Excal Headphones

[Suncoast Kid]

Thanks to all for the latest posts on topics in regards to a library worth of information about the Sovereign and Excalibur. My Excal has worked well over the last few years, but we all know that saltwater and electronics make a tough relationship. I just figured out that the coiled wire that goes from the unit to the headphones just went bad. The detector works fine until the headphone wire gets in the saltwater and then it goes crazy, out of the water for a minute back to normal. I repeated the process several times just to make sure it was the headphone wire. I was considering doing the mod to upgrade, but now I have to replace the whole thing. Even though I have the green Excalibur II unit, It only has two wires coming from the headphones and no yellow third ground wire? Being that I want to still use it for diving, I am considering hard wiring in a set of Grey G Headphones. I've seen some good waterproof connectors, but not sure which one to pick, and I know I'll be safe if it's hard wired. Any thoughts or advice on phones or connectors from you pros out there would be appreciated. And yes, it is out of warranty.Thanks,

 

[Critterhunter]

This kind of headphone mod/replacement info, hardwired or via a waterproof plug to swap, is sorely lacking in the Excalibur accesseries sticky. I have to sit down and see what kind of cream of the crop threads on this topic I can dig up to throw in there, because the headphone thing is always popping up for the Excaliburs. Haven't followed it closely over the last few years, so I'm hoping others will give you some great thread links that most find popular ways to do various things with either modding or replacing the headphones, and also info on hard wiring or installing a plug.

 

[Suncoast Kid]

Thanks Critter,

I've seen some info here and there with favorite headphone brands and some connectors, but not a whole lot of detailed info in regards to a study comparison of performance like with the coils. Hard wiring is great until you have a problem in the future, that is where a connector would be a better choice, unless the connector becomes the problem. If we could take all of the best features that we find in all of the products and put them into one detector, there would be no problem giving it a lifetime warranty. Appreciate your response and any info that you may find. Hopefully oldbeechnut will put in a word.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

I have had great success hard wiring headphones to the Excalibur. I wish I didn't though. I have a great pair of Gold masters hard wired on mine right now. It was unbelievable what I couldn't hear before. Those that don't have these don't know what their missing.(they can't hear the targets)
I just used low solder butt connector and the liquid electrical tape. Heat shrink more liquid and hear shrink again. been more than a year in the water and that splice drags in the water. I hip mount the machine. But I really would like the versatility of using them on other machines! They aren't cheap!
BCNJ

 

[Suncoast Kid]

BCNJ,

What you did sounds like a winner. I'm pretty much set on hard wiring the headphones. It would be different if I was replacing the coil, as a connector would let me use different ones. The phones mentioned most seem to be the Grey Ghost and the Gold Masters, with some really great remarks on the Gold Masters, yours included. Most seem to be tired of the stock ones, like me. I wish ya the best of luck with your mod and HH.

 

[muggsc]

Check out some of the posts from OldBeechnut in the modifications forum.
Cal

 

[Critterhunter]

I just posted a ton of headphone mod or replacement links in the Excal accesseries sticky. I tried to find the cream of the crop in terms of threads with good info, opinions, and pics, and even ran across some excellent vidoes by Findmall members on modding various headphone related junk. That should keep you busy. Much of the threads are in fact OldBeachnuts work and I think Mel Parkers as well. A few of the heavy hitters with the Excal for sure.

 

[muggsc]

You also could make a decent set of phones using the inner works of the originals. My current set is made from MSA medium shell with the gel muffs and are very comfortable and reduce noise very good.

 

[Suncoast Kid]

After doing some digging on the forum instead of the beach, I found a lot of information on the topic going back several years. One of the most interesting is that you can order Goldmaster Headphones that come with a male Ikelite connector, that will fit to the female external end cap of your extra battery pod for the Excal. All you have to do is swap the internal battery connector with the Red/Black headphone connector on the inside of the end cap, and cut two slots to hold the PC board (like the original headphone side end cap on the detector), and you're done. That seems even easier than hard wiring in a set. But like BCNJ said: "they are not cheap." It's another option to consider. So it seems like you either pick a connector, or you just hard wire in your choice of headphones.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

I have to stop and say. While the cost to mod the detector of our choise, can be costly. The differance it finds were 10 fold for me. I hunt for fun and bragging rights! Some hunt because they could use the extra income, so they may not see the value? Either way if you buy the best headphones and you find 10 time the gold you use too, its just a no brainer to me. If you do this mod and it never helps you find more gold than you need to check your technique out. I have buddies that I show every hunt targets they can't hear. No matter what how they set there machine they can't hear the target. I dig it out comes the traget. Is it always gold, no! But its still a target that they couldn't hear be it a dime or gold ring my odds are much better than there's. Funny little story happened one day. I walked onto the beach and three hunters leaning on there scoop. Gabbing away. One of them I knew pretty good. They cracked a remark to me, its sanded in go home, we got it all! I walk to the water and in a few short minutes I am digging away. The three of them come down. I get a deep target and said here here's one! All three nothing, I go back dig, three scoops later and out comes a big green quarter! One of them went out the next day a bought the Gold Masters!
BCNJ

 

[Suncoast Kid]

Is anyone machining Excal battery pod end caps with the female Ikelite connector with the slots cut out for the headphone mod? That would be a great product to put on the market right now. I'll take one so I don't have to scrap my extra battery pod.

