Flooded 8080 - any advice?

[Hammerhead]

Guys,

I had a bit of a mind fart and posted this in the Philippine Paradise Divers forum. Rather than double post, I'd appreciate it if Oly 8080 users could have a quick look and give me any advice you may have...

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=143870

many thanks!

 

[djanni]

I flooded a PT-023 on it's 4 dive and I know exactly why. Operator error!!! I know what I did and won't do it again. I have about 40 dives on the replacement. No problems. A lot of people here dive PT-023 housings without a hitch.

It's a little hard to follow the sequence of events you laid out but maybe one of the two latches that hold the port in place was not completely engaged. It does take both to hold it in place.

Aside from that... we bought the cheapest housing for our camera's right? We get what we pay for?

I wouldn't be afraid of the Oly PT-023 housing. I think they are fine. Of course it's possible you got a defective housing. It can be pressure tested if you want to send it in. A new one can be found for around $200.

The 8080/pt-023 combination will take some awsome pic's.

I had insurance so the event cost me the deductable plus hassle.

 

[Hammerhead]

Don,

I answered on the other post, but for those that didn't see it, I'll explain here too.

Where the right side lens port clips onto the main housing, the clip was closed and part of the actual camera housing (including the lug that the clip latches onto) has broken off. As such it can't be pressure tested because the housing itself is not intact.

It might be possible to repair the housing with glue (the camera's toast), but I'd never trust this particular housing again. It's academic really as I have bought a DSLR anyway, but as I say, if I'm right that the flooding was not my fault, then it seems a bit unfair that I should swallow the cost of a camera I only got to use a couple of times.

You're right about the picture quality tho...

 

[Hammerhead]

Just to clarify, this is how the housing's damaged...

You have a red clip on the port as so...

...which clips around a small lug like this...

...unless for some reason the lug isn't there...

...because it has broken off, like this...

 

[f3nikon]

Sorry about your lost, thanks for posting the pictures. I have two PT-023s, the first one I'll cement the flat port to the housing with the orings in place so I would not need to worry about the port latches.

I'am also bolting an SS strap to the front metal red port ring and securing it to the bottom and one on the top of the camera housing for added support. The second PT-023, am looking for an Athena dome port to machine then cement and strap to the housing as well.

The prices of the Olympus housings were so cheap, instead of swapping out different ports, I'll just swap out the entire housing/port combo. If I had bought the Ikelite housing their dome port alone cost as much as the Olympus housing and flat port combine.

Good Luck on your next camera.

 

[djanni]

Do you know what cement you'll use? I have a similar situation and hadn't thought about cementing the two together.

Don

 

[f3nikon]

Do you know what cement you'll use? I have a similar situation and hadn't thought about cementing the two together.

Don

Most likely a silicon base sealant, don't want to melt the plastic. Just enough to add another seal like a dive mask.