sign of water leaking in, get it out of the water. If there are no signs, sit it on the bottom of the tub and wait. Still no signs after several minutes give it half an hour. Still good, you are probably good to go as deep in the water as you can stand up in and still breath. If there is leakage, it needs to be fixed before you go in the water with it. I would guess most leakage points are around the O-ring seals at the knobs or the end plugs.

Cheers,
tvr

PS This evening there are alkaline battery pods listed on that on-line auction site for $87, I also see at least a couple of forum sponsors offering the alkaline pod for $87. I did not check shipping charges though.

i received my battery holder, battery and charger today, i do have a problem though. the charger came with an adapter, but there is no way it'll hook up to the battery! how the heck am i going to charge this battery with the charger that came with it with no 9 volt adapter??

 

[tvr]

Oh shoot! When you said you did not have a charger, I completely forgot about the charging adapter. Should look like the picture. New they are $75. You may be able to find one used. Try asking here (hope I'm not pushing too many rules by suggesting that) since you don't have enough time and posts as a forum member to ask on the classifieds.
tvr

 

[jkoaltrades]

Oh shoot! When you said you did not have a charger, I completely forgot about the charging adapter. Should look like the picture. New they are $75. You may be able to find one used. Try asking here (hope I'm not pushing too many rules by suggesting that) since you don't have enough time and posts as a forum member to ask on the classifieds.
tvr

that's just my luck usually when you buy a battery and charger you just take it for granted that the charger will actually hook up to the battery that it came with i can't see spending 50 -75 dollars more just to be able to use the charger and battery, i guess i'll just return it and get a refund, and stick to "AA" batteries

 

[tvr]

I've seen reports of 8 hours run time using alkaline AA batteries. Consider that to change the batteries you will need to have an allen wrench, possibly another tool to help get the end cap started to work it's way off, a clean area to work and a little of the right grease to lube the O-ring. It is not something to do kneeling in the sand.

It does not take all that much hunting time to make the rechargeable set up more than worth while. I know it all sounds expensive, but finding one good ring can easily cover what you have spent on that detector.

I personally would not want to go with AA batteries on the Excalibur and have gotten the replacement parts when needed so I won't have to.

Just my opinions to think about.
Cheers,
tvr

 

[jkoaltrades]

you'd think a cheaper alternative would be an adapter that snaps right on the battery (9 volt), yet will plug into the charger. i probably won't hunt more than a couple, three or four hours at a time. it's not like i live by any major water sources anyways:sad: i live in southwestern indiana, no large beaches, just river-bottoms. that's probably where i'll use it most. i guess i should've just bought the holder, but i thought the charger would plug right in, ad on e-bay didn't indicate otherwise, or i wouldn't have bought it:sad:

 

[tvr]

i thought the charger would plug right in, ad on e-bay didn't indicate otherwise

I think the assumtion is that if you are buying one, you have an Excalibur and the charging adapter comes with the Excalibur.

cheaper alternative would be an adapter that snaps right on the battery (9 volt),

Fairly easy to wire up with a clip that hooks to a 9 volt battery. Clips are available at radio shack and other places. Would need to cut and join wire (solder or crimp fasteners). Only thing you need to make sure is correct is positive to positive connector and negative to negative connector.

I'm away from my normal camera / computer set up or I could start working on some pictures on which wire is which. If you have a volt meter, use it to check polarity.
Cheers,
tvr

 

[Tin Fin]

I have to agree with tvr on the last post - before getting a water detector, I just couldn't "justify" the expense. Now that I have one, I don't see how I couldn't justify one earlier! It looks expensive on the surface, but we are going below the surface, where the good stuff is; and your rig can be paid for quickly depending on the finds you make. After that, you probably won't be too worried about the money you need to spend in order to get the right tools for the right job in this department. Best of luck.

 

[jkoaltrades]

i thought the charger would plug right in, ad on e-bay didn't indicate otherwise

I think the assumtion is that if you are buying one, you have an Excalibur and the charging adapter comes with the Excalibur.

cheaper alternative would be an adapter that snaps right on the battery (9 volt),

Fairly easy to wire up with a clip that hooks to a 9 volt battery. Clips are available at radio shack and other places. Would need to cut and join wire (solder or crimp fasteners). Only thing you need to make sure is correct is positive to positive connector and negative to negative connector.

I'm away from my normal camera / computer set up or I could start working on some pictures on which wire is which. If you have a volt meter, use it to check polarity.
Cheers,
tvr

toolbay just pm'd me about a 9 volt adapter for real cheap, looks like i'll get to use the battery and charger after all i sold one of my Mr. Bill's modified Whites IDX Pros, (had to justify to wife that i'd not be buying yet another detector without first getting rid of one), to purchase this old minelab. i really hated getting rid of that idx, it was real deep-seeking and sensitive i've only ever waded no more than mid- thigh before, was looking to go deeper without fear of frying my land units. one of these days, perhaps, i'll actually find something of real value, (besides a few silver coins and silver rings), to prove to my wife the value of purchasing these units. she sometimes uses her whites spectrum xlt when it's not too hot, but she gets frustrated too easily (digging junk). money is also a little tight right now due to my wifes medical expenses from cancer, but thank God they got it all i bought this minelab as a "cheap" way to get to water hunt, to increase my opportunities to recover items of value. of course my wife thinks that the reason we don't find better items around here is because she claims that there was/are too many poor folks that had/have nothing of value to loose with this adapter, i'll at least be able to use the rechargeable battery, and can more leisurely look for an affordable "Minelab" adapter if anyone knows of one, i'd be interested in the future.

 

[jkoaltrades]

i finally got out to use the unit this past weekend. i took it to a river site that's been used for fishing and swimming since the early 1800's. it sure was hot out! i mounted the control unit and battery to a "around the neck mount" so it hung about mid chest level, because i'm still reluctant to take a chance yet on it's waterproof status. in two hours i managed to find alot of aluminum cans, a few pull tabs, two screw caps, three newer quarters, one clad dime, and i found a couple "pockets" that seemed to collect hundreds of fishing sinkers! i got hot and tired so i gave up for the day. during my outing i discovered that the cord that goes into the headphones does have a short in it, because sometimes when i turned my head, i;d lose sound. also i think the cord that goes into the control housing must also have a short, because when i move it a certain way, it changes the signal sound some. i noticed that the cords that goes to the control housing has similar but smaller "nuts" and was wondering if these can be un-screwed to check for corrosion? or are these wire nuts just for looks or for cable protectors? probably over the winter, i'll have to find someone to re-wire this thing and probably replace all of the "O" rings. does anyone know of anyone that can do this on these older sword models?