Update On My Excal 8

[kiana7]

I read the manual and put my excal together,pretty easy went out tuesday,down Kailua side,only few coins and bottle caps..Then I took it out this morning before I worked,,I'm really not sure of the tones,but I put it in PP,volume-up,disc-1,sens-7-threshold just till I hear the hum..I did try putting it on disc but it was chatter here chatter there,,gotta learn it to see if it is running in smooth operation..
This is what I got,that Kuuipo(means sweetheart)is a silver ring,buried for a long time.Then the Tungsten and 2 junk ring..For my first time out,I didn't know what to expect,especially the tones,it's kinda like a sound of wolves,like woo-woo,I just have to meet up with some Excal hunters.
I guess my Excal works if I found targets,one thing I do know is I will get a straight shaft and better headphones
Attached Images

 

[Fletch88]

Congratulations on your new machine! A rear mount straight shaft makes the balance perfect. I use a Plugger carbon fiber 3 piece rod that I like because it breaks down well for travel, and it's lightweight.

rodsbyplugger.com

 

[bigscoop]

In disc mode, the Excal will produce a variety/range of high, medium, and low tones.....will drive you nuts trying to get a fix on them at first. This is another reason why it was so "chatty" for you, just dial the sense back a bit until you get comfortable with the machine and the range of tones. "Coil control" is really important when trying to get the most out of your Excal, as at the higher sense settings it will respond to every little inconsistency so "flat, smooth, & steady" will usually allow you to hunt at these higher settings without so much falsing. But for a first time out with the machine it appears that you had a pretty good grip on things.

 

[RustyGold]

Hi kiana,
I went with the 3pc rods-by-plugger shaft that was recommended by Fletch
and it was a great suggestion. I love it! Well made and light weight!
HH!

 

[lorraine]

Congratulations on your new Excal!

You had a great first hunt with it.

I wish you many years of pleasant, lucrative hunting with your new machine

Lorraine

 

[search and recovery]

Nice first hunting with the Excal. The best help I got was a CD that Kellyco sells called Ear sounds of the Minelab Excalliibur. About $10. Really cut my learning curve down. Great machine, you are really going to love it after a short while.

 

[baywalker]

First time !!well done.

 

[firemac]

Nice haul Kiana, yeah I want to do a head phone change too,

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Nice first hunting with the Excal. The best help I got was a CD that Kellyco sells called Ear sounds of the Minelab Excalliibur. About $10. Really cut my learning curve down. Great machine, you are really going to love it after a short while.

The CD has a lot of good information but the sounds from your computer will not sound anything like the sounds from your Excal ll even if you wear earbuds on the computer. Besides, you would have to hunt near Dukes at night to hear the drums, but the beat is also different.

A more realistic and less expensive way of learning the tones, on dry and wet sand of what a shallow target should sound like, is to carry a sampling of items commonly found where you hunt. For instance I carry a nickel, copper dime, corroded copper clad zinc penny, and a pull tab. To make it easier, I seal each sample in a different color plastic bottle cap with wax from a snack cheese ball which keeps the sample from falling out and mark what the sample is on top of the cap. When I get a tone, I simply drop a sample of what I think the target is close tp compare the tone of the target with the sample.

The nickel, which has a tone close to gold, is also used to change the pitch of the threshold from the annoying growl you get after the coil nulls on iron by sweeping the coil over the nickel sample.
Another way of doing this, which works well, is to put each sample in a sealed small plastic baggie.
Don't forget to retrieve your sample after you are finished digging and have covered the hole.