pointy

This Strobe worked great the last time I used it, 26 years ago. I would rather not throw it away if anyone has a use for it. If you like it enough to pay for shipping, it's yours. Contact:

 

john.mccracken@sympatico.ca 

 

 

I'm not computer savvy. What is the best way to add a photo to a Wetpixel posting? I tried to upload one in "Classifieds" but "the file size was too big". How do you adjust the file size? When we had POTW, I could never figure out how to enter a photo.

 

Are there instructions for doing this on the Website?

 

John McCracken

I would like to fit my Ikelite housing with the "housing sentry", but the complete kit, which includes flashing red and green lights to indicate whether the vacuum is being maintained, costs $699. Alternatively, I could just buy the vacuum fitting and cap for about $200, and use a syringe and stopcock to withdraw air from the housing.

 

http://uwcamerastuff.com/housing_sentry_price.htm 

 

To give me visual verification that the vacuum is being maintained I could place a small capped syringe inside the housing. As air is withdrawn, the plunger should rise and remain elevated as long as the vacuum is maintained. That wouldn't be quite as good as the complete kit, but it would save me $500.

 

Does anybody have a better idea for a low budget vacuum indicator? Do you think going the cheap route would leave me open to a disaster that could cost way more than $500?

 

John McCracken 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I attached floats to my camera which allows it to sink at a rate of about 1 meter/minute in freshwater. Is there any way to predict if it will float in seawater on the basis of its freshwater sink rate? Is there a freshwater sink rate that would predict neutral buoyancy in seawater? As a landlocked float carver this would be good to know.

John McCracken

20 years ago I dove with a drysuit and weight belt. I have just recently gotten back into diving, but now I have a BCD with integrated weight packs. In order to stay neutral with my new drysuit, I have about 7 kilos of weight in each of the two packs. From a comfort perspective, this is certainly a big improvement over a weight belt, but the plastic clips that keep the packs in place look kind of flimsy to me.

If I hear a reassuring click when the pack is stowed, can I assume it is secure? Does this kind of system have an excellent history of reliability? Are there any measures that would mitigate the risk of a pack inadvertently falling out during a dive? Have any of you deliberately ditched a heavy weight pack during a dive to see how well you could handle the sudden increase in buoyancy? If so, how did that go for you?

John McCracken