HELP! SeaTool Dome Port Zoom Gear Problem

Was working on my rig today, preparing to head out to Fiji tomorrow afternoon. I remembered the last time I used my rig, the zoom gear ring for my Tokina 10-17 needed a bit of filing down so it would fit better on the lens. So I filed, put on the dome, tested, filed again...

Well, at some point in the testing process, the zoom gear on my SeaTool dome stopped spinning the zoom gear ring on the lens. I now have it perfectly meshed up (the filing worked), but in the process, I may have somehow stripped the lower gear on the dome.

It spins properly when there's nothing up against it. But give it the least bit of resistance, and nada.

Put in a call to Reef, but Richard and Ryan are gone for the day... and there was no dome port in stock they could overnight me for the trip.

Obviously, I can use the lens as a prime rather than a zoom, but... well, that's not optimal.

Anyone have any ideas as to quick fixes I might be able to implement to give me zoom while I'm gone, then send in the dome port for a repair when I return? I'm thinking a touch of glue along the shaft to the bottom gear, but hate to do that without knowing more.

Hi Amber,

I haven't used that port so can't make an informed reply. But some general things to look at are:

Is there a set screw (grub screw) that holds the gear onto the shaft? Is it tight?

If you filed the gear so that it fits too loosely on the lens, can you put some double sided tape on the lens or the inside of the gear to fill the gap and help it stick? I have also used regular electrical tape just to help the gear fit more tightly.

HTH

James

James,

The gear is fitting nicely on the lens barrel now. I wish that was the issue, as tape could easily fix that. Unfortunately, it's the gear wheel on the dome port which is the issue. I can't see how the gear is seated on the shaft, but it won't turn with any resistance at all against it, such as a finger or the lens gear ring. However, the zoom knob will still turn, and the gear in question will turn when there's no resistance against it, hence the thought I must have stripped it off something in there.

Still hoping someone may have some insight...

Have you checked the screw holding the knob on the outside of port is tight? Mary had a similar problem with one of her Seatool ports (I can't remember if it was the 60 or 100 port). The gear inside the port would turn when there was no load on it but when the lens was inside the port and offering some resistance the knob on the outside would turn and the gear inside the port wouldn't. A quick tighten of the screw holding the knob on and problem solved.

From memory the screw is a very tight fit in the hole in the knob and is fairly hard to turn, so it may feel as if it's tightened up hard against the shaft when it actually isn't.

Unfortunately, this isn't a direct gear system, it's indirect. The knob has a pole which drives the first gear, which then has the second gear at 90 degrees it drives, which in turn runs the third wheel - and it's only the third one which won't turn with any resistance against it. ARGH!

I did determine that if I push up on the last gear with my finger (obviously can only do that when the port's detatched), it will engage and turn against resistance. So it's somehow slipped I think.