Anderson or plugger shaft

[atomicwayne]

Hi all I am getting a Excalibur 2 water detector and was wondering if a over under or straight shaft with contrails mounted at end of shaft was better?I am 5 '6 inches tall and will be hunting chest deep water in waves.I am on the west coast of Florida .Anyone with experience with either one hopefully can help me out .Thanks and good hunting!Looking forward to opinions before I make purchases. I tend to hunt with my arm forward of my body so thought over and under may be better.I have ordered knob guard already.

 

[dewcon4414]

First off get CF they are much lighter and move smooth. Im not a fan of under the arm sticks. I prefer the pods behind the elbow.... both companies IMO have the pods to close to the cuff, you tend to put your elbow on the battery cap..... thats bad. It happens most if your arm cuf is to large...... heat them up and make them fit your arm better. CF doesnt lockup like aluminum does because aluminum blisters inside. I prefer the Anderson handle, but hate the locks for salt water. I like the Anderson lower shaft better.....but at $50 or more id use the factory lower. HOWEVER...... Plugger now has a telescopic stick with both the upper and lower shafts..... that now is worth the money. Plugger will also do a custom shaft and he can do them about as cheap as you can if you do your own and all the holes will be right. I make my own now days.

Dew

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I put one of Pluggers balanced straight shafts on my Excal and am pleased with it. It puts the controls behind my elbow and gives the machine much better balance than the factory shaft. It actually makes the machine feel lighter than what it does with the factory shaft.

 

[atomicwayne]

Thanks for the input and info.hope you find the "big one" good luck,Wayne

 

[atomicwayne]

I chose the plugger 3 pice model plugger rod with the hip mount belt kit Then I will have the advantage of hip mount or long rod set up. I have always hunted with hip mount setup so now if I don't like the long rod I can take off the end piece and use the rod with the hip mount belt.What I usually do is use silicone and build up the wire connections at the coil and earphone wire connections.I think it takes some stress off the wire where it enters and gives it a greater flex point.Well it won't be long till I am back in the water again ,I should be ready by next weekend.I have a goal of 3 months to get my return on investment so I will be putting my time in before it gets too cold.I have 2 good books on order as well hard core beach hunting and how to read the beach and water.I can't wait to try some of the beaches that produced well for me previously .

 

[WaterWalker]

Only problem I have seen with any shaft that has the control / battery pods behind the elbow is they do not fit into my trunk.
They are even tight in the back seat. My advice is measure BEFORE you buy.

Even when I go looking for a car, I take my gear with me and put it all into the trunk / storage area.
I also look at Ford as they have the combination pad on the door. You can leave your keys / wallet...everything in the car, go
detecting and upon return, unlock the doors without the key.
If the car makers would only make waterproof remote door lock fobs. Key that did not hundreds of dollars to replace would
also be nice. I cringe every time I find one of those expensive keys in the ocean.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

WW I use the Plugger balanced straight shaft which is 42" long. The lower rod slides into the upper shaft far enough that I carry my detector in the trunk of a Ford Escort. That little Excort gives me in excess of 30 mpg so it gets used for most of my detecting forays. Makes it much easier to have my clad finds pay for my Gasoline.

 

[mudpuppy]

A great topic that has spun into some other things to think about when building a rig other than just the shaft alone...

Camlocks are no good in the water, so a guy has to take that into account, also, a guy needs a dependable, not worth stealing or breaking into, fuel efficient vehicle that also holds a rig without collapsing or dissassembling it all the time..
A guy has to think about all these kind of things to have a halfway enjoyable life in this sport, and not having to sell good finds to pay for gas...so its all a trade off, and makes for some great Winter discussions.

My cheap little 2001 30mpg Chevy Prism fits the bill, (its made by Toyota a Corolla labeled Chevy) big trunk even the scoop fits in...plus, my Wife of 35+ yrs said; she "wouldnt be caught dead in this piece of crap"..which I thought was an odd comment, for I am sure I could certainly stuff her lifeless body in the trunk someday, along with my waders and both rigs with room to spare?...so I have it all to myself and can trash it up as I wish!

The keyless entry is a problem, I have come up with a solution I will not post here on an open Forum for obvious reasons...a guy doesnt want to build up a great rig just to encounter all these other issues..
Mud

 

[lovee-1]

I have Anderson Carbon Fiber Shafts on all my Detectors.I use 3 and 4 piece Travel Shafts,,they will fit in the suitcase or easily in the back seat of the car.Anderson's are the best I've seen or used..If you need something custom made phone him,I had him do some changes for me and the way my control boxes sit at the back of the shaft behind the elbow makes the machine feel near weightless,,the balance is Great.!!..