The only dive computer one ever needs.
Parachute for 50 W HID ... underwater stage light. It allows to suspend the light at any altitude in water column. The attachment point on a light body is positioned in the gravity center (shift due the bouyancy was also considered). Light beam can fire now horizontally. When done the parachute is carried in a dry suit pocket. Parachute is made from a beach inflatable found in a garbage.
Second (left) monoblock stands side by side w/first one. Despite that it looks like a 50W utility halogen light the bulb was replaced w/HID. To dissipate heat I decided this time to use 1/4 inch borosilicate glass disk instead of the polypropylene translucent test tube. The burn time was also improved from 55min to over than 2 hrs with 9Ah DIY assembled NiMh battery pack. See it in action: http://video.nedoma.ru/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=2112&title=Underground+Florida+Sumps Also here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTNdijPtfkc And here on dry land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4APmiLeFH4
The second monoblock is slightly longer than the first one but it has more focused light that penetrates much further and can be used for staging in a larger volume cave. Also the burn time was boosted to 2 hrs at 50W HID consuming 4Ah. Similarly to the first monoblock it has a magnetic sensor switch, and it can be suspended horizontally in a water column using a small boyuancy parachute. See it in action: http://video.nedoma.ru/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=2112&title=Underground+Florida+Sumps Also here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTNdijPtfkc And here on dry land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4APmiLeFH4
Live oaks lightened by 50W monoblock at night. My lights can only work in air for a limited 2-3 minutes time. Extreme heat produced by 50W HID bulb burns plastics. A cheap PVC-1 general plumbing materials were used in the design. Light should be submerged every couple minutes to cool off if used on surface. The battery pack is LiPo and therefore it was redundantly sealed in its own waterproof pressure tested canister.
PVC-1 pipe used for making a boot for a dive computer.
2" schedule 80 PVC-1 pipe used to build a battery cannister here. Spring loaded latches are mounted to a hose clamp w/rivets. This eliminates a need to use screws which otherwise penetrate the wall of the canister.
Cheap workshop light from Home Depot comes with nice (for DIY) aluminum reflector that easily converts primary HID into video flood light. I have lost the cam TRV33 so the housing (only) with arms is for sale now $50.
Dive-Rite Delux harness can be used for sidemounting. You just need to put the wing BC inside, between your back and a plate.
Classic Hog-harness w/argon bottle mount bands.
Sidemount BC with dual bladder. The second bladder is made of tire innertube, used as backup when wetsuitdiving (oral inflation)
Poor man wing bladder. Car inner tube ends are fixed w/zip-ties (those having a stainless steel pin) and Aquaseal cement. Very short corrugated hose is perfect for sidemounting (people also put duct tape or neoprene sleeve to protect it from damage by low ceiling)
ARY-DIY 50W HID 6K dive light for video/photo underwater. Spot can be adjucted. The light can be mounted w/camera housing, carried manually, or can be belt-mounted to a scooter. See it in a cave: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvtxw_nNYzg
ARY-DIY 50W HID components clockwise: body, reflector cap, ballast and bulb w/magnetic remote switch, reflector body, o-ring, redundantly sealed Li-ion internal battery compartment. See it in action: http://video.nedoma.ru/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=2112&title=Underground+Florida+Sumps Also here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTNdijPtfkc And here on dry land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4APmiLeFH4
ARY-DIY 50W HID ballast and bulb assembly and a battery compartment w/redundant seal that protects the battery in case of the main body flooding. Discuss: http://www.vodolaz.com/forum See it in action: http://video.nedoma.ru/members/viewVideo.php?video_id=2112&title=Underground+Florida+Sumps Also here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTNdijPtfkc And here on dry land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4APmiLeFH4
ARY-DIY 50W HID light in a swimming pool. Video where we used the lights: http://www.youtube.com/arycave
ARY-DIY 50W HID light output is slightly reduced (when compared to the variant w/transparent test-tube) however it creates an even smooth light sector. See the real scenery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvtxw_nNYzg
ARY-DIY 50W HID outputs smooth spotless light. Watch video where we used these lights: http://www.youtube.com/arycave
ARY-DIY molded connector. Molding prevents water to run inside of the wire and flood vital compartments (such as the battery and electronics in canister). The problem occurs when a wire jacket get damaged or one of compartments on either end of the cord is compromized. A tiny plastic jacket conduit while under a great pressure at depth can provide enough clearance for water to flood the connected compartment.
