Used Excalibur II question

[Xilfie]

Greetings, I recently purchased a 4 year old used Excalibur that arrived yesterday (Shaft was mailed separately and should be arriving today) and I had a few questions: Since it does have a few years what is recommended to do ? Should I get it serviced? Generally how much does that cost and who would I need to contact? The previous owner said that it never saw salt water. He also said that the Anderson straight shaft is stuck, most likely from the sand. What would be a safe product to use to get it unstuck? Also, is there any well known, safe, product clean it up a little? While it's in good condition it's never a bad thing to keep it looking cleaner (For example the housing see-though parts are looking a little brownish). Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

PS: I do intend to eventually use it in salt water.

 

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[Metal Detecting Stuff]

I would suggest you get the seals replaced. Cost should be less than $150. To get shafts apart, try a soak in a bathtub with very hot water. Dried salt and sand can fuse shafts together.

Wayne

Metal Detector Sales and Rentals | Fisher, Garrett, Minelab, White's ? Metal Detecting Stuff

 

[Sandman]

Besides Wayne's suggestions of sending it in for seals and testing they will check the cables, etc. My excal 1000 only has had to be set in once to replace a 10" coil that had a hole on the edge. Mine has always been hung from my neck with cable taped along the side on shaft with no strain on cable. Since you bought it used you have no idea how it was taken care of, but having it serviced will ease any worries. Good Luck.

 

[ARC]

Call Kellyco... ask for Chris from T-net.
They service them.
Talk to "TresureHunter" on here as well.

 

[Xilfie]

Alright, I'll try and get in contact with them. Thank you all for the advise.

 

[thedaddy]

Hey, I'm a relative newb to all those who posted but I do a lot of diving in salt and boating on salt water - even if the unit hasn't been underwater the salt in the air at the beach can cause corrosion on aluminum so that's probably what happened to the shaft. Seals will age regardless. Another thing you might run into is the need to replace the original knobs . It seems they aren't very durable or don't last as they should. I've only used my Excal II about 8-10 times, but I've had it a few years and take care of it meticulously (it looks new). I cycle the battery every few months, and run the knobs through their adjustments to keep the pots and their seals from stiffening; but last time I took it out the blue plastic inside one of the knobs just disintegrated. Keep in mind I'm OCD and mindful of the particular delicacy of these moving components so to say they've been babied is an understatement. The plastic knob just fell off in my hand and when I looked, the blue plastic guts had just cracked into pieces.

New stock knobs seem hard to find and I won't argue the point of replacing them with better quality/more durable aftermarket ones, but I wanted to keep mine original at least for now at least until I use it more. I found one guy who sells them onesy/twosy for a decent price if you don't have the need or don't want drop the $$ for a whole new set. Aftermarket ones are available out there for much less but again, they're not the same as original. Sets of aftermarket are honestly of much better quality and you can get them shipped for around $16, oem go for much more at $40-60 or more for a set. I only needed the guts and found a vendor who sells the knob and guts for $4.50 each plus $7.50 shipping ($12 for one, $30 for 5). Not sure if I can mention specific vendors here so IM me if you want the URL. Very happy with the service I received.

As previous posters mentioned - don't take the unit underwater until you have the seals checked or you check/replace them yourself. I've never had my unit underwater thanks to the salvage leases here in Florida, but I ruined a digital camera with a waterproof enclosure that had been stored closed. I think the o-ring had permanently compressed allowing salt water intrusion. I've also had an inflator freeflow when an seal failed at depth. Expensive oversights. Luckily it only cost me and my buddy a dive. Don't let a $150 checkup ruin your $1200 electronics.

 

[Xilfie]

Hey, I'm a relative newb to all those who posted but I do a lot of diving in salt and boating on salt water - even if the unit hasn't been underwater the salt in the air at the beach can cause corrosion on aluminum so that's probably what happened to the shaft. Seals will age regardless. Another thing you might run into is the need to replace the original knobs . It seems they aren't very durable or don't last as they should. I've only used my Excal II about 8-10 times, but I've had it a few years and take care of it meticulously (it looks new). I cycle the battery every few months, and run the knobs through their adjustments to keep the pots and their seals from stiffening; but last time I took it out the blue plastic inside one of the knobs just disintegrated. Keep in mind I'm OCD and mindful of the particular delicacy of these moving components so to say they've been babied is an understatement. The plastic knob just fell off in my hand and when I looked, the blue plastic guts had just cracked into pieces.

