Multiple Frequency Underwater Treasure Hunting Excalibur 800 Excalibur 1000 INSTRUCTION MANUAL The Minelab Excalibur with BBS Technology
The Minelab Excalibur Instruction Manual Contents Page No. Introduction ................................................................................................ 3 BBS Technology ........................................................................................ 4 List of Parts ............................................................................................... 6 Accessories ...............................................................................................
Instruction Manual Page 3 WARNING THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS MINELAB ELECTRONICS PTY LIMITED RIGHTS TECHNICAL DATA OR RESTRICTED RIGHTS DATA OR BOTH. © Minelab Electronics Pty Limited This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from Minelab Electronics Pty Limited, 118 Hayward Avenue, Torrensville, SA 5031, Australia.
Page 4 The Minelab Excalibur Family Introduction Congratulations on purchasing one of Minelab’s new Excalibur detectors. The Excalibur 800 and Excalibur 1000 detectors have been designed specifically for underwater treasure hunting and are upgrades to the very successful Excalibur detector. Excalibur detectors use Minelab’s unique Broad Band Spectrum (BBS) technology, which enables them to transmit automatically at 17 individual frequencies at the same time.
Instruction Manual Page 5 BBS Technology When developing BBS technology, Minelab’s engineers first looked at the technology that was already available on the market and identified its limitations in field use. Discussions with seasoned treasure hunters from around the world identified a number of common problems facing detector operators.
Page 6 The Minelab Excalibur Family Figure 1 - Detector comparison chart The most important factor when comparing detectors with and without BBS circuitry is that BBS-based detectors have the ability to hunt in even the most mineralized areas at maximum performance without the need to groundbalance the detector manually. As soon as the Excalibur is turned on and swept across the ground, the ground mineralization is analyzed and then compensated for by the microprocessor.
Instruction Manual Page 7 List of Parts The box in which your Excalibur is shipped should contain the following items.
Page 8 The Minelab Excalibur Family Figure 2 - Excalibur exploded view
Instruction Manual Page 9 Assembling the Excalibur Please follow these simple instructions to assemble your new Excalibur. Refer to the drawings to identify parts and how they are positioned. If you have any difficulties, call your dealer for more instructions. Armrest / Upper Shaft Assembly a) Remove the black nylon bolt and nut (2) from the armrest (1).
Page 10 The Minelab Excalibur Family d) Push the black nylon bolt (11) through the holes in the bracket on the coil from the cable entry side, then place the wing-nut on the other end of the bolt and tighten it by hand. Figure 3 - Excalibur with shaft assembled for Wader’s Mode Diver’s Mode Before setting up the detector for Diver’s Mode you will need to obtain the short fiberglass tube, which can be purchased as an accessory.
Instruction Manual Page 11 d) Push the black nylon bolt (11) through the holes in the bracket on the coil from the cable entry side, then place the wing-nut on the other end of the bolt and tighten it by hand. Figure 4 - Excalibur with shaft assembled for Diver’s Mode Completing the Shaft Assembly a) Slide the lower shaft assembly into the upper metal shaft. Note that the black plastic twistlock nut (14) may need to be loosened to get the lower shaft assembly in place.
Page 12 The Minelab Excalibur Family Batteries Excalibur detectors are all supplied with a battery pod which contains a rechargeable battery pack. Under most circumstances the battery pack can be used and recharged without ever removing it from the battery pod. Extra battery pods are available for purchase from your Minelab dealer and can be carried while detecting, thus ensuring that no loss of detecting time occurs if your battery goes flat.
Instruction Manual Page 13 The Excalibur’s Controls This section gives detailed descriptions of the Excalibur’s controls and their functionality. It is important that you read through this section carefully as it will provide you with all the information required to set and adjust these controls. As you gain experience with your detector it may be beneficial to refer back to this section.
Page 14 The Minelab Excalibur Family Volume Control This control is used to adjust a target’s signal volume. As you turn this control in a clockwise direction, the volume of target signals will increase. At the most clockwise position, the volume is set at the “maximum”, i.e. loudest, position. Sensitivity Control The Sensitivity control allows you to adjust the level of sensitivity to suit the ground conditions in which you are detecting.
Instruction Manual Page 15 Discriminate / Pin Point Mode Switch This switch selects either “Discriminate” or “Pin Point” mode. In “Discriminate” mode, the Discriminate (Disc) control becomes active. This control can be used to ignore various unwanted metal objects. Metal objects fall into two broad categories: ferrous and non-ferrous. A magnet can be used to determine if an object is a ferrous or non-ferrous metal; ferrous metals will be attracted to the magnet while nonferrous metals will not.
