Making Your Own Underwater Headphones

[scubadetector]

For those interested you can make your own underwater headphones if you have a pair of waterproof headphones laying around. You need this connector:

AMPHENOL TUCHEL - 12-08BMMA-SL8001 - M12 I-STYLE SENSOR CONNECTOR

A MONO RCA to 1/8 jack connector

Marine Epoxy

Some soldering skills a drill and a Dremel tool. I made a pair three days ago and they work great. The volume is still not up to par for my tastes thought and that is a problem with the detector. They did not make the volume level go high enough to satisfy divers using the machine.

I wrote to Minelab last week and as I was warned, they probably do not care as we are the minority. I have not heard back from them. MAJOR disappointment but they probably were not thinking anyone would dive with the machine because it is only rated for 10' deep. You don't have to go deeper that that in a ton of spots to find gold.

It is what it is. I will probably shelf this machine for diving because the volume is just way too low for me to hear most the time.

 

[adamBomb]

I am frustrated with the lack of waterproof options. I just wish the machines came with them. Actually, I just wish the machine used the CTX connection so we could use headphones we already had.

 

[jimpugh]

Hi Neighbors



I am looking forward to getting my 800 Thursday the 21....

I have waited since announcement for some of the Dust to settle....

Water proofing and Bone conductive headphones have amps and what not for swimmers, bicycle folks and hikers that want to at

least hear the bear that eats them while listening to the Beatles.

equalizing over the ear cups dive mask's make great housings for the brave and the dreamer......tubes from the front mask allow you

to equalize your ears purge water from the cups keeping the ear canal open and ......stopping water from hampering your hearing...

So my hope is that it WILL be worthy of my Second look......but either way i think it will make another awesome tool....

Oh by the way Nice finds guys keep digging...Success Is in the next scoop!

Happy Trails
jimpugh aka some recent Honey

[attachment 359249 ringo.jpg]

 

[dewcon4414]

Thus far....... at least we havent heard much about FLOODING. AB.... you are right.... whats up with not using the CTX connector? I said that from the beginning since they used it on the cable... and ALREADY had the very same yellows for the CTX....... that we all have at great expense. Ive seen those face masks you are talking about Jim..... werent those babies salty in price? Im not sure what the Aqua Sound uses........ but those phones leaves your ears ringing for days. I had to put volume controls on mine.

Dew

 

[Grumpyolddiver]

How About a CTX to Nox waterproof headphone connector??? Geeee that would be a Novel idea.
It All seems to come down to How much more they can get by waiting and creating a big demand for the parts needed to make it work. Minelab is coming back from repair issues quite nicely. But.....I'm not impressed with there Marketing performance. Grumpy
I don't even want to talk Coils.

 

[scubadetector]

I wonder what it takes to be heard by this company? I did talk to one lady who seemed sincere but then she vanished.

Disappointing customer service.

 

[Elton]

I wonder what it takes to be heard by this company? I did talk to one lady who seemed sincere but then she vanished.

Disappointing customer service.

Minelab people do follow this forum... " A fact "

 

[scubadetector]

I wonder what it takes to be heard by this company? I did talk to one lady who seemed sincere but then she vanished.

Disappointing customer service.

Minelab people do follow this forum... " A fact "

Elton,

I understand that. I just do not think they care about the minority here. I have heard stories that the CTX has the same problem. They didn't make it loud enough for divers. Now they did the same with the Equinox.

From what I understand and I could have been told wrong. Making a machine waterproof to 10' was not meant to make it a diving machine. It was just meant to say it could be submerged. The Detroit River is no more than 9 foot deep and lake St Clair the average depth of this huge lake is 9'. It made sense to have it as a diving machine for me. The very first gold I got with it was a chain bracelet so I am impressed. Since the machine is software controlled I was hoping they could increase the volume via software but I was told by the lady at Minelab they have no plans for that.

Love the machine. Just wish it would work better for me

 

[Grumpyolddiver]

Ok... Let Me be Clear.
I'm Not bashing Minelab!
But I don't understand how you can market a detector water resistant to 10ft.and not provide the means to make it work in the water. And then make the adapter to make it work proprietary. It's been almost a year since news of this detector was coming out. So Surely someone had to be thinking of things like this! Over the years I have spent Well past $10000. On Minelab detecting equipment and enjoy this hobbie. But come on Minlab.....Grumpy

 

[underwatermetalman]

As I diver I can attest to the lack of sound quality with the CTX. I find the majority of the good targets I have recovered are in the areas just out of reach of the waders. In other words 6-10 feet is prime hunting. I wish they would have used the same connection as the CTX then we wouldn't be scrambling and waiting. I have to hold my breath to hear targets with my CTX but I have found some great finds. I am getting tired of holding my breath waiting for production to catch up so I can get a set of headphones for my Nox that I can use for diving.

