Are Drainage Holes Needed For Excalibur Anderson Over/under Shaft?

[Kevin Walenciak]

I have a carbon fiber Anderson Over/Under shaft for my Excalibur 2.  I typically hunt in water depths varying from knee deep all the way out to chest deep.  I am noticing some slight falsing as I am transitioning from the shallower to the deeper waters and vice versa, and I can only attribute it to the water that is retained in the shaft sloshing around next to the detector.  When I leave the water and point my coil to the sky, a large amount of water drains out from the back of the over/under shafts.  I remember on one of the shafts I had for my Equinox, there was a drainage hole in the lower shaft.  My current Anderson lower shaft does not have a drainage hole, and I was wondering if this would help prevent the slight falsing I am getting transitioning from different depths?  I guess its easy enough to try and plug if it doesn't work, but I was curious if any other Excalibur users have noticed this?

 

[Joe Beechnut OBN]

No, but I see no harm in having them. I think I have them in all of my machines, shafts.. 4 excals and 2 Fisher AQ's

 

22 hours ago, Kevin Walenciak said:

I was wondering if this would help prevent the slight falsing I am getting transitioning from different depths?

I found all the noise or falsing is caused when saltwater contacts the control POD on the excalibur  (And it starts at the coil n battery endcap). And the same goes for the AQ. Coming out of the water or going into, the control head (And coil wire connection) is sensitive to the change.

 

On/Off audio switch to save my ears, on the AQ. The excalibur is not as bad, or loud.

[Joe D.]

   Little late on this post, but I have drilled drain holes in all my lower shafts, If not there already! Especially useful on land/water transition detecting at the beach, as sand/water always find its way into the bottom of the lower shaft and adds weight, if for no other reason!!

   When I rinse out at the beach shower through an upper shaft hole, the water flushes everything out of the drain hole!! I also removed the top shaft caps on my land/beach detectors, and have hose adapters for a counter weight, if needed! I can rinse the whole shaft inside, from top to bottom here also!! Twistlocks, of course, still take a bit more maintenance, when I get home, so they don't lock up from sand salt, and need lubrication to stay operational!!🍀👍👍

[Tony]

I have never drilled drainage holes in my lower shafts but it might save a very small amount of weight. I often point the coil skywards and drain what's in there. I have broken a few lower shafts so my way of thinking is I don't need another potential weak spot by drilling holes down there.