Page 16 The Minelab Excalibur Family In “Pin Point” mode, the Excalibur will detect both ferrous and non-ferrous objects. In this mode the Disc control has no effect and the Excalibur will respond in the same way to all types of metal. This mode is ideal for target pinpointing as the target signal response is fast and sharp. “Pin Point” mode is also useful if you are searching for ferrous targets such as relics.
Instruction Manual Page 17 Figure 6 - Target conductivity As you turn the Disc control more clockwise, objects with greater conductivity will be ignored. Imagine if you turn the Disc control to approximately position 11 to ignore the pull-tab. (Pull-tabs are made from various metallic alloys, thus their conductivity can vary. Disc control positions for pull-tabs may therefore range between 11 and 15.
Page 18 The Minelab Excalibur Family Figure 8 - Discriminate control examples The Disc control setting must be relative to the types of objects that you wish to hunt for and the amount of trash that you are prepared to detect. For example, if you are hunting for fine white gold rings and set the Disc control to position 4, you will also find some types of aluminum foil.
Instruction Manual Page 19 Operating Instructions Setting Up The Excalibur “Discriminate” Mode • Ensure that the battery is fully charged. • Set the Pin Point / Discriminate Mode switch to “Discriminate”. • Turn the Excalibur “On” by turning the Threshold control in a clockwise direction and then continue turning it until the tone becomes “just” audible. • Set the desired position of the Disc control. • Set the Sensitivity control to “Auto” or at the maximum manual setting without interference.
Page 20 The Minelab Excalibur Family Practicing the Controls We suggest you first take some time to become familiar with how your Excalibur responds to various metal objects. Gather a collection of different metal objects such as a rusted nail, pull-tab, brass button, aluminum foil, various coins, and some gold and silver jewelry. Take the unit outside, away from known electrical devices or metal objects and support the Excalibur so that objects can easily be moved past the coil.
Instruction Manual Page 21 Treasure Hunting Tips The Excalibur will perform at its best when the BBS coil is kept close to the ground. If you are not yet an experienced operator, you should practice maintaining a constant coil height at the extremity of each swing; maintaining contact with the ground will make this easier. This is important as variation in coil height at the end of each swing can cause confusing sounds and will reduce detection depth.
Page 22 The Minelab Excalibur Family Pinpointing with the Excalibur When the approximate location of the target has been determined, move the coil slowly over the target. The audio tone will increase in volume while moving towards the target and decrease in volume as you pass it. The tone will be loudest when the coil is directly over the target. Quite often the detector will be producing its maximum volume for a broad area over the target.
Instruction Manual Page 23 Digging the Object Once you have pinpointed the target, clear away the surface material and check again for the signal. If there is no signal then the target is amongst the surface material. In this case search the area until you have located the target. However, if the signal is still there, remove a few inches of soil or sand off the surface of the ground. If the target is not visible, sweep the coil over the hole again. The signal should still be there, so continue to dig.
Page 24 The Minelab Excalibur Family Environmental Concerns It should be pointed out that treasure hunting with a metal detector is the most environmentally friendly way to recover coins, rings, and other treasure items. However, it is important to leave an area that you have searched in the same condition as you found it. All holes that have been dug must be properly refilled. Not only is it environmentally unacceptable to not fill in your holes, it is also very dangerous.
Instruction Manual Page 25 Detector Care The Excalibur is a high-quality electronic instrument, finely engineered and packaged in a durable housing. Taking proper care of your detector is mostly common sense. Salt deposits, very fine sand, and grit will accumulate everywhere on the Excalibur and must be removed after each use for best performance. • Always thoroughly rinse your Excalibur with fresh water after each use.
Page 26 • The Minelab Excalibur Family Always keep the spare battery pod above the water’s surface. Your spare battery pod is not designed to be carried under water. If it is submerged in salt water while disconnected, the battery will discharge and the contacts will corrode.
Instruction Manual Page 27 Specifications These specifications are subject to change without notice. Applications Coin, relic, treasure hunting inland, beach, shallow water, diving Length Wader Extended Wader Unextended 1220 mm 1040 mm Weight Control Box, Shaft and 8" Coil Control Box, Shaft and 10" Coil Battery Pod 1.83 Kg 2.05 Kg 0.
Page 28 The Minelab Excalibur Family Warranty and Service There is a one-year parts and labour warranty for the electronic control box of the Excalibur. Refer to your Warranty Card for more details. The BBS coil is warranted for one year. Refer to your supplier or Minelab for service, either in or out of warranty.
Instruction Manual Page 29 Minelab Service Repair Form Today’s Date: ........................................................... Detector Model: .............................................. Serial No.: ................................. Purchased From: ................................................................................................. Purchase Date: ......................................................... Faulty Part(s): .....................................................................