This is how I set up my Excalibur

[FLauthor]

I don't know about ya'll but I set up my Excal so when I turn it on, its ready to go. I turn it off by undoing the battery plug. It saves on the switch as the on/off Threshold knob went bad from use one time. To save on it, I've gotten in the habit of unplugging it. When my NiCads quit, I converted the casings to Alkaline batteries. I use Dollar Store batteries, 8 AA's are about $2.00 about a day' of found change keeps me in batteries. I have two sets and get about 14 hours out of those cheapie batteries. Even when the low battery signal goes off, I've got about 1/2 an hour of use. Anybody else do it this way?

 

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[sjarchangel]

I think I'd be more concerned with the wear and tear on the battery pod and connector housing threads, the contact pins, and the battery cable . . . just my .02

SJA

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

I do like the idea of the battery disconnect. Sometimes I get such a good threshold which was rare on my new Xcal II I don't want to loose it when moving from beach to beach, or when you stop to talk to another hunter! But I believe this to be my machine as its back I for repairs.

 

[Dixie Digger]

i only use the on switch as everything else stays the same...if you dont move some of the knobs,over time they will freeze up ,like the lower rod will (if you hunt water).

 

[Sandman]

i only use the on switch as everything else stays the same...if you dont move some of the knobs,over time they will freeze up ,like the lower rod will (if you hunt water).

Unscrewing the battery connector is OK only if you place silicone grease back on the threads before securing it again. I never have to take my detector apart and if I have to ever send it in I just untape the coil from the shaft.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Unscrewing the battery connector is OK only if you place silicone grease back on the threads before securing it again. I never have to take my detector apart and if I have to ever send it in I just untape the coil from the shaft.

I'm confused here... How do you plug it in to recharge it if you dont disconnect it Mine HAS to be unscrewed so I can screw in the charging adapter...
I dont think I would like just unscrewing it rather than using the on/off switch... Electronics are pretty sensitive to sudden electrical spikes, and I would be afraid of that or even a short.... Just like attaching wires to a power source while the thing you are hooking up is powered on, you can see sparks when you do that (talking cars, boats, etc.)... I wouldnt take the chance, since if you fry it, you will be without it for a looooooong time..
And besides, if you are not always hunting the same area, dont you have to re-tweak settings anyway? I know somedays I could have it set at one position for the slight hum, the next time out, the waves and/or wind would cause me to have to increase the threshold to get a decent hum through to my ears...

 

[Sandman]

Surfer, we didn't say we didn't unscrew it to recharge it. He was talking about leaving all the settings alone and unscrewing the battery connector. The suggestion to reapply silicone grease to the threads is to further insulate them from the water. You are right about the possible spike in current but doesn't that happen everytime after it is recharged?

 

[au4me1]

Flauthor,

I do the same thing as my on - off switch broke the very first time out. No problems doing this procedure yet.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Surfer, we didn't say we didn't unscrew it to recharge it. He was talking about leaving all the settings alone and unscrewing the battery connector. The suggestion to reapply silicone grease to the threads is to further insulate them from the water. You are right about the possible spike in current but doesn't that happen everytime after it is recharged?

I got it now... When stopping hunting to eat or go to another location, instead of turning off, he unscrews the battery connection..

You dont have to worry about a spike when charging as long as the power is off when you unscrew and rescrew in the connector... Circuit is closed if the power switch is in the off position, but open if it is on and then you could have a power spike run to the electronics..

 

[TexasRT]

Not trying to saying start WWIII here, but on 99.0% of all on-off switches the contacts are always closed in the on position and open in the off position.
Thus the circiut would be considered closed (while on) and open (while off). Go ahead I know it's coming, LOL

 

[Sandman]

Not trying to saying start WWIII here, but on 99.0% of all on-off switches the contacts are always closed in the on position and open in the off position.
Thus the circiut would be considered closed (while on) and open (while off). Go ahead I know it's coming, LOL

I can't wrap my head around this. It doesn't sound right. With a light switch, when it is OFF there is no current so the circuit has to be open.

 

[spez401]

On? Off? not sure about these types of electronics... but in engine wiring (lawnmowers, some automotive), very often the "off" switch actually opens the circuit to the "ground", so that the electrical goes to ground, and not to the spark plugs, thereby turning the engine off.

 

[TexasRT]

Not trying to saying start WWIII here, but on 99.0% of all on-off switches the contacts are always closed in the on position and open in the off position.
Thus the circiut would be considered closed (while on) and open (while off). Go ahead I know it's coming, LOL

I can't wrap my head around this. It doesn't sound right. With a light switch, when it is OFF there is no current so the circuit has to be open.

I must be confused becaused that's excactly what I said above.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Not trying to saying start WWIII here, but on 99.0% of all on-off switches the contacts are always closed in the on position and open in the off position.
Thus the circiut would be considered closed (while on) and open (while off). Go ahead I know it's coming, LOL

Good attention to detail, and no WWIII when you are right... Quoting some of my favorite politicians, "I Mis-spoke".... LOL... What I was really trying to get at, is that when the switch is in the off position, no current can spike through it.... Thanks for correcting me though.

 

[TexasRT]

Silver - It was more like just goofing around than correcting. I not here to offend.

When are you going to being bying another new PI machine, I see your doing your best to wear that one out. lol

 

[Silver Surfer]

Silver - It was more like just goofing around than correcting. I not here to offend.

When are you going to being bying another new PI machine, I see your doing your best to wear that one out. lol

I knew you were goofing, but you were also correct, and it is important for people to have the facts correctly.. Yeah, been using it a lot, but mostly in freshwater. The magnet I used (large round "pacer" magnet") is about half covered with iron flakes, even though I only used it once yesterday for about 3 hrs... That one lake beach (not where ring was found) is so full of iron, it is unbelievable..
I need to quit procrastinating and post my finds from the last two hunts..