BEM
Contributor
My wife and I were at Cayman Brac last January and did one night dive. After we got back home, I was cleaning and putting away our equipment and happened to notice that a gallon of sea water came out of my wifes UK light. I dont know how it got flooded, neither does she! Being the considerate and forgiving person I am, not another word was said!!!!
So I removed the batteries, soaked it in warm fresh water for a few days, dried it and soaked it with $42.50 worth of WD-40. (By the way, WD stands for Water Displacement Im full of these interesting and valuable pieces of knowledge.)
It was dried and all visible contacts sanded (emery cloth) and fresh batteries installed. Turn it on - NO LIGHT! Well at least it wasnt my fault it flooded. I informed my wife of this fact! So, I looked at the bulb and it looked milky white A-HA found my problem!!.. Ordered a new light well the light and reflector (one piece unit = more profit for UK)
Two weeks later
Put the new unit in, turned it on NO LIGHT! Well at least it wasnt my fault it flooded. Again I informed my wife of this fact!
So, this requires my surgical skill (in Med school I took apart cadavers) to dive in deeper. I undid the screw for the switch, removed the switch lever and pushed on the little pip sticking up heard a click and it disappeared into the housing. Looked into the housing no pip or anything?? After hitting the unit and shaking it violently, but gently, it flew out onto the floor under my new 500 pound bench. After sucking it up with the vacuum, I fished it out of the canister. Genius, I thought to myself, good thing I have all these tools! It had some corrosion on the copper contacts and I sanded them and after a few beers and choice words, replaced it into the housing. Put the batteries in, well two of them, two wouldnt fit. After putting down the hammer, I think, at least it wasnt my fault it flooded. Removed the batteries, pushed the switch (pip) back into the housing and tried twelve more times same result each time. Time to think. On the UK SL series lights, there is a brass or copper strip that connects the switch to the light reflector. NO UK shop tools, time to improvise! Using my pliers I straightened it out and pushed the strip into the housing. PING into the housing and this time it came out only after three minutes of persuasion. I see!! The switch pip fits into the copper stip and then into the housing. No wonder the batteries wouldnt fit (What a stupid design!) Made a mental note to send UK a plan of an improved SL-4.
Finally after, well a few attempts I got the dam thing assembled (thank god for duct tape) and bent the copper strip back into place. Loaded the batteries and turned it on! NO LIGHT!! Who ever flooded this should fix it. If I had a backbone, I would have said this aloud but I wanted to live another day.
Took everything apart, re-sanded, WD-40 (too bad there is no WD-80 Note to self send email to WD company). Re-assemble, turn on NO LIGHT. Someones going to pay!
One more attempt, maybe time to think again! Hey, why are the batteries facing the same way??? Hey, I got it! turned two batteries around and turned it on. LET THERE BE LIGHT!! After all this, I am still the master!
Now, to test this sucker. Got a pail, filled with water and threw placed it in. Turned it on LIGHT, on off on off, light, no light, light, no light. YES! Now to simulate the real environment, swing the pail to simulate surge and rock for wave action. Light is staying on! Decide not to test the dive boat test, the tank-falling-on-light scenario.
I know what youre saying Wait until you get some depth pressure on it then see (Pun here)! Well I got that one covered. It needed pressure so, having had teenagers (i.e. relevant experience), I yelled at it You Better Work or Ill Leave You On The Bottom Forever! It still worked after that. Another job done, time for a beer.
By the way, putting cadaver parts back is not as easy as you would think, its like a 3-d puzzle, and really tough if someone hides the pancreas.
So I removed the batteries, soaked it in warm fresh water for a few days, dried it and soaked it with $42.50 worth of WD-40. (By the way, WD stands for Water Displacement Im full of these interesting and valuable pieces of knowledge.)
It was dried and all visible contacts sanded (emery cloth) and fresh batteries installed. Turn it on - NO LIGHT! Well at least it wasnt my fault it flooded. I informed my wife of this fact! So, I looked at the bulb and it looked milky white A-HA found my problem!!.. Ordered a new light well the light and reflector (one piece unit = more profit for UK)
Two weeks later
Put the new unit in, turned it on NO LIGHT! Well at least it wasnt my fault it flooded. Again I informed my wife of this fact!
So, this requires my surgical skill (in Med school I took apart cadavers) to dive in deeper. I undid the screw for the switch, removed the switch lever and pushed on the little pip sticking up heard a click and it disappeared into the housing. Looked into the housing no pip or anything?? After hitting the unit and shaking it violently, but gently, it flew out onto the floor under my new 500 pound bench. After sucking it up with the vacuum, I fished it out of the canister. Genius, I thought to myself, good thing I have all these tools! It had some corrosion on the copper contacts and I sanded them and after a few beers and choice words, replaced it into the housing. Put the batteries in, well two of them, two wouldnt fit. After putting down the hammer, I think, at least it wasnt my fault it flooded. Removed the batteries, pushed the switch (pip) back into the housing and tried twelve more times same result each time. Time to think. On the UK SL series lights, there is a brass or copper strip that connects the switch to the light reflector. NO UK shop tools, time to improvise! Using my pliers I straightened it out and pushed the strip into the housing. PING into the housing and this time it came out only after three minutes of persuasion. I see!! The switch pip fits into the copper stip and then into the housing. No wonder the batteries wouldnt fit (What a stupid design!) Made a mental note to send UK a plan of an improved SL-4.
Finally after, well a few attempts I got the dam thing assembled (thank god for duct tape) and bent the copper strip back into place. Loaded the batteries and turned it on! NO LIGHT!! Who ever flooded this should fix it. If I had a backbone, I would have said this aloud but I wanted to live another day.
Took everything apart, re-sanded, WD-40 (too bad there is no WD-80 Note to self send email to WD company). Re-assemble, turn on NO LIGHT. Someones going to pay!
One more attempt, maybe time to think again! Hey, why are the batteries facing the same way??? Hey, I got it! turned two batteries around and turned it on. LET THERE BE LIGHT!! After all this, I am still the master!
Now, to test this sucker. Got a pail, filled with water and threw placed it in. Turned it on LIGHT, on off on off, light, no light, light, no light. YES! Now to simulate the real environment, swing the pail to simulate surge and rock for wave action. Light is staying on! Decide not to test the dive boat test, the tank-falling-on-light scenario.
I know what youre saying Wait until you get some depth pressure on it then see (Pun here)! Well I got that one covered. It needed pressure so, having had teenagers (i.e. relevant experience), I yelled at it You Better Work or Ill Leave You On The Bottom Forever! It still worked after that. Another job done, time for a beer.
By the way, putting cadaver parts back is not as easy as you would think, its like a 3-d puzzle, and really tough if someone hides the pancreas.
