problems with excalibur

[MadMorgan]

Well, I'm pretty bummed out. The used detector I bought appears to be defective.
Here's my list of symptoms. If any of you have any idea, I'd love the input. Minelab says they'll give me an estimate on the repair when they get to the unit. They are 4 weeks behind right now

When first turned on, the threshold tone is significantly too loud, even at minimum volume. This seems to stabilize after it warms up, and quiets down to where it can be tuned out at 1/3.
Autosensitivity causes threshold tone to fluctuate even when the coil is motionless.
Discrimination doesn't appear to function anywhere near what it should.
Every minute or so it screams briefly as if hitting a target, even if it's just sitting on the ground doing nothing.

I'm topping off the battery right now, but it only had 30 minutes of use since the last time I charged it. Today was my first time really using it as a land detector. Discrimination I'd not turned past 3 anyway, just got to messing with it to see if it had any effect on that scream. Same with sensitivity, I used manual sens on it at the beach the one time I've had it out.

Hope there's some magic answer before it goes bye bye for the next month or two. If I really have to spend more time waiting on the repair than I've been at the hobby, I'll end up ebaying the damn thing and take my loss. Should have know better than to buy something used. If minelab would have just responded on when the new unit was coming out, I might have waited anyway.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[TonyinCT]

Email me your name and address with phone number and I'll look into getting your detector repaired faster for you. tony@tcmetaldetectors.com

 

[Sandman]

Sorry to hear about the trouble with the Excal. It is an internal problem that can't be fixed by you or I. I too had this problem last year with one of my Excals, my lucky one.....

You can call Minelab's Customer Service Rep. Sandy Burton at 1-702=891-8809 Ext. 21

Minelab USA, Inc.
871 Grier Dr. Suite B1
Las Vagas, NV. 89119 USA

It would be a shame to saddle some poor person with your Excal unless you had it fixed first. This is why many of us don't buy our detectors for ebay sellers as used. Better to use a dealer or mail order.

Sandman

 

[MadMorgan]

It performed fine at the beach today after lettin the battery charge overnight. I still suspect it's not going to go away though. I've turned it on 5 times now, and it's done that 2 of the 5.

What were the symptoms you had, and what did they charge for the repair?

I wouldn't saddle someone with my mistake, fwiw. If it's too much to repair, I'll write off the 725 I paid and perhaps the hobby in general.
My total take for 3 hours at the beach was 1 nickle, 1 penny, and 1 canadian nickle.
14.00 gas
10.00 breakfast
6.00 ice cream (took my two kids)
15.00 lunch
5.00 drinks
200.00 shopping trip for my wife so I could get away for the day
= this is one expensive as hell hobby.

 

[Sandman]

Minelab fixed it for free even though it was out of warranty.....Turns our I had a tiny hole in my coil on the very bottom where water got inside. I used a coil cover and kept it clean of black sand, etc. I suspected a bad battery too, but it wasn't. You should send in the battery charger for testing too.

This is not expensive till you add diving to the hobby. Can't help you save the money.

HH,
Sandman

 

[seas1to2]

every hobby cost a lot, very sledom will you find more than what it cost for a day out.I f you have a battery checker chech the volts on the battery after about 10-20 min.s use, you could have a bad battery. the vol. knob does not change the threshold volume,only the target volume, did you get a book with the unit, if not go to the minelab web site an download the book an read it over... best of luck

 

[UncleTom]

I vote battery too!