ikelite

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/rexdshoe.html

The 250 spec pertains to current NiMH battery packs. Original ni-cad packs were in the 150 range. Following URL has some discussion on ni-cads: http://www.ikelite.com/faq/faq_sscharger.html

Explanation from their electrical engineer: If someone is shooting with dual strobes and want to power the system down, they should turn both strobes off. The secondary strobe is sending a small amount of current through the green wire and trying to power up the microcontroller but cannot provide full current, so that can result in erroneous operation. The only solution is to turn both strobes off. There is simply not enough room in the housing to provide extra circuitry to prevent this from happening. The housing was not intended to be used with the secondary strobe on with the primary strobe off. I have run both Canon and Nikon TTLs on very low (virtually dead) batteries and never had the camera lock up due to the low battery. In those cases I was using a single strobe. So it does seem to be an issue of dual strobes, with the secondary powered up without the primary being powered up, or with the primary having a dead battery. The person with the D200 freezing up may have an issue with an older chip, where the freeze up would happen when the meter turns off. They may have sent their housing in before we knew what the root cause of that problem. Our camera would not ever freeze up, and it wasn't until Karl Dietz sent his camera in that we were able to duplicate the condition.

I see we never got beyond being a "minor manufacturer" but the latches we use is why we started making underwater camera housings. To my knowledge, everyone used wing nuts in that early sixties era, and I was looking for something to make that I could use those fancy spring loaded catches................

I am worried about locking up your camera after taking a picture with those antiques from before digital era began. Make sure Subal provides center and ground contacts only from the camera hot shoe so you don't need special sync cords or need to cover camera shoe as described in following URL: http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/sync_cord_d1x.html

Ikelite has sync cords #4104.31 and #4104.32 that allow manual use of the DS SubStrobes with any housing that has a Nikonos bulkhead. Shown on following URL, and at bottom of that page what contacts to cover if you do not have the special sync cord. Manual EV Controller can also be utilized. http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/sync_cord_d1x.html TTL circuitry in a sync cord will be available eventually. Not a cheap solution, but should work fine if we can work it into the schedule. Too many projects and not enough fingers to keep up...............

Next to last paragraph on http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/slrone.html says it all: "The housing "O" ring seal is a masterpiece in simplicity compared to designs that require stuffing the "O" ring into a groove."

An actual underwater strobe will cost less while providing wider coverage, faster recycle time, and more intensity with the Ikelite system...............

Rempve the ) at end of DulkKees URL for it to work. Following URL probably pertains to your problem (read to bottom of page also): http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/rexdshoe.html

Yes, of course...............

I hear they blow air in from the back, probably after removing the center battery post. Or send the strobe to Ikelite for repair. They do that sort of thing. Keeps them off the street and out of the pool halls..............

We have had four cameras that have given trouble. These cameras would freeze up every dive or two. Customers had to reset the system by turning the primary strobe off and back on. We could not duplicate the problem with our cameras, so customer sent his camera in. After a few days, we duplicated the problem and have since modified the program to deal with a rare, and unexpected, data interruption from the camera just before the meter turns off. This change was implemented in early July. The freeze-up can also be eliminated by going to custom function C3 on the D200 menu and setting the meter off time to "no limit."

The reason we added the Customer's Photo section was to exhibit results with various cameras: http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/0photos.html

He confirmed that my guess on the hot shoe was correct by e-mail. I hear criticism about our not answering e-mail which is disturbing. We try to be very conscientious about answering e-mai. We are swamped by hundreds of junk e-mail every day, so what you list as the subject is very important as to whether it will be opened and read. The other possibility is some ISPs block other ISPs if they are guilty of forwarding large amounts of spam e-mail. Try again if you get no response, and there is always the telephone when all else fails.

Best guess is the hot shoe connector that attaches to the camera. It must be completely into the shoe, and some seem to stick. Or the opposite that it is coming out of the shoe slightly as you close the housing...............