Best straight shaft for excal 2

[Marylanddetctr]

I have a excal and the stock shaft simply doesn't cut it . When I do beach hunt it's hours at a time, looking for a shaft I can mount my machine to, I don't use a hip or vest mount. Thanks

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

You can make your own going to a marine store and buying aluminum handle for deck broom then adding a bicycle handle to it and mount it with nylon bolts or buy an Anderson Straight Shaft..

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/catalog/search/result/?q=anderson

 

[Soflhunter]

Anderson Carbon Fiber Straight Shaft is what I have.. its lovely.

 

[streetglide]

The anderson carbon fiber shaft is the ticket. Try a dry run at a hip mount. Its a simple mod. It takes the weight of your hand. You can swing the coil a lot easier for longer hunts.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

The anderson carbon fiber shaft is the ticket. Try a dry run at a hip mount. Its a simple mod. It takes the weight of your hand. You can swing the coil a lot easier for longer hunts.

Just a FYI, hip mounting puts a strain on the cables that causes a short to develop in cables where they enter the control pod.

 

[jeepGold]

I love my RodsByPlugger 3 pc travel carbon fiber shaft. Price is great and he's an awesome person in general. Can't go wrong with that one...

 

[streetglide]

I have 2 excals that are hip mounted for the last 5 years no problems. The trick is to wash the unit after each use and I spray armorall on the cables one a week. My cables look new. If you take care of your stuff it will take care of you.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I know for a fact Minelab repair center gets waist mount excals with shorts going into the control module.

 

[snokid]

this is what I have on my machines...
Minelab - 45" Carbon Fiber Balanced Shaft - Rods by Plugger
no problems well made and comfortable...

 

[jeepGold]

mine Minelab - 42" Carbon Fiber Travel Shaft (3pc) - Rods by Plugger except I just drill a few more holes and made it a 46"

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

It depends on your height:
Since, I am over six foot - I use the Anderson Tall Man Composit Straigth Shaft, and really like it.

With this longer shaft, you have to be very careful when removing the protective coil cover, aka skid plate to remove sand trapped between the bottom of the coil and the skid plate, which I have to do about every one to two hours to prevent loss of sensitivity/false signals from the accumulated sand.

As the shaft is long, it is easy to accidently push the exposed cable into the sand (head phone - if control pod is normally mounted, or cable to battery pod, if control pod is mounted upside down - to keep headphones from being jerked of your ears each time when you squat/bend down to retrieve target).

I experience two failures which required factory repair as a result of the exposed cables being pushed against the sand (pulled pins / intermittent connection in the cable) to the battery pod.


. When I do beach hunt it's hours at a time, looking for a shaft I can mount my machine to, I don't use a hip or vest mount. Thanks[/QUOTE]

 

[jeepGold]

I used a chest mount for awhile and my shovel kept making contact with the wires so I went to a hip mount with it bolted onto a carpenters belt and ran the excal on the back side by my tailbone. Nice and out of the way. Only problem I ever had was my headphone cable shorted. I'd imagine the wiring issues mentioned would/could be from shaking your scoop and causing the wires to stress

 

[zigzag]

It depends on your height:
Since, I am over six foot - I use the Anderson Tall Man Composit Straigth Shaft, and really like it.

With this longer shaft, you have to be very careful when removing the protective coil cover, aka skid plate to remove sand trapped between the bottom of the coil and the skid plate, which I have to do about every one to two hours to prevent loss of sensitivity/false signals from the accumulated sand.

As the shaft is long, it is easy to accidently push the exposed cable into the sand (head phone - if control pod is normally mounted, or cable to battery pod, if control pod is mounted upside down - to keep headphones from being jerked of your ears each time when you squat/bend down to retrieve target).

I experience two failures which required factory repair as a result of the exposed cables being pushed against the sand (pulled pins / intermittent connection in the cable) to the battery pod.


. When I do beach hunt it's hours at a time, looking for a shaft I can mount my machine to, I don't use a hip or vest mount. Thanks

[/QUOTE

Removing the sand from the coil cover during a hunt sounds like a hassle. Have you considered using marine epoxy. I coated my 2 xcal coils with white Loctite marine epoxy several years ago and it works great. You can get it at Home Depot. All you do is spray it off with a hose when your done hunting.

 

[slider66]

I have an excal 1000 and excal II and i have anderson shafts on both and I love them. You will definitely tell the difference comparing it to the stock Excal shaft. I can go all day with the long shaft. Great support too!

 

[dewcon4414]

Dont know that id use armoral on those cables. Try silicone or 303. Im trying a new produce called fluid film which is lanolin based. I make my own shafts, but there are good things about both plugger and anderson. Anderson has the BEST lower shaft head design. Bill, at plugger, will design a shaft anyway you want it done and has the BEST shaft locks. Not many going with aluminum much now days. CF is lighter, doesnt blister inside so they dont lock up as fast, and that aluminum may or may not affect the magnetic field of the coil. They also give a little more buoyancy for those heavy Xcal coils in the water. CF allows you to use a shorter lower rod, or even attach the ML head to your shaft.

 

[Fletch88]

I would t use Armoral on any part of it either. It actually hardens plastics and rubber from what I was told years ago

 

[RustyGold]

Another one here for the the plugger shaft. I have the 3-piece CF adjustable travel shaft. I've used this shaft for several years with zero problems. Bill is an awesome guy to do business (or just to have a sit down conversation) with.