Excalibur Accessories user input lets start with the rod asm first

[Ron from Michigan]

Excal user's rod assembly first and then move to another category for this sticky.Thanks Ron

 

[rarysgaard]

I just bought the plugger 2 piece traveling rod. It is really awesome. It is in my opinion the best rod out there. With their lock system there is no wobble. Very well constructed and well balanced. MGM headphones, which amplifies the signals.

 

[Mel Parker]

n/t

 

[Mel Parker]

I came up with this mod over two years ago. Hope it makes sense to all.
http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1160165,1160165#msg-1160165

 

[Critterhunter]

In order of pics...hip mount kit, a replacement shaft, a 3 piece travel shaft, another replacement shaft, and over/under shaft, a carbon fiber shaft...

 

[Critterhunter]

A knob guard, an extension to mount the control pod behind the elbow for better balance, and a chest mount kit...

 

[Critterhunter]

By the way, the prior Plugger shafts posted, chest or hip mount kits, and other stuff are available at one of Findmall's sponsors such as Indian Nation Detectors here...

http://www.indiannationsdetectors.com/sovereignparts.html

I don't mind providing a link because he's a Findmall sponsor and carriess the Plugger's stuff and car chargers and such...

 

[Critterhunter]

The prior blue, green, and carbon fiber shafts posted are Anderson Shafts. The rest are Pluggers, and the Pluggers I at least know I carried by Indian Detectors if not other Findmall sponsors. Anderson shafts among Findmall sponsors are at least carried by Kellyco. At these two links you can find various shafts they make as well as replacement Excal knobs, the hip or chest mount stuff, various colors of the knob guards, and other various Excal accesseries either already posted a picture of or can be seen at these two links at Kellyco...

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/accessories/anderson_shafts.htm

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/minelab/excalibur-accessories.htm

 

[Critterhunter]

Various info on Excalibur replacement knobs from Findmall sponsors and such, plus how to do it...

Indian Nation, A Findmall sponsor and a source for various Excal accesseries as well as for the Sovereign...

http://www.indiannationsdetectors.com/detectors.html

And Kellyco's Excalibur accesseries page with things such as replacement knobs and such...

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/accessories/anderson_shafts.htm

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/minelab/excalibur-accessories.htm

Some great pics and info on replacing the knobs and care of the O-rings under them...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1461337,1461882#msg-1461882

Some various other knob replacement info...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1630363,1630363#msg-1630363

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1550170,1550307#msg-1550307

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1455569,1455690#msg-1455690

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,504403,504403#msg-504403

Leak proofing mods/prevenative maintenance stuff, and replacing parts to prevent things as well...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1255954,1255954#msg-1255954

A great thread on common problems to watch out for and do preventative maintenance/replacement to prevent.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1362099,1362582#msg-1362582

 

[Critterhunter]

Just one more that is just too good not to link to. This is a great thread with pics/info on installing a ikelite waterproof connector for easy headphone swapping, as well as info on end caps (and a source) and other great Excalibur modding/repairing info. Just too good not to stick it in this sticky...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1673549

 

[E-TREC-Virginia]

Plugger two piece travel rod (best on the market IMHO) and knob guard. Going to do the MGM headphones once the warranty expires.

 

[Critterhunter]

This sticky can't be done without pics and thread links to excellent home made Excal shafts and such, along with a few other tips and other products sold by Findmall sponsors for the Excal...

Plugger Shafts (found at Findmall sponsors) for water hunting, pros and cons of behind the elbow control pod mounting, flipping the control pod backwards in that position for easier access, homemade shafts, etc, walking canes that already have an arm cup and grip for perfect easy/light shafts like they were meant for detectors, walking canes that break down into 3 pieces or so for travel shafts (Findmall sponsors sell Plugger's version of these too as well as Andersons), etc.

If you go the homemade route walking canes and even ones that break down can usually be found dirt cheap at Goodwill stores used, but many opt to build homemade shafts with blank aluminum stock or even carbon blanks, which are cheap if you know where to look. Heard of some guys using fiberglass tool handles for broom or paint rollers and such from home improvement stores too that work well. I found when I built my homemade light shaft that the inner extending aluminum pole from an Unger (or Etore) window cleaning pole at home improvement stores (these are professional grade) was perfect for my upper shaft on my GT light weight shaft build. A much lighter grade of aluminum than stock to save more weight, but that might be too light a grade for the drag stress in water hunting?

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1286886,page=1

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1242922,1242922#msg-1242922

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,372849,375081#msg-375081

Fixing the lower shaft coil mount plastic insert if it comes loose, & Plugger bolted camlocks to take the slop out of the shaft. Very important for water hunters or the play could get worse over time due to drag. Any play in the shaft is a bad thing, but even worse in water hunting due to the drag...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1346303,page=1

Some pics below of homemade or commercial aftermarket shafts, bicycle end bars found at any bike shop for grips (you can also cut them shorter and you can put rubber grip covers over them for excellent comfort). Notice the mount high behind the elbow to lesson drag too on these. You can buy Plugger or Anderson extensions from Findmall sponsors that will even go on the back of the stock shaft to do this, or just build a longer shaft if you are making one.

