MINELAB OWNERS.......please read!!!

craigv3

Full Member
Jan 2, 2010
131
3
GRASS LAKE
Detector(s) used
Deus,Makro CF77, Minelab Etrac, Teknetics T2SE, 2 excel II's, and a Tigershark
Everyone,

To those of you who have "excallibers" you are aware of the cheap Koss headphones affixed to the excals from the factory. I've read forums here and on TNET and decided to buy a set of Peltor's to reduce the background noise and increase my finds. With the Koss headphones, I was constantly battling the back ground noise of the waves and visiting family's whilie water detecting. In a perfect world there would be nobody at the beach on those hot sunny days, but in real life everyone is screaming and having fun which is usually pretty noisy.The "mod" is simply completed by taking the black plastic ear cup off your Koss headphones, taking out 4 screws which secure the existing speaker to the koss headphone frame, reducing the diameter of the solid plastic speaker frame and inserting the speaker into the Peltor ear cups. It took less than 10 minutes and nothing was modified with the wiring, internal components or any other piece of the detector or existing headphones. I READ ON MANY FORUMS THIS WAS COMPLETED BY MANY MEMBERS AND THIER WARRANTY WAS NOT VOID SINCE WIRES WERE NOT CUT, SOLDERED, SPLICED, AND SINCE THE DETECTOR BODY WHERE THE HEADPHONE WIRES INSERT WAS NOT DISASSEMBLED. It makes sense though, if you put a pair of stock headphones next to my headphones (once disassembled) there is nothing different except the diameter of the plastic frame.

I used my excal all summer and found 86 rings in Michigan, one of which is a 1820 cameo ring I recovered over 3 feet under the bottom of the lake. I was extremely pleased with my excal purchase and couldnt be happier until the last 5 water hunts. The audio became real quiet and fuzzy sounding. After a quck inspection of the "ear cup speakers" ( I assume that describes them good enough) I noticed the clear silicone poured in the ear cup appeared to be falling apart and exposed the wires where they inserted into the ear cups. I sent my excal to Aurora Illinois to be repaired over the winter since thats our down time in Michigan.

After three weeks I finally recieved a call and was told the "peltor kit" I replaced the Koss headphones with prevented Minelab from conducting a pressure test or doing further testing. This would prevent the repair facility from determining if my headphones were faulty due to the crappy silicone job done at the factory when my detectors were made. The guy I spoke to kept telling me the "pressure test" simulates the detector being submerged to 200 feet, but the "Peltor Kits" are only usually submersible to 8-20 feet, since he was very familiar with these kits and has tested them in the past..... I think he was making stuff up since Peltor is a ballistic hearing protection, not a upgrade "kit" sold for detectors.
"John" was extremely rude and wouldnt let me explain the process of fitting the factory speakers and plastic frames to the Peltor cups...He was just plain belligerant at one point and told me he would prove his point by destroying the existing headphones on my detector in his "water test", then he would charge me $260.00 for a new pair of the factory Koss headphones before sending it back to me.....WTF

I spoke to "Jeff", Johns manager and pretty much was told to just pay the 300 and get new headphones since my Peltors violated thier policy's and warranty.....I told them to send my machine back and I would fix the problem myself...Hell, it appears the warranty is already void, at least in Aurora Illinois....Jeff told me the detectors are not assembled there and he wouldnt be able to compare my headphone internal components with a stock set of Koss headphones since he didnt have another detector at the shop..... NICE

Just FYI...Ive owned many detecors and currently own 4 minelabs totaling 6000 dollars...Ive owned Whites in the past and couldnt say enough about thier customer service, Im sure you've heard...THEY ARE LIKE FAMILY!!!

Jeff at Minelab told me two years ago the factory in Vegas was closed and all of thier employees were (FAMILY VALUES). The company started over and rehired new employees and changed thier policies. Minelab used to be able to replace factory excal headphones with different waterproof variants for a small cost. Also, as described earlier this "peltor" modification would not have voided your warranty in the past...BUT IT DOES NOW.. Im glad they replaced thier employees and are not taking care of customers which purchase these 1500.00 detectors. It makes perfect sense since most companies and most people dont stand behind thier product anymore these days.....Just my thought and advice ... hopefully make a better decision than I did by trying to "upgrade" my headphones so I could recover targets more effectively.

Sincerley
Michigan Disabled Veteren
(service related hearing loss)

Semper Fi,
Craig
 

Upvote 0

OBN

Gold Member
Dec 30, 2008
6,527
7,004
Maryland Waters
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
"Excalibur"..
"AQ" Impulse
Primary Interest:
Other
The Minelab people keep buying that crap.. Then when it is junk and service is crap.... the minelab cult keep making excuses for the crap that minelab gives them..........


