Metal Detectors - Minelab Explorer XS, II Pro, SE, E-Trac and Safari
Repositioning a Headphone Socket - Affixing It to Arm-Rest
3) The problem with a small (1/8 inch) headphone socket of Explorer XS would start within the first year of intense metal detecting and transpire itself in a loose position of headphone jack. During metal detecting process, either the headphone cable would put the pressure on it or the rocks and roots would hit the headphone jack when the detector was placed on the rough ground surface (a detector stand was not available on Explorer XS). That would lead to the frequent interruptions in the target's signal reception.
Such interruptions would be also caused by the weak headphones cable which would start losing its connection after two months of usage. Short life and replacement of headphones was another major problem of Explorer XS. To eliminate those problems before they would arise, I came up with a simple idea: instead of using a 1/8 inch socket located at the end of handle assembly, I would use a stronger 1/4 inch headphone socket placed on the armrest, at convenient angle. At that time, I already had a set of Koss headphones with a 1/4 inch jack.
For the Explorer XS modification, I purchased an adaptor, 1'-long cable with a 1/8 inch headphone jack on one end, a 1/4 inch socket on another, and a volume control in between. I ran the cable around the armrest and secured the headphone socket onto one outer side of the armrest.
For the Explorer II modification, I used a 2'-long extention cable (the shortest one I could find), with 1/4 inch jack on one end and 1/4 inch socket on another. Before I secured the cable with zip ties on right outer side of the armrest, I made sure that I could pull the headphone jack in and out of socket easily. With a tip of a screwdriver heated over the gas flame, I made four holes for zip ties in right outer side of the armrest. Then I had to wind the excess of cable around the handle assembly.
Extention Cable Runs On One Side Of the Armrest of Explorer II
On the left outer side of the armrest, I made three holes for zip ties and set up the headphone socket on a cushion in the upright position.
Replacing an Original Arm-Rest on Minelab E-Trac with a Home-Made One
To avoid unexpected breaking of the factory-made arm-rest and add more durability to the E-Trac's body, I replaced the original arm-rest with my own piece initially made for Explorer XS back in 2001. To construct it, I used a plastic pipe of 3-7/8 inches (10cm) in diameter. I cut a piece of 5 inches (12.7cm) long and, with use of a few screws, assembled a simple but rigid arm-rest. Then I ran a wire to the receiving 1/4" headphone socket attached to the left side of my new arm-rest as shown on a picture below.
This home-made arm-rest was initially made for Explorer XS, now it is used on E-Trac
I made the arm-rest narrower and longer than the original to fit my forearm. This simple design takes some strain off the wrist and provides optimum comfort over extended detecting periods.
Sealing the Search Coils
4) Within the first year of using Minelab Explorer, I started noticing short false signals while swinging the search coil in the air. No matter what program settings I was using, the false signals would not disappear. The puzzle was solved easily when I finally detached the coil cover to clean it inside. As a substantial amount of dirt, sand, and small rock fragments came out, not only the coil became lighter but also the false signals disappeared. The dirt that got inside, between the search coil and coil cover, through the gap consisted of mineralized soil and caused the false signals.
Prior to that discovery, I used either duct tape or electrical tape to prevent the coil cover from falling off. Now, to seal the gap and keep the coil cover secured, I used the silicone sealant. Its flexibility and good grip provided the best solution. The outdoors silicone sealant, both clear and in different colors, is sold in any hardware store.
Silicone Sealant
Clear Silicone Sealant On Standard Minelab 10.5" Search Coil
Brown Color Silicone Sealant On Minelab 7-1/4" Search Coil
The E-Trac's lightweight, rigid, and durable 11" Double-D search coil seems to have a tight protective cover, so I have not done any Silicone sealing of it (yet).
You can find all the Search Program settings for Minelab E-Trac - on My Programs for E-Trac page, for Minelab Explorer XS, II, SE, SE Pro and Minelab Safari - on "My Program for Explorers" page, and for White's Spectrum XLT e-series - on "My Program for XLT" page.
If you want to read about how the Minelab E-Trac is different from Minelab Explorer II, you can read my report on E-Trac Field Test.
You can find and compare Specifications, Features, Prices, Users' Reviews and Ratings - all helpful Information, for all metal detectors available on the market today at Metal Detectors Reviews Main Page
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