help ? used excaliber 1000 just percheced

[pat35]

I just bought a used Excalibur i am used to a sovereign x s. when i use the sovereign i search in all metal. i used the Excalibur yesterday in pinpoint which i guess is the same as all metal, it has a rolling and unstable hum. when its not that loud the hum is steady when in disc mode.i used it in auto mode when in pinpoint if i set the sensitive to the farest away from the auto the hum will be steady. is this common or should i be searching in disc mode? if so, where should I set the discriminate? i have been leaving at 3, is this where you would set it at for wet salty sand? at break, it seems like the volume knob is turning without the shaft. is this normal?is there something i can put on it to make easier to turn? (all the knobs are very hard to turn). this was the first time using so I'm not sure how it works. Any help from experienced Excalibur users or any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Pat

 

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[Sandman]

I love my Exval 1000 and it has paid for itself a few times over. Pinpoint is all metal on the Excalibur. The hum from the threshold will go up and down in this mode. In auto it will go off on a target and then retune itself to the low hum. Sometimes you can get more depth by turning the Sens. more clockwise depending where your hunting. I like to search in Auto with the Disc. set at 2. However it is best for you to test yours on some coins and rings and pultabs. You want to hear those pultabs an not a nail.

The knob problem you have with them being hard to turn is because of age. you will have to send it back for that fix. Minelab will replace what ever is needed, even things you don't know about and it will still be cheaper than a new Excalibur. Some of the older ones the knobs would get loose and even fall off so the guys would glue them on. Bad fix. The Excal shouldn't make any difference whether your moving from dry sand to wet as it operates on 27 frequencies like the Sovereign.

If you didn't get the larger coil, ask Minelab to install one and get a coil cover for it. A lot of hunters don't and wear thru the plastic.

 

[neilo]

Sandman is right about the knob problem, If it is only your volume knob that is spinning it isnt a thing that needs immediate fixing. I run mine with the volume turned to maximum and dont have to move it at all. Plus when it is at maximum it is easier to distinguish the different tones that different targets give. I run mine with the discriminator set to minimum setting.Not in auto but in manual. Manual is the setting before it clicks into auto, you turn the knob slowly until you start getting false signals then turn it back slightly until the falsing stops.You will get more depth this way than what you would in auto. Do you have a manual for the machine?
Pin point is all metal ,but is noisier, I never use pinpoint, if you use pinpoint you will lose the Iron Mask feature which I think is vital.This is what makes your threshold blank out telling you, you are over iron and also allows you to find good targets which could be hidden in amongst iron junk.In some machines running them in all metal gives extra depth but on the excalibur I have never found any difference. The Excalibur and the Sovereign are basically the same the higher the tone the more conductive, silver copper and lead give high toned signals,most gold rings and ring pulls give medium tone signals,small gold chains,gold rings and alfoil give dull low signals.This is when you are hunting in discrimination.As a rough indication I have my sensitivity set at around eleven oclock.
You have a good machine it takes practice and time to master but you will not regret it Hope Ive helped Seeya Neilo

 

[pat35]

just got back from beach hunted in pinpoint and disc modes.It seems like you can get deeper in pinpoint but cant stand that jumping hum. my sovereign doesn't do this and when in knee deep water as it comes out of watter it acts like there is a target. do you have to set the sensitivity to a more counterclockwise setting water seems to set it off when in auto. you guys are great, you have helped a lot! i did find 4 pennies 1 quarter 2 pull tabs a pare of stainless steel plier's a bunch of nails when in pinpoint a person next to me found a half it was in ok condition seems like my sovereign with a 12 intrud seems to go deeper but doesn't hit many targets. this is why i am used to having the background noise louder, small things make very light change wouldn't hurt it if i didn't do this. the excalibur is a little different and a little heavier then sovereign want to try a straight pole, i see some go farther behind your arm, and some the same as arm. i may try to make one last thing when in pinpoint if you get your hand next to the control box the tone changes. this is what i hear when swinging the excalibur. the sovereign has a tin rap around the inside of the electronics, this i suppose is to keep interference out? doesn't look like the excalibur has this maybe why it does this?
Thanks again.
Pat

 

[pistolpete]

Once you get used to it you will love the excal. If you are interested in a straight shaft, contact me by email and I will send you pictures and info on the shaft I produce...Pete kiramunch@sympatico.ca

 

[neilo]