Many ways to go about custom shafts for the GT or Excal, built by yourself from scratch (easy) or bought and customized from Findmall sponsors. Possibilities are endless, and people do what works for them. [size=large]Just remember the things to be considered when buying or building one....comfort, balance, lessening drag, and easy access to your controls. If you are using the stock shaft setup on an Excal what is wrong with you man?[/size] It has no balance whatsoever and even in the water is not friendly to human posture. At least put an extension on the back, mount the pod back there, and get the balance and drag down for you, but I still don't like the S-shaft on those things. Just not user friendly.

 

[Critterhunter]

OK, this is sort of the cream of the current crop in terms of Findmall threads with good content, pictures, opinions, and instructions I dug up on stock headphone mods or total replacements, along with just hardwiring or going the waterproof head phone plug route. Also a few related audio thread links, such as troubleshooting a lack of audio or using an amp to enhance hunting depth in pin point mode.

Pay attention to the dates on these threads. Some threads are older than others, so you might want to note the date and see if other threads more current have

 

[Critterhunter]

For any coil hard wiring or water proof coil plug wiring info for the Excalibur please refer to the coil sticky.

For Excalibur battery pod related fixing, gasket making, repair, and other pod/battery related info please see the Sovereign/Excalibur Battery Sticky. There is even info on converting the newer Excalibur pods to fit the old Sword model to be found there. Also a thread about whether the alkaline pod is as waterproof at depth as the rechargeable Minelab pod, since they both are identical yet Minelab says otherwise.

Thread(s) and video on installing a remote pin point switch on your Excalibur

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1549835,1549835#msg-1549835

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1405464,page=1

Replacing the O-rings on the Excal pot controls.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1437544,1489659#msg-1489659

 

[Critterhunter]

One of the masters of modifying the Excals, Oldbeechnut, with his latest opinion on headphones, headphone mods, not being a fan of Bulgin connectors anymore, and now preferring to hard wire or use the Ikelite connector and the battery female ikelite to do that ingenues mod, modding the old yellow headphones, a video how-to, and a few other Excalibur headphone/mod discussions

 

[Critterhunter]

I thought I had dug up and posted all the cream of the crop best threads on headphone mods/replacements/etc for the Excalibur, but just stumbled upon this thread when I was looking for something else that I somehow missed and it's well worth posting a link to. Various muff changing/etc discusssions with pics, even on replacing the speakers with a cheap set from $20 Sony Studio Phones that many of us love for our Sovereigns. Synthnut reports excellent results from using those speakers in a set of muffs for his Excalibur...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1400803,1402352#msg-1402352

 

[Critterhunter]

Some talk and pictures on the debate to chest mount the Excalibur, or mount over, under, or behind on a custom or aftermarket shaft...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1393614,1393614#msg-1393614

Some Excalibur talk and pictures on just where to mount the Excal control pod? Where on the shaft or where on the body? With some custom and aftermarket shaft info too...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1572817,page=1

Some talk of custom shaft building for the Excalibur and Sovereign, using carbon rods or aluminum, and size dimensions of the stock upper and lower shaft for reference when shopping around. Really good info!

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1345856,1345856#msg-1345856

Ergonomics- Setting Your Sovereign Or Excalibur Shafts Up For For Ideal Balance And Comfort, And Getting COG (Center Of Gravity) Right Too. Very Important IMO!

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1770088,1770088#msg-1770088

 

[greenmeanie]

n/t

 

[Critterhunter]

Some of this stuff probably should have been placed in other stickys where more suitable, but since they are closed might as well throw it in here for Excalibur and Sovereign info. I know the stickys are pretty much packed with this kind of info, but these recent threads have some fantastic information in them that should be of great help to some in the future...

Some talk about suitable coil cable for the Excalibur/Sovereign and where to find it, fixing the coil cable if it's shorted down inside the coil, replicating the pre-amp in the coil to build your own coils, headphone mods such as installing specific piezo speakers for PP vs disc, waterproofing regular headphone speakers, more recent ideas on waterproof coil and headphone plugs, and other great Excalibur/Sovereign related info...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?22,1832298,page=1

And this thread has recent talk on "best" headphones for use with the Sovereign or Excalibur too...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1835079

 

[Critterhunter]

This is one fine piece of work by OBN. If you want to hear various headphones compared, for either your Excalibur or your Sovereign, then this thread is a must to check out. And others who played the audio samples chimed in with opinions on which speakers they seemed to like best with the various targets tested...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?21,1848702,1849107#msg-1849107