DIY Fibre Optic cables - Easy!

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DIY Fibre Optic cables

Like most members, when I bought my first system that used fibre optic cables, I paid for the ones that the dealers sell.

Reading various articles about fibre optics, I realised later that they were relatively easy to make and that DIY cables could cost a fraction of shop-bought. I gave it a go.

I thought it worth a write-up here on Waterpixels. And yes, they are really easy to make and are cheap.

The Cable

The best fibre I have found for strobe cables is called 613-core Fused Multi-core Simplex Cable, Polyethylene Jacket- MCQ-1000. Bit of a mouthful!

A meter will cost about $7.50 and that should make at least two cables. A couple of years ago we coordinated an order between a group of forum members and bought 86 metres (!) from Industrial Fiber Optics in Tempe, Arizona. It was a bit of a shock when it arrived on a huge cable drum!

Cutting

The 613-core fibre is easy to cut using a sharp, box cutter-style blade (a Stanley knife to we Brits). Don’t be tempted (as I did to start with) to use a pair of scissors as that is likely to result in not quite a clean 90-degree angle. Although this will probably work fine for Manual initiation, TTL needs more accuracy and a scissor-cut can impact on the cable’s transmission quality for TTL purposes.

You can buy purpose-built fibre optic cable cutters but unless you are going into mass production, they are not really necessary.

Curling

If you really insist on having curly cables, cut to length and then curl the cable on a pencil and dip in hot water for a while. I found though that my shop-bought curly ones were a pain and lead to strained and tugged cables. Go with straight and feed them through the strobe arms.

Fittings

Various plugs (or “bushes”) are available for either or both ends of the cable. Inon make a double hole plug - available from Divervision for $1.95. Howshot make an “Adapter L bush” for the massive cost of $3.95. I use an Inon plug at the strobe end and a Howshot at the housing end.

None of these fittings need any complicated assembly, glue, heat, soldering or magic. Simply push the cable into a hole. In the case of the Howshots, poke, bend and tighten a screw. Truly not rocket science.

In conclusion

I made a bunch of cables, they have done hundreds of dives and work like a charm.

One of the really neat things about DIY cables is that you can have any length you want - including creating an extra long one for off-housing work. If by chance they break, just recut at the break - or just cut a new one.

The cost of a complete cable, less than $10. The sense of achievement, priceless.

Give it a go!

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15 Comments

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Kraken de Mabini

Members

December 25, 20232 yr

Thank you, Tim, for a clear how-to on fiber optic cables. Previous useful posts on how to built them can be found here:

https://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?/search/&q="fiber optic cable"

Kraken de Mabini

Members

December 27, 20232 yr

and here:

https://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?/topic/60564-diy-fiber-optic-writeup-with-parts/page/5/

Dave_Hicks

Members

December 28, 20232 yr

Why do we need to reference WetPixel? I'd like to see this board steering traffic away from that site, not back to it.

brightnight

Members

March 5, 20242 yr

Looking forward to making some strobe cables! Just ordered some 613-core Fused Multi-core Simplex Cable and these connectors for the Nauticam 5dMIII housing and Inon Z330 strobes. If I missed anything please let me know.

Strobe Side:

Howhsot Fiber Adapter for INON

https://reurl.cc/YVoqn0

Nauticam Housing side:

Howshot Fiber Adapter Set M11 for Nauticam Housings

https://reurl.cc/eLoynK

bghazzal

Members

August 22, 20241 yr (edited)

I'm a complete fiber-optic cable noob, but have to cross that line for a remote for my Kraken video lights.

Kraken has informed me that the cables use a standard "sea and sea" style plug (I guess it's something like this)

Before I spend hundreds of euros on two cables, any idea if I can build my own for the remote using this technique? I like the idea of straight cables and they only sell curly ones.

Being in Indonesia choice is limited, but I did find these online - what would be best for a remote to light cables, is there anything to look out for?
Also I'm not sure how I would get the plugs though (or what to look for actually when it comes to "sea and sea type plugs")

Thanks a bunch!

Edited August 22, 20241 yr by bghazzal

TimG

Super Moderators

August 22, 20241 yr

Hey!

Those patch cords on your Indo link look very much like Toslink cable. This works fine if not quite as good as the Ashai 613. But for non-TTL video lights should be just fine. Just cut off the plugs, cut to length, jam into the plugs - and you should be good to go.

On the "Sea&Sea plugs", just check what kind of bulkhead opening you have. All the ones I've mentioned above are bog-standard and more than likely the same as you would use on your housing.

You can always rig up a way of jamming your cables into the bulkheads. Tape them to thicken them out, for example. This is not rocket science nor, usually, does it have to be super precise for non-TTL work.

bghazzal

Members

August 23, 20241 yr (edited)

Thanks Tim! I did find some Toslink 2.2mm cables but only in 1m length - there are quite a few options out there (just not multicore)

One I currently have my eyes on is this one

It's 3mm NS2 G657A2 (single mode fibre) designed for outdoor use, so G657A2 core and HDPE + LSZH jacket.

G657.A2 is described in this ressource as having a 7.5mm bending radius, smaller radius being preferable if I understood correctly?

Would this be a good option?

Edited August 23, 20241 yr by bghazzal

TimG

Super Moderators

August 23, 20241 yr

I’m not expert enough to be able to judge between different types of fibre optic cable.

