Im posting up this info (with pics) for those that are curious how to do it, and for those that have messaged me in the past. Of course this is only one way to skin a cat, and there are others.
As Andy mentioned in an earlier post use RG6 COAX CABLE Solid copper core is the way to go. Andy also mentions not using cheap ipod pouches, and that point cant be stressed enough... DONT USE A CHEAP POUCH
Photo #1- shows the unit ready to go hunt(except for the ice and snow) Its mounted on a straight shaft, as this my preference and keeps the high dollar factory shaft clean and the locking mechanism from getting full of sand/silt/debris, and leading to premature failure. Starting at the top and looking down youll notice a whites padded arm cup with the velcro strap, a Fisher CZ 20/21(or 1280X) padded oval grip, a plastic Ipod pouch(Ill get back to that later), a shaft locking mechanism, and a couple bright colored zip ties loosely yet snuggly attaching the cable to the coil.
Photo #2- Shows a close-up of the front of the pouch. This is not one of those $5 big auction site ipod pouches. The run of the mill $5 pouches WILL leak. I tested a few of them in a bucket full of water with an old toasted Razr phone placed in them, weighted enough that it would half float (like a fishing bobber). DO NOT BUY A CHEAP POUCH!
This is an Iswim pouch. These pouches run upwards of $30 shipped, but they are very good. The Iswim has three separate zippers which fold over each other, then theres a velcro piece which keeps the folded parts folded. It also has a handy adjustable lanyard you can wear around your neck. In my early days of water hunting with this I also cinched it around a brim hat so the pouch wouldnt touch water unless the hat fell off. After gaining trust in the pouch, I just put the lanyard around my neck and went to hunting. I have many many Hrs running with the pouch hanging around my neck and it did not leak. The Iswim does come with a set of waterproof earbuds but I found these to be very loud due to no volume control on them or the Deus (maybe V3 will help out). I opted to clip off the wires from the in and outside of the pouch and run the standard back phones. Im sure there other heavy duty pouches out there, but this is the one I found that works well.
Hard cases are also an option. Most of these should not leak unless you open them while in the water, or neglect to latch them securely before going into the water. The advantage of soft vs hard is that with a soft case you can adjust and change settings without the fear of dropping your unit in water after opening up a hard case. Also, why have the most versatile machine in the world with change on the fly programs, and have to stop and open a case to tweak a setting. (my old floating Sov didnt fare too well) Either way the choice is yours, just stay away from the cheap pouches.
Photo #3- Same pouch with the rear view. I use rubber bands to hold the cable snug to the unit, this gives consistent performance while out in the chest-neck deep water. Some folks dont attach cables to the control unit, but I do. I dont want a cable coming loose from my arm or shoulder then hunting it down to reattach it etc.. This is also the best shot of showing the finished product of how I opted complete to the inner copper coax wire. I cut off all insulation and braiding to 1 3/8", used a hot glue gun, some 9MM heat shrink tubing and some heat (used a lighter, but heat gun would be better) I didnt want water getting to the core wire and corroding it, nor did I want the small wire constantly picking up weeds, or getting bent. The heat shrink tubing will not come off of this because it is heated and shrunk into the already warm glue. If the materials are on hand it takes 10-20 minutes to make a cable this way.
Photo #4 - shows a gap due to the smaller end of the shaft Im using. I needed an extra rubber washer on the side where the grommet "thingy" goes (not sure what its called) To cinch the coil tight to the shaft. If you opt to use the factory shaft, the extra washer wont matter.
Photo #5 - After the coil has been secured to the lower shaft you can see the extra rubber washer. Also, as mentioned before, the "loosely snugged" tie wraps to hold the cable securely over the area where the charger connectors are located. The tie wraps can be gently twisted and pulled to get them to slide off for a recharge. This is the only disassembly needed for a recharge. Ive used rubber bands to do this, but they do get rotten and break after a while. Ive used electrical tape, but it gets messy after a few charges, and the tape doesnt always want to stay. The tie wraps hold up for a long time. Also keep in mind the transmit end of the antennae needs to stay very close to the coil or it will lose connection.
Photo #6 - This cable is a 10' cable, and I coil up the excess. Its at the upper part so there isnt much drag when swinging through the water. One of the cables I made was a 6' and after it was secured to the shaft it ended up being too short for me. this is also a better shot of the fisher handle. Some extra tools were needed to install this. A hole had to be drilled (3/16th but dont quote me) @ 90 degrees so the little tit inside of the handle could lock into the shaft to keep it from spinning. Also, the factory machine screws were a little long and had to be cut off before the padded grip was installed. I used a small hacksaw, but a dremel tool would have been much easier. Speaking of drag, I used a liberal amount of elec tape on the lower shaft to reduce drag and vibration. pic 1 shows some of this on the lower shaft by the coil and the lower part of the upper shaft. This cable WILL drag and vibrate. Pic 6 shows more tape on the shaft in front of the handle, to help reduce the cable drag.