My best toy so far. The next DIY light will take advantage of it.
ARY. Cheap wal-mart boyscout compass work well as deep as 300' Discuss: http://www.vodolaz.com/forum
ARY eliminating failure points on conventonal mask strap. Discuss: http://www.vodolaz.com
ARY Modified failure-proof mask strap for cave diving. I eliminated all those little plastic buckles and pins entirely. Discuss: http://www.yefimovs.com
ARY DIY budget jump reel from wal-mart and knife, total of $8
I like large aluminum biners without a locking beak (smooth beak). They are large enough to attach fins to diver when fins become a problem.
ARY No-mount setup for one of the Ocala National Forest caves. Discuss: http://www.yefimovs.com
ARY No-mount setup for one of the Ocala National Forest caves. Discuss: http://www.vodolaz.com/forum
ARY-DIY-50WHID mounted w/cam housing.
ARY-DIY-50WHID and PVC cam housing that uses rotor shaft sealed DIY controls for Pause button.
ARY-DIY-50WHID. Monoblock light mounted w/LANC controlled from the outside housing. Magnet is used to operate reed switches on light and LANC. Discuss http://www.yefimovs.com/blog
ARY-DIY-50WHID and Sony TRV33 LANC controlled cam hosuing
ARY DIY 50WHID. Lighthead reflector assembly. Reflector pulled out from $3.5 Home Depot utility flashlight http://www.yefimovs.com/blog/index.php?entry=8
No-mount kayak cave diving exploration kit. Bike innertube loop is used to hold necks of the aluminum stage bottle[s] while looking for a new river caves from kayak. I use it with 3-6mm wetsuit.
Swivel is an extra failure point but can be helpful for the sidemount regulator second stage. It reduces jaw fatigue and makes LP hoses better streamlined. Bulldog clip is OK for sidemount because it can be clipped to anything, not only d-rings but fabric, straps or neoprene.
Rennaker`s butt plate that allows free hips movement in sidemount. Tank neck strap (above).
Another small sidemount-nomount harness w/small wing
This is a small sidemount cave harness. The bladder can be attached but this setup is intended for shallow caves and sumps. When needed the butt buckle release allows you to use it for rappelling without switching to speleo harness.
sidemount steel tank LP98
sidemount stuff.
One of many ways to hook a 6 cuft argon bottle (I believe I read it from one of George Irvine's articles). This is not something THEY suggest you do today when H sells special bottle attachment bands.
About a foot long 2" webbing has velcro sewn to the ends. Webbing then gets attached to the bottle by SS hose clamps (optionally laminated to prevent aluminum corrosion). The body of a bottle is held by two nylon (nylon jacket is important on shock cord to prevent UV damage) shock cord loops.
Closeup on velcro tab. The left side waste D-ring placement allows enough room to clip all the stage bottles. Argon regulator must have an overpressure valve. Suit inflation hose is routed under the waist belt.
Fingerspools are the best for use as a safety and jump reel. The end loop of the line can be sprayed w/paint which helps to keep the loop open. The knot on a loop is asymmetrical which helps to maintain a better opening and to hold firmly.
Finger spools are the best for use as a safety and jump reel; To make it easy to remove the end loop of the line can be sprayed w/paint which keeps it rigid for next several uses. The knot on a loop is asymmetrical which helps to maintain a better opening and to hold the loop firmly.
Double-ender clip can be attached this way to prevent self-unlocking when spools are carried on a harness d-ring (opposite to the right way of having them in a pocket).
Canister light fixed by an extra SS buckle on the right side of the waist belt. The wire gland exit is facing outside to block possible guideline trap. Backup light SS clips are facing their opening bays toward the webbing - again it reduces an entanglement risk. The digital step watch on light head is to count DPV burn time.
ARY DIY50WHID.3"PVC-1 was used for a canister. Despite that this is a video-light it has an adjustable focus allowing some control over the light spot. The spot is smooth enough for video (w/translucent bulb cover). Both canister and lighthead have clips to clip it on diver similarly to a stage bottle. When used in reverse position (lighthead clipped to the waist d-ring) it allows to light up the scenery behind diver. Canister allows different battery packs but the one currently used is 4.5Ah NiMh (yields 60 mins burntime).
Camera and light - poor man ROV. When wildlife is an issue this can be lowered from a boat to look for bottom features. With TRV33 cam inside it becomes slightly negative.