Keppy, We the Minelabs nuts just have to take things into our own hands....... there are lots of aftermarket products, and regular vendors where you can get the parts..So repairing your own can be another option on the older excaliburs. Other then the main boards (PCB) just about all is easly fixed. It's just a shame one has to do this, but like the days of old..when the old chevy or ford broke, and the dealer wanted a Arm n Leg to change the timing chain there were those that took on the job.
 

Jason in Enid

Gold Member
Oct 10, 2009
9,593
9,229
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Keppy said:
The Minelab people keep buying that crap.. Then when it is junk and service is crap.... the minelab cult keep making excuses for the crap that minelab gives them..........

Keppy said:
... But i do talk them down sometimes just to get some minelab users upset and it works.........

Keppy said:
............. But i love getting those minelab users upset ..... So i keep going after them.... The reason is for i have never seen one's get so mad & upset over there detector as they do....... Like a religious cult...............

Troll.
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
2,870
N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
Detector(s) used
** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
Primary Interest:
Other
OBN said:
The Minelab people keep buying that crap.. Then when it is junk and service is crap.... the minelab cult keep making excuses for the crap that minelab gives them..........


Keppy, We the Minelabs nuts just have to take things into our own hands....... there are lots of aftermarket products, and regular vendors where you can get the parts..So repairing your own can be another option on the older excaliburs. Other then the main boards (PCB) just about all is easly fixed. It's just a shame one has to do this, but like the days of old..when the old chevy or ford broke, and the dealer wanted a Arm n Leg to change the timing chain there were those that took on the job.
The trouble with repairing Minelabs is no one can do it but Minelab....... For they will not let any information out to any one on the working of there detectors...And they never have parts to repair them so they have to sell you a new detector.... Or they charge you about as much for the repair that a new detector would cost you............
 

Keppy

Gold Member
Nov 19, 2006
8,318
2,870
N.E. Ohio on lake Erie
Detector(s) used
** WHAT ONE I FEEL LIKE ON HUNTING DAY *****
Primary Interest:
Other
Jason in Enid said:
Jason ...Why do you keep calling your self a troll .... I think you need glasses so you can see the truth.......
 

maipenrai

Bronze Member
Nov 11, 2010
1,151
242
Thailand/Europe/California
Detector(s) used
Excalibur 2 1000
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have had my Excalibur for only a few months, use mostly on the beach, wet and dry, conditions havent been good for in the water detecting. After paying so much ($1600, in Thailand) I couldnt believe the crappy ear phones, they wouldnt stay on my head, so had to FIX them. I cant even imagine how they would stay on in the surf. Also the silly knobs, when your hands are sweaty, they are difficult to use. I seen these complaints before I decided on buying the Excal, but thought they were from people that just like to complain. The machine is heavy, for land use, but dont know how it compares with other detectors. These two issues would cost Minelab next to nothing to fix, and make a lot of satisfied customers. Just like a lot of good products in the world, sometimes when a good product has been produced, development stops, why make it better, since its the best already, but then one day they wake up and find they are behind times. Kodak is a good example of that.

I understand Minelabs position on warranty issues, since most electronic products the warranty is void, if the user has opened the product up, even just unscrewing it, and "looking" inside. Even though the user says he did nothing to the product, no one knows if its true or not.

If Minelab wants to keep its customers, and get a few more, it sure isnt going about it in the right way. Looks more like they are taking the hard line, and would rather argue. If the ear phones are so crappy that customers take the risk of voiding the warranty, then something must be wrong! If so many people are changing the control knobs, then something must be wrong with them. Most of are only interested in detecting, not buying high end machines, then modifying them.

Maybe Minelab doesnt read or care about what the customer says.

Wake up Minelab!!
 

MBbeachrat

Sr. Member
Apr 1, 2011
361
79
Melbourne Beach and Bethany Beach-- Snow Bird
Detector(s) used
CZ 21, Whites DF PI, Excalibur II, CTX 3030
maipenrai said:
I have had my Excalibur for only a few months, use mostly on the beach, wet and dry, conditions havent been good for in the water detecting. After paying so much ($1600, in Thailand) I couldnt believe the crappy ear phones, they wouldnt stay on my head, so had to FIX them. I cant even imagine how they would stay on in the surf. Also the silly knobs, when your hands are sweaty, they are difficult to use. I seen these complaints before I decided on buying the Excal, but thought they were from people that just like to complain. The machine is heavy, for land use, but dont know how it compares with other detectors. These two issues would cost Minelab next to nothing to fix, and make a lot of satisfied customers. Just like a lot of good products in the world, sometimes when a good product has been produced, development stops, why make it better, since its the best already, but then one day they wake up and find they are behind times. Kodak is a good example of that.

