Here’s a document that I put together that hopefully will help users out there.
General Care:
When using your Excal, its always best to wash it off after use. This should be common sense, but a lot of folks don’t bother doing this simple step. It’s always in your best interest to wash of dirt, sand and especially saltwater if you are out in the ocean.
One great thing you can do is pick up one of those pump sprayers from Home Depot for 12 bucks and fill it with water. This is what I keep strapped in the back of my truck. Its also handy for washing off sanding feet too.
Battery Connection Care:
Always try to keep your connections clean. Once in a while check and clean with rubbing alcohol. Also check to see if the prongs are squeezed together. They should be straight with even spacing as seen.
There is also a rubber grommet that should be inspected as well. Take it off as necessary and clean with alcohol then give it a very thin coat of silicone grease or spray on both sides. Do not use any RTV silicone on these.
Do not use anything else on this connector. Do not apply any type of RTV silicone on this washer as it must be able to spin freely.
Lastly, when screwing on the connector, please make sure you do not over tighten. Its actually a very common problem and it can cause the terminals inside the end cap to crack. I’ve seen it a bunch times.
What you should do is, screw it on lightly and once it hits the end cap flush. Then only tighten it about another 1/8 of turn more. That should do it. Any more can risk damage. If for some reason it is too loose, or it hear your power cut off for a second, then give it just another little nudge.
Knobs & O-rings:
It’s always best to be very mindful of the knobs on your Excalibur. Whether you use stock or aftermarket knobs, always be careful where you place or lay down your machine. Many times I have seen them broken off due to mishandling. One thing you can buy is a knob guard which helps protect them from such injury. A simple search will find plenty out there to choose from. For those that use aftermarket knobs, it is important to note that you want to make sure your knobs use stainless steel inserts. Many cheap knobs out there will rust and become a serious problem when trying to remove them and in some cases, I have had to use a dremel to cut them off.
Regardless of the knob you use, there is one common issue that you will see over time and that is the upper o-rings of the shaft. They will deteriorate and crack which can allow water to come in. You should inspect these every year to see if they are cracking or have become bad. Otherwise apply some silicone grease on top to help keep them from getting worse.
Coil and Headphone Wire Care:
It is very common for the wire on the Excaliburs to dry rot and crack even when sitting in storage. This can be avoided by keeping the wires clean and every so often wiping them down with either silicone spray or silicone grease. It’s like basically putting lotion on and I recommend doing this a couple times a year. This will help keep the wire looking new and shiny.
Basically just apply or spray thin coat of the wires. It does not have to be excessive but I will generally use my hands to rub it in so everything is coated then use a paper towel to clean off any excess.
You just want a nice shiny coat as pictured:
Coil Wire Management:
It should also be noted that good wire management is important and if its not then your wire can also be damaged or end up being “cooked” into a position when its wrapped on a shaft for too long in the hot sun.
One important thing I do and is also better for your signal, is to always keep your wire straight leading up from the coil on the shaft.
If you have excess wire and you probably will, try keeping it in a larger loop up at the top and once in a while, unwrap and exercise it when cleaning.
End Cap Shrink Wrap Management:
One other issue I see is that sand will get into your end cap a little. This is not a huge deal but it is important to note that if you want to help prevent that you can use some RTV silicone to help seal the shrink wrap to the main tube. Minelab does not do this and this is one of the few times I recommend using RTV here. But do not use just any RTV silicone. Some are worse than others which harden almost like epoxy which you do not want. If you use any then I would recommend the GE clear RTV silicone from Home Depot. Its nice and pliable when it hardens and it can be easily removed when needed.
Apply a small bead around the edge of the tube where the end cap meets it and a thin coat if necessary, on the inside of the shrink wrap, then slide it on.
Smooth off excess with your finger and let it cure for 24 hours. This will help keep that sand out!
Enjoy and Happy Hunting!!!
