Skull diver

What a work Joe!I still miss that powerful sound already strong on the Excal, but this is gorgeous! I just hope to realize something similar with the stuff I can find locally... I was also thinking to use the two channels like in a stereo system even if the source audio from ctx is mono... Maybe I'm saying bullsh...but on the board I see the audio In for a cable only from one channel source and two outputs. So maybe I can wire the speakers singularly to connect them at the exits of the board, instead of reproduce the Minelab and Grey Ghost original wiring...

There's a version of this board with volume regulation with a potentimeter.Once You tune to 90/95% of the maximum range the board, easily, you can control on the machine the source volume. This is my plan, cause when I'll insulate all the stuff with gum will be tough to modify any setting.

Have You tried regular speakers instead of piezos in your projects? I'm actually interested in that type of headphone, due to the kind of sound they can give.

Hi all of You! I want to share the first toughts on my new project for a waterproof amplified headphones need... As usual, I'm pissed by a number of things, not to be boring, but at a certain point my patience has a limit and with people legs between my search pattern, swimming at dawn over me...What can I do to relax myself until the summer ends? So I started a long research for a real tiny, cheap and effective amplifier board to install inside the headphones and hopefully to pump decently the audio on my Ctx3030.. I'm probably the last of the tribe that discovered this item, but hey! I'm impressed by the things can be done with this little toy... The board name is Pam8403 and is dirty cheap, to say a lot you can find it for 3 bucks in some cases... There are multiple variants of this board even with potentimeter already wired! This is however a digital class dual channel stereo amplifier and the audio source by the ctx is mono... So I'm still looking how to manage the wiring scheme to don't make a mess... I bought a pair of anti noise headphone frame to apply the speakers and the board and right now studying a way to get some power with an internal dedicated battery...The downside is that these boards need a specific tension of 5V and to be powered solely.. In my case, I need to waterproof the entire system with silicon gum (same type for epoxy moulding)...Wagnersil 22NF will cover completely the stuff inside...When it is time to replace the battery, the problem will arise of having an isolated compartment for it Once I'll be able to master this thing, I'll show if it works properly... I'm looking for the right speakers too... As usual, any thought or suggestion will be greatly appreciated!

You assisted to a miracle... Usually what happens more frequently is to find charms but nothing about the related chains, maybe spreaded somewhere else by the currents or just impossible to find cause of the broken shape laying down...Lovely piece too!

Nice job with wedding rings! I wish you more enjoying your truly treasure.

I hope Joe!....Lot of murky water for now...Time to wait for better conditions...

The Aussie is a single field type, so You can have the same shape but less windings I think...Cause of the shell, identical to the yellow one, it will float the same way if not more, due to more empty space in the central area. However, nothing you can't manage staying vertical and a wading depth. Regards the machine, for sure you're right on the medium size sensitivity, cause the 12 is more oriented to medium to big targets...I decided to swap the yellow in favour of an 8" Detech mono that floats like crazy...But is another story, I do scuba diving and this not the ideal machine to do it, at all.I only love the pinpoint much more easier and some good depth despite of the size. Good luck with it!

Another BIG beauty Joe!Nice. Interesting fact, no low tides until the 29th, at least here🤔must be a moon's joke🌡️

Gerry, I can't help You with your research, but talking about headphones, trust me, with the yellow Koss your chance to hear something are really few unless you don't raise the signals pitch to best suit your ears. I tested the Nox and was however slightly better than the Ctx for the audio. Grey Ghost, Minelab, nothing..These machines are just poor crap for audio output. Joe OBN is the master of amplified headphones and I'm still dreaming to know what's inside the Skullies....Ask to Joe... I have a project suspended to realize a pair by myself using the grey Ghost cable and another cheap frame I bought days ago...I talk about no more than 5 bucks for the frame.What I need now is to find a good pair of high impedance speakers and seal it with silicone...Plus something to amplify the sound...And here will be tough🤐

Here we go again, when autumn approaches, the evaluation of the most suitable vehicle means to prepare anything to face the peace of the beaches that will gradually begins empty ... Unfortunately for me, no more dinghy this year and considering the terrible weight of all the ballast I'm forced to bring downthere, plus another tool I'm planning in these hours, this time I'm in real troubles. At least 150kg, to be carried by hand and never on my back again, possibly. I tried to build two different trolleys with solid wheels, but with all the weight, I only managed to sink into the first meters of sand and to get into the water it was a nightmare. if any of you use special wheels or have built a personal cart and want to share pictures to get an idea for a project, that would be really great ...

Congrats for the gold! Feel free to turn up delay without fear up to a stable hum...Think about the AQ max level of 11.5uS like a third of others machines setting. Trust me, after that You should also have more available gain for your pleasure.... All the best

I like to analyze hunting trips where I am not successful and last Sunday was one of them.I visited a small cove, one year later, where I collected discreetly in the past with my Ctx.Unfortunately the rocks around the small beach cause really bad sand grains. I was there with Tdi believing I could have depth advantage.This place is far from home and I was going there to try something different without great expectations..Guess what? Eroded!All the fuc....g sand was gone somewhere else and I couldn't believe it. Was probably the first time I've seen that place in so good conditions since I know it. Long story short is that I was losing time over small iron signals, avidly looking for high pitch beauties and in the same time I spent digging no more than 10" at the deepest hole, my Ctx was the right gun to use and cover all the possible space in minutes. I left the beach when people was swimming almost over my head and very pissed I called it quit after two hours of useless holes every 20 cm one from each other. Fact number one Someone is already been there... Fact number two This is my fault..

