My 2100 goes cordless


Recommended Posts

  • Admin

Hello Lotsa Luck,

There is no doubt this new Coiltek "Pocket Rocket" Li-Ion System is beneficial to all the Minelab SD and GP series detectors. I'm going to take a bunch of them to the Mesa Gold Show since I already had 6-7 inquiries about them. I know they will be a hot seller at the show and will probably sell all of what I have.

Just like I told you, the increased voltage on the SD2100 really makes it perform better. It's real simple, "more voltage creates a stronger electro-magnetic field" and it shows on the SD series with increased voltage. The Coiltek 7.3v system is a proven performer on the SD's. Just imagine if the Minelab ran off of AC power! :wacko:

I'm real interested in the wireless headphones and even how you mounted the Coiltek system on the side of the control box.

Please give us more details on mounting and what wireless headphone system you are using.

Let's get back out there and beep some gold!

Rob Allison

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Appears to be put on with velcro. Bob T.

Here is a pic showing a little more detail. The main mount is some .090 aluminum that is attached to the regulator with VHB tape. It has two captured nylon bolts on it that use the Minelab mounting holes so no modifications done to the unit that could hurt the warranty. I used some Mil spec (real strong) velcro so when the bolts are tightened the battery pulls into and seats itself into the velcro. That is so there is not much stress being placed on the wimpy little plastic catches that the battery snaps into in the regulator. IMHO those catches are the only weak point in the setup but the velcro really helps the situation. What I really like about the setup is how the Coiltek system is up close and tight to the 2100 with its on switch being right at the front panel. I also had to make a custom patch cord out of a semi rigid wire.

The headphones and transmitter are customized from a Sony wireless headphone setup.

http://shopper.cnet.com/Sony_900_MHz_RF_Wi...9-30825741.html

I paid about $45 for them locally. They have good range and at 900 Mhz there is no interference. I use another set of them when in my shop with machines running so I can still listen to tunes without cranking the stereo to nieghbor annoying levels. To do the mod you have to remove the pc board and find another way to house it. My first way was to incase the whole thing in potting plastic and just velcro it to the side of the machine. I didn't like the way it looked though so a custom housing was CNC'd for it and is mounted similar to the Coiltak system on the other side. It real light and rock solid. It is not in the picture as I am in the middle of engraving a logo into it. Today I will also anodize all the parts to hopefully match the 2100's finish. I'll try to post pictures of it later in its finished state.

If you want you can even plug your Ipod or MP3 player into the aux jack and rock out while hiking to your favorite patch. I've been know to do that. Oh, the transmitter takes a 9 volt battery (lasts about 20 hours), and the headset takes two AAA and gets about 24 hours on them. The setup also has a volume control at the headset and 3 channels to select from for interference situations but I've never needed to change them.

post-729-1137851282_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lotsa Luck,

Nice set-up. Do the headphones have just one volume control, or do they have individual controls for right and left sides? Bob T.

Just one but it is actualy an amplifier so it acts as a signal booster. Without getting too technical the rider on the carrier sent from the transmitter is low power. It hits a pre-amp and then to a main amplifier in the headphones themselves. The next model I'm fumbling my way through right now will also have an amp in the transmitter section in order to direct drive a speaker if one chooses to not use headphones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man, if you wanted to manufacture that whole system and sell it, you'd have more buyers than you could provide for. Very slick setup!

Digger Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so I may have went a little overboard but here it is finished, for now... LOL

All the electronics (and there is a lot of them) are potted in place so they are water/shock proof, and are contained under panel on the right side of the machine. They consist of the headphone transmiter, a magnetic on off switch, and an FRS radio to keep in touch with fellow prospectors while not missing a nugget. I do not have selectable channels on it so the other radios will need to switch to it's channel in order to hear them. The radio signal is mixed into the tone from the detector automaticaly and any reply is via VOX with an on/off switch on the mic so brush and wind noise doesn't annoy my partner. If I can get the powder coat color Minelab uses I'll powder coat it to match but for now I'll settle with the similar anodized finish. Note I also powder coated the mount for the Coiltek system to match.

