New Housing "Airlock" Vacuum from Backscatter

There is residual water that has to be drained and once done there is no aspiration.

Thanks for the explanation.

My experience is the same as davichin's. I've been using the Housing Sentry system since 2011 and never had a probelm with water getting aspirated inside of the housing. It just doesn't happen.

I have had over 10 years with same valve on four of my housings and scores of customers fitted with the same and no problems. The Swagelok valve is reliable end of story

I spoke with a Danish diver last night who told me the system had saved his camera twice in the last month. It has certainly saved mine twice since August! It is not to test the manufacturer of the housing. It is to test that YOU assembled it correctly each time. Never had problems with water entering the housing during depressurising in several years. My Hugyfot housings and the cameras used within them were bought and paid for by me.

Does any one know if this would work on Nauticam housing for OM-D ?

the website says it works with Nauticam , but I am not sure whether it means 4/3s are compatible~ thanks.

Yup. Any Nauticam housing. Should work or custom fit to any housing with a cable hole.

The system is just a check valve. A vacuum pump and some with a circuit that detect changes in pressure and blinkety blink LED.

Cheers

David

I have had over 10 years with same valve on four of my housings and scores of customers fitted with the same and no problems. The Swagelok valve is reliable end of story

So how do you get the residual water out of the Swagelok valve?

I spoke with a Danish diver last night who told me the system had saved his camera twice in the last month. It has certainly saved mine twice since August! It is not to test the manufacturer of the housing. It is to test that YOU assembled it correctly each time. Never had problems with water entering the housing during depressurising in several years. My Hugyfot housings and the cameras used within them were bought and paid for by me.

The question is if you get sloppier if you you have one of these vacuum systems?

Maybe I am sloppier now. Does it matter if the housing doesn't leak? That's what the pressure test tells. I had a failure putting it together for the first time whilst my feet were awash on the way out to Malpelo. The rock 'n roll of the boat was very distracting but the leak test revealed that I hadn't done it properly so I did it again BEFORE I got in the water! Camera saved!

I guess i/you/most of us get a bit sloppier and that is the reason why i see the need of a electronic vacuum system as essential for the whole vacuum system.

The alarm as it will advise you when the vacuum inside lowers warning you that there is a leak, as soon you stop to suck the air, 10 minutes later and

hours later maybe during the dive with the blinking LED.

I would not trust the system using it without a manometer or the blinkin LED showing that the vacuum inside is still good as i often load the camera with calm
the evening before or several hours before the dive and a slight leak may be undetected if no vacuum gauge or blinking LED's are installed.
There is one thing to consider, loadinmg the housing in a cold a/c'd romm and bringing it on a boat may change the pressure enough to trigger the low vacuum alarm

because of the raising air pressure. I use the pump till i get 10 green blinks on my Hugyfot HugyCheck system to avoid this inconvenient.

Chris

Maybe I am sloppier now. Does it matter if the housing doesn't leak? That's what the pressure test tells. I had a failure putting it together for the first time whilst my feet were awash on the way out to Malpelo. The rock 'n roll of the boat was very distracting but the leak test revealed that I hadn't done it properly so I did it again BEFORE I got in the water! Camera saved!

Well, I assume that you are right that it does not really matter as long as the Camera stays dry. I tried to teach a D80 to swim some years ago. It would have saved me back then!

I guess i/you/most of us get a bit sloppier and that is the reason why i see the need of a electronic vacuum system as essential for the whole vacuum system.

The alarm as it will advise you when the vacuum inside lowers warning you that there is a leak, as soon you stop to suck the air, 10 minutes later and

hours later maybe during the dive with the blinking LED.

I fully agree and that is why I want an electronic version.

I personlly ordered the VividHousing version of the Vacuum system. http://www.vividhousings.com/leak-sentinel.php

Erik

"So how do you get the residual water out of the Swagelok valve?'

The orifice of the valve is small and there is a stem cap. If you happen to have some water go in just turn it up side down and water will drain out. Just tiny amount. With Stem cap on there should be no water.

Even if you leave the stem cap off there is a cracking pressure before the valve pin opens. Something like 4 bars. Well I am just about done with this thread.

Cheers

David

There is one thing to consider, loadinmg the housing in a cold a/c'd romm and bringing it on a boat may change the pressure enough to trigger the low vacuum alarm

because of the raising air pressure. I use the pump till i get 10 green blinks on my Hugyfot HugyCheck system to avoid this inconvenient.

