DIY Video Housing a success...

[Bobby_M]

Hey guys, I really think this condensation issue is more prevalent in cold waters. On a hot day like today with near 90% humidity, it would certainly cause an issue at depth where temps can be down in the mid 50's (NJ). That's a huge temp differential. Scott doesn't know about the problem down in South Florida ;-)

One reason I can't get away with loading my housing in air conditioning is that I run my DV cam at high quality which only gives me 60 minutes. That means I have to open it to change tapes and battery between dives.

One trick is to keep the cam and housing (inside and out) cool to begin with. I carry the whole rig in a insulated lunch bag which protects it from damage too. When I'm about to get geared up, I open the housing and quickly power up and hit record and seal it up. By the way, my dessicant pack is loaded in at home. From there, I toss it in the camera wash tub IF the hasn't heated up to 90 degrees already. From then until I splash, any moisture that was introduced in the opening is getting sucked up. Keep in mind that PVC/Acrylic doesn't transmit heat too quickly anyway. The dessicant will have plenty of time to absorb moisture before the inside of the housing starts to get too cool.

PS: I was about to order more supplies from Mcmaster.com for additional housings and I noticed they have all kinds of moisture-indicating (changes colors) desicant packs for VERY cheap.

Bobby

 

[beezwax]

my dive this afternoon: air temp at the edge of the quarry, 83 F. water temp at 100 feet, 37 F (yes, it really is that cold, even in summer). No fogging on my lens port, using the method I described before. Most folks are probably not going through this much of a temp swing, but for me using a dessicant alone or blasting the housing with dry tank air or any of these other suggestions aren't enough. In other words, if my system works under my conditions I guarantee it will work for you, so try it if these other suggestions don't do the trick.

 

[Padipro]

Hi Scott, please post the pics and info on the homemade glands. I didn't know how to do it and haven't found any info on line yet.

Matt,

Here are a couple of pictures of the DIY control. It's made from a plumbing compression fitting and a SS rod. You can use a brass or aluminum rod if you like, pretty much anything will work that doesn't corrode. You add two small o-rings to the rod, I got them from a dive shop, and when the cap of the compression fitting is tightened down it pushes these two o-rings down into the fitting squeezing them around the rod forming a water tight seal. Some fittings come with a tapered washer and a large rubber washer (you can see them in the pictures) that push these o-rings into the fitting others don't and you'll have to add another fatter o-ring or two and a brass washer inplace of the tapered washer to hold everything from squeezing out around the rod.

I used several of these controls for years before I found out you could buy the same thing from Ikelite in stainless steel for about $25 US. They worked perfectly and never leaked. All you need to do is wipe the rod down with a little silicone grease every now and then it will work just fine.

 

[geberhard]

Nice, am loving this site and the great info!

 

[Bobby_M]

Hey guys,
I'm embarking on my version 2 housing and will be trying to document both the costs and build process much more closely for those who want to duplicate it. In the meantime, I wrote up a lengthy how-to at instructables.com. Here's the link:

http://www.instructables.com/id/EKU3DUKR8WEPA8KXRG

I'm certainly going to be doing things a bit differently on the next design, but this is still a working housing on all counts.

Another project in the works based on this design is featured at divespots.com

Finally, I wanna throw out a kudos to Mcmaster Carr on their great prices and fast shipping. I just ordered a bunch of supplies for the next project. Shippnig was only $4 and I got it the very next day. They have the O-rings, stainless latches, 3m 5200 sealent, PVC cement, pre-made all-stainless rubber coated lanyards, stainless screws, etc. It's just about a one-stop shop for these housings except for the PVC and the Acrylic. Of course, I always add on stuff that I probably don't need like a 12-piece drum sanding kit (to smooth the acrylic cuts) and a multi-size drill bit depth-stop kit (so I don't drill all the way through the housing).

I'll post progress on version 2 when I get a chance.

Bobby

 

[MATTKINZ]

Thank you Scott, I'm on the way to the hardware store just as soon as I finish this posting.

I enjoy the DIY projects , and feel $25 for a gland is pretty steep. I'd rather do it myself anyway.

Bobby, I'm glad to see your housings a success. I agree with others , this is an awesome thread and I've had a lot of enjoyment from project and the comraderie of this site. I certainly will keep watching for developments to come. MK

 

[ChillyWilly]

I have been out of this thread for a while and I'm glad to see that Bobby, Padi Pro , and others have made some great modifications to the original designs.

Talking about sealants, Padi Pro's suggestion to use the 3M 5200 is one of the best choices. My camera Housing did have some leakeage problems at the begining when I used Marine Epoxy between the acrylic and the two surfaces. If I were to do it again, I would stick with the 3M sealant and forget about the epoxy. I ended up resealing every joint with 3M 5200 with great results.

I might think about building another one soon.


Take care boys and kep up the good work !!!!

 

[Guba]

I don't use any sealants whatsoever on my housing (other than PVC adhesive to attach blocks to the outside of it (for better placement of the handles). My end caps (both ends) are routered to make a "tophat" design that only requires o-rings. As the depth increases, it actually gets MORE secure and watertight because the rings are compressed more and make a better seal. So far, I've had it down to 95 feet--dry as a bone.

 

[Guba]

Let's see if I can get this picture of my housing to load...

 

[Guba]

Okay, that one worked, so I'll try more...

These pix show the "top-hat" design of the faceplates, complete with o-rings in place. Both ends have the same configuration. One shot shows both the o-ring and loaded catch. There are three catches on each end. The wide shot shows the placement of the magnetically operated solenoid that "wakes up" (turns on/off) the video camera. Note the slide/bolt that contains the magnet that triggers the solenoid circuit. This arrangement prevents any screws or controls from having to penetrate the body of the housing. Everything is totally enclosed.
Hope this helps.