My past diy projects.
1. video lights for topdawg video housing.
2. Force fit kodak kb27 film camera into aquashot3 housing.
3. Fit vivtar2000 flash into princtontec light.
4. Custom travel case for topdawg housing.
Video lights are really regular princtontec "shockwave" dive lights given handle extentions and attached to the video housing. Each cost 30$ and each provide 12 watts of light. A spacer is inserted with the bulb holder to defocus it to a wide beam. the lights are bolted on the wing which that housing has and can pivet left or right. With these lights the unit is tare in water. This set up has been through 50 dives.
Pro: Cheap. Video lights for this housing are about $800 (for 40watts) vs this 60$ for 24 watts.
Problem: the beams are not even enough. the lights do not swing up and down. I didnt know about loc-link. Does use a fill of batteries for a trip.
A second hand aquashot turned in for upgrade to model 3 via upgrade program. I found a small fixed focus auto wind flash 35mm camera to put into it. I thought this was better then the auto35 they offer for more money. The camera i found was the very small kodak kb27 (kd?) . It was cheap 25$ and had no preflash. It did not require a on or off switch. The case was not modified. But a spacer was built. The camera front face had to be removed. The shutter and lens and flash all lined up in the housing. This setup has been in 20 dives. Total cost $100.
Usage: just push the shutter on the housing . motor in camera does the rest. I could put any type of 35mm film in instead of that smaller stuff. Even slide film.
Problems: The Camera has a 2 element plastic lens. And does perform better then a deposable but still not for all this effort.
The underwater flash was built from a cheap 19$ flash from wallmart which is a automatic flash. The case removed giving raw circuit board and flash reflector and wires. A 4 aa battery holder from radio shack, a Wein slave peanut, and a princetontec mini wave light as housing. A tube froma pen. provide a aimer for the flash qunch sensor. The setup is calibrated for 200 asa film. A arm built from plastic conduit tubing for monting the flash off of the camera. Multiple angled segments can turn offering some adjustment.
A bulkhead added inside the housing at the level of the handleswitch, mounted two micro switches. The shockwave switch could push one at a time.
Usage: grip flash handle and push switch to right to charge , leave it there. Or push to left to trigger a manual flash. Or leave in middle for off.
Problems: Flash has trouble attaining full power as light senor sees window glow from main flash as it is so close. The flash is hard to check on or off. Arm is not flexable enough. 1 out of 6 shots the flash fails to fire. Does work as auto from 1 foot to 6 feet. Quality of construciton below desired, desasembly is scary. Total cost 90$.
travel case for video housing was built from a standard wallmart 19$ carry on. Spray foam from hareware store was used for form a custom padded chamber. The trick was to form the foam. The foam does cut easly but becomes then sheads particles forever. As a surface the uncut surface of the foam is clean and stays clean. After 3 trials. I took the actual housing and put it in carryon. propped to desired floating 3d position in the box of the carryon. Any unused space has small cardboard boxes added to consume it. Its important for the foam not get more then 2 inches thick from any surface as it will have trouble drying. All surfaces (of carryon and housing) are draped in wet paper towels. Foam is applied from bottom up. Each can is given 2 hours before the next can. Danger the foam is a powerful glue except damp surfaces where is does not stick at all. Later the paper towels pull off unstuck. The high humidiy from the paper towels help the curing. The Fill ends at 80% of full with the top of the housing still visable. In the next 8 hours it expands more. The carryon is closed at this point. After 8 hours the foam block (with video housing is removed. Paper towels removed. The foam is left out of the carryon for another 3 days as the foam continues to expand and then shrink to stable size. leave video housing in for 2 days. A foam lid-plug is made for the top.
Pro: This foam is harder, semi rigid, better for heavy objects then sponge foam. Not expensive. Ive been on 4 trips and have not worried about checking it as a bag. Foam has hardened to exact shape of housing. It is fully supported evenly floating in it. A cheap carryon does not look like a camera case and would not be a theft target as a pro metal suitcase.
problems: hard to make . 3 complete trial and errors to understand the 3 days till stable. ugly to look at. I have covered visable surfaces in lint free cloth. Maker of housing now offering a 150$ case.
The above projects took many hours of fun to build. I could not estimate the time.
