ousing Sentry
Overview
ousing Sentry
Overview
Housing flood – the underwater photographer’s worst nightmare. The swim back to the surface is agonizing. You want to go quickly but, for safety reasons, you cannot. You know the amount of water entering your housing will likely increase as you get closer to the surface – less pressure, more leaking – but you must get out. The expensive equipment you hold in your hands is being ruined before your eyes…
Do you want to avoid this nightmare? You need the Housing Sentry from UnderWater Camera Stuff. The Housing Sentry is designed to monitor the status of your housing before you enter the water and then continue its watch throughout your dive. The system will regularly notify you that everything is secure and will quickly alert you if a problem is detected. The Housing Sentry can be installed in virtually all housings regardless of the manufacturer or model. The placement of the compact circuit board and other assembly components will be customized to your specific needs.
With the Housing Sentry, you now have an additional tool to help guard against the nightmare of a flood.
The Housing Sentry system allows you to pull a vacuum on your housing, creating a stronger seal for the o-rings and holding the housing parts, such as lens ports, more firmly in place. With ten inHg of vacuum, a pull force of 58 pounds or 26.3 kilograms was required to break the seal for the lens port on the test ikelite housing with all the port clips disengaged. This test is a measurable indication of how the Housing Sentry system aids in securing your housing assembly.
As you begin to draw a vacuum on your housing, the Housing Sentry electronics are activated. A red LED will rapidly flash until the vacuum reaches the first pre-set level. The LED’s flash rate will then slow. When the proper vacuum level is reached, the red LED stops flashing and the green LED begins to flash indicating that the maximum vacuum level set-point has been reached. The green LED will continue to periodically flash so you know the vacuum is being maintained. If the vacuum cannot be maintained, the green LED will stop flashing and the red will again begin to flash. The green LED will not light if the housing cannot achieve the proper level of vacuum.
The Housing Sentry will detect and alert you to easily-missed conditions that could lead to a flood of your housing. The speck of lint or a hair on an o-ring that can cause a water leak will also cause a vacuum leak. The Housing Sentry will tell you there is a problem giving you the opportunity to get it fixed before any water comes in contact with your housing.
In addition to checking the vacuum level, the electronics of the Housing Sentry monitor the housing for the presence of water. The moisture sensor is active anytime there is a working battery in the unit. If moisture is detected inside the housing, the electronics will override the vacuum indicators and the red LED will begin to rapidly flash.
The Housing Sentry is intended to be activated at least fifteen minutes before a dive begins. Once the vacuum has been drawn, the housing should be allowed to set while you relax or make other preparations for your dive. The continuously flashing green LED will assure you that the vacuum is being maintained. A normal leak-check dunk in the camera bucket prior to the start of your dive is optional. Then, let the dive begin! The Housing Sentry will give you regular feedback with the green flashing light that the vacuum is intact. Should the vacuum level drop, you will be alerted with the flashing of the red LED. There is link at the bottom of this page to a video showing the Housing Sentry in action as well as some install pictures.
Benefits of the Housing Sentry
Vacuum provides tight seal of all o-rings and housing parts
- Minimizes the possibility of problems in the rinse tank
- Minimizes effects of wave action at the surface
- Minimizes the possibility of problems as housing is handed to you from boat/shore
- Minimizes the possibility of problems if you enter the water holding the housing
- Minimizes the possibility of problems during hand-off at the end of a dive
Continuous monitoring of your housing’s status
- Periodic flashing of the green LED to confirm the vacuum is being maintained
- Immediate alert with the flashing of a red LED if the vacuum is reduced and/or lost
- Notification if water enters the housing at anytime
Notifies you, before entering the water, that your housing seals are either good or are compromised
Compact size allows for installation in virtually all housings
Peace of mind knowing your expensive equipment is being continuously monitored
Affordably priced making it a wise investment
The Housing Sentry Price List can be found here
The Housing Sentry Frequently Asked Questions are here
Here is a link to the Housing Sentry How it Works page
Here is a link to the pictures of Current Housing Sentry Installs