Remote pinpoint switch with silent search modification
By Dan Clark
Disclaimer
This modification requires opening the case of the Minelab Sovereign. There is always some risk in doing this. You may void your warranty or even worse, damage your detector. By using these plans, you agree that you will accept full responsibility for your actions and in no way hold me liable for any problems that may result from this project. Be very careful not to cause damage by static discharge, it can quickly render your unit unusable.
PARTS NEEDED
1 Chassis mount replacement mike jack part number BU-CBC-6PX
6Pin can be found at Thomas
Distributing @ $2.40 Ea.
1 Microphone plugs part number BU-CBC6 Thomas
Distributing @ $2.10 Ea
1 3' Length of Ethernet Category5 cable (network patch cable)
1 SPST mini toggle switch (Radio Shack)
shrink tubing
Three wire connector with 6" of wire attached for silent
search/ threshold search mod.
Barrel of a PL259 CB coax connector.
TOOLS NEEDED
Phillips screwdriver, scissors, soldering iron and rosin core solder, wire cutters, knife, wire strippers, steady hands, and good eyes.
These plans will guide you through getting the switch wires out of the detector by the coil cable to a convenient point on the handle. You may then use your method of choice for locating the switch and mounting it.
OK let's begin.
The first step is probably the hardest, you will need to open your detector.
Remove the detector from the shaft and coil connectors and remove the two screws next to the coil connector. You will then need to GENTLY push on the connector toward the front of the detector while at the same time pulling at the front of the unit. You may find you will need to pry with a knife around the edges of the front panel to loosen it up as you work it free. Go slowly and be careful.
Once open remove the paper clip ground from the foil shield around the circuit board. Also remove the battery wire from the front circuit board. Either cut the foil shield along the side to remove it being careful to leave it in good enough condition to tape it back together later or gently pull the shield back from the metal lip of the coil connector far enough to get the shield over the lip and slide it off.
Once open the first thing that needs to be done is to unsolder the bridge between pin 3 and 6 of the coil connector.
Connector shown with bridge removed.
Next, solder a 6" length of wire cut from the cat5 cable to pin 6 being careful not to create a solder bridge across any of the terminals.
Now you can remove the top wire from the pinpoint switch. Cover the other end of the wire soldered to pin 6 with enough shrink tubing to cover a solder joint and the bare wire from the pinpoint switch. Cut the wire to a length that can easily reach the pinpoint switch running it through the hole in the front mounting bracket and solder it to the top wire of the pinpoint switch. Slide the shrink tubing over the bare part of the top switch wire and heat it to shrink it. Remove the bottom wire of the original pinpoint switch and cover it with shrink tubing shrinking it down. This is done to prevent the wire from shorting anything out.
Now that you have both wires removed from the pinpoint switch you can elect to use the switch as a silent search/ threshold search switch. If this is desired start by removing the jumper from LK1 on the circuit board of the detector. The illustration are on a Sovereign XS, the XS2A pins are farther to the right of the processor.
Place the turbo switch connector block over the three exposed pins of LK1 and run them through the hole in the front bracket. Solder them to the switch making sure you solder the wire from the center pin of LK1 to the center connector on the switch. The color coded wires should be soldered in the same order on the switch as they are on LK1 as shown below.
If the wiring is done in the same order as illustrated you can now label the pinpoint switch at the front of the detector as shown next.
This completes the internal modifications to the detector. You may now replace the shielding being sure to reconnect the paper clip ground. Also remember to reconnect the battery wire, if you examine it carefully you will see it is designed to fit only one way. Then just close the unit and replace the two screws at the coil connector.
Now all you have to do is make a coil wire extension using an appropriate length of the Cat5 ethernet wire. Follow the wire mappings in the following illustration. Notice a pair of wires for a meter connection, if you have one of the Centec meters or the newer smaller meters made from my plans you can use this to connect to it. I am leaving the method and location of mounting the pinpoint switch up to you since it is a matter of preference. These plans are just designed to get the wires routed to the remote location without extra wires out of the box. Use the barrel of the PL259 connector as a cover for the wire side of the chassis mount cable connector (be sure to run the cat5 cable through before soldering to the chassis mount). You can route the pinpoint wires and meter wires if used out the rear of this connector and seal it with RTV Silicone sealant.
I ran my wire coil wire extension through my detector shaft to reduce the clutter (optional).
Below is my method of mounting the switch just to give you some ideas.
This method of wiring will also be used in the plans for the all in one S1 switch, meter, and pinpoint switch plans. The wires are routed in the detector shaft directly into the meter, switch unit.
For questions or comments you can contact me here.
