Ball Socket Strobe Mounting System

I just received my Ikelite DS-125 and 1" ball joint arm. I noticed that even if I tightened the wing nuts tight the arm doesn’t not support the weight of the DS-125. On Ikelite's site, they address this in a FAQ:

How well does it really hold?

 

Like nothing else in the industry. The clamps can be tightened easily to provide complete holding power even out of the water. Underwater, the clamps can be loosened slightly to allow adjustment by simply moving the arms. The surfaces provide such complete hold that a little lubricant can be applied for even smoother operation.

If I am reading this correctly, the joints should stay firm even out of the water. I know the strobe will be considerably lighter in the water but should I be concerned or am I overreacting?

Thanks!

-- Mark

Mkshultz,

I'm not sure what arm system you're talking about (Ikelite?), but no arm system is designed to hold relatively heavy strobes in rigid positions out of the water, and it is unrealistic to expect them to do so.

This is generally not a problem with short macro arm lengths, but heavy strobes on long wide-angle arms can be unwieldy and difficult to handle out of the water. There are a variety of solutions. If you are using twin arms, you may be able to fasten them together with a double gate snap, creating a relatively stable structure that is easier to carry and handle on a small boat, etc. Another approach is to attach fastex clips with ties.

Here's a partial view showing how this is done - you can see two fastex clip sets holding the strobe ends of the arms to the base. There is another fastex clip set (not visible in the photograph) holding the two arms together.

If it's a single arm, you'll have to come up with a different approach. One I've seen involves wrapping the arm segments around the housing and using a double gate snap to hold everything together. Whether and how this might work would depend on your arm system, the number, type and length of arm sections, etc.

I do something similar with the fastex buckles but I flip the strobes in between the arms and use only one snap on the outer arms which captures the strobes and holds the wholes rig together. This way I only have one buckles to open rather than three.

I have the same arms and have no problem. But then I don't expect much out of the water.

Specifically, out of the water I keep the arms folded back on themselves so the strobes are touching the tray handles. And I pick the rig up by the tray handle.

After I am in the water I deploy the arms and park them before exiting the water.

With these practices, I think you will find your arms have all the power you need.

I have some Ikelite arms that came with my DS125 and they are C R A P! They do not hold steady with the weight of the strobe at all - no matter how tight you get them

A complete contrast is the Ultralight arm system (as in rdelfs picture) which are awsome! couldn't say a bad thing about them ... well... maybe the price;)

the differences between the two systems are :

1. the ball on the arm has a grove around the circumference with an o-ring seated slightly raised.

2. the clamps are bevelled and have a better screw system.

I've thought about getting someone with a lathe to put o-ring groves in my Ikelite arms and I think they would work well ...

... the clamps I intend to throw away as soon as I can afford to replace them with some more Ultralight gear!!!!

BTW, I fold my arms back down and tuck my strobes in, as Peter suggested, and the Ikelight arms will extend themselves under the weight of the strobe. Bad when you're passing back up into the boat - seriously bad when a deckie is running your camera across the deck to the soak tub !!!!