Help With O Ring, Sea & Sea YS-01 Strobe

[Guitarcrazy]

I have two YS-01 strobes. I have had issues in the past with the stobe flooding, and then I have to throw away the batteries and clean out the compartment. I ordered new O rings, and one went in nicely, the other never goes in correctly. Even with a brand new O ring, when you attempt to close the battery compartment the O ring squeezes out of the channel and gets pinched, leaving a hole for water intrusion. I have had this problem with O rings as they get older, but this is a brand new O ring, and the only one I have. I am heading to Cozumel tomorrow, and don't have a way to get another O ring in the meantime. I don't understand why Sea & Sea make a product that is so prone to leakage and bad seals. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Searcaigh]

I don't own one of these strobes but I do own quite a few Sea & Sea Strobes that are fired electronically and not via fibre optic cables.

I believe the back covers are all the same size and with almost 30 years of using these strobes I've never had an issue with them.

Perhaps you have a poorly moulded back cover or battery compartment!

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

I don't own one of these strobes but I do own quite a few Sea & Sea Strobes that are fired electronically and not via fibre optic cables.

I believe the back covers are all the same size and with almost 30 years of using these strobes I've never had an issue with them.

Perhaps you have a poorly moulded back cover or battery compartment!

Agreed, Sea & Sea has used the same battery cover spec on many models - with at least 2 different covers (the modern ones include an over pressure relief valve).

If the oring is lubricated properly there should be no issues.

Closing the cover is a simple 3 step motion:
- align the cap to the markers.
- push the cap in.
- rotate the locking ring until it clicks.

Pushing the cap in should have minimal resistance when lubed properly. When the oring gets dry pushing the cap in requires noticeably more force.

OP: How hard is it to push your cap in? For a quick test, wet the oring with a few drops of water to see if it becomes easier. If so your oring is under lubed.

 

[Guitarcrazy]

Thanks for the reply. I have cleaned and lubed the O ring, and the channel in the light and it is still very difficult. The O ring will squeeze out of the channel and you can see it getting pinched. I just returned from Cozumel and luckily my rechargeable lithium AAs lasted for 11 dives so I didn't have to open them on the trip. It is very frustrating to have to hope they last through a trip because you are worried if you open them they won't close again.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Thanks for the reply. I have cleaned and lubed the O ring, and the channel in the light and it is still very difficult. The O ring will squeeze out of the channel and you can see it getting pinched. I just returned from Cozumel and luckily my rechargeable lithium AAs lasted for 11 dives so I didn't have to open them on the trip. It is very frustrating to have to hope they last through a trip because you are worried if you open them they won't close again.

Maybe provide some pics? I do not understand your explanation of what is happening. At what point can you see the oring being pinched? When I close my cap the oring is not visible once the cap starts to be pushed in.

The only thing I can think of going wrong is your oring is way too big? (i.e. wrong or stretched oring).

 

[BobHerb]

I use the Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobes and notice that the O-Rings do get stretched over time and have experienced the same problem you have mentioned. I use a flashlight after sealing the strobe to ensure that there are no pinches around the closure. If I see that there is a pinch, I then put that O-Ring aside and use a brand-new one. The life I observe of each of these O-Rings is about 3 months or 150 dives (I dive 3-4 days a week, and 3 dives per dive day). I also notice that the sooner I remove the battery cap after a diving day, the longer the O-Rings seem to last. I only remove the O-Rings and camera gear in a humidity-controlled environment that I maintain at less than 40% humidity. I live and dive in Roatan, Honduras. The average humidity here is +80%, which will destroy cameras, and electronics in short order.

 

[Searcaigh]

The life I observe of each of these O-Rings is about 3 months or 150 dives (I dive 3-4 days a week, and 3 dives per dive day).

Very interesting, I've never changed an o-ring on any of my strobe covers, all are original after hundreds of dives.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Very interesting, I've never changed an o-ring on any of my strobe covers, all are original after hundreds of dives.

I am in a similar situation. Have not replaced an o-ring yet. My units do not see much dive activity as I have several sets of "used vintage" strobes that I rotate between. The o-rings are old, but with very few dives on them. All original.

That implies age should not be a factor?

There must be something else causing this stretching. Type of grease? Amount of handling?
Type of handling?

 

[Searcaigh]

Amount of handling?
Type of handling?

Possibly this.

When not in use do you remove the O-rings and keep them greased in a plastic bag?

Try not to let them dry out.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Possibly this.

When not in use do you remove the O-rings and keep them greased in a plastic bag?

Try not to let them dry out.

I do nothing. They are left on the cap, but I try to remember to undo the cap so that they are not compressed. They are kept in a cupboard in a closet in the dark.

Your suggestion makes sense.