Owner's Manual

Scout, Benthic , Abysso 

Thank you for your support. To make your experience the best possible, here are a few pointers:

Components

• Main housing
• Housing lid
• Acrylic lens
• Lens Bezel
• Mount
• Foam pads
• Set of O-rings
• Set of screws

The housing lid is held in place by the four corner screws. On the Benthic, the top right crews serves as both the lid and the bezel screw. On the Abysso, the two top screws serve as both the lid and the bezel screws.Unfasten these screws to gain access the internal chamber.

When tightening the lid screws unto the main housing, tighten them firmly but not forcefully. Meaning you don't need to give it an extra quarter turn "just in case". All you want to do is to create a seal between the lid and the housing itself. Keep in mind that as the housing reaches deeper depth, the external pressure will force the lid into the housing even more, creating a greater seal. Over tightening the screws will result in damaging the anodizing in the screw holes. Since the screws are stainless steel and the housing is aluminum, over time, corrosion via electrolysis can occur where the anodizing has been removed.

The lens bezel screws hold the acrylic lens in the lid. These screws are set at the factory, and there is no need to remove these screws unless you want to replace the O-rings underneath the lens or the lens itself. When retightening these screws, not much force is required. Since you can see the O-rings underneath the polycarbonate lens, tighten the screws until the o-ring ever so slightly deforms. Once the o-ring is deformed, a seal has been made.

To achieve the best seal possible, be on the housing or the bezel , tighten the screws incrementally, jumping from one screw to the opposite one. So it you start with the top right corner screw, tighten it a couple of turns and go to the bottom left screw and tighten that screw a few turns. From there, go to the top left screw and then to the bottom right screw. Tighten the screws in rotation until a proper seal as been made. The reason for this process is to lower the housing lid (or the bezel) slowly and as horizontally as possible to ensure the o-ring is not pinched.

O-rings are the most critical part of the housings. They are what keep the water out and your camera dry. Closely inspect the O-rings and o-ring groves after each use. You are looking for any dirt, grains of sand or any particle stuck on/in the O-ring / O-ring grove. Look for any tears or scuffs. If in doubt, replace the O-rings. O-rings are too cheap not to get in the habit of replacing them often.   Some of users replace the O-ring every time they go very deep (past 4000ft). 

YOU MUST TEST THE HOUSING AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE IT. WHILE WE SHALLOW WATER TEST ALL HOUSINGS PRIOR TO SHIPPING,TAKE THE EMPTY HOUSING WITHOUT THE CAMERA AND PLACE IT IN A BUCKET OF WATER. LEAVE THE HOUSING IN THE WATER FOR SEVERAL HOURS. RETRIEVE THE HOUSING AND INSPECT IT FOR WATER INTRUSION. IF THERE IS ANY WATER IN THE HOUSING, PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY FOR REPLACEMENT

The Scout and Benthic housings are extra deep so that an action camera can be fitted with an extra battery or an LCD display or a Wifi Back. The extra battery will let you shoot almost twice as much footage (as long as your SD card has the capacity).

The LCD pack is nice if you want to review the footage as soon as you have retrieved the camera (such as when you want to check the visibility underwater) .

Wi-Fi allows you to turn the camera on or off and control wirelessly Wi-Fi will activate the action camera is enclosed in the Scout/Benthic/Abysso case! This is a great feature because you don’t have to take the Scout case apart to turn the action camera off. The Wifi range once the action camera is in the housing is about 30ft (10m). However, Wi-Fi will not work underwater. Also keep in mind that the Wi-Fi consumes lots of battery power, and reduce your overall filming time.

On the Scout, Benthic and Abysso housings, you can take the lid and place the action camera lens directly into the viewport. The tolerance are tight enough that the action camera will be held in place. This insures the action camera lens is as close to the housing lens as possible.

Maintenance

After each use, rinse the outside of the housing with warm fresh water.  Do not use any chemical cleaner as it could ruin the O-ring or the acrylic lens. Run lukewarm water in a sink with the housing under the faucet's stream. Let it soak/agitate in the water for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry. Inspect all the O-rings.

It is critical that the inside of the Scout / Benthic /Abysso housing is absolutely dry prior to using it otherwise condensation may develop and it will cloud your camera lens. Adding a small silica bag in the Scout / Benthic / Abysso  will prevent the fogging of the action cam lens.

Using the GPH 1750m / GPH2 

The GPH-1750m and GPH2  are General purpose underwater housings. It is currently used as a housing for flashlight (Nautilux) and for streamlined POV cameras such as the Contour, Drift, Gamin Virb,etc. It is also used as an underwater housing for extra batteries, scientific sensors, control boards such as Arduino, time-lapse boards etc. When used as such, the GPH housing can be connected to the Scout/Benthic/Abysso  via an underwater connector so that whatever is inside the GPH can interface with the action cam..

The GPH has 3 o-rings. Water is kept out by twisting the GPH's end cap and lens assembly tight. Hence, please lubricate the o-rings with silicon grease. Use only a tiny amount as more silicone grease is not better. Before using the GPH for the first time, please test the housing empty. Tighten the end cap and lens assembly of the GPH and submerse in a sink full of water. Leave it in the sink for an hour or so. There should be no leaks whatsoever. If there is a leak, please make sure the end cap and lens assembly were properly tighten.

Using the Nautilux

The standard and modified Nautilux are not waterproof. The Nautilux MUST BE ENCASED in a GPH-1750m Housing if the NAUTILUX is to be exposed to any water.

THE MODIFIED NAUTILUX MUST BE IN A GPH 1750M AT ALL TIME.

Do NOT use the Modified Nautilux by itself, outside the GPH-1750m housing, even on dry land.

