Hello all,

Last week I took the first step toward upgrading my current kit after finding a very good deal on a Nauticam A1 / A7S III compatible housing, which will eventually house a Sony A7S III as my primary video camera.

The housing is almost new. It has only been in the water three times and was originally purchased for a project that did not go ahead. It was tested, then put into storage for nearly five years.

So far, so good.

However, when I tested the moisture alarm circuit with a damp Q-tip, the buzzer did not sound. The LED switches from blue to red and requires a reset, but there is no audible alarm at all.
I initially suspected a low battery, so I replaced it with a brand new Panasonic cell, but the result was the same, none of that high pitched squeal we're hardwired to fear, a world of silence...

I trust the person I bought it from and do not believe the housing has ever been flooded. There are also no visible signs of corrosion anywhere inside. My assumption is that this may be related to the long storage period something having degraded or come loose.

I'm wondering whether others here have experienced failed or dead buzzers in Nauticam moisture alarm circuits, and whether there are any meaningful tests or troubleshooting steps I can perform before replacing the circuit entirely.

At this stage, I assume the whole circuit will need to be replaced if the buzzer itself cannot be isolated and repaired.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Cheers!

Ben

Edited yesterday at 09:29 AM1 day by bghazzal

First thing I would try is a multimeter to see if voltage is applied to the buzzer when it activates. It could either be the buzzer itself or the relay/transistor inside the electronics box that is not switching voltage to the buzzer. I assume the vacuum system is working, I expect the buzzer could be replaced if you had enough electronics experience to work out what type it is a select an appropriate replacment.

Something like this would likely work, but you would need to check the voltage applied, I expect it would likely apply direct battery voltage.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/mini-pcb-mount-buzzer-9-14vdc/p/AB3459

as you can see it's a $5 retail part.

Buzzer is more annoying than useful. Personally, i would just use it as is if simple measures can't fix it.

I can't even hear the buzzer through a hood, so I'm with Dave.

Buzzer has saved me twice, once with a 5/10 hood. If you can post a picture close up of the battery side we might see something. I've had the battery tab not making contact before and resoldered it to get it working again.

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by brightnight

Thanks everyone.

17 hours ago, Chris Ross said:

First thing I would try is a multimeter to see if voltage is applied to the buzzer when it activates. It could either be the buzzer itself or the relay/transistor inside the electronics box that is not switching voltage to the buzzer. I assume the vacuum system is working, I expect the buzzer could be replaced if you had enough electronics experience to work out what type it is a select an appropriate replacment.

Something like this would likely work, but you would need to check the voltage applied, I expect it would likely apply direct battery voltage.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/mini-pcb-mount-buzzer-9-14vdc/p/AB3459

as you can see it's a $5 retail part.

I'll look into it, thanks Chris - the circuit looks simple enough but I lack experience.
I'm not 100% sure the vaccum circuit works as I thought the lens cap had an o-ring but it doesn't, so I can't test it as I don't have a port yet or easy access to one here unfortunately.

It turns on fine and moisture does cause the LED to go from blue to red.

13 hours ago, Dave_Hicks said:

Buzzer is more annoying than useful. Personally, i would just use it as is if simple measures can't fix it.

8 hours ago, Grantmac said:

I can't even hear the buzzer through a hood, so I'm with Dave.

Yes, I do have my doubts as I always dive with a hood but would rather have it working if I can. I did hear it in Thailand when I had an issue with the LX10, but didn't connect the dots strait away.

Otherwise through testing on my LX10 I just realised the buzzer doesn't actually work when the battery is low - I go through batteries fast (I usually dive early morning, so set up the day before and sometimes open the housing the next day only) so was keeping them a bit after getting the alternating red/blue low battery indicator... Basically I was diving without a buzzer for a while on the LX10... 😅

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by bghazzal

6 hours ago, brightnight said:

Buzzer has saved me twice, once with a 5/10 hood. If you can post a picture close up of the battery side we might see something. I've had the battery tab not making contact before and resoldered it to get it working again.

Thanks - here are some pics:

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by bghazzal

Ben - I’m guessing it will all work out. The alarms are nice if they’re not a bother, but I’ve never had a problem with any Nauticam housings if you take care putting all the bits together. A7s III? I like it.

2 hours ago, humu9679 said:

Ben - I’m guessing it will all work out. The alarms are nice if they’re not a bother, but I’ve never had a problem with any Nauticam housings if you take care putting all the bits together. A7s III? I like it.

Thanks Craig - yes, I hope it will be ok. Even if I need to change the circuit, the housing remains a good deal. It's just a bit of a letdown.

The A7SIII upgrade is really exciting, but still very much a work in progress.
The plan is to set up a macro rig first, using the Sony 90mm with the MFO-3 and SMC-1 / AOI UCL-09 on the dual flip for a bit of flexibility.
If the stars really align, it might be the new Sony 100mm instead, with the same configuration.

The housing was really the biggest hurdle. Now it's the camera body, and I still need to decide whether to go Japanese-model for a very good deal, or international for English menus. I can deal with Japanese menus, but it'll make googling information more complicated and limit resale options (though this isn't super important as I plan on working with this camera for a while)

One thing at a time. For now, I have a shiny new housing, albeit a silent and empty one, to cuddle, so I am pretty stoked 😁

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by bghazzal