Umbilical broken

Martin Burnard · July 19th, 2006, 05:15 PM

It would appear that the umbilical, on my 10w HID has broken just above the entry into the battery pack. Wiggle it and it will work if you hold it still.

Now a non diver (auto electrician) said well I guess thats a general service item because it will always break internally there.

Surely not!

Does any body else have this problem with the cable of an umbilical torch.

Approx 100 dives per cable is not my idea of fun!

GLOC · July 19th, 2006, 05:19 PM

Check your PM's

Martin Burnard · July 19th, 2006, 05:23 PM

PM read

caverkevin · July 19th, 2006, 05:35 PM

A wire break is pretty common. Especially with thinner gauge wires like 16AWG and such. I have had this happen many a time in the past. I have just such a problem on one of my E/O cords right now. That cord is only one year old.

Standard strand wire only has 7 strands in these gauges. The large the gauge the thicker the strand. With 16AWG each strand is .49mm/.019" in dia. With 14AWG it is .62mm/.024" in diameter. So it can take a more bending and movement before the strands fatigue and break. These numbers are from the 2002 NEC.

When you replace it, use a copper wire 14 gauge or 2mm square. The strands are a little bigger and will last a little longer.

Cheers!!!

Kevin

***Bob Cooper*** · July 19th, 2006, 09:31 PM

I had two fail on a trip to France this year. I ended up borrowing a spare light. When I got home, I ordered up some new light cord and replaced them both. If you are handy with a soldering iron and understand how cable glands work, it's quite an easy job.

Those light cords do tolerate quite a bit of fatigue but eventually they will fail in the way you have described.

Both my lights were quite old (5 years +) and this was the first time they had given me any trouble (Halcyon 10W Pro4 and 18W Pro14).

Rick · July 19th, 2006, 09:40 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Bob Cooper)

When I got home, I ordered up some new light cord and replaced them both. If you are handy with a soldering iron and understand how cable glands work, it's quite an easy job.

Phew...saved me some time....and cord!

prharris · July 19th, 2006, 09:47 PM

They use to use hose protectors as strain relief, but this just moved the failure point.
The thinner more flexible ones are better.

r
P

Martin Burnard · July 19th, 2006, 10:25 PM

CaverKevin and Mr Harris (Hi Paul) you appear to contradict each other and I am only a simple lad!

I hoping this cable change will be done under warranty!

caverkevin · July 19th, 2006, 10:57 PM

If I could get 12-2AWG SO to fit through the glands on the light, that is what I would use. The thinner the strand, the quicker it will fatigue. I has some 1mm wire on a battery pack that I made up while on the Scapa trip in May. That wire lasted one month before it fatigued and broke. I highly suggest you go wire the biggest gauge wire you can fit through the gland.

Cheers!!

Kevin

*peter_steinhoff* · July 19th, 2006, 11:26 PM

I have no idea what an umbilical is. Are you talking about the light cord between the canister and the light head or inside the canister or on the battery pack itself?

Peter

July 19th, 2006, 05:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
Martin Burnard(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth, UK Posts: 580	Umbilical broken It would appear that the umbilical, on my 10w HID has broken just above the entry into the battery pack. Wiggle it and it will work if you hold it still. Now a non diver (auto electrician) said well I guess thats a general service item because it will always break internally there. Surely not! Does any body else have this problem with the cable of an umbilical torch. Approx 100 dives per cable is not my idea of fun! __________________ I once enjoyed a sado-masachistic frenzy of total tintintabulation leading to a state of metampsychosis... or did I make that up? www.bananafrogcars.co.uk

July 19th, 2006, 05:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
GLOC (Online) Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fleet, Hants Posts: 2,000	Check your PM's __________________ Gareth Images of Life Photography DIR Team Foxturd Travels Underwater and Further Afar If you don't have the time to do something right, where are you going to find the time to fix it? - Stephen King

