Ikelite Buttons Sticking

Hi all:

I have had problems on my last trip with a couple of buttons sticking on my ikelite housing. It seemed to be worse at depth. Sometimes they wouldn't move until I was out of the water. I tried to work the buttons in and out in the rinse tank. I still had problems.

I could always return to ikelite to service, but this was done maybe 60 dives ago. Any ideas of how I can correct this?

Hi

Have you tried to lube the o-rings on the buttons that stick? Push the button all way in and apply a small amount of lube on the shaft of the button. Then work the push button a number of times. That should do it.

Regards

Bent

Hi all:

 

I have had problems on my last trip with a couple of buttons sticking on my ikelite housing. It seemed to be worse at depth. Sometimes they wouldn't move until I was out of the water. I tried to work the buttons in and out in the rinse tank. I still had problems.

I could always return to ikelite to service, but this was done maybe 60 dives ago. Any ideas of how I can correct this?

Maybe you have salt build up in them. Remove, Clean, Lube, Replace and test.

If lubricating the shafts from the inside don't work enough, you may have salt/sand/chalk deposits/build-up between the housing and the knob.

soak the housing for somehours in lukewarm destilled water and then move all knobs, if still sticky, take them out and clean them troughly.

It may be a wise idea to change all the o-rings with new ones while the knob is out but be advised that the small c-clips break easy while

prying them off but any Ikelite dealer should have them i stock and they are cheap.

Chris

It sounds as though the buttons do need a service, it's not too scarey a task to complete yourself, just remove the circlip on each button and then give the button shaft a good clean. I'd suggest getting some spare circlips and springs from Ikelite first, the clips do sometimes break when you remove them..... and make sure you give the housing a good test ex camera once your completed

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will give these options a go.

Here is the advice that Ike Bingham gave me years ago:

Always push the buttons after diving in a fresh water dip tank in addition to light hosing. Buttoms must be pushed to eliminate any salt or sand in the pockets.

He sent me a small thin tipped bottle of viscous silicone which allowed me to squirt small drops onto the pushbutton shafts.

Blow down buttons after diving and rinsing as above. Get the excess water out of button pocket.

P.S. I just asked Ikelite if they sold any silicone like that and they said no, its was shop item.

They are missing out on a great sales item IMHO.

A good way to remove the circlips without losing them is to use a pair of curved artery forceps. You can pick up a pair of eBay fairly cheaply and they allow you you to grip and lock down on a circlip for easy removal and replacement.

A nozzle that fits onto a BC inflator hose is also useful for blowing water out of push button control recesses after a dive.

Hi, this is a really great thread. I have an extension to the question... I have the Ikelite housing for a 7D. I cannot use the dials to change F stop or shutter speed underwater. it appears they don't grip. Is that something others have come across and how did you get round it?

Thanks

Pete

Pete, on my Ikelite housing for the 20D (sold now). I had sometimes this trouble. Not with my 'new' 70d housing. There are a couple of things you can try:

remove the eye cup from the camera if you use that : it might push the camera slightly forward

make sure you use a coin or similar to really secure the camera on the tray

you can use the little adjuster screws on the bottom to position the camera.

if the control tips inside are worn, you can buy new tips. (or turn them around to expose the fresher site. http://www.ikelite.com/accessories/9249-control-tips.html

Hi, this is a really great thread. I have an extension to the question... I have the Ikelite housing for a 7D. I cannot use the dials to change F stop or shutter speed underwater. it appears they don't grip. Is that something others have come across and how did you get round it?

 

Thanks

 

Pete

Pete:

I've had the problem, on the underside of the black camera tray, about an inch and a quarter (3cm) from the screw that holds the camera down, you should see the head of a small white nylon screw head. If you back the screw out a turn at a time, you will notice that it will tilt the back of the camera towards the rear plate. There are also two pins sticking up from the camera tray that have black plastic bumpers, changing the size of the bumpers will also set how far the camera goes back. There is no need to put spacers under the camera or camera tray.

If you should decide to go from a 7D to a 7D Mk2, I have made a couple of modifications to the 7D housing to accept the new camera, this link should take you to my posts on the modifications:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55360&do=findComment&comment=368772

BTW, every day when I finish a dive, I take my housing into the shower and hose it off with fresh water. At the end of a dive while still in a hotel, I soak the camera equipment. When I get home, I continue soaking the equipment to dissolve any salt. I also lubricate the push button controls with either a tiny amount of silicon grease or silicon oil. I have a can of dow-corning oil, can't recall where I got it.

Jim