Silica bags for PT-058

[David Novo]

Which silica bags do you use for the PT-058 housing? Olympus' or different ones?

 

[hedonist222]

Have you found you need a silica pack?
I do not.

But any silica pack will work at absorbing humidity.

 

[JackConnick]

We have some great ones that are 2 gram each and change color when they are used. They come in 10 pack for $12.95

Silica Gel Packets-10 pack

 

[David Novo]

We have some great ones that are 2 gram each and change color when they are used. They come in 10 pack for $12.95

Silica Gel Packets-10 pack

View attachment 677458

I can only purchase from within the EU. Thanks anyway.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I use generic silica packs that come in boxes of things I buy. Or check out a clothing store, silica packs are routinely sent with the clothes. Most people throw them away, I collet them!

 

[jlyle]

You don't need silica packs in your housing. If there's no moisture inside the housing, it cannot fog. Always put the camera in the housing inside an A/C room. Avoid taking the camera (w/o housing) from an A/C space outside where it's warm and humid; if you do, allow the camera to equilibrate with A/C before putting it into the housing. A/C air is dry. If you don't have A/C, gently blow some air from your scuba tank into the housing and around the camera before closing it. Compressors remove moisture. Air in your tank is bone dry.

I have both TG4 and TG6 in Olympus housings and have only had fogging once and that was due to a leak. Silica packs would not have helped in that case.

If you insist, silica packs must be dehydrated before use. Packs that have been sitting around are fully saturated and will not absorb any more moisture. If you insist on using them, buy ones designed to be reheated to activate.

 

[BrewingDiver]

You can store them in a can of Damp Rid and then re-use them. I've had the same dozen or so for many years. You know they are ready when they change back to the original color (assuming color indicator type).

I keep the Damp Rid in a closet inside two zip lock plastic bags amd have only replaced it once when we moved, but I suppose it depends on how much use the
dessicants get.

 

[tarponchik]

and have only had fogging once and that was due to a leak. Silica packs would not have helped in that case.

Why?

 

[jlyle]

Why?

The amount of moisture that a silica pack can absorb is quite small, less than one drop, and in the case of a small leak, there's very little chance of damaging the camera. This is especially true of the TG series cameras which are water resistant. Many years ago, when we were all shooting Oly C5050 cameras, I would put cut up pieces of women's panty liners in the case which absorb many times their weight in water.

Nothing will help if the housing floods!

 

[tarponchik]

The amount of moisture that a silica pack can absorb is quite small, less than one drop, and in the case of a small leak, there's very little chance of damaging the camera. This is especially true of the TG series cameras which are water resistant. Many years ago, when we were all shooting Oly C5050 cameras, I would put cut up pieces of women's panty liners in the case which absorb many times their weight in water.

Nothing will help if the housing floods!

Of course, if you have a serious leak, fogging will be the least of your concern. However, silica gel can absorbed up to 40% of water relative to its dry weight. So a small leak that can cause fogging could be taken care of by silica bags.