Couple of el cheapo handy products

[loamer]

Thought I would start a post on cheap alternatives for aiding in detecting and keeping your gear in good nic.

Coil lead clamps - instead of buying the clips that keep the coil lead in place on the shaft - try 'Rescue Tape' (Brand name). Sticks to itself and doesn't get gluey and sticky.
Coil lead end fittings - use rubber chair tips/buffers to fit on the ends of coil leads; saves them from getting dirty plus stops the annoying rattling. I have already posted this and they work a treat.
Gridding and rubbish marking. I use plastic tent pegs for gridding (saves unnecessary ground marks), but 'Mozzie' from Bendigo got me onto a ripper idea - plastic tile spacers - 100 to a pack. great for marking ferrous junk before hitting an area with a mono. Use the DD on iron reject, mark the ferrous hits with spacers, then run your mono. saves on a hell of a lot of digging. when done - pick up and go.
Plastic scoops - some of the commercial dealers sell these scoops, used for halving. Buy the kids flat bottomed small plastic beach shovels for about $1 - works very well and I have had one for years.
Detector weather covers - can be expensive. Tie a plastic bag around the detector.
No light on your detector screen? - get one of the el cheapo book reading lights and clip/tape to detector - the ones with the bendy arm. A couple of $ and hey presto - night detecting. You could also buy the LED baseball caps fits - a bit dearer but work just as good.

Hope we can get some more el cheapo alternatives ideas.

Good hunting

 

[kleinman98]

Some good ideas there. Bunnings have cheap plastic scoops and also have the led baseball caps.

 

[Tige]

wow some good ideas thanks for posting, it's fantastic how much info gets shared on this forum

cheers

 

[Ramjet]

Some great ideas there Loaner. Thanks.
For holding coil leads to the shaft, Velcro straps are handy.

 

[kleinman98]

You can buy velcro ties from jaycar or similar. I used them behind my entertainment centre

 

[gcause]

Thanks for the ideas Loamer here's some of mine:

Coil lead clamps - instead of buying the clips that keep the coil lead in place on the shaft - go to woolworths in their hardware section you can get Velcro cable ties just like the minelab ones for about $3 for twelve of them in multiple colours.

Coil lead end fittings - use heat shrink or rubber tubing of same size as coil lead and fold over one end and staple it; easily replaced if lost.

Plastic scoops - Bargain city / Sam's warehouse / Crazy Clarkes sell cat/dog litter flat bottom scoops and larger deeper scoops for $2. I buy a few of these to have spares and put plastic zip ties on the end of them so I can attach them to the carabiner clip on the shoulder strap on my harness for easy access.

Detector weather covers - you can use the self seal sandwich bags.

 

[loamer]

Here is an ongoing problem for users who have the battery pack on a harness - usually the 4500 - 5000. the lead from the battery to the detector is spiral and every so often catches on itself. I have tried a couple of things, tied some cloth over the spiral etc. Has anyone got any suggestions how to prevent this? Hope i have explained the problem.

 

[Sa_bogan]

I'm not sure if anaconda is in all states but they sell hand scoops for around $4 with holes and it's a nice deep scoop

 

[gavfromoz]

I'm in the process of making a few stainless or Aluminium sand scoops, just waiting on the material quotes to come back. Damn ridiculous that the United States Postal Service want to rape us each time we try to purchase things from the USA. Other countries are not half that bad.

 

[BrisJoe]

Here is an ongoing problem for users who have the battery pack on a harness - usually the 4500 - 5000. the lead from the battery to the detector is spiral and every so often catches on itself. I have tried a couple of things, tied some cloth over the spiral etc. Has anyone got any suggestions how to prevent this? Hope i have explained the problem.

Tube tape can help with this. It's just a matter of finding the right size width to fit the coil inside as this will allow the cable to extend and retract and not risk getting twisted into each other.

I have some at work, but it's 60mm wide when flat, probally a little big for power cables

 

[The Green Wanderer]

Loamer have a look for some corrugated cable tube, most electrical and car parts shops sell it in a range of diameters like this

 

[loamer]

TGW - works perfectly . Thanks very much - Supercheap Auto at Bendigo had them.

 

[The Green Wanderer]

No worries loamer, they also double as a way to keep pets from getting at your extension cords round the house.

 

[authere]

Hi All,

Using a second bungy when your shoulder or elbow packs it in sure works a treat,I use a heavy chord for the main bungy but hook into the clip at the top a small(skinny) bungy and hook the other end to the armrest or as I do just pass it thru the strap of the control box cover twice so in effect there is two passes

If you do a lot of swingin this will take the pain away.....it sucks getting olde!!!

Ron

 

[authere]

Hi All,

Another one to make it easier to dig,if your pick tapers from the widest end straight to the skinniest end you have a pig of a pick, the skinny end should have a different taper to the centre of the head of the pick, in effect most picks are too wide at the centre of the pick and they stop the passage of the pick from entering the ground easily

Anyways, it's worth trying

Ron