July 19th, 2006, 05:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
Martin Burnard(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth, UK Posts: 580	PM read __________________ I once enjoyed a sado-masachistic frenzy of total tintintabulation leading to a state of metampsychosis... or did I make that up? www.bananafrogcars.co.uk

July 19th, 2006, 05:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
caverkevin(Offline) Doing It Caverkevin Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North Kackilackie Posts: 363	A wire break is pretty common. Especially with thinner gauge wires like 16AWG and such. I have had this happen many a time in the past. I have just such a problem on one of my E/O cords right now. That cord is only one year old. Standard strand wire only has 7 strands in these gauges. The large the gauge the thicker the strand. With 16AWG each strand is .49mm/.019" in dia. With 14AWG it is .62mm/.024" in diameter. So it can take a more bending and movement before the strands fatigue and break. These numbers are from the 2002 NEC. When you replace it, use a copper wire 14 gauge or 2mm square. The strands are a little bigger and will last a little longer. Cheers!!! Kevin Last edited by caverkevin; July 19th, 2006 at 05:35 PM. Reason: typing too quick

July 19th, 2006, 09:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
Rick(Offline) Jock Exley Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Falkirk/Stratford UK Posts: 730	Quote: (Originally Posted by Bob Cooper) When I got home, I ordered up some new light cord and replaced them both. If you are handy with a soldering iron and understand how cable glands work, it's quite an easy job. Phew...saved me some time....and cord! __________________ Forget Everything And Remember http://phreaticzone.thedeepstop.com/ http://www.dublinbaydiving.com/

July 19th, 2006, 09:31 PM	#5 (permalink)
*Bob Cooper*(Offline) Moderator - "Don't stop me now!" Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: South East London, UK Posts: 685	I had two fail on a trip to France this year. I ended up borrowing a spare light. When I got home, I ordered up some new light cord and replaced them both. If you are handy with a soldering iron and understand how cable glands work, it's quite an easy job. Those light cords do tolerate quite a bit of fatigue but eventually they will fail in the way you have described. Both my lights were quite old (5 years +) and this was the first time they had given me any trouble (Halcyon 10W Pro4 and 18W Pro14).

July 19th, 2006, 09:47 PM	#7 (permalink)
prharris(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth Posts: 91	They use to use hose protectors as strain relief, but this just moved the failure point. The thinner more flexible ones are better. r P

July 19th, 2006, 10:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Martin Burnard(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Plymouth, UK Posts: 580	CaverKevin and Mr Harris (Hi Paul) you appear to contradict each other and I am only a simple lad! I hoping this cable change will be done under warranty! __________________ I once enjoyed a sado-masachistic frenzy of total tintintabulation leading to a state of metampsychosis... or did I make that up? www.bananafrogcars.co.uk

July 19th, 2006, 10:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
caverkevin(Offline) Doing It Caverkevin Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North Kackilackie Posts: 363	If I could get 12-2AWG SO to fit through the glands on the light, that is what I would use. The thinner the strand, the quicker it will fatigue. I has some 1mm wire on a battery pack that I made up while on the Scapa trip in May. That wire lasted one month before it fatigued and broke. I highly suggest you go wire the biggest gauge wire you can fit through the gland. Cheers!! Kevin

July 19th, 2006, 11:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
peter_steinhoff(Offline) Instructor candidate Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sweden & Florida Posts: 205	I have no idea what an umbilical is. Are you talking about the light cord between the canister and the light head or inside the canister or on the battery pack itself? Peter __________________ Peter Steinhoff GUE DIR-F, Tech1, Tech2, Cave1, Cave2, Cave3, RB80-1&2, DIR-F/Cave Instructor Candidate. NAUI Tec Instructor (Trimix, Technical DPV, Technical Wreck Penenetration etc) WKPP Support Diver, Halcyon Product Development Team, Gavinscooter Representative. Various IANTD, NSS-CDS, NACD, PADI & NAUI. ---------------------------------------------- http://dir-diver.com http://peter.steinhoff.se (swedish only)