Making this lower shaft system for my CTX3030 was not an exercise in trying to make a cheaper version of the lower shaft for the C required. I’m happy with my choice.
I was looking for an effective telescopic travel shaft system for the CTX3030. It would need to allow me to pack it in to a smaller package for land detecting. I've kept the original shaft and others I made for CTX3030 lower shaft to use for under water detecting and this is simply for the fact that they have no metal parts that will be subject to corrosion in saltwater as the tightening rings for each segment are made of aluminum. I could use some protective coat on the metal and that might help with trying to preserve it. I may do that one day.
I ended up purchasing a particular sized, diameter (28mm for its first segment and for its length) of what a mostly carbon fiber camera monopod because 28mm gets locked perfectly and can be locked into stock CTX3030 upper shaft. The smaller 25mm can also be used but you then need to use a method to increase its diameter to a 28mm diameter at some point on the tube to be able to lock it down on the upper shaft lock cam. Removed the rubber grip (lightly heated, it can be rolled of or you can carefully cut it off), knocked out from inside the first tube, after dismantling it the “camera plate” that also holds the strap and the thread for a camera (it’s glued in).
Only required the first and second sections of the camera monopod. The first two “upper” sections with the Explorer/Etrac/Safari lower shaft adds up to a longer lower shaft assembly, in general than what the lower stock CTX3030 is.
The rest of the monopod assembly I might use as extra XP Deus search shafts or for other detector shaft.
The brand and model (Manbily) of the carbon fbre monopod that requires the modifications and that I chanced upon when searching online and can be found here:
https://www.tomtop.com/p-d2892.html
in part of the description for it says the following:
“5-section lightweight camera monopod, made of carbon fiber, extendable length from about 45cm to 165cm.
With 4 quick locks and easily extendable, the 5-section monopod can extend up to 165cm.
maximum diameter is up to 28mm, (Fits the CXT3030 upper shaft and locks in perfectly)
Quick lock system for length adjustment, securely lock the unipod.”
I used a modified (by the sanding down to a round as the tube is, the “square” end of the top of the tube of lower shaft of the Explore/Etrac/Safari detector) that coincidently fits just right into the second section of the monopod I used. Also, I used the lower shaft of the Explorer/Etrac/Safari because the curly coil cables and the connectors of the CTX3030 coils, fit just right inside this lower tube that has the suitable clevis that you simply sleeve the straight run of coil with curly cable that protrudes out the clevis with a spiral cable protector to protect it from any chaffing of the coil cable. The lower shaft used, is also a length that can position the coil a desirable distance away from any metal parts of the camera monopod shaft that may cause a distortion or interference with the detection processes. The lower shaft for the Explorer/Etrac/Safari clevis also fits the “ears” of all the coils of the CTX3030 that I have perfectly. If ever required these slightly modified lower shafts will still work just perfect back on the detectors they were made for.
On another note, the upper square tube shaft of the CTX3030 is still a bit too long for my liking but I have plans to either modify it or just replace it with a shorter round tube version that, once I've figured out an effective method that may or may not involve using a cam lock to keep the shafts I made and it and to lock together. Having a shorter upper shaft system for the CTX3030 with also allow me to have an even more compact version of the CTX3030.
I wish all the best if you attempt this same mod and hope it all works for you as well as it did for me.
David Di
I was looking for an effective telescopic travel shaft system for the CTX3030. It would need to allow me to pack it in to a smaller package for land detecting. I've kept the original shaft and others I made for CTX3030 lower shaft to use for under water detecting and this is simply for the fact that they have no metal parts that will be subject to corrosion in saltwater as the tightening rings for each segment are made of aluminum. I could use some protective coat on the metal and that might help with trying to preserve it. I may do that one day.
I ended up purchasing a particular sized, diameter (28mm for its first segment and for its length) of what a mostly carbon fiber camera monopod because 28mm gets locked perfectly and can be locked into stock CTX3030 upper shaft. The smaller 25mm can also be used but you then need to use a method to increase its diameter to a 28mm diameter at some point on the tube to be able to lock it down on the upper shaft lock cam. Removed the rubber grip (lightly heated, it can be rolled of or you can carefully cut it off), knocked out from inside the first tube, after dismantling it the “camera plate” that also holds the strap and the thread for a camera (it’s glued in).
Only required the first and second sections of the camera monopod. The first two “upper” sections with the Explorer/Etrac/Safari lower shaft adds up to a longer lower shaft assembly, in general than what the lower stock CTX3030 is.
The rest of the monopod assembly I might use as extra XP Deus search shafts or for other detector shaft.
The brand and model (Manbily) of the carbon fbre monopod that requires the modifications and that I chanced upon when searching online and can be found here:
https://www.tomtop.com/p-d2892.html
in part of the description for it says the following:
“5-section lightweight camera monopod, made of carbon fiber, extendable length from about 45cm to 165cm.
With 4 quick locks and easily extendable, the 5-section monopod can extend up to 165cm.
maximum diameter is up to 28mm, (Fits the CXT3030 upper shaft and locks in perfectly)
Quick lock system for length adjustment, securely lock the unipod.”
I used a modified (by the sanding down to a round as the tube is, the “square” end of the top of the tube of lower shaft of the Explore/Etrac/Safari detector) that coincidently fits just right into the second section of the monopod I used. Also, I used the lower shaft of the Explorer/Etrac/Safari because the curly coil cables and the connectors of the CTX3030 coils, fit just right inside this lower tube that has the suitable clevis that you simply sleeve the straight run of coil with curly cable that protrudes out the clevis with a spiral cable protector to protect it from any chaffing of the coil cable. The lower shaft used, is also a length that can position the coil a desirable distance away from any metal parts of the camera monopod shaft that may cause a distortion or interference with the detection processes. The lower shaft for the Explorer/Etrac/Safari clevis also fits the “ears” of all the coils of the CTX3030 that I have perfectly. If ever required these slightly modified lower shafts will still work just perfect back on the detectors they were made for.
On another note, the upper square tube shaft of the CTX3030 is still a bit too long for my liking but I have plans to either modify it or just replace it with a shorter round tube version that, once I've figured out an effective method that may or may not involve using a cam lock to keep the shafts I made and it and to lock together. Having a shorter upper shaft system for the CTX3030 with also allow me to have an even more compact version of the CTX3030.
I wish all the best if you attempt this same mod and hope it all works for you as well as it did for me.
David Di