UWMM

 

[looknforgold]

This thread makes 100% sense.... Minelab has laid a Huge egg on this one, and it IRK'S me to know that I've already missed one beach trip this year because they had no waterproof phones when the detectors hit the shelf's, among other things.
I've owned a Etrac, Exterra 705, an Excalibur 1000, and now the EQ 800, And I can't even get a set of waterproof headphones unless I buy aftermarket, GEEZ!

 

[scubadetector]

As I diver I can attest to the lack of sound quality with the CTX. I find the majority of the good targets I have recovered are in the areas just out of reach of the waders. In other words 6-10 feet is prime hunting. I wish they would have used the same connection as the CTX then we wouldn't be scrambling and waiting. I have to hold my breath to hear targets with my CTX but I have found some great finds. I am getting tired of holding my breath waiting for production to catch up so I can get a set of headphones for my Nox that I can use for diving.

UWMM

No difference with the Equinox. You have to hold your breath.

 

[Dukester75]

I made an adapter cable to work with my equinox using this extension cable and connector. The connector pins can be removed easily and the 3.5mm cable plug can be glued in without any soldering (drilling out the connector is required).

Scuba, these are super cheap headphones, but sense they insert right into your ear, they are quite loud with the equinox and in my limited testing the tones sound pretty good with them. You might consider trying them. If you use a hood, I'd think they would fit comfortably underneath.

 

[Elton]

Understood Scuba. I would imagine for the limited number of persons who dive, versus the much larger number of average waders. It just wouldn't make sense for/to Minelab to alter their production. ?????????????? Just my thoughts.

 

[DigDeepNow]

I made an adapter cable to work with my equinox using this extension cable and connector. The connector pins can be removed easily and the 3.5mm cable plug can be glued in without any soldering (drilling out the connector is required).

Scuba, these are super cheap headphones, but sense they insert right into your ear, they are quite loud with the equinox and in my limited testing the tones sound pretty good with them. You might consider trying them. If you use a hood, I'd think they would fit comfortably underneath.

Very helpful post.
Thanks.

 

[scubadetector]

I made an adapter cable to work with my equinox using this extension cable and connector. The connector pins can be removed easily and the 3.5mm cable plug can be glued in without any soldering (drilling out the connector is required).

Scuba, these are super cheap headphones, but sense they insert right into your ear, they are quite loud with the equinox and in my limited testing the tones sound pretty good with them. You might consider trying them. If you use a hood, I'd think they would fit comfortably underneath.

I was TOLD that sticking ANYTHING in your ears while diving is an absolute NO. Do you actually dive with those earbuds?

 

[Dukester75]

I made an adapter cable to work with my equinox using this extension cable and connector. The connector pins can be removed easily and the 3.5mm cable plug can be glued in without any soldering (drilling out the connector is required).

Scuba, these are super cheap headphones, but sense they insert right into your ear, they are quite loud with the equinox and in my limited testing the tones sound pretty good with them. You might consider trying them. If you use a hood, I'd think they would fit comfortably underneath.

I was TOLD that sticking ANYTHING in your ears while diving is an absolute NO. Do you actually dive with those earbuds?

No, I don't dive. Why would it be bad to have anything in your ears? Something to do with the water pressure?

 

[DigDeepNow]

It likely would not be a good idea to block your ear canal while diving. Makes it possible your eustachian tube can't equalize pressure on both sides of the ear drum.
If the ear buds don't block your ear canal it shouldn't be a problem at <10 feet. My guess is they would not block the ear canal if you took off the foam inserts. If they block the ear canal I would not use them while diving.
And no, I'm not an ENT doc but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express a couple months ago.

Dukester - thanks for the post. I bought the parts you listed.

 

[scubadetector]

I made an adapter cable to work with my equinox using this extension cable and connector. The connector pins can be removed easily and the 3.5mm cable plug can be glued in without any soldering (drilling out the connector is required).

Scuba, these are super cheap headphones, but sense they insert right into your ear, they are quite loud with the equinox and in my limited testing the tones sound pretty good with them. You might consider trying them. If you use a hood, I'd think they would fit comfortably underneath.

I was TOLD that sticking ANYTHING in your ears while diving is an absolute NO. Do you actually dive with those earbuds?

No, I don't dive. Why would it be bad to have anything in your ears? Something to do with the water pressure?

Yes and you have to equalize your ears while diving. 10 foot is not a major depth but not something I want to chance. Possibly could put them in AFTER I was down. Something to think about, BUT I believe I will still have the same issue and that is after water gets in them they will not be loud enough just like headphones.

 

[stumppass]

A flooded machine was posted last night by Max in VA!!