Based on my own experiences, if you’re shooting manual and your strobes have good sensors, then any Toslink-type cable seems to work. It just gets more sensitive if you use TTL.

On the bend radius, this depends on what type of plugs you use. If the L-shaped ones that I highlighted, then a cable capable of bending easily, like the 613, is important. But if you’re going to use a straight plug, the bendability issue becomes less significant. I’ve found that, other than how the fibre plugs into the bulkhead, bending the cable is not an important factor. There’s unlikely to be serious bending of the cable en route to the strobes. Plugging in to the strobes is also unlikely to need major bends.

bghazzal

Members

August 30, 20241 yr (edited)

As a follow-up my remote has finally arrived, along with two Kraken optical cables that I bought for it, but alas, these do not work.

Not sure what is going on, I thought it was the remote but it turns out that without the cables the IR transmission from remote to light works, but not with either of the cables...

I had also ordered two 2mm patchcords at roughly 0.5 euros each, 2mm Xumikura SC/UPC - LC/UPC - not sure if they're any good for such purposes.
Alas, no plugs - two plugs for strobes would cost me around 20 euros for the cheapest I can find (Meikon generics).

I can't recycle the Kraken plugs as the cables will most likely be going back to the retailer (who is sending me another cable for tests).

I was wondering there any way to DIY plugs to try to connect the patchcords to the ports, so I can see if it works.

thanks!

This it what it looks like:

The non-working new Kraken optical cable, with its Sea&Sea style plug

This doesn't work....

Here's the Xumikura 2mm patchord:

is there anything I can try to do with this?

cheers!

Edited August 30, 20241 yr by bghazzal

TimG

Super Moderators

August 30, 20241 yr

Can you see light at the end of the cable if you light the far end of it? Maybe turn the Kraken light on, hold one end of the cable against the light and see if you can see light emitting out of the cable at the far end. You know then that the cable is ok.

It's odd as I would have thought linking fibre optics to video light would be straight-forward.

On the patch cables you bought, I'd suggest cutting off the existing cables and, just as a test, put them into the bulkhead holes fastening them in place with, say, Blutac, or plasticine or something like that. Assuming they work - and I can't see a reason why they would not, then scope out connectors. Divervision have all sorts; then you can get these from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBG5U82/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dave_Hicks

Members

August 30, 20241 yr

If you have access to a 3d printer, I have a design available for 2mm OD fiber optic connectors. Both 180deg and 90deg connectors. These are as good as anything you can buy.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6134211

Optical Cable.jpg

bghazzal

Members

August 31, 20241 yr (edited)

20 hours ago, TimG said:

Can you see light at the end of the cable if you light the far end of it? Maybe turn the Kraken light on, hold one end of the cable against the light and see if you can see light emitting out of the cable at the far end. You know then that the cable is ok.

It's odd as I would have thought linking fibre optics to video light would be straight-forward.

On the patch cables you bought, I'd suggest cutting off the existing cables and, just as a test, put them into the bulkhead holes fastening them in place with, say, Blutac, or plasticine or something like that. Assuming they work - and I can't see a reason why they would not, then scope out connectors. Divervision have all sorts; then you can get these from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XBG5U82/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks Tim - Yes it's odd - I did the test yesterday with an LED lightbulb and there's a dot of light coming out of both ends of both cables.

The remote sends an infrared signal, so I don't see anything on the remote itself.

But the lights can be triggered directly by the remote with no cable, which seems to indicate that the remote is emitting correctly. I've managed to control both like this, but with the cables, no go.
Really not sure what's going on here.

I'll cut off the existing patchcables and try placing them in the bulkhead hole, see what happens.

20 hours ago, Dave_Hicks said:

If you have access to a 3d printer, I have a design available for 2mm OD fiber optic connectors. Both 180deg and 90deg connectors. These are as good as anything you can buy.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6134211

Thanks a lot Dave. I'm in a rural area at the moment so the closest 3D printer is probably in south-Bali somewhere, but I'll look into it, could be a great alternative

cheers

EDIT - chopped off the ends of the patchcord with a stanley knife / box cutter blade and tried the contraption, no luck.

the remote works without the cables, so infrared signal is transmitted ok, but for some reason the IR signal doesn't make it through the cables.

That said, contrary to the Kraken cables, I can't see light transmitted on the patch cables when placing one end next to a light bulb, so something might be wrong with them...
I've tried cutting and recutting them several time, no light makes it through the patchcords, so I guess they're duds...

Or fakes? A little odd that both cables don't work....

Otherwise the retailer (Divesea, great service) is sending me multicore cables to try as replacements today, so fingers crossed...
The DIY solution is on standby for now...

Edited August 31, 20241 yr by bghazzal

Mike Saunders

Members

Saturday at 11:14 PM2 days

This is great thanks.

I’ve made some new cables with right angle howshot plugs and toslink cable

Tested inevitably in the bath…

Work perfectly. Great tip

TimG

Super Moderators

Sunday at 06:40 AM2 days

7 hours ago, Mike Saunders said:
This is great thanks.
I’ve made some new cables with right angle howshot plugs and toslink cable
Tested inevitably in the bath…
Work perfectly. Great tip

…..and so satisfying too, eh?