Canister for PLB
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Maybe. One thing people do is screw the lid down very tightly. Not only does that contribute to leaking, it makes it very difficult to open later.
For the record I have nothing to do with FFsytems, I found them on the internet on another forum, I'm a customer that is yet to receive my purchase. Happy to post some photos when it arives.
With the SeaTek I would regularly open it to find a tablespoon of water in it. I had to open it after every dive to "check" it which is completely unacceptable to me. If others think thats ok then thats fine.
When I first got the Seatek it leaked about every 2nd dive, even when shallow. I emailed the manufacturer, here was their response;
Tried all that, its now done about 50 dives, it continues to leak. If I was the only one with this issue then it would be me, search the forum, I am not the only person with this issue.
I'm retiring my Seatek. If you are happy with yours I'm happy for you.
Mike.
They are custom so you can get them whatever size for whatever PLB you want. I ordered one to fit my ACR ResQLink+ 70mmx120mm ID and it was around $160US delivered. Price will vary based on specs, current exchange rate etc. Thats just what I paid.
I carry a PLB so when I get swept away in a current it can save my life. I regularly dive to 40M+ with deco obligations. Leaking is completely unacceptable to me from a risk perspective as if I ever need the PLB I need it to work.
With the SeaTek I would regularly open it to find a tablespoon of water in it. I had to open it after every dive to "check" it which is completely unacceptable to me. If others think thats ok then thats fine.
When I first got the Seatek it leaked about every 2nd dive, even when shallow. I emailed the manufacturer, here was their response;
Tried all that, its now done about 50 dives, it continues to leak. If I was the only one with this issue then it would be me, search the forum, I am not the only person with this issue.
I'm retiring my Seatek. If you are happy with yours I'm happy for you.
Mike.
scuba2you
Registered
Agree 100%.... turn your lid tight and then back it off a smidge, the O-ring does the sealing on these canisters. They're very hard to open if they have been tightened firmly. I generally only check mine about once a year and if the lid is on tight its difficult to open on the surface.
This was my experience as well. I tried two different Seateks and each one leaked about a teaspoon to a few tablespoons of water after every dive, no matter how deep or shallow. I also tried numerous ways to solve the problem, including using more lube than should be needed and the other thoughts offered by the manufacturer, but it always leaked a little bit. YMMV as they say. I'm perfectly happy with my old DUI battery canister, although I have to admit that some of the newer options around the 'net look really good.
martincohn
Contributor
Last time this came up the best (IMO) solution was a custom one from Light Monkey. Just give them a call.
seeker242
Contributor
I'm an ACR PLB technician so I'm quite familiar with them.
The point I was making was that if the canister leaks a little bit, there is no additional risk, there is still a 100% chance it will work. A couple tablespoons of water, or even a 1/4 of the canister filled up, will make absolutely no difference in it working. They are intentionally and specifically designed to work in a wet marine environment with zero problems and that's how they do work in that environment.I'm an ACR PLB technician so I'm quite familiar with them.
So my ResQLink+ is waterproof to 5ATM of pressure?
It is an obvious question, but the answer is not so obvious.
The short answer is NO, the PLB cannot withstand 5 ATM.
The pressure outside the container might be 5 ATM, but the pressure inside is anything between 1 ATM and 5 ATM, depending on the ratio of water and air inside. A little bit of air takes up a lot of the pressure, and compresses. No air -- all water -- means the canister is essentially fully open to the outside ambient pressure, and it is 5 ATM inside///NOT good for the PLB! UNLESS the water is in the canister before it is closed...and the canister is working as it should and preventing any pressure from outside getting inside; now the pressure inside is still 1 ATM, as it was when it was closed up. A wet 1 ATM, to be sure, but the PLB will survive. The situation we are considering is the canister being closed while dry, so it is 1 ATM inside. At depth, we suppose the canister leaks a little and some water gets inside......the pressure only goes up a little, and the air compresses until the inside pressure matches the small increase caused by a small leak. We know the pressure inside is not the full (say) 5 ATM ambient pressure outside, because that would mean the canister is full of water.