Chris

The Hugycheck electronics contains a temperature sensor to take into account pressure changes due to temperature changes.

"So how do you get the residual water out of the Swagelok valve?'

 

The orifice of the valve is small and there is a stem cap. If you happen to have some water go in just turn it up side down and water will drain out. Just tiny amount. With Stem cap on there should be no water.

 

Even if you leave the stem cap off there is a cracking pressure before the valve pin opens. Something like 4 bars. Well I am just about done with this thread.

 

Cheers

David

Got it, thanks

I am also thinking that vaccuum checks are a must for underwater photographers (I have one in my Hugyfot D7000 housing and it brought peace of mind that I didn't have before while diving.

Someone suggested that it would be useful on strobes too. Indeed, I wouldn't mind having one on each of mine Inon Z240 type IV, these are expensive toys too. Xan anyone comment on the feasibility to do it on strobes?

After seeing water corrode 5 pin nikonos connections and hot shoe connections I have become paranoid of either salt or sweet water entering my system. I like the negative pressure idea to check the integrity of the housing seals, but worry about water being sucked into the housing when releasing the negative pressure. Whatever is in the valve will be sucked into the housing when the pressure is released.

By the way, would a vaccuum check system also secure the Nikonos 5-pin connector on housing side?

The question may be stupid, I have no idea if how the barrier between water and inside housing is made on nikonos connectors.

Almost a year ago, I bought the parts to make the a vacuum system similar to this. It has helped me find a problem that could have led to a flood on more than one occasion. I really like knowing that everything is sealed before I get in the water. I was watching the thread and smiling -- I've been enjoying the benefits for all this time plus spent less $$.

While lookiing around, I also found this press release from UnderWater Camera Stuff. http://wetpixel.com/articles/underwater-camera-stuff-releases-new-products This is where I bought my parts.

The Swagelok valve is very simple and the concept is very simple so is the use. It is the K.I.S.S. principle at its purest yet there seems to be difficulty in accepting its efficacy.

Why would anyone wants to introduce flashing and blinking lights or monitor the partial vacuum inside. Just use it and forget it. That is best in my books. The valve does not even need to be fussed over. Just normal rise with the housing and it will work over and over again.

My logic says if your valve fails at 20m usually mean the housing and things inside will go kaput so with LED or Alarm it makes no difference. Absolute reliability is and the person using the housing exercising some pre-dive check is - will ensure "---------" zero flood.

Okay I am done. I will zip my month up now.

cheers

What your recommendation Vivid or underwatercamerastuff? I don't see any reason to spend the extra $$ on the backscatter manual system over the underwatercamera's basic system. Vivid looks nice but you don't have a pressure gauge and need to rely on blinking lights. The underwatercam full system looks good but expensive for the electronics.

What your recommendation Vivid or underwatercamerastuff? I don't see any reason to spend the extra $$ on the backscatter manual system over the underwatercamera's basic system. Vivid looks nice but you don't have a pressure gauge and need to rely on blinking lights. The underwatercam full system looks good but expensive for the electronics.

In my opinion it all boils down to what you want to have and what is important for you! Valve, electronic, price, availability´etc etc.

The Swagelock Valve is better in my opinion than the type of Valves used by Vivid ( similar to Hugyfot?). The Vivid ( Hugyfot?) has to be secured by a lid with an outer O-ring. The Swagelock should keep you dry for a while, if you forget the Block-off Plug! I personally like that the LEDs keep telling me that the system is OK or not.I would most likely get lazy using the pump.

I assume that the decision comes down to those isues! You just need to figure out what is important to you!

What your recommendation Vivid or underwatercamerastuff? I don't see any reason to spend the extra $$ on the backscatter manual system over the underwatercamera's basic system. Vivid looks nice but you don't have a pressure gauge and need to rely on blinking lights. The underwatercam full system looks good but expensive for the electronics.

I would be bias. In some ways I compete with these guys now. I make fittings with Swagelok valve for my clients for many years. It is not a new idea or invention. My advise is "keep it simple."

cheers

D

The Swagelock should keep you dry for a while, if you forget the Block-off Plug!

I have to admit that i did 2 dives without screwing on the block-off plug when i had my first Hugyfot housing.

Both times i went down for more than 50 feet and in both cases there was no water intrusion by the unplugged Hugyfot valve after a 40 minutes dive.

Call it luck, but it worked twice ...

Chris