Clear as mud ?
As Andy mentioned in an earlier post use RG6 COAX CABLE Solid copper core is the way to go. Andy also mentions not using cheap ipod pouches, and that point cant be stressed enough... DONT USE A CHEAP POUCH
Photo #1- shows the unit ready to go hunt(except for the ice and snow) Its mounted on a straight shaft, as this my preference and keeps the high dollar factory shaft clean and the locking mechanism from getting full of sand/silt/debris, and leading to premature failure. Starting at the top and looking down youll notice a whites padded arm cup with the velcro strap, a Fisher CZ 20/21(or 1280X) padded oval grip, a plastic Ipod pouch(Ill get back to that later), a shaft locking mechanism, and a couple bright colored zip ties loosely yet snuggly attaching the cable to the coil.
Photo #2- Shows a close-up of the front of the pouch. This is not one of those $5 big auction site ipod pouches. The run of the mill $5 pouches WILL leak. I tested a few of them in a bucket full of water with an old toasted Razr phone placed in them, weighted enough that it would half float (like a fishing bobber). DO NOT BUY A CHEAP POUCH!
This is an Iswim pouch. These pouches run upwards of $30 shipped, but they are very good. The Iswim has three separate zippers which fold over each other, then theres a velcro piece which keeps the folded parts folded. It also has a handy adjustable lanyard you can wear around your neck. In my early days of water hunting with this I also cinched it around a brim hat so the pouch wouldnt touch water unless the hat fell off. After gaining trust in the pouch, I just put the lanyard around my neck and went to hunting. I have many many Hrs running with the pouch hanging around my neck and it did not leak. The Iswim does come with a set of waterproof earbuds but I found these to be very loud due to no volume control on them or the Deus (maybe V3 will help out). I opted to clip off the wires from the in and outside of the pouch and run the standard back phones. Im sure there other heavy duty pouches out there, but this is the one I found that works well.
Hard cases are also an option. Most of these should not leak unless you open them while in the water, or neglect to latch them securely before going into the water. The advantage of soft vs hard is that with a soft case you can adjust and change settings without the fear of dropping your unit in water after opening up a hard case. Also, why have the most versatile machine in the world with change on the fly programs, and have to stop and open a case to tweak a setting. (my old floating Sov didnt fare too well) Either way the choice is yours, just stay away from the cheap pouches.
Photo #3- Same pouch with the rear view. I use rubber bands to hold the cable snug to the unit, this gives consistent performance while out in the chest-neck deep water. Some folks dont attach cables to the control unit, but I do. I dont want a cable coming loose from my arm or shoulder then hunting it down to reattach it etc.. This is also the best shot of showing the finished product of how I opted complete to the inner copper coax wire. I cut off all insulation and braiding to 1 3/8", used a hot glue gun, some 9MM heat shrink tubing and some heat (used a lighter, but heat gun would be better) I didnt want water getting to the core wire and corroding it, nor did I want the small wire constantly picking up weeds, or getting bent. The heat shrink tubing will not come off of this because it is heated and shrunk into the already warm glue. If the materials are on hand it takes 10-20 minutes to make a cable this way.
Photo #4 - shows a gap due to the smaller end of the shaft Im using. I needed an extra rubber washer on the side where the grommet "thingy" goes (not sure what its called) To cinch the coil tight to the shaft. If you opt to use the factory shaft, the extra washer wont matter.
Photo #5 - After the coil has been secured to the lower shaft you can see the extra rubber washer. Also, as mentioned before, the "loosely snugged" tie wraps to hold the cable securely over the area where the charger connectors are located. The tie wraps can be gently twisted and pulled to get them to slide off for a recharge. This is the only disassembly needed for a recharge. Ive used rubber bands to do this, but they do get rotten and break after a while. Ive used electrical tape, but it gets messy after a few charges, and the tape doesnt always want to stay. The tie wraps hold up for a long time. Also keep in mind the transmit end of the antennae needs to stay very close to the coil or it will lose connection.
Photo #6 - This cable is a 10' cable, and I coil up the excess. Its at the upper part so there isnt much drag when swinging through the water. One of the cables I made was a 6' and after it was secured to the shaft it ended up being too short for me. this is also a better shot of the fisher handle. Some extra tools were needed to install this. A hole had to be drilled (3/16th but dont quote me) @ 90 degrees so the little tit inside of the handle could lock into the shaft to keep it from spinning. Also, the factory machine screws were a little long and had to be cut off before the padded grip was installed. I used a small hacksaw, but a dremel tool would have been much easier. Speaking of drag, I used a liberal amount of elec tape on the lower shaft to reduce drag and vibration. pic 1 shows some of this on the lower shaft by the coil and the lower part of the upper shaft. This cable WILL drag and vibrate. Pic 6 shows more tape on the shaft in front of the handle, to help reduce the cable drag.
Clear as mud ?