There is ample room left into the GPH 1750m housing when a modified Nautilux is inserted. This to allow you to add control boards, time-lapse boards and/or underwater connector. If not adding

The Nautilux must be turned on BEFORE placing it into the the GPH housing. The best way to do this is by inserting the Nautilux LED end into the GPH's lens assembly first and then screwing on the GPH main body.

Please read the battery information below before using the Nautilux. If you dot not understand or have any concern, please call us at +1 772-631-0411.

Battery WARNING

General Guidelines and Warnings

1)Use specific Lithium Polymer/Li-ion charger only. Do not use a NiMH or NiCd charger- Failure to do so may a cause fire, which may result in personal injury and property damage. 2)Never charge batteries unattended.When charging LiPo/Li-ion batteries you should always remain in constant observation to monitor the charging process and react to potential problems that may occur. 3) Some LiPo/Li-ion chargers on the market may have technical deficiencies that may cause it to charge the LiPo/Li-ion batteries incorrectly or at an improper rate. It is your responsibility solely to assure the charger you purchased works properly. Always monitor charging process to assure batteries are being charged properly. Failure to do so may result in fire. 4)If at any time you witness a battery starting to balloon, swell up, smoke or hot, discontinue charging process immediately, disconnect the battery and observe it in a safe place for approximately 15 minutes.This may cause the battery to leak, and the reaction with air may cause the chemicals to ignite, resulting in fire. 5) Since delayed chemical reaction can occur, it is best to observe the battery as a safety precaution.observation should occur in a safe area outside of any building or vehicle and away from any combustible material. 6)Wire lead shorts can cause fire!If you accidentally short the wires, the battery must be placed in a safe area for observation for approximately 15 minutes. Additionally, if a short occurs and contact is made with metal (such as rings on your hand), severe injuries may occur due to the conductibility of electric current. 7) A battery can still ignite even after 10 minutes. 8) In the event of a crash due to bad shipment or other reason, you must remove battery for observation and place in a safe open area away from any combustible material for approximately 15 minutes. 9) If for any reason you need to cut the terminal wires, it will be necessary to cut each wire separately, ensuring the wires to not touch each other or a short may occur, potentially causing a fire. 10)Be careful not to short the wire lead. If you accidentally cause the battery to short, place it in a safe open space and observe the battery for approximately 15 minutes.A battery may swell or even possibly catch fire after a short time. 11) Never store or charge battery pack inside your car in extreme temperatures, since extreme temperature could ignite fire. 12) Never drop the batteries. 13) We suggest you put the battery in an enclosure to protect it from damages by liquid or dropping from height accidentally.

Charging Process

1) Never charge batteries unattended. 2)Put battery in the fireproof container and charge in an isolated area, away from other flammable materials.Always have fire extinguisher for emergency use. 3) Let battery cool down to ambient temperature before charging. 4)Do not charge batteries packs in series.Charge each battery pack individually. Failure to do so may result in incorrect battery recognition and charging functions. Overcharging may occur and fire may be the result. 5) When selecting the cell count or voltage for charging purposes, select the cell count and voltage as it appears on the battery label. As a safety precaution, please confirm the information printed on the battery is correct. a. Example: The label on a 2-Cell battery pack in series will read charge as 2-Cell (7.4V), or may cause fire. You must select 2-Cell for charging. b. Example: The label on a 3-Cell battery pack in series will read charge as 3-Cell (11.1V), or may cause fire. You must select 3-Cell for charging. 6) Selecting a cell count other than the one printed on the battery (always confirm label is correct), can cause fire. 7) You must select the charge rate current that does not exceed the battery's allowed charging current. (Please double check the battery's specification) Storage & Transportation 1) Store battery at room temperature between 40 and 80 degrees F for best results. 2) Do not expose battery pack to direct sunlight (heat) for extended periods. 3) When transporting or temporarily storing in a vehicle, temperature range should be greater than 20 degrees F but no more than 150 degrees F. 4) Storing battery at temperatures greater than 170 degrees F for extended periods of time (more than 2 hours) may cause damage to battery and possible fire.

Caring for 1) Charge battery with good quality Lithium Polymer charger. A poor quality charger can be dangerous. 2) Set voltage and current correctly (failure to do so can cause fire). 3) Please check cell voltage after the first charge. Example 1-Cell: 4.2V (4.15 to 4.22) 2-Cell: 8.4V (8.32 to 8.44) 3-Cell: 12.6V (12.48 to 12.66) 4-Cell: 16.8V (16.64 to 16.88) 5-Cell: 18.5V (18.30 to 18.60) 4)Do not discharge battery to a level below 3V per cell under load.Deep discharge below 3V per cell can deteriorate battery performance. 5) Use caution to avoid puncture of the cell. Puncture of cells may cause a fire. 6) Charging the battery every 2 months to keep it fresh if you don't use it.

Operating Charging Temperature: 32 to 113 degree F Discharge: 32 to 140 degree F 1) Let battery cool down to an ambient temperature before charging. 2) During discharge and handling of batteries, do not exceed 160 degree F.

Life Batteries that lose 20% of their capacity must be removed from service and disposed of properly. Discharge the battery to 3V/Cell, making sure output wires are insulated, then wrap battery in a bag for disposal.

Product Warranty:

Product warranty is limited to original defects in material and workmanship of our products. Warranty does not cover collateral damage. Warranty is void if failure due to misuse, abuse, incorrect charging and /or  other inappropriate use.

Legal Disclaimer: Group B Distribution Inc is not associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Sony, JVC, SJCAM  Contour or other action camera manufacturers. We proudly design and manufacture our own gear independently.  This product and/or service is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way associated with  GoPro® Inc. or its products and services. GoPro, HERO, and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.