HELP!! Pentax spotmeter went swimming!

[Tom Stanworth]

Hi,

Splash! aaaaAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH SH**!!!!!

Thankfully it was shallow and some reeds prevented it being fully submerged. However, condensation formed inside the viewfinder housing. I have unscrewed the flange and removed the eyepiece assembly and dried it off. I have placed the meter in the airing cupboard (minus battery).

It still works and am hoping that it will be unaffected.

It was one of those trips. The single DDS I used at that location had no film in either Thats a first for me! ...... and my old tripod leg lock broke (Velbon Sherpa).....

Will the heat from the airing cupboard be OK? Any advice (apart from 'take it to a service centre')?

Tom

 

[Eric Rose]

salt water is really nasty stuff. you need to get into all areas that could have gotten water into it and COMPLETELY clean it out. Once it dries it's like cement and nothing will get it out.

 

[Tom Stanworth]

thankfully it is fresh water and I am not convinced that it penetrated far in. The meter was partially in its case (unzipped at front by elns, closed elsewhere and this was the bit that was submerged. In total it was in the water no more than 3 seconds and may only have gotten thru the case into teh eyepiece (it landed on its back) and no further.......I may be lucky.....maybe not.

 

[JHannon]

Tom, just let it dry out for a while. It may take days. A drying cupboard may help. Or a film dryer chamber.

I used to repair electronic musical equipment (amps keyboards/synthesizers). I once worked on a keyboard (ARP Omni) that was in a flooded nightclub. I removed the boards let it dry completely with the aid of a hair dryer.

The only thing I replaced was the slider controls. It worked fine. As long as you do not power the equipment when it is wet, it may be OK.

Good luck,
John