Any reason not to get a tri ball clamp?

[Pyndle]

Hi guys,

As I've had yet another ball clamp failure, I will be buying new clamps very soon. This time I'm getting ultralights ones. I just realized that a normal ball clamp with 2 attachments is the same price (+/-3 usd) as a tri ball clamp, which I might need to use if I decide to buy new lights one day (on top of my strobes).

Is there any inconvenience in having a tri ball clamp with only 2 arms attached to it? i.e. is it as stable/tight as a normal clamp would be?

Thanks,
Pyndle

 

[nudibranco]

definitely not as easy to use or stable unfortunately as it is not symmetrical. I hardly use mine unless I need be super compact and use 2 strobes with no arms...

 

[Pyndle]

Eww, that's a bummer But you can still tighten it properly and have the arm not moving?
When you say not stable you mean when you try to adjust the arm?

Just to be clear I'm talking about this: https://shop.divingexpress.com/image/cache/catalog/data/Ultralight /AC-TCS-1-228x228.jpg
To be used as a link between two 20cm arms.

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Won't work, you need all three holes filled so that it will clamp down properly

 

[WS007]

I also plan to acquire two triple clamps now - but as Aqua Andy says, in every hole must be a ball, they cannot be used same way as the regular clamps...

I intend to use them for fixing an additional single floatation arm above the housing, for additional buyoncy and to fix the diving computer on it...

Wolfgang

 

[bvanant]

I don't understand why the triple clamp (I have several) can't be used in two ball mode. How does the third clamp know that there isn't a ball in place?
Bill

 

[Barmaglot]

The two halves of the clamp are squeezed together by the center pin, so when there are only two balls in it, the third lobe has nothing to push the halves apart, and the whole thing goes a bit lopsided. That said, I've used my triple clamps with two balls when I couldn't find one of my double clamps and they held fine.

 

[bvanant]

Mine too. I use them this way quite often,
BVA

 

[chris kippax]

I use a ULCS triple clamp to hold my focus light. Works perfectly with only two balls to grip to.

 

[Pyndle]

Thanks for all the feedback. I will get just one triple clamp and 2 normal ones, see how it goes. If it holds well I'll get another triple clamp, I'll update you guys next week.