DIY. Fixing the 6 cuft argon bottle on a backplate using nylon loop and a bungee (optionally 2 bungees). See also a different way of doing it here. Halcyon and Dive Rite harness may look nicer but doesn't "bang for the buck"
DIY cam housing. Avoid cracks in Lexan window plate by using a different design.
ARY DIY rotary shaft seal for the underwater camera housing. Important here is to order proper size o-ring and lock washers. Bolt material must be soft enough otherwise you may break the drill bit. Try to use higher rpm so the shaft comes out smooth.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. Threw away the spring and cut 8mm of 1" pvc as a spacer.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. Glued w/Goop PVC spacer to CR2 module.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. Connected by soldering negative terminals w/wire.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. Soldered connection.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. Wire is flexible. Notice that original polarity of the batteries was reversed.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. Done.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED. No comparison to HID but brighter than original bulb, and it also gained some weird (blinking) 5 mode features.
Upgrading SL4 to CR2 LED compare to Photon Torpedo (AFAIK LED Scout is in the same category). On the picture I see no difference, in reality the left spot a little bit brighter (it is CR2)
DIY 150W HID light head
DIY test pressure chamber for lights, housings etc.
DIY pressure pot. Studs are glued with Loctite and go approx 1" into the body. Release valve and upstream connection is on the side of a tank.
DIY pressure chamber. Watch video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsHuOKt3-Y
DIY test pressure chamber for instruments and equipment hydrostatic pressure testing. Working depth 275 ft. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsHuOKt3-Y
Magnetic switch for DIY underwater device. Uses magnetic sensor approached from the outside by nylon screw with magnet insert.
If you move this contact as shown it makes a little bit safer way of disconnecting - when ON sensor gets fried in the ON position this variant will allow still disconnect the load while holding OFF sensor activated.
DIY 50W LED light head milled from aluminum rod radiator is waterproof and has a collimator lens to concentrate a spot for video. On a background - battery pack frame.
50W DIY LED light head with future canister made of fire-extinguisher. White wheels will be the frame for a battery pack - LiFePO, or Li-ion or NiMh. The battery type may simply affect a burn time. The light works the best at 20V but it performs very well even at 14V from the battery canister of Li-ion (on the leftmost). Later tests revealed that fire extinguisher body (d=71mm, D=75mm, L=280mm) would not not seal well below 20' due to the bending of its thin walls. More heavier canister is needed.
50W DIY LED. More "Gear": http://picasaweb.google.com/ary.cave/Gear#
Attempt to snap a picture of 50W LED light - camera cannot give a reallistic feeling but I was blind for a minute after taking this shot.
Built on Seoul Semiconductors P7 C bin LED emitter it has 7.2 V NiMH battery pack of 6 elements. 2.8Ah capacity. Toggle switch with boot is attached to the screw- in fitting of 2" PVC pipe. The front window is sealed against aluminum light head body w/two o-rings. Light is designed for depth above 130'. Testing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWsHuOKt3-Y
Built on Seoul Semiconductors P7 C bin LED emitter it has 7.2 V NiMH battery pack of 6 elements. 2.8Ah capacity. Toggle switch with boot is attached to the screw- in fitting of 2" PVC pipe. The front window is sealed against aluminum light head body w/two o-rings. Light is designed for depth above 130'. The burntime can be significantly extended if Li-Ion battery pack is used. Max voltage is 8V. The emitter consumes about 1.5 A current. More "gear": http://picasaweb.google.com/ary.cave/Gear#
This cover seal design failed at 175' and was re-built differently (see later photos http://picasaweb.google.com/ary.cave/Gear#5454122608087618450)
Built on Seoul Semiconductors P7 C bin LED emitter it has 7.2 V NiMH battery pack of 6 elements. 2.8Ah capacity. Toggle switch with boot is attached to the screw- in fitting of 2" PVC pipe. The front window is sealed against aluminum light head body w/two o-rings. Light is designed for depth above 130'. The burntime can be significantly extended if Li-Ion battery pack is used. Max voltage is 8V. The emitter consumes about 1.5 A current.
Re-designed seal uses nut to press cut-off plug on gasket that seals between canister edge and cover. This design went down to 250'.
