Ahmed Yahya 0 Posted August 17, 2015 Hi I just bought 2 DS161 strobes with 2 x Ikelite Double Arm (15cm + 22cm with 3.2 cm diameter balls ). I didn't dive with the new set yet. on the ground no matter how tight the clamps are, the strobes and arms always slip and can't hold position. is that normal ? will they hold position underwater ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
divengolf 17 Posted August 17, 2015 I had a set of 125s, but got rid of them due to weight. I found that using the ULCS arms that have o-rings installed in the balls hold better, but slippage is still a problem. I made some small elastic bands to run between the clamp at the housing and the clamp at the strobe. I had two arms on each side. These bands held the strobes in place when handling the rig above water. Once UW, I'd release the bands and all worked well. But the Ike strobes are just too heavy. I went to S&S YS-D1s which are lighter and easier to handle above water. Plus the controls are easier to work UW IMO. The new D2s are even easier to operate. Also I did not care for the heavy, proprietary Ike batteries. The D1s use AA. Love them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimG 62 Posted August 17, 2015 Wow, that is a pain, Ahmed. I don't have DS strobes (I use Inons which are lighter and smaller) and have no problems with ULCS arms even though mine are now about 12 years old and have about 1000+ dives worth of experience on them. The weight and lack of firm rigidity shouldn't be an issue though underwater. Maybe you just need to have some way of locking the arms for, say, handing them up to a boat so the strobes don't get smacked around; or for a shore entry. Other than that, it shouldn't cause you a real problem. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cneal 9 Posted August 23, 2015 They will be fine underwater. I keep my 161's folded close to the housing for getting in and out of the water. Once in the water I can put the strobes where I want them and they stay all without touching the clamps. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllisonFinch 7 Posted August 26, 2015 What Trigger said. They will flop a bit above water, but be fine under. I had someone clean my arms, once, and they lubed the o-rings on the balls. ARRRGH!! They will, eventually, wear off and go back to grabby. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