I understand Minelabs position on warranty issues, since most electronic products the warranty is void, if the user has opened the product up, even just unscrewing it, and "looking" inside. Even though the user says he did nothing to the product, no one knows if its true or not.





Not to mention the shaft that comes with it is replaced by almost all!
If Minelab wants to keep its customers, and get a few more, it sure isnt going about it in the right way. Looks more like they are taking the hard line, and would rather argue. If the ear phones are so crappy that customers take the risk of voiding the warranty, then something must be wrong! If so many people are changing the control knobs, then something must be wrong with them. Most of are only interested in detecting, not buying high end machines, then modifying them.

Maybe Minelab doesnt read or care about what the customer says.

Wake up Minelab!!
 

maipenrai

Bronze Member
Nov 11, 2010
1,151
242
Thailand/Europe/California
Detector(s) used
Excalibur 2 1000
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Since I am here complaining about Excalibur, just thought to add my complaint about the charger. Why is there no light to show if its charging or not? Even the cheapest of hardware usually have a light to show if its charging. How are we supposed to know if the detector is fully charged or not? I like guessing games, but not guessing if I have 2 hrs or 8 hrs of time to detect. I have my spare battery pack along, but I have no idea how long it will last either, so risk going on a night hunt, with no power.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,306
54,470
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Geeez

Will a Minelab work for beach and water hunting as it is shipped stock from Minelab, YES IT WILL. Can it be improved yes it can be......I used my first excal for at least a year before I changed the knobs. My first excal did not have a straight shaft. after using it for 6 months I decided to get a straight shaft for it. Did I feel mad about it no, did I whine about it no, I bought one to inprove its performance and comfort, just like you do for many things you buy.

Why is it that you pay $25,000 and up for a car and it comes with cheap tires, cheap battery? Why is it you pay $200,000 for a home that is built with cheap siding that starts failing in 5 years.

The excal is designed for water hunting, one of my excals still has the stock headphones and I STILL use it. I use it in the surf and I have no problem with using it either. Are there better headsets, yes. If you want to moditfy it you can, if it is still under warranty then you will void the warranty when you change it out, if its not under warranty then it doesn't matter.

Why do people continue to buy Excals, because THEY WORK. People can put them down all they want, those of us who have been using them for years know they work and that is what counts. I dont want to be digging tiny pieces of iron when I go beach hunting, I dont have to with my excals and sov gt. I want to be able to detect a gold ring when it is by a piece of iron, I can with my excals and my sov gt and that is what counts to me, not the fact I had to add a straight shaft to it change a couple knobs or what ever I change. The only thing that matters to me is how it performs at the beach when I am hunting....

You want minelab to start adding the straight shaft to the excal, expect the cost of the excal to go up $150, or make one yourself for $25.00. You don't like the knobs, change them for $10.00. When you don't like the stock radio in your car you change it, you dont like the floor mats in your car you change them.

Here is what I know, I have had 3 excals, I loved everyone of them, I made changes to them and I didnt whine about it on a web board, I just made the changes I wanted to make to make it better for me, just like I do with a car, just like I do with my home, just like I do to a stereo, just like I do to my computer...

I have owned 3 Excals, I still own 2, they are customized because I wanted them customized. I have owned 2 Sov GTS, I still own one, and the other was customized to be waterproof. I bought it customized because I wanted it customized. I recently sold it.... I own a Minelab Safari and I am happy with it as well....


Any one who thinks Minelab is going to go out of business because of the minor flaws in an Excal is completely wrong. Just like there are people who love Minelabs, there are people who love putting them down just to do it because they like to do it...

One more thing, if Excals are so bad, why do they hold their value for so long? Excals hold their value because they perform....
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,306
54,470
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
maipenrai said:
Since I am here complaining about Excalibur, just thought to add my complaint about the charger. Why is there no light to show if its charging or not? Even the cheapest of hardware usually have a light to show if its charging. How are we supposed to know if the detector is fully charged or not? I like guessing games, but not guessing if I have 2 hrs or 8 hrs of time to detect. I have my spare battery pack along, but I have no idea how long it will last either, so risk going on a night hunt, with no power.

The Excal manual tells you to charge the battery for 12 hours before using. You don't really need an led that turns green. If your going hunting charge the battery for 12 hours. You can also check the voltage with a volt meter if your concerned about it. Myself, I just charge it the night before I go hunting, simple and no big deal......

After about 5-7 years depending on how much yo hunt the battery will start to hold less of a charge, I bought a NEMH battery and replaced one of mine, it gives me about 16 hours of hunting time.....
 

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