Canon 570IS burned by installing wrong type of batteries - two of 3.7V lithium ion rechargeables instead of two AA 1.5V disposable batteries. To repair you have to replace the fuse or bypass it. If you are like me and bypassed it - don't screw it up again or that amazing 570IS will die forever. Source: http://yefimovs.com/blog/index.php?entry=65
DIY 15W LED. My secret special way of fixing magnet to control a reed switch: it will not fall, it will not stretch, it is easily moved, it doesn't move accidentally.
DIY 15WLED made of integrated LED assembly of 5x3W CREE LEDs. Compare: 13W(upgraded) Dive Rite HID (left) vs my 5x3W LED (right).
5x3W CREE assembly powered by 2x2 Li-ion rechargeables. Burntime on full power (it has 5 modes) over 3 hrs. tested to 200'. Video diffuser attached. Tripod mount. Body - composition of 2" pipes: aluminum and PVC-1, fittings from Home Depot.
Nielsen stainless still latch locks are the best for submersible devices used by recreational divers. Too bad they cost $8 each. Therefore I had to come up with simple and cheap replacement. Bungees from hardware store were working well on a test dive (in pressure chamber) to 300' however during the test pressure was raised fast. More careful test in shallow water diminished the idea - under low pressure this design leaks.
Nielsen stainless still latch locks are the best for submersible devices used by recreational divers. Too bad they cost $8 each. Therefore I had to come up with simple and cheap replacement. Bungees from hardware store were working well on a test dive (in pressure chamber) to 300' .
DIY rotary seal for u/w housing camera control.
DIY underwater LED lights: 5x3W and 12W with diffuser attachments for video. MOD 270', burntime 70-150 min. on 7.4 Li-ion packs of two 18650.
do not place collimator lense close to emitter - LED will overheat if there is not enough air circulation above the matrix regardless heat sink efficiency.
ARY 50W LED approx 2000 lumen. Body canister (3" PVC-1) with magnet slide, Lighthead 50W LED, lid cap w/latches, LiPo battery sealed inside bike innertube, relay w/reed.
ARY 50W LED approx 2000 lumen
ARY 50W LED approx 2000 lumen tested submersion to 200'
Blank form for u/w cave survey. Original thread is here: http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showthread.php/12739-Cave-Survey-Paper-has-arrived!
ARY DIY 115 lm LED Cree P4. The body is made of plumbing pipe w/thread 3/4 NPT on both ends (sprinkler extender). It has standard screw-on cap on a back. The head is from old UK Q40 light. Light is activated by turning the cap by 1/2 turn. Rechargeable CR-2 lithium elements w/integrated fuse.
ARY DIY backup dive light based on Cree P4 LED.
DIY 115 lm dive backup light. The switch is a half-turn of the lighthead (typical for u/w backup lights).
ARY DIY Cree P4 dive backup with optional video-diffuser. Diffuser is made of polypropilene foam and "iced" plastic screen sheet.
DIY ARY 115 lm Cree P4 backup dive light used as video spot light w/soft diffuser.
ARY DIY Cree P4 backup light
ARY 115 lm dive backup DIY LED. You can see that body is just a piece of threaded 3/4 plumbing pipe (PVC) - sprinkler head extender with 10mm cutoff from one side to accomodate an old UK Q40 light cap.
camping LED light from Walmart
"Deal-Do Lights" DIY
Seal cap has silicone film applied to its back side. During hydrostatic test the test tube sealed with original cap went to 300' with no leaks.
When soldering leave a few millimeters of wire to create a grip for charger's crocodile clamps.
4 AA Li-ion rechargeables provide over 5 hrs burn time.
recharging. burntime is over 5hrs.
reed switch
Checking that reed switch is operational
assembled LED, batt pack and reed switch go into polypropylene test tube housing that withstand 300' deep water pressure.
Dealdo light controlled by magnet
DIY submersible Dealdo light used to carry a stack of other photo LED lights. This kit is awesome for cave photography. Walk up and down in this album to see more of my DIY images.
15W 5 cree DX DIY LED on tripod
At 7 o'clock you see attached to the wall magnetic sensor-trigger switch.
Clamp-on video diffuser made of hardware store PVC pipe.
Battery pack sealed in bike inner-tube to protect from spills. Canister will protect it from ambient pressure change.
Tripod attachment is on a removable tension-held clamp
Tripod screw attachment point allows also to suspend light horizontally when required.
Plastic hood allows water and air circulated around radiator and holds lighthead assembly sealed with battery compartment via o-ring.
front window is Lexan sealed with aluminum radiator via two o-rings and held in place by machine screws
yeah it is a little bit in blue zone. needs to adjust WB before shooting video.
magnet on cave line loop triggers the reed switch
Ballast, control relay and bulb assembly
Redundant sealed battery compartment.