New stock knobs seem hard to find and I won't argue the point of replacing them with better quality/more durable aftermarket ones, but I wanted to keep mine original at least for now at least until I use it more. I found one guy who sells them onesy/twosy for a decent price if you don't have the need or don't want drop the $$ for a whole new set. Aftermarket ones are available out there for much less but again, they're not the same as original. Sets of aftermarket are honestly of much better quality and you can get them shipped for around $16, oem go for much more at $40-60 or more for a set. I only needed the guts and found a vendor who sells the knob and guts for $4.50 each plus $7.50 shipping ($12 for one, $30 for 5). Not sure if I can mention specific vendors here so IM me if you want the URL. Very happy with the service I received.

As previous posters mentioned - don't take the unit underwater until you have the seals checked or you check/replace them yourself. I've never had my unit underwater thanks to the salvage leases here in Florida, but I ruined a digital camera with a waterproof enclosure that had been stored closed. I think the o-ring had permanently compressed allowing salt water intrusion. I've also had an inflator freeflow when an seal failed at depth. Expensive oversights. Luckily it only cost me and my buddy a dive. Don't let a $150 checkup ruin your $1200 electronics.

Luckily mine came with Anderson Knobs and the Knob guard because I had heard of the stories revolving the stick ones. I'll get it serviced after I give them a call, better safe than sorry. I'm sure when I can they'll give me the details but does anyone know if besides replacing the seals they'll check for any cable damage or should I ask about the separately? Is there any addition maintenance that should be done besides seals and wires?

 

[frogmaster-riviera]

hello Xilfie,

Why not call Lost Item Recovery our "excalibur service center" on TNet? He could probably serviced your Excalibur and maybe you will add a few enhancements (MOD) on it......
He is located in FL, you can find him here : http://http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/beach-shallow-water/451176-excalibur-modifications-repairs.html

I'm not located in the US so David is a bit far forme to service my Excaliburs, but he posts photos each time of all the repairs and MODs done on the members Excals and From a prosumer point of view, the quality is top level. You can contact many members on TNet who send for service/mod/repair their excalibur Sword/800/1000/II to Dave.


For Salt accumulation, as I am located in the Med Sea, salt is a major problem (much higher concentration then in the oceans), I use an American product called Salt Away. It does a perfect job on all my scuba and metal detection stuff!

Hope you will enjoy this fantastic machine and share with us your adventures and finds

FM

 

[Xilfie]

hello Xilfie,

Why not call Lost Item Recovery our "excalibur service center" on TNet? He could probably serviced your Excalibur and maybe you will add a few enhancements (MOD) on it......
He is located in FL, you can find him here : http://http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/beach-shallow-water/451176-excalibur-modifications-repairs.html

I'm not located in the US so David is a bit far forme to service my Excaliburs, but he posts photos each time of all the repairs and MODs done on the members Excals and From a prosumer point of view, the quality is top level. You can contact many members on TNet who send for service/mod/repair their excalibur Sword/800/1000/II to Dave.


For Salt accumulation, as I am located in the Med Sea, salt is a major problem (much higher concentration then in the oceans), I use an American product called Salt Away. It does a perfect job on all my scuba and metal detection stuff!

Hope you will enjoy this fantastic machine and share with us your adventures and finds

FM

You're right! I forgot about Dave, I had asked him about something last week. Wasn't sure if he also did maintenance type of work. Thank you.

 

[tibortt]

Hi Xilfie,

If you want to service your Excal, call Minelab at (Toll Free): 1-888-949-6522, ask for John Watson. He is at service/repair, a legend in repairs. I just got mine back from him, he did a fantastic job, with a super-fast turn around. If you want original replacement knobs, they are available at serious_detecting for 39.95 (5 knobs, caps and the blue inserts). The shipping is free.

-Tibor