Help secure this caribiner gate! (Double Strap issue)

Damian Brown

Damian Brown

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Damian Brown
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Slight issue with the screw gates (I think they're called) on the caribiners on my quick straps. They have only got me in trouble once, and fortunately Nikon gear is solid as a rock (for me anyway!) so zero damage done. But I just feel the screw could be more secure.

Does anybody have a solution? Perhaps you can buy the screw bit separately? If anybody knows the name of the piece I'd need then that'd be great. If you have a different solution, other than buying the newer versions of the quick straps, which have more secure screws/caribiners apparently... then great!

This is what I'm on about for those that don't have quick straps, the principle is the same of course.. make the gate double secure!

Thanks!

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(They're only camera phone shots sorry, but they serve the purpose)
 
Research tells me it´s called a screw lock (which of course it has) but I want a double secure one!
 
Personally I have found they are fairly hopeless, and only seem to get looser with age.

I always found I was reaching down to check the positionof the locking ring, so in the end I have just made a more permenent solution with the mounting plate in the caribiner, I then used some gaffer tape strips to seal the locking ring in place.

TBH I am thinking of either soldering the locking ring shut , if I cant find any better quality ones to fit the straps, I have had no disasters yet, and since taping them they are more secure, but quality wise the connectors are by far the weak link on the QStrap system..
 
Looks like theres a little bit of metal sticking out, if pushed in does that lock it in place :shrug: that would be my guess
 
Don't know much about these fancy straps but I do know about karabiners:)A proper karabiner would be too big I think but you can get autolocking ones if you wanted.

I might be tempted to hacksaw off that cheap screw gate link and then use a mallion. I've a few- the 8mm one is chunky but takes a few turns before anything could slip out but I think it unlikely - rolling it across a few things here and it's not coming undone with a fair amount of force.
 
Slightly different way of doing it would be to use a braided wire cable to secure the camera to the strap - basically a backup if the carabiner or connector fails.

Sorry for the awful iphone pics, but you get the idea. I actually use a climbing stopper with a couple of s-biners...not sure what they go for these days but you could probably get the lot for under £20 if you shopped around.

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The original krab looks to be designed for very light loads. A proper climbing screwgate will have a notch in the static bit that the moveable bit will bite into as a second line of defence. Of course they are designed to hold the weight of a falling climber. With the one shown there is nothing to stop the gate opening accidentally once the screw has come undone. Climbing krabs seldom come undone, but they are machined to high tolerances and are larger in diameter, so more pressure can be exerted on the screw.

If OP wants foolproof I'd go along with the previous suggestions of using a maillon and spannering it up really tight, with some safety device like the nut shown. You'd have to look around for a stainless steel maillon, or it would rust.

Simpler would be to use Loctite on the threads. But don't forget the screw into the base of the camera - that too can come undone. Loctite would then prevent removal even for tripod use.

Nothing can be guaranteed not to fail and work yet still give total flexibility.
 
db247 - I've got 2 of the new type that I am not using due to the fact that they have scratched my camera base as I use them without the plate. If you want them and are willing to take the chance that they won't scratch your camera you can have them if you send me a stamped, self-addressed jiffy bag.

The 'gate' is spring loaded so doesn't stay open and they seem quite secure - if you want them PM me and I'll PM my address.
 
Just Dave said:
Looks like theres a little bit of metal sticking out, if pushed in does that lock it in place :shrug: that would be my guess
Click to expand...
That metal strip is the spring that keeps the gate shut... well it would if it was seated correctly, which it isn't :(
 
Ffoeg said:
That metal strip is the spring that keeps the gate shut... well it would if it was seated correctly, which it isn't :(
Click to expand...

So that's what that is for! I see exactly what you're saying now. :(
 
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gramps said:
db247 - I've got 2 of the new type that I am not using due to the fact that they have scratched my camera base as I use them without the plate. If you want them and are willing to take the chance that they won't scratch your camera you can have them if you send me a stamped, self-addressed jiffy bag.

The 'gate' is spring loaded so doesn't stay open and they seem quite secure - if you want them PM me and I'll PM my address.
Click to expand...

PM'd. Very kind!
 
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