Battery compartment is redundantly sealed in its own 2" PVC canister.
Underwater you clip this light while traveling as a stage bottle.
magnet key (cannibalized old harddrive piece)
Magnetic reed switch operates submersible video HID from outside eliminating a need for an extra hole.
Negative 300 min burntime 18W DIY LED canister videolight.
"Goodman" handle with standard tripod screw hole for possible mount on mini tripod.
Flip-flop diffuser for 18W LED DIY video light. 5x3.5W cree.
re-using an old Salvo light canister top over custom 2" PVC DIY canister.
50W yellow HID "Bazooka". Worn as a stage bottle and has a magnetic trigger reed switch.
Battery pack. DIY. You can do it without welder - just use right soldering flux.
Cracked by depth and UV UK40 light - I only need a tip cover from it.
Body of this compact backup dive light is 3/4 inch PVC sprinkler head extender w/plug. Luckily it fits a lighthead cover from old UK40 divelight. For seal I had to turn a groove and put an o-ring in the same way they did it on UK40.
Front o-ring seal provides enough seal to over 200' depth. The back is glued dead-on.
Battery assembly is deep inside the tube at just enough distance to reach by lighthead when it is turning.
Checking switch.
On-off switch is by turning the lighthead clock or contre clock wise.
Clip to attach to gear is tied to bile innertube ring.
Diffusing plastic sheet sled in a sliced slot of foam polypropylene noodle.
Diffuser adds positive buoyancy to otherwise slightly negative light. It also allows to place it on surface.
pressure chamber
popcorn reflector for u/w light used for video purpose on weighted stand
"Deal-Do Lights" DIY (home made) lanterns 5+ hrs burntime, submersible MOD 300', positive buoyancy, bow positive different (actually it is adjustable so as buoyancy with tiny droplet ballast weight), rechargeable. 5W LED. Rightmost: 3W cree negative trim backup light MOD 300' with positive buoyancy diffuser, burntime 1 hr, powered by two rechargeable li-ions for cameras. Browse this Album http://picasaweb.google.com/ary.cave/Gear for more DIY images.
50W HID (200' watereproof), and 150W HID (IP68)
12W, 15W LED monoblocks w/video diffusers (submersible 200') burntime 45 min, 18W LED classic canister cord light w/diffuser (burntime 5.5 hrs)
DIY 12 and 15W LED 45 min burntime on Li-ion packs. Video diffusers also for light painting. MOD 200'.
Sylvä DIY 18W LED 5 hrs+ burntime, MOD 200' w/video diffuser.
DIY 50W 4000K 45 min burntime HID, MOD 200'+ Diffuser for light painting or video. Carried as pony/stage bottle on diver.
DIY 50W HID Madison. Video and photo-paint light. BT 45 min, MOD 200'. Shown with bulb protector and removable reflector.
DIY 30W LED BT1.5hrs MOD 200'+, spotless for photo-painting underwater and in wet conditions.
DIY Caving/sump exploration light. Description: http://yefimovs.com/blog/index.php?entry=96 Umbilical latex tube is connected on both ends over bike inner tube valves with core removed- this allows safe submersion to 50 ffw. Electric cable has third non conducting steel wire for strength. 15W, 800 lumen, 70-150 min burn.
4700 mAh Li-ion battery pack sealed in 2" PVC with rain gutter silicone (strong semi-flexible adhesive). Pack is designed to be place inside of DIY pressure sealed canister for u/w lights.
DIY u/w housing for Canon Vixia HF S200 with sealed mechanical controls and balanced trim. MOD 200'. Seals made of capillar tube fittings and car door end-switches. Tubes provide adjustable buoyancy and horizontal trim along with drop weights. Carriage is removable.
DIY u/w housing for Canon Vixia HF S200 with sealed mechanical controls and balanced trim. MOD 200'. Seals made of capillar tube fittings and car door end-switches.
DIY u/w housing for Canon Vixia HF S200 with sealed mechanical controls and balanced trim. MOD 200'. Seals made of capillar tube fittings.
Video 50W HID DIY light. MOD 210 ffw, BT 50 min. Unit description: http://yefimovs.com/blog/index.php?entry=97 Example of use: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ary-cave/6283949115/in/photostream
