ashic 1 Posted June 28, 2022 I've got a Seafrogs full frame Sony housing that supports fibre optic cables, and a Sea&Sea YS-D3 strobe. I'm looking to get a cable for this set up. I see that Sea&Sea have three lengths - 310mm, 453mm, and 725mm. Any advice on which length to go for? Price is pretty similar for all three. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davehicks 83 Posted June 28, 2022 Go with the longest cables available. I use 1000mm or 1500mm. I make my own cables with straight line multi-core fiber. My standard arm lengths are ULCS 12" (300mm) + 16" (400mm). If I shoot wide angle FE then I use a 3 arm setup with 12" + 16" + 16" (over 1100mm). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimG 62 Posted June 28, 2022 Hi ashic It's definitely worth a go at making your own fibre optic cables. The commercial ones are a ridiculous price. The actual high-quality 613-strand FO cable costs about $8 a metre. The plugs about $.50 to about $4 a piece. Putting them together is really simple: no special tools required: a pair of scissors and, sometimes, a small screwdriver. You can make cable to your heart's content for $25! If you'd like more info I can explain in more detail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ashic 1 Posted June 28, 2022 1 hour ago, TimG said: Hi ashic It's definitely worth a go at making your own fibre optic cables. The commercial ones are a ridiculous price. The actual high-quality 613-strand FO cable costs about $8 a metre. The plugs about $.50 to about $4 a piece. Putting them together is really simple: no special tools required: a pair of scissors and, sometimes, a small screwdriver. You can make cable to your heart's content for $25! If you'd like more info I can explain in more detail. Would be very interested... well... less so about the cost, but more for the fun (I'm an engineer and love tinkering!). Any starting points for what plugs to get? My strobe and housing both use Sea&Sea connectors, I believe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davehicks 83 Posted June 28, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, ashic said: Would be very interested... well... less so about the cost, but more for the fun (I'm an engineer and love tinkering!). Any starting points for what plugs to get? My strobe and housing both use Sea&Sea connectors, I believe. There are several message threads on this topic on Wetpixel. Check out the one below and some of its offshoots. There were some evolving ideas over the years suggesting, endglow fiber, toslink, and 613 multicore. DIY fiber optic writeup with parts - Photography Gear and Technique - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums Edited June 28, 2022 by davehicks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisRoss 150 Posted June 28, 2022 Doing your own with high quality cable maybe your best option. The YS-D3 is a known problem for triggering with anything other than the best fibre cables when using LED triggers. As far as plugs go, there are several options. If the cable you have is the same OD as commercial cables, INON sell bushes for this and have a right angle option as well as a straight option. https://reefphoto.com/collections/inon/products/inon-double-hole-fiber-optic-plug-rubber-bush-plug https://reefphoto.com/collections/inon/products/inon-90-degree-double-hole-fiber-optic-plug-rubber-bush-plug they are very cheap and do the job quite well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimG 62 Posted June 29, 2022 I use these: http://www.divervision.com/howshot-fiber-adapter-l-for-seasea-ys-strobes-FAL-SS.html and for the fibre optic cable: www.i-fiberoptics.com - check out: 81 0556 - 613-core Fused Multi-core Simplex Cable, Polyethylene Jacket- MCQ-1000 - Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rinjani 9 Posted June 29, 2022 I made some of my own following the instructions in the post above by @davehicks DIY fibre optic writeup.... Once you have gathered the parts it is pretty simple. All the cables I made worked first time with a Nauticam setup. I estimated the cost at around $15/cable - that's a serious saving over the commercial cost. Good luck. Jon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ashic 1 Posted July 13, 2022 Thanks for all the help Managed to put one together and it's firing the strobe (on land at least)! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