So, yes, a small amount of water inside might be OK, but I don't know how to estimate how much water is OK. I'd prefer none...i.e., a canister that stays dry inside as it should.
I hope this may be helpful for anyone looking for a canister but struggles to find one they want.
The Delerin canisters are pricey because the are turned from a solid blank and must be hollowed out on a lathe to create the canister. I got my two canisters from a former cave diver that used to make dive lights. He wasn't diving anymore and was clearing out his light making gear. He had two unfinished canisters with lids that were not drilled and the latches, so all I had to do was align and attach the latches and I had a working canister.
Before doing so we talked so he could give me some advice on how he did that step. While talking he told me he used to make canisters from PVCbut people frowned on it so he went to delerin. You can make the same setup out of PVC and probably at a much cheaper price point. If you like DIY, you can get a hold of some schedule 80 PVC pipe of the correct inside diameter to hold what you need to house. Make sure you measure your PLB or phone etc corner to corner as that is the longest dimension that needs to fit. Get a flat sheet of PVC of the right thickness to create a top which attaches with latches and a bottom that gets glued in with regular PVC cement.
My pictures below are of my delerin canister but the assembly of a PVC canister would be the same. For the top and bottom cut two circles each one the dimension of the OD and two the dimension of the pipe ID. The bottom needs to be a snug fit for the ID circle. You would then glue the small circle centered on the large circle. This bottom piece would be glued into the PVC pipe to form the sealed bottom. Do the same for the top but the smaller circle in this lid shouldn't be real snug as an o-ring will form the seal and the top shouldn't be hard to get off. Once the top is formed go to McMaster and Carr and order a package of sealing O-rings of the size to fit your lid. I got square profile O-rings to get three larger mating surfaces:
O-ring on lid
McMaster-Carr
get some latches, many choices here. Mine look like this:
83314-LALB Latch/Strike – Nielsen Hardware
Get the appropriate dimension screws like this for your wall thickness and for the lid clasps. Stainless steel tapping screws for plastic.
McMaster-Carr
The lid can take deeper screws but depth is critical in the latch mount to the wall. You get one shot at placing them so care should be taken when placing, drilling and affixing the latches. A caliper and a drill press where exact drill depth can be set are your friends, but it can be done with a hand drill and some tape on the bit as a depth guide if careful. When affixing the lower part of the hinge, first make sure that the top attachment bar aligns up where the lid clasp will be with the O-Ring in place on the lid and making sure that the placement leaves enough space to screw the catch into the lid. Once the sides are affixed use double sided tape to place the the lid clasp in he right location to catch the latch bar. You have a little bit of play side to side but you need to get the placement up and down on the lid so that the latch can pull the lid down.
You can see the placement on the lid here:
You can see I secured mine here so the latch is slightly below horizontal.
It could even be a bit lower as this setting is tight could be a bit easier to open if it wasn't so tight. I did this second one a bit lower and it feels better.
This is just to create a seal with the o-ring as water pressure will keep the lid tight once you head under. You just don't want it loose and getting jarred. Getting the latches attached is the trickiest part because the screws don't back out. If you mess them up you will likely damage everything getting them out so be sure of your placement. Using double sided tape helps alot unless you have a patient second set of hands. When screwing them in dip them in a bit of sealant. This will help lubricate the screw as you affix it and if for any reason the wall was slightly penetrated it would seal it back. If your screws are slightly long a dremel cutoff wheel works well to shorten them but takes off some of the self taping threads so don't go overboard. Make sure that you use a drill bit that leaves enough PVC for the screw to tap into but not so tight that you can get the screw seated all the way since you cant back it out.
