Ikelite Eight Inch Dome Port Paranoia

[Cacia]

I never have had a good feeling about that port. It has too much play.

Are there lots of folks flooding these? I don't get it---the camera fine on a slow descent....the entire dive and then it started leaking like a sieve on the ascent.

I did get kicked a couple times. There was no obvious reason when I looked the housing over, later. The whole dive was one big firedrill though. Rush here, rush there.

Nobody to hand off the cameras. (I'm sure it must be somebody's fault right?)

I rinsed the housing inside carefully. I plan to just dive it empty for a few dives.
It is a new housing, I think I hate it. I love my old one, it never let me down.

Seriously, I might just use the big dome port for the fish-eye and go back to my old individual ports, they feel so much more secure.

 

[philmayer]

I have the 8" dome and I love it! It's a little loose on the syrface, but as soon as it goes into the water the pressure seals it up tight.

I haven't seen any posts from folks who have flooded one yet.

Was one of the clips unlocked? Maybe it didn't lock completely before you descended? I haven't had that problem with the 8" but I have it constantly with the port for my 105VR.

Are you greasing the o-ring every time you attach the port? I flooded both of my new DS200s back in June because I didn't.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Catherine,

I had a flood with mine at about 33 feet in Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in July. The culprit wasn't the housint of the dome port, it was an O-ring that had somehow become stretched.

I theorize when the housing got to that depth, it was tightening and pinched the slightly stretched O-ring and --voila! --a flood.

After I replaced the O-ring, not a drop.

Jeff

 

[Cacia]

Are you greasing the o-ring every time you attach the port? I flooded both of my new DS200s back in June because I didn't.

That might have been the problem, the o-ring and port had been on for the past few dives, and I never disassembled it. Is that wrong? I have always broken my parts down as little as possible. One o-ring only, right? (where it screws on to the housing)

Once it is screwed on, I cannot even see the clips! I do not like that.

it was an O-ring that had somehow become stretched.

...how did you determine the o-ring had become stretched? WHICH o-ring, please?

One thing that makes me suspicious is that now they manufacture it all in one piece.---why would they change the design unless there was a problem?

When you guys flooded, what steps did you take?

How many dives did you do with an empty housing, before plopping the next camera inside?

 

[philmayer]

I didn't make any dives with the empty housing. I put the camera in and went diving. Ikelite tests the housings to more pressure than I will dive to, so I figure a brand new housing is safest.

After I flooded my DS200s, they went back to Ikelite for repair. The strobes were fine but the batteries were fried.

As far as the o-rings -- they need to be cleaned and greased every time the seal is opened, and every day as well. If you make 3 dives in a day but don't open the housing or change the port, you don't need to touch the o-rings during the day. But at the end of the day you should take the housing apart, check for leaks, check the o-rings, clean and grease the o-rings, and reassemble. You follow this procedure with ALL of you o-rings -- housing back, port, strobes, etc.

No, you can't see the clips when using the 8" dome and a short stalk. Just make sure they click when you install the port. You can always tug on the clips to be sure they're secure. Unless you're on the surface, the clips are more to keep the port aligned than to keep it secure. The wobbling you feel between the housing and port on the surface goes away as soon as you put the rig in the water. Water pressure keeps it tight.

You've got a great setup. Get out there and play with it!

 

[RonFrank]

Hi Catherine,

Sorry to hear you are having issues. I have been diving with the 8" dome for a while now, and never had a flood. It Is a bit loose on the surface, but that is normal. Make DAMN sure however that the clips are SNAPPED in place. This is harder on the big dome because it's in the way so you can't really see, or get to the clips as easily. I've had my dome clipped into place with housing stored in the berth only to discover upon inspection before getting wet that one of the clips was off. Check those clips just before each dive.

I lube my orings before EVERY dive day (not dive). I store my housing, and ports with the orings removed. You dive a LOT more than I do, so if something has been working for you I can't say it's wrong. But Ryan (Reef) suggested to lubing the orings after each dive day. Before installing them, do a good check on each housing and port surface to avoid hair, grit, dirt, whatever.

Hope this helps, and that you become comfortable with the new setup.

 

[Cacia]

You follow this procedure with ALL of you o-rings -- housing back, port, strobes, etc.

Okay guys, I'll change my ways! I have not been breaking down the dome ports or even strobes after the rinse. I only lube the o-rings that are subjected to friction, on a turn type of contact.

I do lightly touch/feel/ minimal lube the door back ring after each submersion.

Just to confirm..(I don't have anybody here with the dome port 8")....It should only have ONE O-ring on the lip where the threads are, right?

Another faux pas I made was dropping my lense in with a glass filter screwed on my lense into the dome port and scratching it slightly (on the inside) because the specs do not allow for the added length of this screw on addition) I'm going to try some of that infomercial "lense DR" liquid, unless somebody has a better solution.

https://www.officialtvwebsite.com/lensdr/ver2/index.asp?did=644&refcode=lensdrg

 

[Cacia]

I am fixating on the fact that Ikelite quickly changed the design from the two pieces to one molded to the dome. (do you guys have the seperate extension piece or the all-in-one? :14

Somebody smack me.

I was really getting smug about having never flooded. (I was pretty convinced it was due to not handling everything soooo much, less chance for hairs, nicks, etc)

If you guys were told to jump with your set-up,... would you?

I stepped off backwards holding it to my waist, letting my back break my fall.
I don't think I would do that again.

I guess I am in mourning...

 

[philmayer]

Yes, there is only one o-ring between the port and the housing.

There is one between the port body and the stalk, but I never change the stalk so I only break that one out before each trip.

What do you mean by they changed from a two-piece design to a one-piece? Are you sure you don't have a two-piece unit? They used to be marketed as different units for different lenses, but they were still two-piece units. Ikelite's website still lists the dome and stalk as separate units.

I've jumped with my setup before. I worry about the strobes hitting me in the head much more than I worry about a flood. Hold the housing above your head when you jump. By the time the housing gets to the water, your body has absorbed most of the impact and slowed way down.

The folks at Ikelite are the ones who told me to lube everything every time it's opened and once per day. They told me this after I asked them how not to flood my strobes any more. :11:

What lens are you using in your done? What order do you assemble your housing/port in? Can you attach your lens to the camera and close the housing up before you put the dome port on? If so, you can attach the dome port before installing the camera and then look through the housing to see if the o-ring is installed and compressed properly.

 

[Cacia]

They used to be marketed as different units for different lenses, but they were still two-piece units. Ikelite's website still lists the dome and stalk as separate units.

Ahhhh...okay, glad you cleared that up for me.

I have been assembling the camera with the lense (12-24 mm) right into the housing that already has the port dome attached. I have not been breaking it down though out of fear something would introduce itself, or the 0-ring would be nicked. But, I probably collected salt crystals maybe.

Can you attach your lens to the camera and close the housing up before you put the dome port on

I don't think I can...the ONLY way I can clip the dome port expansion ring (stalk?) is to screw the dome after the expansion ring is placed. This might be an IQ test, maybe I should revisit the options. how are you doing it?

I want to shoot my fish eye in a wreck tonight, but not if I cannot figure out what went wrong. (back-up D-100/ housing with the new dome port)
My plan is to assemble the empty housing and soak it in a deep bucket.