Silica Gel Packs

[f3nikon]

f3nikon - They absorb moisture in confined spaces, like inside camera housings, this keeps the moisture in the trapped air from fogging up the camera lense.

Hope this helps someone else out!

Thanks, rottielover

Will warming up the housing and camera a bit, with an electric hair dryer, drive the moisture out before closing the housing? I mean once you get rid of the water (with dry heat like Arizona) and close the water tight housing how else can the water get in?

Unless you have an external leak of sea water, but then now you really have problems. On the boat, if I have to open the housing, I make sure to place the housing in the hot sun covered by a dry dark colored towel. The towel keeps the housing warm and dry while open, close the housing as soon as possible, do not leave it open too long. A cooled down housing really sucks up the warm wet air of the tropics, just like an cold beer can.

Really did not have this problem when shooting film because the SLRs did not produce any heat to steam up the glass, even if there is water still trapped inside. The heat produced by digitals is a different story, drive the water out before closing the housing and keep the water out by keeping the housing and camera warm when opened.


Dive Safe

 

[maractwin]

But it seems that Mark has been successful in recharging them. Is this right, Mark?
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Yup. I just recharged some, in preparation for my trip.

I've never tried recharging in a microwave. I find microwave ovens are too unpredictable. There are often hot spots and cold spots. This could lead to melted tyvec and packets that aren't recharged.

I don't mind that it takes an hour to do this instead of a couple of minutes, since I don't do it very often. I take enough packets on a trip for all of the diving I'm doing, and just have to recharge before the next trip. While it's true that they are cheap and 100 packets is a lot, I find that I'd rather not waste something that can be reused. And several times I've given away a few to someone else on the trip who complains that their camera keeps fogging up.

-Mark

 

[jakubson]

Yup. I just recharged some, in preparation for my trip.

I've never tried recharging in a microwave. I find microwave ovens are too unpredictable. There are often hot spots and cold spots. This could lead to melted tyvec and packets that aren't recharged.

I don't mind that it takes an hour to do this instead of a couple of minutes, since I don't do it very often. I take enough packets on a trip for all of the diving I'm doing, and just have to recharge before the next trip. While it's true that they are cheap and 100 packets is a lot, I find that I'd rather not waste something that can be reused. And several times I've given away a few to someone else on the trip who complains that their camera keeps fogging up.

-Mark

Thanks for the confirmation. It will be a real treat to KNOW when to change the gel packs, and also to reuse them.

Have fun in Saba. Good shooting!

 

[Taxgeek]

Has anybody tried a hairdryer or the clothes dryer? Just curious. I might try that tonight.
Taxgeek

 

[rottielover]

Sorry didn't try the oven since the microwave worked for me. Just have to know your nuker, some will require you use defrost and some will be Low power setting, some have hot spots etc. If you know how your microwave cooks you'll be OK I think.