Equinox, Manticore And X-Terra Mod For Sound Underwater

[Airtemisa]

Taking advantage of the fact that I have several Equinox series coils, I decided to buy an X-TERRA Pro, and make an all-terrain detector that, due to its cost, I did not mind leaving always in the back of the car. So I attached it to the Nox 10x5 coil. Fantastic, I am a fan of hunting with small coil and maximum separation, especially in the water.

A few years ago, my headphones in the Equinox 800 broke down on an underwater detecting trip, and it was agony not being able to hear underwater.

Now I was wondering how to "free myself" from using headphones underwater. The Xterra has the vibration function, which is a plus, but for me the audio is the most important thing.

So, thinking about the matter, I made a parallelism between the sound propagation in the water of, for example, pinpointers, which can be heard ok, and how to achieve these properties with the Xterra. Thus, Iñi decided to cover the speaker with a very firm film, and seal the edges with hot silicone, so that the speaker could generate the sound in dry, and that this sound, when colliding with the film, could be transmitted underwater. If the speaker gets wet, even if it doesn't get damaged, it doesn't generate sound properly.

And today I did an immersion test. Sometimes I detect in the water up to the snorkel, and as the ears are always underwater, I can hear the sound reasonably well, and combined with the vibration function, means that I can use the Xterra/Manticore/Equinox underwater without the headphones.

I hope this mod can help someone who owns Manticore, Equinox or X-Terra Pro models and wants to use it differently 👌

[StarVatrex]

Hi, it seems like a good idea!

Have you tried it yet? Works?...

You have to ensure a good seal, if moisture enters the speaker membrane it will stop working. And if you've only put silicone, in a couple of months salt water gets in there... I think.

Discreet on a beach crowded with donors, that is. And more without those yellow Headphones...😁

Try these, LS PELSO, trapezoidal and you can find them in Hungary (eBay). They are worth every euro you pay (they are cheap). You can choose in black color, yellow or blue.

My best setup for diving:

BEACH 2, Noise Cancel (with the coil totally submerged). Auto GB with tracking ON. 

I have tried to do a manual ground balance (it stays around 42) and leave it at a value of 0 without tracking. I like it better as I told you before. Automatic and Tracking ON.

Vibration ON and recovery speed 2. Now I am using 5 tones. dP I like it too, but for Gold I need tones...

 

Always in All Metal and at the touch of a horseshoe to verify doubtful signals. It's great, a single touch and you will leave doubts.

Sensitivity, a book could be written here, I go at 15-16. Because I want to...😎

You're going to have a good time!

 

[Airtemisa]

Hi StarVatrex,

Thanks for your comments!

On saturday i did an inmersion, and it sounds fair. Not as high as a pinpointer, but enough to hear the average signals. This, plus the vibration, means YOU CAN USE IT "STEALTH" 😋

Talking about LS Pelso, that where the headphones that failed me in the detection trip. It worked fine till the momment the get off. They worked high, but since they get fail, i cant put the conifidence on them again... maybe again?

About the config you said, is very similar to the one i use on the Equinox while diving; i use Beach2, noise canceling, Auto GB with tracking ON, 2 tones, all metal, and the lowest RS possible to hear the signal, and separate the iron density of each beach.

To me, 2 tones is the most importante: ferrous or non ferrous. I detect by ear.

I´m waiting to test the Xterra more extensively... is not an Equinox with MultiIQ, but it seems to work reasonabilly well for its price... and about the outcomes you show, it seems it like and smells well low conductors... 😉

[Airtemisa]

Hi again, some months later. 

I tested the Xterra Pro, and I liked a lot. At the moment, I also own an Equinox 800 Seaghost, and sometimes I miss the speaker and the weight and ergonomics of the original 800.

Xterra performed well, but I feel I was missing some targets, specially those deep targets at the beach that sounds ferrous, so... I can't get with it, and sold the Xterra and went for an EQX900. 

With the 900, I have evolved the sound mod, as I wanted to use it as needed, but without "re-building" it every time I use the speaker, and more important, because speakers in salt water gets jammed soon or late... so I adapted a 45mm water bottle cap as shown, for every time I dive.

The light goes perfect, the sound sounds perfect, and the mod works. 

I have a lot of fun thinking about home made solutions 😂

Next week I will be working on another bottle cap, but changing the flat section for a very slim membrane to let the sound wave transitioning to the water, according to the main and original idea of hearing underwater.

Some photos above