Well I went and bought a used minelab excalibur 1000 off Ebay :wacko:

[Ray-Mo.]

The listing stated the following.
Minelab Excalibur 1000 underwater metal detector. Slightly used, less then 25 hours of usage. Comes with all original parts (charger, headphones, instructions, adjustable scoop). Purchased brand new in 04 and we are the only owners. $700.00 with free shipping.
I have never owned or used a Excal but am a dedicated E-Trac/Explorer user.Any advice on what to check/test on machine when it arrives in a couple of days?
All advice will be greatly appreciated,Thanks Ray.

 

[Steve from Ohio]

I too have had the Explorer and now an E-Trac. Love them both. I got the Excalibur for water hunting but I have found it is a darned good land hunter too. I really like it for iron infested areas a bit more than even the E-trac.

Check that the knobs still turn. If they are loose, then go to Radio Shack and get their knobs. A bit bigger than the factories knobs, they work just fine.

Check that the pot switch over to pinpoint (all metal) and back to discriminate. Make sure all pots work correctly.

Lube up any connections that require it. Use plumbers silicon grease.

Check for battery voltage. Not sure if in 2004 the batteries were NIMH or Nicads. If Nicads, you should drain batteries completely before charging, otherwise you will get memory problems with the batteries. Batteries should test fully charged at 13.4 to 13.5 volts. Battery upgrade to NIMH is also a modification I did and I feel is very well worth it. Much longer hunting time....about 36 hours per charge instead of 12 to 14 hours with factory Nicads.

With 25 hours on it, it probably is still in good shape. If it has a coil cover with it, take the cover off and check for any sand or dirt under the cover. Can mess up the machine a bit.

You will want to change to a straight shaft. The factory shaft is really poor when it comes to ergonomics. The factory shaft gets you tired real quick and makes for a very sore arm. Also get the knob guard. You should also consider a set of waterproof Gray Ghosts. Well worth the upgrade. Seeing how it is a 2004, it is out of warranty so doing the upgrades is not a problem.

Get Clive James book "Advanced Methods for Finding Gold in the Water with the Minelab Excalibur" Lots of good tips on modifying, water hunting and just about anything else you will need to know about the Excalibur.

Tony Diana's CD is also a worthwhile buy. Good tips on the sounds the Excalibur makes. Has helped me a lot.

You will want to put away the E-trac for a while to get yourself proficient with the Excalibur. It is a different animal. An excellent sound machine that requires a good ear.

Best water machine I have ever owned.

 

[Art (NWOH)]

Don't be surprised if the battery pack is shot.

"Almost new" but that old you can expect some problems.....even if the advertisement was truthful.

HH

 

[Ray-Mo.]

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