Rcdigs Deus 2 Rc Mount Review

[F350Platinum]

56 minutes ago, Redneck said:

Not to hijack the thread, but what do you guys think of this unit?   

XP Deus 2 locking shoe (detectingdoodads.com)

I dont have a D2 yet, but slowly assembling accessory ideas.

Don't mind ya hijacking the thread at all. 🙂 Comparing these mounts in discussion was my intent. 👍

Here's mine, this is the best use I found for it. The WS6 puck mount is flexible, and doesn't really wear out the DD mount. I drilled a hole not so straight through it, and fed the coax around as shown, cut a little over an inch of the black shield off exposing the inner wire shield and stuff it under the puck. The rest drops through the shaft to the coil.

Works great as long as I don't immerse the WS6, I'm pretty sure it is resistant to splashing. I use it in the river, but I'd never use it at the beach. 😏

[F350Platinum]

Here's the SteveG mount which is proprietary to his rig. It's injection molded or something, but it's a lot stronger/better than a printed one. I've not had many pop off incidents but I have seen them.

It's off the rig right now awaiting other things which I may post at some point. The only problem I ever had with this one is that it loosened up and was twisting a bit, easily remedied by tightening it in the middle shaft.

[jimwasson]

My Steve’s Detector Rods CF shaft came with a locking RC mount which has worked very well for me. It’s very high quality with a metal thumbscrew. The lock secures the RC tightly with no wiggle and I feel completely at ease with it.

[Skull diver]

I must admit that looking at these shots I am relieved that we are slowly seeing solutions to this problem, even if they are aftermarket and created by enthusiasts.

It annoys me on the other hand, that such a structural fact was not foreseen at the factory design stage.

I have to admit that after a year of use, I have now reached an extreme degree of confidence in the instrument and a killer program but this having to worry about the remote unhooking at the first opportunity, no, I cannot tolerate that.

[F350Platinum]

50 minutes ago, Skull diver said:

I must admit that looking at these shots I am relieved that we are slowly seeing solutions to this problem, even if they are aftermarket and created by enthusiasts.

It annoys me on the other hand, that such a structural fact was not foreseen at the factory design stage.

I have to admit that after a year of use, I have now reached an extreme degree of confidence in the instrument and a killer program but this having to worry about the remote unhooking at the first opportunity, no, I cannot tolerate that.

Especially not if you're diving deep!

Hope you can get one shipped to you. Noticed the count going down on eBay, he has a website too.

https://rcdigs.square.site

[steveg]

Hey all, interesting thread.

A few things.

Yes, I will be offering a verstion of the RCDigs mount that will screw into my round shaft.  It will be available once testing is complete.

F350 -- can you elaborate on what you mean by "there is no way to get the waveguide through the mount?"  I am of the understanding that you CAN do that (and I don't have access to the video that you referred to; do you have a link?)  We designed my version of the RCDigs mount to allow that -- but I thought that his current design already DOES allow that.  Where are you finding the issue of being unable to get then antenna wire up through the shaft, and then through the mount?  

Also, I would like to note that I agree with Chase's post entirely.  Chase said:

"the XP design of the mount is fundamentally flawed because the objective to provide a mount that enables quick attachment and removal of the remote also results in high stress concentrations that cause the mount to gradually lose its ability to maintain a secure grip on the remote and eventually results in mount failure regardless of the material used (but some 3D printed materials are especially ill suited for this application - see Brad's pic)."

This is correct.  XP's mount is fundamentally flawed for these reasons.  My mount is injection-molded, so won't have any issues to the degree that the red one does, in Brad's picture, but with that said, yes -- cracking will still be possible over the long haul even with mine being injection molded, due to "repetitive stresses," as Chase noted. 

And yes, he's right that the locking mechanism on top is indeed a "band aid" to an otherwise flawed design, and that an entirely different design (such as the RCDigs mount) is a better option.  While the locking mechanism on my mount does help, in terms of securing the remote, it's still just an attempt to improve incrementally on an underlying bad design.

One thing I WILL say though, that Chase did not mention, is that while it is true that repeated installs and uninstalls of the remote onto/off of the mount WILL produce cyclic stresses that may eventually cause mount failure, I did address that to some degree in my mount.  I did so, in the fact that my mount easily unscrews entirely from the shaft, no tools required.  What I envisioned with my mount, was that when the need arises to "uninstall" the remote from the shaft, you have the option (with my mount/shaft) of leaving the remote locked onto the mount, and instead, unscrewing the whole thing from the shaft -- mount AND remote.  Leaving the remote installed, and removing the remote/mount as a unit, helps reduce those "cyclical stresses" due to install and uninstall cycles of the remote to/from the mount that Chase referred to.

But, bottom line, yes, XP's mount is a flawed design, and the RCDigs mount, or some idea akin to it -- i.e. a COMPLETE overhaul of how the remote mounts to the shaft -- is the way to fully resolve the issues the XP mount presents...

