Help for Aquatica D70 housing

I've been using an Aquatica D100 housing with a housed (Subal) SB80 strobe for a couple of years. I just got an Aquatica housing for my D70, and I was planning to take it to Little Cayman next week. I'll be using it with a Subal strobe housing and an SB800 strobe. I tried putting everything together last night and found to my dismay that the hot shoe connector from the bulkhead isn't wired properly (one of the pins is not right) for the D70 hotshoe - at least not for an SB800 strobe.

At this point it looks like I'm resigned to leaving the D70 at home and going with the old D100 setup.

Question: the bulkhead in my Aquatica D100 has the right pin setup for what I need. How difficult is it to remove the bulkhead from the Aquatica D100 housing and install it in the D70 housing? Or should I even consider doing this myself? If this is something best left to Aquatica, then I'll do that after I get back from this trip.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

Welcome back Jimbo!!!!

I've changed out the bulkhead in an Aquatica housing before, it's quite easy.

Start by taking off the plastic cover on the hotshoe itself. This will make the actual circuit board and pins small enough to get out of the hole in the housing. Next, carefully unscrew the bulkhead using a wrench. Remove the bulkhead and shoe/wiring. Be very careful with the oring.

Do the same with the "good" hotshoe/bulkhead and swap them. Make sure to clean and degrease the bulkhead sealing surface on the D70 housing as it's a face seal bulkhead. Tighten everything up to hard finger tight. Replace the plastic bits on the hotshoe.

After doing that, I'd find a deep dock and lower your housing over on a rope with some tissues inside to test the seal.

HTH

James

James got the technique down path, folow his instruction and have a good trip

Cheers

Thanks, James and Jean. I'll definitely try changing the bulkhead. When you say to remove the plastic cover, I assume you're talking about the thing with four tiny screws.

Yes, I've been away for awhile, but I'm looking forward to getting back. Only one dive trip the past few months, and that was to Grand Cayman (Cayman Diving Lodge), and we only got in two dives before Hurricane Ivan ran us off. (ironically, Ivan chased us home and then caused a real mess here in Atlanta).

Thanks again for the advice. I wouldn't have had the nerve to try changing a bulkhead without some encouragement.

Now it's off to Southern Cross Club for another week of Bloody Bay Wall.

Jim

Okay, I've got the tools out. I'll probably wait until the wife/dive buddy gets home and let her do it, since she has a more delicate touch than I do, and if anything goes wrong, i can blame her.

QUESTION: When I'm ready to actually remove the bulkhead, do I use the wrench on the top/outside part first or do I loosen up the inside nut first?

Hi Jimbo,

Yes, the four little screws.

No, you should not turn the large black tube part of the bulkhead, as that's where the oring is and it will torque it. Hold the bulkhead with a wrench and loosen the nut on the inside.

HTH

James

it would also be a good idea to draw a diagram of where the pins went in the hotshoe BEFORE removing them from the "cover".

Don't know about you, but my memory is not what it used to be... :-)

I gave jim a call and walked him through the replacement procedure. Hopefully he'll be posting a success story in a few minutes.

I'm being flooded with help, and I really appreciate it!

Dave Marsh of Underwater Photo Tech just telephoned and answered some of my questions. Talk about customer service!

Jim

Rich: for your future reference, the pins are part of the circuit board - so when you take off the plastic part, they won't fall out. The plastic parts are basically a clamshell that holds the circuit board and allows it to slide onto the camera's hotshoe.

Dave: Thanks for being so helpful!

James

I'm being flooded with help, and I really appreciate it!

 

Dave Marsh of Underwater Photo Tech just telephoned and answered some of my questions.  Talk about customer service!

Jim

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Please avoid using the word flood in all future posts.....

Well, I remember about 15 years ago when my Nikonos V was flo... oops... saturated with seawater.

Anyway, the bulkhead transplant surgery is completed and the patient is recovering nicely.

And I would not have even considered doing this without your help and advice today, so a heartfelt thanks to everyone who posted.

Jim