Ikelite has released two vacuum leak check systems for their housings. Both are self install, one has a valve suitable for 1/2 inch holes and the other, 3/8 inch. The kits include a pump with a gauge and the necessary tubing. Ikelite is also offering all the parts separately.
Vacuum housing systems have become de rigueur over the past couple of years, with almost all the major housing manufacturers offering them as either standard fitment, or as an option. Wetpixel Editor Adam Hanlon reviews Seacam’s new Vacuum Test system, including both DIY installation and use in the field.
Vacuum leak detection systems have been very much the desired accessory for housing owners for 2013. Steve and Jeff Williams have been using an early prototype of Nauticam’s new Electronic Vacuum Check and Leak Detection System since the Wetpixel Isla Mujeres Whale Shark trip in August. This extended trial has enabled them to become familiar with the system and to comment on their experiences with it.
Wetpixel Editor Adam Hanlon presents a review of Backscatter’s Airlock vacuum housing integrity check system. These, and similar devices from other brands, have been one of the most hotly discussed accessories over the past few months on the forum, with several active threads devoted to them.
Underwater Camera Stuff has announced a new version of their vacuum housing check system. The Housing Sentry Basic has manual pump that allows users to check the integrity of their housing’s seals prior to diving. In addition, the company has launched a version of the vacuum connector that can be screwed into a hole created by removing an unused control on an Ikelite housing. The Housing Sentry Basic is available now at a US retail price of $290.
Backscatter has released its AirLock vacuum system with. This offers the option of being able to manually verify that a housing is watertight, by creating a vacuum and maintaining a vacuum within the housing. Backscatter acknowledges that “most camera housing floods are preventable with good assembly technique but say that the vacuum system will prevent issues when “even the most experienced shooter can get in a rush and make a fatal error”