I think it refers to the optimal conditions to use AQ ... Like any other p.i. after all ... A minimum of wave is enough to create false signals and force you to turn up the delay ...

I will be happy the same way...But wait for an official pricing release as the "Euro type"can easily be here at almost twice the cost of limited..At that point I'll be forced to evaluate another option by competitors.

For the relative brief experience I have gained with the Tdi Beachhunter in the last year, after modifying it, changing coil, changing batteries and testing every possible combination of gain, delay and GB, I can say with certainty that such a low delay in salt water can only give you problems. I am not talking only about noise, but also about making target identification less effective. After 11 years with a Vlf, it was a sudden transition, with no similarity between the two machines. Now, I'm peacefully setting a delay of 15uS, which I consider the minimum acceptable for a stable threshold and the removal of trivial insignificant pieces of foil. Maybe hunting for nuggets, I would use under 10uS, but away from a beach and away from human traces. Following an "edge" can be frustrating too simply cause of the minimum side wave action on you. If I think of the AQ as the next detector in my hands, I can already see it in tone mode, with a gain of 4, sat on 5 and reject on 3. Delay can only be dictated by environment... All this to be reworked over and over again and only on "certain" types of sand. So powerful that I'm looking for an effective tool to seriously dig so deep submerged.

Best reward after a long battle!

I promised myself to go out and test the changes I made on the Tdi Beachhunter ... In the end, all works properly and I'm a bit proud of what I've done thanks to some help I received here on the forum... Last night, however, I got my hands on the scuba harness and made one of the most serious miscalculations ... Removing a lot of weight to be free to reach the beach without paying the price of pain after the fatigue ... I had in mind some splendid video on sidemount setup, which intrigued me to try in terms of set-up ... The result was crap to say the least ...Sh...happens... Not only did I gain 22kg during quarantine, even though I didn't seem so fat, actually the buoyancy got a lot worse and even with the 32kg weight including the 15lt steel tank, they weren't enough to keep me on the bottom. So today, I massively messed up one of the most promising dive sessions to hunt... In conclusion, the Detech coil does its job, but my transformation is definitely an act of stubbornness and I do not recommend repeating the work to anyone. Although in any other environment, this coil would be adorable, underwater it manifests all its terrestrial nature ... I recommend watching the video to people who are not faint of heart or stomach, without minors around. Bad language censored and copyright defective. Cheers all of You! https://youtu.be/4xKkc_5UmJg

Even better... Unluckily for me, being mechanically able to build things, when it takes to multiple electronics knowledge, I find my limit. Maybe in the future, probably next to retirement, I'll build my entire machine from zero...Definitely a PI. For now, at the age of 37, I'm only oriented to burn these years as best as I can, diving, hunting any good place where I can travel to and hoping for my back to resist for enough long time...Serious troubles happened years ago and weight is a big enemy for me... Later I'll post a short footage of a dive session I really messed up today in early morning...

Aniway I already love that pcb housing. I wonder why White's don't adopted on this project an easy flat surface like that with a simple flat gasket too... Are You moulding and pouring epoxy to obtain that shapes? Seems not like a 3d printed box.

As strange as it can sound, I think must be something related to the coil...I suppose one of the two, specifically the larger one, isn't working good... I managed to swap the dual field with an 8" plain mono last week and I noticed this morning a lot more sincere conduct.Slightly Less depth but more stability and at least 5uS less compared to the over 20Us before the mods. (GB On too) I can only suggest to ask for some official assistance if your warranty is still active...Or, think about a coil change soon as You can. "Just my 2 cents"

I love the Garrett 8" coil design.That coil was born exactly for diving purpose but unluckily some more mods were needed...Things I'm still not able to do...I learned in a spectacular pdf file that Steve posted here, there's lot more than wire another brand's coil on the machine...After the mechanical work there's how to tune the machine for the new addition...Game over for me then. The easiest choice for the Tdi was to use a Gpx/Gp/Sd Minelab compatible coil... I Still think something can be improved on the pcb however...Next underwater test will tell the truth on this subject.

It is a Detech 8" Mono coil for Gpx and Tdi Pro/Sl...The alternative was the Coiltek Platypus 12x8 mono, but is a discontinued one and a few are available in the Usa only... Talking of buoyancy, There's not a lot of difference with the original 12" dual field...It will float the same way believe me...

Good job as usual! With the current price is really tempting to sell it fast🤣...

Too early to say if something is changed for better...I'm in Europe and this week thunderstorms have affected the shore, more than the wind...In the end I expect for the next week murky water and more trash than usual around... Right when I want to try my mods on the TdiBh😭