List of Excal II Customize Options for New Purchasers

[califteacher]

I have the bug to buy a new Excal II after owning a CTX3030 for a few years. I am learning more about the unit every day, especially the ways that users have customized the Excal II. The trouble is that one site offers a carbon shaft, another may offer a knob guard, and someone else offers a trigger button that allows you to go back and forth between discrimination and none. Is there a source that "does it all" for the Excal II, or at least lists the many ways that folks customize their units? Or does one just have to plow through postings and threads to absorb the information piecemeal?

I saw a Excal II listed on eBay today that really impressed me--it came with an interchangeable 10" and 15" coil, carbon shaft, after market knobs, trigger button on the shaft--all the bells and whistles that one could hope for (or so I thought)! Yet later, I saw a listing offering a unit that came with a knob guard, which I hadn't seen before.

Discovering all the various ways to customize the Excal II may be a slow, piecemeal process of discovery, which I am willing to tackle. I just don't want to discover months down the road, that I could have learned much of this by going to a particular website or vendor. Therefore, I am turning to "the experts" on this forum for advice.

In the end, I understand that one likely needs to buy and use the basic Excal II for a while so that any added custom features will be more fully appreciated. Yet, there may be an option that I should add at the start for added success, so it is like a dog chasing its tail.

Your thoughts are welcomed.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[DeepseekerADS]

I'd say your first purchase should be a knob guard at around $20.

Straight shaft is next, put the unit behind your elbow and your elbow will love you.

Kellyco does the Pin Point mod, but they've at least 8 weeks of lead time on that mod.

I've been thinking of the IP68 connector to change coils on mine, but have to look further into that.

 

[califteacher]

Thank you, this is just the type of advice that I am looking for--what to do right off, and what can be done down the road, etc. After using the 3030 with the carbon shaft, it would be odd to go back to a metal shaft on a Excal II, so that's a immediate change in my mind.

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

The straight shaft, knob guards and buttons are made by Anderson in Canada and sold through dealers. There are two additional private techs doing the pinpoint and coil exchange mods, one west coast and one east coast.

Remember that the pinpoint and coil mod affects your warranty. The shafts , knobs and knob guard are no problem with warranty.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If the repair center at kellyco does the mods the ML warranty is still valid, anyone else does it it voids the warranty.

The straight shaft, knob guards and buttons are made by Anderson in Canada and sold through dealers. There are two additional private techs doing the pinpoint and coil exchange mods, one west coast and one east coast.

Remember that the pinpoint and coil mod affects your warranty. The shafts , knobs and knob guard are no problem with warranty.

Wayne

www.metaldetectingstuff.com

 

[skateteacher]

I just bought my Excal brand new from (removed by mod). I then contacted Plugger Shafts and got me a 3 piece carbon fiber straight shaft and knob guard and it took exactly one day to get to me(Amazing service). Those are going to be my only mods until my warranty runs out after which i'm going to do the pinpoint mod, change out my headphones and do the coil. That being said the straight shaft and knob guard is all you need right now as the machine with just that is awesome. I too have a CTX 3030 and it's refreshing to go back to a screenless machine to hunt. Bells and whistles are great but simplicity is hard to beat.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I do also advise you to pick up a set of knobs. I purchased my Excal used, don't know its' age. But the stock sensitivity knob came off this Summer and I had a spare. Since I haven't done the Pin Point mod yet, I hunt in Disc with a setting of 1, and that's the only knob I use. The stock knob is secured by a plastic sheath which wears out. The after market knobs I purchased are held in place by a set screw - I think my spares are Anderson knobs, don't really remember.

With the set screw knobs, you have to be gentle turning them or you'll break them off the motherboard and that's an expensive repair.