I've read a lot of horror stories, here, that pertain to the ATX stem-nuts ...

[Cameraniac]

... getting jammed up with silt and sand. So, one of the first things that I plan to do, when I receive my ATX, is to drill a small, 1/8"-1/4" hole into the lower stem, just above the iso-rod. I may even go as far as to drill a hole just above each stem-nut. The holes give the water that gets trapped inside of the stem an easy exit point. Since the holes offer less resistance to water flow than the stem-nuts do, most of the silt and sand laden water will exit from them rather than from around the nuts.. Worked really well when I did the same to my Anderson, carbon fiber upper/stock Excal. lower combo, and all I did was drill a small hole just above the iso-rod, in the lower stem. Water, even dirty water, always seeks the path of least resistance. This technique doesn't completely cure the problem, but it does help ... a lot.

Oh, and if you decide to drill any holes, be careful not to drill into the cable, Also, if drilling near the nuts, make sure that the stem is fully extended so that you do not drill through two rods at once. It helps to use something like a long dowel rod to check for the point where each stem section ends.

Good luck, and HH - Daddy

 

[WaterWalker]

The holes might help for silt/sand between the rod sections, but I do not see how it will help with the keeping the silt/sand from entering the camlocks from the gaps between the outside of the shaft's flats and the circular inside section of the camlocks. Even with following the Garrett videos on how to clean the camlocks, power washing the shafts before leaving the beach after each use, disassembling the camlocks every month and cleaning them I still have had two shafts fail. I am on the third shaft. I plan to epoxy one shaft that has "worn out", except for the one section the coil is connected to, and not worry about the camlocks except for the one to the coil section of the shaft.

I have successfully used PC7 epoxy to fill in the groves worn in the shaft by the camlocks. My other thought was to just cut off the 2.5 inches of worn out shaft sections and drill new holes for the pressure pads. No matter what I have done, I have not found a cure for the problems I am experiencing with the camlocks on the ATX. I have also tried wrapping the camlocks with Thera-Bands. That worked well, but was a real pain to use.

Even with all the work the camlocks require to keep them working, I would not trade my ATX for any other detector of its type.

 

[Cameraniac]

The holes might help for silt/sand between the rod sections, but I do not see how it will help with the keeping the silt/sand from entering the camlocks from the gaps between the outside of the shaft's flats and the circular inside section of the camlocks. Even with following the Garrett videos on how to clean the camlocks, power washing the shafts before leaving the beach after each use, disassembling the camlocks every month and cleaning them I still have had two shafts fail. I am on the third shaft. I plan to epoxy one shaft that has "worn out", except for the one section the coil is connected to, and not worry about the camlocks except for the one to the coil section of the shaft.

I have successfully used PC7 epoxy to fill in the groves worn in the shaft by the camlocks. My other thought was to just cut off the 2.5 inches of worn out shaft sections and drill new holes for the pressure pads. No matter what I have done, I have not found a cure for the problems I am experiencing with the camlocks on the ATX. I have also tried wrapping the camlocks with Thera-Bands. That worked well, but was a real pain to use.

Even with all the work the camlocks require to keep them working, I would not trade my ATX for any other detector of its type.

Adding the holes does not completely stop the sand from entering the cam-locks. It just lessens the amount by a bunch. Drilling just one hole near the bottom end of my Excalibur's lower rod made a huge difference. I can actually hunt for a day with it, and after a good rinse, just pull the lower rod out of the shaft with little effort. Used to take me forever to separate them, and after I did, there would always be a pile of sand at the bottom of the tub. Not any more.

I'm really looking forward to trying out the ATX. It's supposed to be here, tomorrow!

 

[Cameraniac]

The holes might help for silt/sand between the rod sections, but I do not see how it will help with the keeping the silt/sand from entering the camlocks from the gaps between the outside of the shaft's flats and the circular inside section of the camlocks. .

I see what you're saying. In that case, It may not help as much. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[Cameraniac]

I've been getting myself ready for the ATX ...

 

[Cameraniac]

What psi pressure washer does Garrett recommend for cleaning the cam-locks? I'm wondering if the 3500 psi pressure washer that I've got might be a little too much for the task? If so, it sounds like I need to do some more selling so that I can get a different one ....

 

[WaterWalker]

Take a look at: for the 100psi power washer I use.

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?96,2038436,2038436#msg-2038436

Then watch ALL Garrett's video on the ATX. I bought and use the spanner wrench as I did not have one that fit the camlocks.

Keep in mind that the ATX's shafts are fiberglass and not like the metal shafts of the Excalibur.
I am contemplating cutting about 2.5 inches off of each shaft section on my oldest worn out shaft.
But drilling through the fiberglass without splintering it may require a special bit or a hole saw blade.
Same would go for carbon fiber shafts.

 

[Cameraniac]

WaterWalker,
Have you tried using Plasti-Dip or maybe even some fat o-rings pushed up against the ends of the cam-locks?

Most of my drilling has been done to the Whites "Tall Man" lower rods, but the Excalibur lower rod is also made of some type of fiber. So far, I've been able to avoid splitting by using a sharp bit at a fast speed. Some times I'll start with a small bit, and then work my way up to the final size. I like to put a piece of tape over the area that I intend to drill, too.

 

[Cameraniac]

Heck, I'm even thinking of drilling holes in the nuts, for sand to escape from. lol!! Can't wait to see what I'm going to be dealing with. Come on Fedex guy!

 

[N7XW]

Interested in getting an atx, so following this thread.