Pat when you use the excalibur in water make sure you do even sweeps with your coil keep it at the same height from the sand otherwise you will get false signals. If you swing your detector in a U shape up and down you will get false signals at the ends of your sweep.Have the threshold noise at a setting so you can just hear otherwise if its too loud you wont be able to hear faint signals quieter signals. When you run in all metal( Pin point) you will get a lot more noise. Try running in discriminate but with it turned down to the lowest setting. Sensitivity knob the more you turn it towards auto the higher it gets,try setting the knob at about 11oclock just before the middle.
If you want to mount your machine more comfortably have a look at
JUST ORDERED an EXCALIBUR .BY littlehuggar there are some photos which could be helpful.It is in this section further down the page.

Good luck Neilo

 

[pat35]

I went hunting on Sunday and there was a very big cut almost chest high. I found 4 nickels, 1 dime, and tons of pop tops. I noticed something when i went up closer to dunes I found some targets that would make a very minute tone difference and if I didn't have the threshhold up a little i would not have heard it in dis. you could not get a tone when i started digging. then in dis i got a tone it was a pop top aluminum .if i am in dis it seems like i will miss the deep ones it seems like the pinpoint goes a little deeper.? you guys say to keep the sensitivity at about 11 when in pinpoint and the threshhold noise is still jumping around. the only way it will stay steady is all the way counterclock wise. i know i cant keep it there,my sovereign is just so steady and i keep it in auto on the sovereign. what is the best setting for sensitivity on my sovereign i noticed that if i shake the control box side to side it will change tone and if i bring my hand close to the knobs it will change tone too when in pinpoint. is this common? its not something I cant handle but might hide some deep targets. i am looking at the Florida straight shaft, have any of you guys used it? mounts the control behind your elbow, I've seen some that mount under your forearm. the stock shaft seems like its a foot or two too short for me, got used to my long sovereign.
Thanks!
Pat

 

[neilo]

Pat the Excalibur is more sensitive in salt water than the Sovereign, When I used to use my Sovereign in salt water I was able to run it in Auto,But the Excalibur I have to run mine in highest manual setting without false signals, it also depends on the mineralisation of the sea bottom, maybe you might have to go at a lower sensitivity setting, 11oclock was roughly where I set mine. But there are beaches where I can run at a much higher setting, these must have less mineralisation to allow me to do that.
Have you got the instruction manual for the machine? It might be worth your while getting if you havnt got one.
Are you sure you havnt got some metal on your clothes or shoes the machine is picking up,Where do you carry your sand scoop? I drag mine behind me. If I bring mine anywhere near the front the detector will pick it up. I remember wearing some wet suit shoes, I kept getting these funny signals and it turned out the shoes they had metal ends on the plastic zips.The funny signals you are getting when you touch the control box seems strange to me I have never noticed any. Are your leads tight and not wiggly,If you get signals when you wiggle the leads you could have an internal breakage in the lead wire. Make sure there is no moisture inside your control box. Also check that your battery connection lead is okay it should have a rubber water seal in it where it connects to battery.
Try to get used to running in disc more you will be missing good targets in pinpoint. Some times good targets close alongside iron targets are missed drowned out by the iron signal. By operating in disc this turns on the ironmask feature which will give the good target signal but nul out the iron item.
good luck seeya Neilo

 

[Michigan Badger]

I sold my Excalibur because I just couldn't get the hang of it. But, I do mainly land hunting now days.

The reason I'm posting now is to give you this bit of advice if you decide to return your unit for repairs.

Email Minelad first and ask for details on how to return your unit.

Minelab gave me a contact name at Minelab (Chuck? not sure now) anyway, the turn-around on my machine was about 8 days. I sent it Priority Mail USPS and Minelab mailed it back Priority. I'd recommend avoiding UPS.

Just my -2 cents.

Good luck.

 

[Sandman]

Listen to Neilo, he knows what he's talking about.

Wiggle the wires and see if you get any beeps or sounds. If you do, you need repairs. I haven't seen any foil inside the housing on the Excal. Check for the rubber O ring in the connection. I apply a dab of silcone divers lub to the threads for extra insurance.

Set your Excal up the way Neilo says and you should be fine.

 

[U.K. Brian]

I've never had any noise when placing a hand on or near the control box. This sounds like capacitive effect and unless fixed I can't see the machine ever performing to specification.