Jump to content

Aftermarket Shafts For In Water Use


eagleseye

Recommended Posts


I don’t think the Golden Mask rod would be a good candidate for in water use. It is basically the leg off a camera tripod, with fairly snug oring type shaft cams. I would hate to get fine sand and grit into those cams or the rod assembly itself. I am guessing a high probability of cam issues and shaft locking.

The lower most rod section has a very minimal amount of flex when fully extended. Not really an issue for above water use but flexing might become more an issue pushing a coil through the water.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Phrint for the detail on the drain hole, I saw on their website that the shaft is good for underwater operations although it stays LONG when shrinked for transport use since it's a 2 pieces shaft rather than a 3 pieces (shorter) one and finding a backpack for the stock version is a pain.

The opportunity to have a shorter shaft implies also that you can swing it while scuba diving with your right hand while picking up the targets with ease with your left hand: on a 2 piece shaft, the distance of the coil from the left reaching hand is too large to be considered comfortable, do you know (and Steve) other 3 pieces alternatives ?

Thanks guys for your support!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Phrunt awesome advice! Never heard about this UK based company!

I asked them if it can be used for scuba diving in salty water.

I'll keep you posted in the mean time here are a couple of links about them that I found:

Ecommerce (discount code that could work for a 5% "MDF4895" found on a youtube video):

https://www.detecting-innovations.co.uk/TELE-KNOX_Detecting-Innovations_Telescopic_Stem/p6292256_19741720.aspx

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one of the Tele-Nox rods pictured above. If I had to choose again between the Tele-Nox and Golden Mask (now available Equinox ready) I would pick the Tele-Nox by a hair. Both rods are fine but I like the Tele-Nox a little better, mainly due to the channel design keeping things aligned and a slightly stouter lower rod.

I have a lot of experience using the Garrett ATX with three piece telescoping rod in the water. It is 10 times stronger than either of these rods and it requires great care and constant cleaning to keep it from locking up. I do not consider either the Golden Mask or the Tele-Nox to be a rod I would use in the water, unless I absolutely had to. I think they would prove to be a service pain in the posterior due to too many moving parts. I also do not find either rod suitable for use with the 15" coil due to the extra strain the larger coil puts on these rods, leading to flexing in the thin lower rods and possible torque related twisting.

Both these rods are great for mountain type rucksack hiking using the stock or 6" coil.

For water use I prefer a two piece rod for stoutness and durability. I am pretty sure both the Steve's Rod and Detect-Ed are good options. I favor Steve's since he is an active forum member! :smile: However, two piece rods can be too long for ease of travel/packing in a suitcase.

So unlike some people I am actually just fine with the stock rod as a three piece option both for travel and in water use. It’s inexpensive enough to be a “sacrificial option”. I just don't think for me personally there is a one rod for everything solution that is perfect, and the stock rod as a general purpose option suits me just fine, with either telescoping or two piece rods for niche/specialty uses.

Just my thoughts/opinions.

 

Minelab Equinox Shaft Assembly 3011-0400

A317C537-78F1-45C2-97F3-F90CA3ABB98A.jpeg

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

eagleseye --

My shafts have already been mentioned in this thread by Steve H., but you seem to be looking for more collapsibility, so I wanted to let you know that I also offer a three-piece all-carbon-fiber shaft option -- I can custom-build it for you, if you need it to collapse small enough to fit in a specific-sized bag, but my "standard" option keeps all three shaft sections at 21" or less.  The connections between the three sections are achieved with two of my heavy duty, highly secure clamp-type cam locks.  I also offer the "drain hole" in the lower rod, as an option for anyone who would like to have one.  Finally, I can offer you the shaft in standard black, or an array of colors, if you have interest in a colored shaft.  Just another option for you to consider.  Please contact me, if you would like additional information, as I'd love the chance to build you a shaft (email steve@stevesdetectorrods.com).

Steve

www.stevesdetectorrods.com

www.facebook.com/stevesdetectorrods

 

RyanShaftAssembled.jpg

RyanShaftDisassembled.jpg

SilverShaftattheBeach.jpg

redblack1.jpg

redblack2.jpg

colored-tubes.jpg

camlockleft-50.jpg

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

snip

For water use I prefer a two piece rod for stoutness and durability. I am pretty sure both the Steve's Rod and Detector-ED are good options. I favor Steve's since he is an active forum member! :smile: However, two piece rods can be too long for ease of travel/packing in a suitcase.

Etc

Just my thoughts/opinions.

Thank you @Steve Herschbachfor all the details, so it seems I either have to choose if I prefer using a 2 piece for sturdiness in water or a 3 piece solution for an easy go on carrying with me in a relatively small backpack: a combo is unlikely to work perfectly in both ways.

A friend of mine has a Detect ED that I can borrow to try the 2 piece rod, I'll finally try it (in water and tucking it away) and I'll take my final decision.

Thanks again for all the infos you, @phrunt and @steveg (those colored carbon fiber tubes he creates are... "darn sexy"! :D) where able to lay on the table. 

@steveg awesome work on your rods, I'll send you a request in a PM as soon as I figure out what's the prominent feature I will settle with. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

eagleseye -- sounds good, thank you!  I'll look for your PM, if you decide eventually to send one.  One other thing I would like to let you know, is that I build shafts with customized details, for customers who need such.  So, even if I haven't mentioned something specific that you might want, with your shaft, I'd encourage you to ask the question; there are many things I am happy to do, that can be tailored to your needs, but which I have not specifically mentioned anywhere.  I do these custom shafts on a customer-by-customer basis, trying to meet whatever specific needs anyone might have, but it's impossible to list all the possibilities, in terms of customization.  

For instance -- that three-piece design that I posted the pictures of, earlier?  That specific shaft was a modification of what I'd normally do, but that customer wanted his shaft to fit in a SPECIFIC case, a Pelican 1510, for travel purposes.  He already had the case, so he needed a three-piece that would fit the case (as opposed to finding a case to fit a particular shaft).  SO, I worked with him to get the dimensions of his case, and then I designed and built the shaft to fit that specific case.  Here's a picture of what the final result was -- it's a picture of the shaft disassembled, and fitting perfectly (with his other EQX components) into his Pelican carry-on case (you can see the two shaft sections in the picture, on top; the third shaft section is beneath the other two, in a slot that he cut into the foam).

So, again -- if you need something specific, there's a good chance I can accommodate, with a "custom" build.

Thanks!

Steve

 

 

ryan-pelican-shaft.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...