The Minelab Excalibur
with BBS Technology
Multiple Frequency
Underwater
Treasure Hunting
Excalibur 800
Excalibur 1000
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
The Minelab Excalibur
Instruction Manual
Contents
Page No.
Introduction ................................................................................................3
BBS T echnology ........................................................................................4
List of Parts ............................................................................................... 6
Accessories ...............................................................................................6
Assembling the Excalibur ..........................................................................8
Batteries................................................................................................... 11
The Excalibur’s Controls ......................................................................... 12
Operating Instructions..............................................................................18
Treasure Hunting T ips.............................................................................. 20
Environmental Concerns .......................................................................... 23
Detector Care .......................................................................................... 24
Trouble-shooting Guide ............................................................................ 25
Specifications ........................................................................................... 26
Warranty and Service .............................................................................. 27
Minelab Service Repair Form .................................................................. 2 8
Version 1.1 August 2001
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,
T orrensville, SA 5031,
Australia.
Since there may be a range of options available in this detector type,
equipment may vary according to the model or items ordered with your detector.
Certain descriptions and illustrations may differ (in this manual) from the exact
model that you purchased. In addition, Minelab reserve the right to respond to
ongoing technical progress by introducing changes in design, equipment and
technical features at any time.
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.
The benefits of multiple frequency technology are numerous and include
increased depth, greater sensitivity to non-ferrous metal objects, increased
accuracy in target indication, and increased stability under most conditions.
The Excalibur is the highest performing and most reliable underwater
discriminating detector available in the world today. It is designed to be used
up to a depth of 200 feet, or when wading in shallow water, or on land.
Excalibur detectors are designed to locate valuable metal objects in high trash
areas and in areas of either extreme salt or ground mineralization, conditions
that are commonly encountered by treasure hunters around the world. When
using a single- or dual-frequency detector under these conditions, a treasure
hunter may experience a significant loss of detection depth and discrimination
accuracy. However, the Excalibur, with its 17 individual frequencies,
eliminates the interference from these ground conditions and enables you to
penetrate deeply and discriminate accurately at full depth.
Excaliburs are easy to operate, having few controls that require adjustment
after they have been set. The extremely advanced, yet easy-to-use
discrimination features enable you to accurately select certain types of metals
while rejecting unwanted objects.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the Excalibur 800, the
Excalibur 1000, or any other Minelab product, then please feel free to
contact us via your local Authorized Minelab Dealer or write to us direct.
We wish you every success in your treasure hunting.
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. These problems
included:
• Loss of detection depth in highly mineralized ground
• Inaccurate target identification beyond 5 or 6 inches
• Inability to detect good targets in close proximity to iron trash
• Erratic operation when searching salt-water beaches.
BBS circuitry allows the Excalibur to operate automatically at 17 different
frequencies simultaneously — a feature that is unique to Minelab metal
detectors.
Most detectors on the market operate on a single (or dual) frequency, ranging
from 1 to 70 kHz. Although this technology has served the industry well for
years, Minelab’s engineers found that a frequency that worked well in one area
would often offer only marginal performance when used in another location.
Ground mineralization, trash content, and target size all had an effect on how
well a detector transmitting a single frequency would operate.
The BBS circuit automatically transmits 17 frequencies simultaneously,
ranging from 1.5 to 25.5 kHz in 1.5 kHz increments. The signal received from
the coil is analyzed and information is relayed to the operator via the
headphones. Through the use of its 17 frequencies, the Excalibur is able to
find and accurately identify targets at maximum depth, regardless of the ground
conditions or trash present.
Essentially, when using an Excalibur with BBS technology, it is like swinging
17 single-frequency detectors at the same time. Because BBS operates at a
number of frequencies that no other detector does, BBS detectors such as the
Excalibur can find objects that no other detector has the ability to find.
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.
This ensures that the Excalibur can locate targets deeper than most other units
currently on the market.
One of the major overall benefits of BBS technology is that although it
automatically operates at 17 frequencies — all at the same time — it is actually
easier to use than most of its competitors. Because it is microprocessor
controlled, all you need do is to set the threshold, discrimination, and volume,
and the rest is done for you automatically.
A BBS detector will penetrate more deeply, discriminate more accurately, and
can be used in even the worst ground conditions. The bottom line is that when
you use a Minelab detector such as the Excalibur with its BBS technology, you
will find more good targets than you will with any other detector.
Instruction Manual Page 7
List of Parts
The box in which your Excalibur is shipped should contain the following items.
When you first receive your Excalibur, please check that all these items are in
the box:
Excalibur model
Part 800 1000
Electric Control Cylinder !!
8" Round BBS 800 coil (waterproof) or !
10" Round BBS 1000 coil (waterproof) !
One-piece Upper Shaft Assembly !!
(Long) Fiberglass Shaft !!
Headphones !!
Black Armrest !!
NiCad Battery Pod !!
Mains NiCad Charger !!
Battery Adaptor Plug !!
Warranty card !!
Accessories
In addition to the items supplied with your Excalibur, the following items are also
available for you to purchase.
• Hipmount bag
• 12V NiCad battery vehicle charger
• Short Fiberglass tube (for diving)
• Blue Minelab Cap
• Blue Minelab Poloshirt
For more information on these and other Minelab products call your Minelab
dealer.
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).
b) With the armrest’s larger fins pointing in the same direction as the foam
handgrip (4), slide the armrest (1) onto the end of the upper metal shaft
(3).
c) Push the nylon bolt (2) through the holes and tighten the wing-nut by hand.
d) The control cylinder (5) and battery pod (6) should already be clipped onto
the upper shaft. If not, then first clip the control cylinder onto the shaft.
Ensure that the headphone cable (7) is pointing toward the armrest.
e) Clip the battery pod onto the shaft, ensuring that the plug (8) is facing
away from the armrest.
f) Connect the battery cable from the control cylinder to the battery pod. The
connection uses a water exclusion seal that needs to be firmly tightened by
hand, otherwise water may enter the connection causing instability and
corrosion of contacts, and voiding the warranty.
Land and Wader ’s Mode
a) Remove the tape on the long fiberglass tube (9) that is holding the black
teardrop washers (10) in place.
NOTE:
Make sure that the washers do not fall out after removing the tape.
b) Remove the black nylon nut, washer, and bolt (11) from the coil (12).
c) With the teardrop washers in place, push the lower tube assembly into
the bracket on the coil so that the holes line up.
NOTE:
Ensure that the spring clip near the top of the fiberglass tube is pointing
toward the rear of the coil.
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