Build your own fiber optic sync cable???

[cleomagic]

Just wanted to post a long term update on our home built sync cords. I would say they work very good, not great, but very, very good. 95%+ of the time we had zero issues.

The biggest drawback is in the connector from the cable to the strobe head (or camera body). As the rubber grommets have a little play, on occasion they pop out of the socket. We also suspect that as they are working out, but still snug, that they may become misaligned in the socket, thus occasionally resulting in the strobe not firing.

We are shooting manual, so have not really vetted the single core fiber suitability for TTL.

We've thought about going to the multi core fiber, but we would still have the issue of popping out.

Even though we prefer the clean lines of our sync cords, we may go back to the Sea&Sea just for the solidness of the mating connectors. The occasional missed "perfect" shot may not be worth it.

 

[bvanant]

what connectors are you using. The angled ones from Inon stick in perfectly for me at least.
Bill

 

[cleomagic]

We were unable to find any pre-built connectors that we could use. Many of the links for sources went to pages that were no longer there. Thus we resorted to a build-your own connector. These were based on a 7mm strain relief cord (See Post #9). What ones do you have, and do you have a link as to where to find them?

On a semi-related note, we found these online. They look very similar to a set that another diver in Lembeh was using. Much less expensive than Sea&Sea, but if they are garbage, then it's just a waste of money. Anyone have any thoughts on these? (We have thought that if the fiber didn't work out great, we could probably harvest the connectors).

US $16.25 35% OFF|Scuba 613 Multi core Fiber Optic Fiber Optic Cable For INON Z330 Z240 SEA & SEA YS D2 Olympus Strobe and Diving Waterproof Case-in Sports Camcorder Cases from Consumer Electronics on AliExpress

 

[Barmaglot]

We were unable to find any pre-built connectors that we could use.

Quick Google search: INON Rubber Bush Type L for Fiber Optics

I got one of those, along with a fiber cable, at an underwater gear store in Cebu when my luggage (containing, among other things, my fiber optics - but not the housed camera and the strobes, which were in my carry-on) got delayed and I had a liveaboard leaving the next day.

On a semi-related note, we found these online. They look very similar to a set that another diver in Lembeh was using. Much less expensive than Sea&Sea, but if they are garbage, then it's just a waste of money. Anyone have any thoughts on these? (We have thought that if the fiber didn't work out great, we could probably harvest the connectors).

Whoa, these went down in price quick - used to be $50 not too long ago. I got a pair of these a few months ago, used them on ~35 dives so far, no issues whatsoever. I'm using them with a SeaFrogs Salted Line housing, Sony A6300 camera and SeaFrogs ST-100 Pro strobes. The fiber optic connectors in this housing are slightly offset from the camera flash, and the light goes through a reflector; using single-core fibers that shipped with the strobes, I would often have the left strobe miss its pre-flash resulting in incorrect TTL exposure - moving to the cables linked above solved that problem completely. I also got an LED trigger recently, and while I haven't yet had a chance to take it underwater, surface tests have it working reliably through these cables as well.

 

[bvanant]

We were unable to find any pre-built connectors that we could use. Many of the links for sources went to pages that were no longer there. Thus we resorted to a build-your own connector. These were based on a 7mm strain relief cord (See Post #9). What ones do you have, and do you have a link as to where to find them?

On a semi-related note, we found these online. They look very similar to a set that another diver in Lembeh was using. Much less expensive than Sea&Sea, but if they are garbage, then it's just a waste of money. Anyone have any thoughts on these? (We have thought that if the fiber didn't work out great, we could probably harvest the connectors).

US $16.25 35% OFF|Scuba 613 Multi core Fiber Optic Fiber Optic Cable For INON Z330 Z240 SEA & SEA YS D2 Olympus Strobe and Diving Waterproof Case-in Sports Camcorder Cases from Consumer Electronics on AliExpress

Inon 90 Degree Double Hole Fiber Optic Plug (Rubber Bush Plug)
Inon Double Hole Fiber Optic Plug (Rubber Bush Plug)
F.I.T. L type Connector for Fiber Optical Cable
F.I.T. Straight Connector for Fiber Optical Cable
Bill

 

[АлександрД]

@js1221 Have you read this topic?
selfmade Optical cable for flashlight
just cut the end of wire in half (only shield, and do not cut the optic wire), and make one tip with to wires inside, as described above

 

[bvanant]

I just received the cable referenced above. ( US $16.25 35% OFF|Scuba 613 Multi core Fiber Optic Fiber Optic Cable For INON Z330 Z240 SEA & SEA YS D2 Olympus Strobe and Diving Waterproof Case-in Sports Camcorder Cases from Consumer Electronics on AliExpress) which claims to be the 613 core fiber. It is nicely built with some cool end fittings. The fittings are a bit too large for my S&S strobes even with smaller o-rings. More importantly it will not trigger the S&S strobes using the Nauticam LED trigger. My home built cables do work with authentic Asahi 613 core fiber. The Chinese one does indeed trigger the strobes using the Olympus flash for the EM1-II. Looking at the fiber under the microscope it certainly does NOT appear to be multicore but rather looks like a single core fiber. I compared it to genuine Asahi fiber which looks like lots of cores, the Ali-baba one is no where near the same. Caveat Emptor.

Bill

 

[Barmaglot]

I just did two dives with the $50 cables I linked earlier, using a UW-Technics LED trigger to fire SeaFrogs ST-100 Pro strobes - not a single missed shot.

 

[stepfen]

Looking at the fiber under the microscope it certainly does NOT appear to be multicore but rather looks like a single core fiber. I compared it to genuine Asahi fiber which looks like lots of cores, the Ali-baba one is no where near the same.

Maybe you are mixing multiCORE with multiMODE fibers??? They are two totally different things and I can't see a single reason why a multiCORE fiber would be needed or be beneficial in this application.
On the other hand a multiMODE fiber is a must. SingleMODE fibers must be coupled very precisely to the light source and the light sensor (something that cannot be achieved with the kind of connectors used in u/w strobes), or they will practically not allow any amount of light through them.

 

[bvanant]

We are quite aware of the difference between multi-core and multi-mode. Multi-core fibers (613 or 1000) have very much smaller bend radius than any single core fiber. The Asahi single core fiber (1 mm TC1000) has a minimum bend radius of 30 mm (more than 1 inch). The Asahi 613 core fiber (MCQ 1000) has a minimum bend radius of 1 mm. Almost all of the modern fiber cables from S&S, Inon, and others are 613 core fibers. The cables I bought from AliExpress were $16 each. They claim to be 613 core fibers, but the microscope suggests otherwise. I will ping the Ali guys and see what they say.
Cheers
Bill