Excal II Problems

[Dengar]

So I am having problems with my Excalibur II. It started a little over a week ago and I need some advice.
Let me first tell that I had(for the past 3 years) the control unit and battery pack on my waist using the belt attachment. I did this because I had a back problem in 2018 and just kept it since it was easier.

Went on the beach last week and was in the water. Heard some minor chittering and a few false signals. Never noticed anything like this before and was able to work around it.

Last Saturday I went back and has similar issues in the water. Worked the dry sand after low tide with no problem.
Went back on Wednesday and worked the slope for a while, had the coil in the water and had no problem. Got into the water and I started getting false signals again. Noticed some major false signals when the cable would get hit by a wave or would move. Thought it may be a lose cable problem so I tried tightening the cables(by taping them) and still got some minor false signals.

So, I decided to stop using the control unit and battery pack on my waist and put them on the shaft and taped up the cables to prevent major movement.

Went back Yesterday(Friday) got there early and worked the dry sand and the slope for an hour and a half and had NO problems(I had the coil in the water). Went into the water and the problems started almost immediately. I started hearing chittering and falsing. Noticed that the coil cable(which I taped up but had some loose wraps) would constantly make a false signal when moved, hit by a wave etc. I got out of the water and moved the coil cable and would hear chittering and falsing. Went back to the car taped those up and went back in the water. Same problem. I put the threshold to silent and would still get major falsing. I got out of the water. Put the detecting in to disc mode and went on the dry sand, lots of chittering and falsing.

Some things that may help.

I am using it on the same beaches I always have so I don?t think it is an environmental problem.

I always use silicone on the battery connector prior to connecting the battery.

When I am on the dry sand, I use Disc mode. When on the slope and in the water, I use Pinpoint mode.

The batteries are both 6 years old. I do charge them after each use.

I do not SEE any water inside the control unit or the battery packs

I did have the control unit on my waist for 3 years, could the cable have stressed?

Please help(posted on multiple forums)
ALF

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

It could be cable problem as waist mounting can cause cable shorts. Take a magnifying glass and look inside control pod, it could be water, takes very little water as in only couple drops. Turn on detector and wiggle cables one at a time at connection points on coil and pod to see if you can isolate the cable.

Take a volt meter and measure battery voltages to be sure voltage is over 12 volts when problem occurs. When is last time you had the o-rings changed?

 

[LISteve]

Not to say this is your problem but this happened to me.
I ruined my Excal cable by using a home made across the chest sling attachment for the control box and having a 3' (or so) piece of free cable to move the shaft around in any direction. The remainder of the cable was wrapped around the slower shaft. It was great as the shaft and coil weigh near nothing and worked well for a few years. I then experienced the falsing sounds that you wrote of. I tested the cable and found that if any pressure was applied to an area of the free cable which would naturally bend and flex when swinging the shaft it would crap out. I then removed the outer sheathing of that section of cable and found the individual wires in a 3" section had their insulation shattered. Not the long way but the short way perpendicular to the run of the wire. The insulation was still there but when bent I am certain that the transmitting wires had the opportunity to jam each other out. I tried splicing in a new piece of wire and rubber coating etc. But it was just an unreliable mess to use in chest deep water. I bought a new Excal from Colonial and got a free Coiltek 15" coil with the purchase which I hard wired into the old machine a la OBN.

Steve NY

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I worked in Minelab and Kellyco repair center for 5 years, saw a lot of cable short issues on customers excals that had been chest mounter, the constant flexing of cable as coil is swung would cause shorts on some.

Instead of waist or chest mounting use a cable harness mounted to chest, it will take the weight off your arm, allow you to let go of detector in water to dig and it hangs right by your side and does not cause shorts.

 

[OBN]

Just my Opinion..
I would say something is not right with your cables, one thing to note...the excalibur and any water machine will make noise when the saltwater is splashing the front of the machine where the cable goes into the pod and when water hitting the pod itself. All of my unmodified excaliburs do it and the Fisher AQ does it also.. calm water none have that problem.....

Now this scares me..
Put the detecting in to disc mode and went on the dry sand, lots of chittering and falsing.
With this...You have a cracked cable and some water has got into the cable...coil ..or housing..that would be my first guess... Second would be water in the pod because you have a knob shaft leak or a crack n knob shaft sleeve cracked on the pod...but really it sounds more like the coil cable leak has a issue. Also, just a few drops of saltwater in the pod can make a excalibur go nuts..

Sounds like you hunt, alot with this machine. I would recommend having it looked at before it gets to the point the board is damaged. Saltwater is a Killer of electronics. Good Luck..

 

[Dengar]

So after running some tests through suggestions on here and in another forum I have concluded it is definitely the coil cable. I am thinking of fixing it myself BUT I understand there is a quick connect option. Does anyone know which quick connect is the best to install? Thank is advance.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Since I do not link the quick connects I will bow out.