My canister is 3 7/16" OD and 2 7/8" ID and 11 1/2" long including the lid. I can house a ACR PLB, foil blanket, signal mirror, 2 glow sticks and a sling string to whirl the glow stick or attach myself to another driver while drifting, Pheonix Jr IR beacon, and two granola bars with some room to spare. Attached to the outside I have a SAR 6/25 rescue streamer
The Delerin canisters are pricey because the are turned from a solid blank and must be hollowed out on a lathe to create the canister. I got my two canisters from a former cave diver that used to make dive lights. He wasn't diving anymore and was clearing out his light making gear. He had two unfinished canisters with lids that were not drilled and the latches, so all I had to do was align and attach the latches and I had a working canister.
Before doing so we talked so he could give me some advice on how he did that step. While talking he told me he used to make canisters from PVCbut people frowned on it so he went to delerin. You can make the same setup out of PVC and probably at a much cheaper price point. If you like DIY, you can get a hold of some schedule 80 PVC pipe of the correct inside diameter to hold what you need to house. Make sure you measure your PLB or phone etc corner to corner as that is the longest dimension that needs to fit. Get a flat sheet of PVC of the right thickness to create a top which attaches with latches and a bottom that gets glued in with regular PVC cement.
My pictures below are of my delerin canister but the assembly of a PVC canister would be the same. For the top and bottom cut two circles each one the dimension of the OD and two the dimension of the pipe ID. The bottom needs to be a snug fit for the ID circle. You would then glue the small circle centered on the large circle. This bottom piece would be glued into the PVC pipe to form the sealed bottom. Do the same for the top but the smaller circle in this lid shouldn't be real snug as an o-ring will form the seal and the top shouldn't be hard to get off. Once the top is formed go to McMaster and Carr and order a package of sealing O-rings of the size to fit your lid. I got square profile O-rings to get three larger mating surfaces:
O-ring on lid
McMaster-Carr
get some latches, many choices here. Mine look like this:
83314-LALB Latch/Strike – Nielsen Hardware
Get the appropriate dimension screws like this for your wall thickness and for the lid clasps. Stainless steel tapping screws for plastic.
McMaster-Carr
The lid can take deeper screws but depth is critical in the latch mount to the wall. You get one shot at placing them so care should be taken when placing, drilling and affixing the latches. A caliper and a drill press where exact drill depth can be set are your friends, but it can be done with a hand drill and some tape on the bit as a depth guide if careful. When affixing the lower part of the hinge, first make sure that the top attachment bar aligns up where the lid clasp will be with the O-Ring in place on the lid and making sure that the placement leaves enough space to screw the catch into the lid. Once the sides are affixed use double sided tape to place the the lid clasp in he right location to catch the latch bar. You have a little bit of play side to side but you need to get the placement up and down on the lid so that the latch can pull the lid down.
You can see the placement on the lid here:
You can see I secured mine here so the latch is slightly below horizontal.
It could even be a bit lower as this setting is tight could be a bit easier to open if it wasn't so tight. I did this second one a bit lower and it feels better.
This is just to create a seal with the o-ring as water pressure will keep the lid tight once you head under. You just don't want it loose and getting jarred. Getting the latches attached is the trickiest part because the screws don't back out. If you mess them up you will likely damage everything getting them out so be sure of your placement. Using double sided tape helps alot unless you have a patient second set of hands. When screwing them in dip them in a bit of sealant. This will help lubricate the screw as you affix it and if for any reason the wall was slightly penetrated it would seal it back. If your screws are slightly long a dremel cutoff wheel works well to shorten them but takes off some of the self taping threads so don't go overboard. Make sure that you use a drill bit that leaves enough PVC for the screw to tap into but not so tight that you can get the screw seated all the way since you cant back it out.
My canister is 3 7/16" OD and 2 7/8" ID and 11 1/2" long including the lid. I can house a ACR PLB, foil blanket, signal mirror, 2 glow sticks and a sling string to whirl the glow stick or attach myself to another driver while drifting, Pheonix Jr IR beacon, and two granola bars with some room to spare. Attached to the outside I have a SAR 6/25 rescue streamer
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