 

[muggsc]

Its a great mod to do. You can add any set of phones that you want to. Minelab won't like it if you have to send it back to get repaired. They won't touch anything that's been modded, even knobs. So once you alter your machine you're pretty much on your own/forum.
Cal

 

[markupstateny]

Do you have to hard wire the Gold Master headd phones to the machine or do they attached and unattached easily? I'm thinking about ordering a good set of head phones and I'm trying to find out how they hook on?

Thanks

 

[Suncoast Kid]

markupstateny,

On this Excalibur/Sovereign Forum, go up to the above post: "Excalibur Accessories user input lets start with the rod asm first," and scroll down to the headphone part, and just start reading. There is a vast amount of information that Critterhunter and others have compiled on this subject. To answer your question, you can either remove the connector from the headphones and hard wire them in direct, or do the modification where you can install an Ikelite connector to the detector housing for easy removal. Find a good chair before you start, there is a lot to consider.

 

[Critterhunter]

See, all those hours sifting through thread searches for good content on subjects to post in the stickys WAS worth the effort, even if it only helped one guy thus far...

 

[Suncoast Kid]

Critterhunter,

I appreciate all the work and effort you put in to help us out with the research on coils, shafts, headphones, etc. Now I just have to help myself and determine which coil to put on my Excal. I will mainly be doing water hunting so it's narrowed down to either the SEF 12 x10, or the SR S-12. I wish it had the 10" Tornado, I would just leave it on there; and Goldmaster for the headphones.

 

[tomcatpl]

I have had great success hard wiring headphones to the Excalibur. I wish I didn't though. I have a great pair of Gold masters hard wired on mine right now. It was unbelievable what I couldn't hear before. Those that don't have these don't know what their missing.(they can't hear the targets)
I just used low solder butt connector and the liquid electrical tape. Heat shrink more liquid and hear shrink again. been more than a year in the water and that splice drags in the water. I hip mount the machine. But I really would like the versatility of using them on other machines! They aren't cheap!
BCNJ

i have the gold masters as well and u said it BCNJ best headphones out there for the excal

 

[OldBeechnut]

Hey SC, Sorry I did not get back to you on the email. Got a few health issues going on and most of my time is being spent traveling between the doctors and specialist.

On the headphones, there are several ways to go. The GoldMasters, which I think are the best out there and one nice Gold ring will cover them. I like hardwiring everything now that I have seen the Bulgins were a bad idea. And I do think Philp will do that for you, at about 250? But well worth the cash.

Another way is the GG UW, like you have..the best way for them is hardwired...or the Ikelite connector, and the battery female ikelite. Very easy to do, your just cutting the small white connector that goes to PCB/Mainboard of the pod. Then splicing it to the red and black connector that went to the battery inside the battery pod. I do try and epoxy the connect into the endcap. I do not shrink tap these, for I want each to be seal by the epoxy just incase any water should find it's way down the connection...if done like this there will be no weaping of water to the PCB wires...Two little notes on this, make sure your gaskets are silicon greased well, and on the GGUW's, for a much better audio. Pull the right HP cup off, and take out the little transformer which acts like a audio equalizer. Once this is out there will be a big increase on the audio which many have complained about. It is sealed in with melted plastic, like from one of those craft shops. I just take it out and rewire, 2 wires in, 2 to the left and 2 to the right. Then silicon all.....

The other op is make your own

or go with cutting the guts out of the Yellows, and going with the 3m 105's then just replacing headphone cord. Best to use a CB Mic Cord, purchased from Ebay (.4 wire - 6 Ft - Coiled Replacement MIC CORD - Workman 4-6 for CB / Ham Radio...$5.20 ) Dremal out the old cord from the endcap, then dremal out as much of the wiring and blue capacitor from the inside of the cap, making sure not to break thur to the other side, if some of the wiring is left, it is fine. I try and grind from the inside in a V shape, then start on the blue capacitor. run your new cord thur the pigtail connector, then thur the cap to the inside. Cut 2 of the wires of the CB cord, then connect the white PCB connecting wire onto the 2 CB wires. I tighten the pigtail connector on the outside of the endcap, then use Mcnett Aqua Seal for the first pour on the inside of the endcap...just a little.
24 hours later I use a epoxy to seal the wires in, think it is the 5 minute loctite. Connect your white PCB connecter, Silicon the endcap O-ring, put her back together..check the Pigtail for a final tighten

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVRtlsHVsjg&feature=channel&list=UL

 

[Critterhunter]

The master has risen. The Excal guys owe you a lot, because you've done a lot of leg work with these machines.