I'm going to try to work into the next generation a GPS. Including the Coiltek system I've added a mere 22 ounces to the 2100 and it's hardly noticeable to me.

More mod's to come....

post-729-1137969276_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

Hello Bob,

That's pretty damn slick if you ask me! I like how you have the Coiltek Li-Ion on one side and the other piece on the opposite side to kind of give it balance.

Sorry I didn't call last night, I didn't have any solid plans to get out today. Glenn and I ran out to a spot just for a few hours and we almost didn't get back. Pretty rough area, but we found some areas that look good. As you seen I found a couple of small nuggets on the way back in from the area on RR claims.

We will have to get back into the hills soon. I want to get you over some copper nuggets .... well gold too! :blink:

Talk with you soon,

Rob Allison

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dang!

I am very impressed!  How did you do the anodizing? 

Is the headphone volume enough to hear?

What powers the trasmitter?

Are you taking orders? :rolleyes:

Very nice work indeed!

Thanks...

I taught myself home anodizing a while back, and it's not real hard.

The headphone can get too loud to stand.

The transmitter has one 9 volt transistor radio battery for now. The next mod will be to add a DC to DC convertor so I can power it from the main battery also. To do so I'll need to step up the DC voltage from the 7.2 to 9.

Order's... What do you have in mind? :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...
Thanks...

I taught myself home anodizing a while back, and it's not real hard.

The headphone can get too loud to stand.

The transmitter has one 9 volt transistor radio battery for now. The next mod will be to add a DC to DC convertor so I can power it from the main battery also. To do so I'll need to step up the DC voltage from the 7.2 to 9.

Order's... What do you have in mind? :D

Lotsa Luck.

I'm new to the forum and was reading about your wireless headset.

Do you have any update since you first posted?

Have you made any other inprovements on your setup.

This is a very interesting mod.

Iggy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just looked around and with technology advancing I would think BlueTooth may be the way to make the transmitter a bit smaller. I just checked around and they have small bluetooth transmitters that plugs directly into the speaker jack. The ear phones are all small but a modification to use and old pair of headsets with the bluetooth earphones inside.

Hummmm

Iggy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Thanks to Rob for the Coiltek system I was able to make this happen. No more snagged cords for me.

After careful review...

IMHO the Coiltek system is worth more than they charge. More mod's to follow on my beeper but you can get the idea from the picture. :D

Lots a Luck,

Ran across a website in England that sells wireless headsets for detectors. Take a look.

I just sent him an email to find out if he sells un the states.

http://www.highland-innovation.com/metal.htm

Iggy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice!

I hate cables! I always seem to be untangling this or that wire or getting something caught in a bush or cactus!

And just setting the unit down to dig a hole makes me feel like a dog on a leash! lol

But I have a few concerns in regards to inteference induced by the electronics of the wireless transmitter and its circuits.

If you modify to use the detector's power source is there any EM noise or circuit interference that could be induced by the wireless circuit?

There is potential for interference caused by speakers mouted in close proximity to the detector box when using some coils. With the transmitter emiting radio waves, what prevents the detector from picking this up?

What if the EM interference produced by the wireless transmiter isn't audible, but is filtered during the MineLab machine processing of received data and this filtering causing a masking of potential targets? Is there any way to test for this?

Just curious! I like anything that will get rid of all the cables that I seem to get wrapped in.

Regards

Karl

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as the Bluetooth option, I am currently using it myself. I have a Whites GMT, so can't comment on ML interference. But I took my GMT out yeaterday for a bit and didn't hear any intereference.

The transceiver is about the size of one of those Zippo lighters. I got 3 sets of the heaphones, and one of the I have sacrificed to install into a pair of large Koss heaphone bodies like they use on the flightline at airports. So far I have loose fit everything and it works great. the difficulty is getting the controls relocated from the surface mount switches to ones that can be attached to the body of the new headphones. You have to have 2 for volume up/down and 1 for syncing/power. You also need to be able to see or relocate the LED so you can tell what mode the headphones are in.

The ones I am using are the original Logitechs design that is know for crushing your ears and skull until you take a heat gun to them and reshape them to fit. They also tend to crack in the middle if the headband. 1 of my sets if doing that right now.

Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.