Steve

[F350Platinum]

5 hours ago, steveg said:

F350 -- can you elaborate on what you mean by "there is no way to get the waveguide through the mount?"  I am of the understanding that you CAN do that (and I don't have access to the video that you referred to; do you have a link?)  We designed my version of the RCDigs mount to allow that -- but I thought that his current design already DOES allow that.  Where are you finding the issue of being unable to get then antenna wire up through the shaft, and then through the mount?  

Hey Steve,

The RCDIGS mount for the standard Deus 2 shaft has a tube on the side of the mount, but no facility for a waveguide exit from the shaft.

You have to wrap the waveguide to the shaft on the outside of it, insert the cable in the outside tube, place it on the remote and hope it doesn't twist before putting the cap on and tightening the captive screws. 😬 That's just if you like it neat, as long as the waveguide is somewhere close to the remote it will work, so that's just me 😎

I'm glad Brad posted a photo of your mount, which appears to allow the cable through the shaft, up through the tube on the side of the mount, and then put the cap on. 

Here's my picture again of the Detecting Doodads mount I drilled a hole in, albeit bad it's perfect for keeping the entire waveguide enclosed until it comes out of the center of the mount. This makes for snag-free operation of the WS6 Master except for the coil, which you'd have to zip tie the cable to. It can also be used to get the cable to the RC, I think, but I haven't tried it.

The only concern I have overall, and I will be eager to be in line to purchase your proprietary design regardless, is the hardware as I mentioned in a later post above. It's great that stainless and brass are going to be used, but I would consider more robust hardware, or even tough plastic screws to secure the top. As a former boater I'm no stranger to Galvanic Corrosion, resulting from the combination of unlike metals. What it means is the screws will have to be periodically cleaned and lubricated.

Just a few cents worth of impressions. 🙂 

Here's the video:

 

[steveg]

F350 -- THANKS for the post, the comments, AND the video.

I hear you, on the galvanic corrosion.  Proper, frequent lubrication of the screws/brass inserts for those using the unit in the water can help, but ideally, I agree that those metals would be of the same composition (screw, and insert, both being EITHER brass, OR stainless).  I will bring these points up with the producer of the mounts, when we speak (probably this evening).

As for the routing, YES -- the intention on my version of the mount will be to allow the wire to go up/through the shaft, and exit through a slot in the bottom of the mount, and then up through the tube in the side of the mount.

One caveat -- which will have to be shown in a set of instructions -- will be that the plastic "connector" that attaches the coax/waveguide/antenna wire to the top of the remote will not fit through the slot on the bottom of the mount; only the wire itself will fit.  SO -- to install the wire through the shaft and through the mount, it will require the mount to be removed, the wire to be fished through the shaft and out through the top of the middle shaft, AND THEN have the mount installed, with the wire fitting into the slot on the bottom of the mount AS you install the mount.

And of course, my mount SCREWS ON, so the wire will be "twisting" as you twist the mount to screw it into the shaft.  FOR THAT REASON, you will NOT want the bottom of the antenna wire attached to the coil, during mount install.  You will want it UNCONNECTED, until you get the mount screwed in.  That way, the antenna wire can kind of "turn" in tandem with the mount, as you screw in the mount, and any "twists" which may end up in the wire can be "un-twisted" before attaching the antenna wire to the coil (if that makes sense).  The good news is, that once you have it all installed, up through the shaft, and through the mount, there won't be alot of need to go through the install process very frequently.

Steve 

[F350Platinum]

12 hours ago, steveg said:

I hear you, on the galvanic corrosion.  Proper, frequent lubrication of the screws/brass inserts for those using the unit in the water can help, but ideally, I agree that those metals would be of the same composition (screw, and insert, both being EITHER brass, OR stainless).  I will bring these points up with the producer of the mounts, when we speak (probably this evening).

Thanks Steve,

Don't get me wrong y'all, this mount is by far the best solution to issues Deus 2 users have with securing the RC. I think it's inexpensive insurance on either shaft, and intend to have both types myself. A little more discipline removing the remote to clean it each time I use it, also lubricating the screws, is in line with my mantra "Take care of your stuff, and it will take care of you". 😎 What's $50+ and a little extra work compared to losing a $750 remote?

Sand, water and silt get into everything and introduce salts, ultimately locking up and/or corroding even the best engineered products, especially if you're a water hunter, or a relic hunter. Brass is great because It doesn't bind to harder metals, but in the case of securing the remote cover a composite might just be a better idea. 🤔 Ease of operation would be paramount. 🙂

Just had an epiphany regarding another problem I recently had, I'll be posting that soon. 😁 Funny how you wake up and have an idea how to fix something, it's why I always told my employers and employees, "There's nothing I can do at 8 o'clock tonight, that I couldn't do better at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning". 😏

 

[Skull diver]

Done!

I just bought mine