Headphones Care and Feeding
I’ve owned so many pairs of underwater phones that I”ve lost count. Not many have survived—some were not great quality but many stopped working due to my own neglect. Here are some of the simple methods I’ve learned to get longer life from my headphones:
1/ Cables and Strain Relief
This is where a set of phones will usually begin to deteriorate. The first and most important thing is to never pull sideways (or in any direction) on the machine side jack. I secure mine with two elastics or Velcro ties. One goes I front of the detector “brain” handle and one behind. I wrap the cord around underneath the handle—once or more if the cord is longer. This prevents any pulling on the jack hardware whatsoever. These plugs are very hard to solder so it’s important not to let pulling make the carrier wires intermittent.
Second is the section of wire where it leaves the earcup. This can also be subject to pulling so be aware of this especially when you put the machine down to dig. It’s also possible to pinch the cable under your arm as you swing—causing pulling on this section of the phones cable. This is an easier fault to fix by opening the earcup—pushing the cable in and cutting out the short and re-soldering.
Next is the smaller wires that go from the earcup over the arch. If you let the earcups continually turn upside-down, these will begin to crack where they enter the cup. It’s not a bad idea to look for a way to add some strain relief here using epoxy or rubberized tape. However, this has to be secured to the earcup. So if you are going to wrap tape around the wire—use epoxy or “Crazy Glue” to anchor the tape to where the wire comes out. This way you are spreading the bending out more—to a longer section of the wire further down.
These simple strain relief modifications will prevent those terrible headphone suprises that any experienced detectorist will be all too familiar with.
Keep an eye on your cables at all of these critical flexion points—looking for cracking. Once water gets inside these wires they become near-impossible to solder. Epoxy or silicone can be used to seal this damage.
When you plan to use a set of phones in salt water there are other things to look at:
Metal “Sliders”
1/ Where you have phones that feature metal “sliders’ these can rust if not properly cared for. When you get a new set of phones coat these with dielectric grease to reduce any rusting. Rise after every salt water use. This should include periodic soaking / spraying to remove any salt from the metal that’s underneath the arch padding. This area is easy to neglect and leave damaging salt on.
2/ Flush and inspect the earpads. These need to have the salt water squeezed out after every salt water use. I do this by pressing the earcups together. There are usually drain holes top and bottom. It’s also a good idea to shake the earcups to see if any water is sitting inside. If you feel any, sit the phones upright so that it can drain out. This salt water can begin to eat away at any silicone protecting the wires inside.
Overall
If you notice any “fuzz” or crackling in the sound of your phones find the short immediately. Do this by wiggling the cables at all of the above sites. If it’s the plug you might be able to solder it yourself or if not –take it to a TV shop. Have the solder done then try and reseal the fitting using epoxy or another sealing compound. Look for something that’s classified as “marine” sealant.
I also bag my phones to travel. This prevents the cables from being pulled when you remove something nearby. A drawstring pouch works well–or just a standard zip lock freezer bag to keep them contained.
With underwater phones the best defense is awareness—knowing how phones get damaged and avoiding those mistake. It’s simply a matter of developing good habits–watching for damage and catching it early.. Hope this information is of value.
Good Luck Detecting!
clive