1. video lights for topdawg video housing.
2. Force fit kodak kb27 film camera into aquashot3 housing.
3. Fit vivtar2000 flash into princtontec light.
4. Custom travel case for topdawg housing.
Video lights are really regular princtontec "shockwave" dive lights given handle extentions and attached to the video housing. Each cost 30$ and each provide 12 watts of light. A spacer is inserted with the bulb holder to defocus it to a wide beam. the lights are bolted on the wing which that housing has and can pivet left or right. With these lights the unit is tare in water. This set up has been through 50 dives.
Pro: Cheap. Video lights for this housing are about $800 (for 40watts) vs this 60$ for 24 watts.
Problem: the beams are not even enough. the lights do not swing up and down. I didnt know about loc-link. Does use a fill of batteries for a trip.
A second hand aquashot turned in for upgrade to model 3 via upgrade program. I found a small fixed focus auto wind flash 35mm camera to put into it. I thought this was better then the auto35 they offer for more money. The camera i found was the very small kodak kb27 (kd?) . It was cheap 25$ and had no preflash. It did not require a on or off switch. The case was not modified. But a spacer was built. The camera front face had to be removed. The shutter and lens and flash all lined up in the housing. This setup has been in 20 dives. Total cost $100.
Usage: just push the shutter on the housing . motor in camera does the rest. I could put any type of 35mm film in instead of that smaller stuff. Even slide film.
Problems: The Camera has a 2 element plastic lens. And does perform better then a deposable but still not for all this effort.
The underwater flash was built from a cheap 19$ flash from wallmart which is a automatic flash. The case removed giving raw circuit board and flash reflector and wires. A 4 aa battery holder from radio shack, a Wein slave peanut, and a princetontec mini wave light as housing. A tube froma pen. provide a aimer for the flash qunch sensor. The setup is calibrated for 200 asa film. A arm built from plastic conduit tubing for monting the flash off of the camera. Multiple angled segments can turn offering some adjustment.
A bulkhead added inside the housing at the level of the handleswitch, mounted two micro switches. The shockwave switch could push one at a time.
Usage: grip flash handle and push switch to right to charge , leave it there. Or push to left to trigger a manual flash. Or leave in middle for off.
Problems: Flash has trouble attaining full power as light senor sees window glow from main flash as it is so close. The flash is hard to check on or off. Arm is not flexable enough. 1 out of 6 shots the flash fails to fire. Does work as auto from 1 foot to 6 feet. Quality of construciton below desired, desasembly is scary. Total cost 90$.
travel case for video housing was built from a standard wallmart 19$ carry on. Spray foam from hareware store was used for form a custom padded chamber. The trick was to form the foam. The foam does cut easly but becomes then sheads particles forever. As a surface the uncut surface of the foam is clean and stays clean. After 3 trials. I took the actual housing and put it in carryon. propped to desired floating 3d position in the box of the carryon. Any unused space has small cardboard boxes added to consume it. Its important for the foam not get more then 2 inches thick from any surface as it will have trouble drying. All surfaces (of carryon and housing) are draped in wet paper towels. Foam is applied from bottom up. Each can is given 2 hours before the next can. Danger the foam is a powerful glue except damp surfaces where is does not stick at all. Later the paper towels pull off unstuck. The high humidiy from the paper towels help the curing. The Fill ends at 80% of full with the top of the housing still visable. In the next 8 hours it expands more. The carryon is closed at this point. After 8 hours the foam block (with video housing is removed. Paper towels removed. The foam is left out of the carryon for another 3 days as the foam continues to expand and then shrink to stable size. leave video housing in for 2 days. A foam lid-plug is made for the top.
Pro: This foam is harder, semi rigid, better for heavy objects then sponge foam. Not expensive. Ive been on 4 trips and have not worried about checking it as a bag. Foam has hardened to exact shape of housing. It is fully supported evenly floating in it. A cheap carryon does not look like a camera case and would not be a theft target as a pro metal suitcase.
problems: hard to make . 3 complete trial and errors to understand the 3 days till stable. ugly to look at. I have covered visable surfaces in lint free cloth. Maker of housing now offering a 150$ case.
The above projects took many hours of fun to build. I could not estimate the time.
