Arm Cups

**iron_foot** · 25-10-2012, 11:10 PM

hi guys.
just wondering if any of you lot have ever had your explorer/etrac arm cups brake on you. the explorer 2 i am using at the moment, when i was out detecting last Wednesday the black arm cup split all the way down the right hand side of the armrest as i was swinging the machine and was left just hanging on.

that ended that session early.

i have an old white explorer xs arm cup that has been laying about for about 3 year in the shed so i hunted that out.
i did try to glue the arm cup with some araldite glue.
when i went out a couple of days later with the machine i took it with the glued arm cup on.....dont panic i took the spare white one as well.

well i swung the machine for about 20 seconds in a stubble field and off popped the right hand side of the armrest again.

so out with the screwdriver and on with the spare one it was.

now i went out to a dig on the following Sunday using the spare white arm cup and the arm rest held up fine all that day. it was flat soil we were searching on, so their wasn't any real strain put on the machine any ways.

i have been out to day with the machine. i had a bit of a look in a grass field, wasn't finding much so i went in to a stubble field for a look in their. half an hour in to swinging the machine in their, i hears a crack sound and off snaps the same side on this arm cup as the other one did. couldn't believe it, sick as a chip i was. another session cut short and now i am without an arm cup.

stupid plastic. thin at that

**audiolab** · 25-10-2012, 11:29 PM

you would think they would be made from metal

**moparado** · 26-10-2012, 01:37 AM

Originally Posted by audiolab

you would think they would be made from metal

Yeah, this Winter i'm thinking of fabricating adjustable wrap around cuffs out of aluminum and maybe even with an automatic clamp-on-latch mechanism if i'm motivated enough.

The eTRAC cuffs are designed in sort of a 'V' rather than a more ergonomic 'U' shape!
Why they did that? Have no clue?

**Ants** · 26-10-2012, 07:17 AM

CMD sell them
http://www.crawfordsmd.com/metal-det...minelab?page=3
£44.95 + p&p

**stewart73** · 26-10-2012, 07:35 AM

There is an old discussion here that might help:

http://www.minelabowners.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=16965

The aluminum ones look nice!

**iron_foot** · 26-10-2012, 11:28 AM

looking at those prices i think i will just make another one from a hospital crutch. yep that was the one in the link that i made when i owned the xs. was a bit of an experiment at the time.

the only thing is the loop hole isn't that big if you are wearing a thick coat. it's great for the summer time of year when your wearing less clothing and you don't mind keep slipping your arm in and out. you can cut the loop down to make a cup shape but it ends up a bit on the short side for gripping the sides of the arm.

no sure what sort of plastic is used for the crutch loop but it is funny stuff to heat and shape. it keeps going back to a loop shape. over heat it and you ruin it all together.

**essx craig** · 26-10-2012, 11:41 AM

mine just broke after 7 years, not bad service me thinks

**DevonDigger** · 26-10-2012, 01:41 PM

Don't know if this is any help but, there was a guy from the States selling aluminium arm rests on flea bay. I got one a while back and it is excellent. Think I paid about £25 for it plus postage. It was posted really quickly and is perfect

**Gold Finger** · 26-10-2012, 05:10 PM

I've broken two of them, so I decided to make my own user friendly, comfortable version from plastic pipe. Had it on for 6 months of regular, hardcore detecting, without any bother. Isn't it strange that the stand is aluminium, while the cup is a poor quality plastic?

**fertler** · 26-10-2012, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by Gold Finger

Isn't it strange that the stand is aluminium, while the cup is a poor quality plastic?

No - it is easy money for the manufacturers! Car firms have done it since the year dot especially with exhaust systems - why are they not stainless? The armrest cups should be aluminium! Like most people with Explorers and Etracs, I have had a few breakages over the years. I generally take the silly little stand off, I don't put the detector down anyway and the thing tends to catch on all manner of vegetation, not to mention the headphone cable! But then I don't do headphone cables any more either......
Barrie.

**Gold Finger** · 26-10-2012, 07:11 PM

I too have removed the stand, which tended to snag in my bag. It also allowed for an inner-tube to be slid over the plastic handle to stop water penetration.
My comment about the cup was cynical.

**fertler** · 26-10-2012, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by Gold Finger

My comment about the cup was cynical.

I've been told that if I'm not careful, I'll become a cynic in my old age as well

. At present I'm a realist.

Barrie.

**moparado** · 27-10-2012, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by fertler

I've been told that if I'm not careful, I'll become a cynic in my old age as well

. At present I'm a realist.

Barrie.

Fine line between a realist and a cynic!

Myself, i'm a self proclaimed pessimist, so i'm usually not disappointed.... except'n for that cheezy, ill-designed eTRAC cuff!

**minty fresh** · 27-10-2012, 01:03 AM

nothing these days is built to last, business is all about cutting cost and maximising profit, build a great product (any product, car, washing machine whatever) but put cheap peripherals/ancillaries on that can be replaced, extending the profit, its the way of the world now, most of the time all you are paying for is a name IMO...