Philips EM43 User Manual

Setup, Use and Care Guide

EM43 Color External Monitor

Gates Underwater Products

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • www.GatesHousings.com

1

• 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

Dear Gates Customer,
Welcome to the Gates family! You now own one of the finest underwater

housings available, and we thank you for choosing Gates. For over 33 years
Gates has crafted the most
many needs, from recreational diving to treasure hunting, marine research and
Hollywood productions to U.S. Navy programs.

You see, at Gates, your selection of our product is only the beginning. We are
here to service you, the customer, for as long as you own our product. Our
Customer Service is second to none. We’ll make every reasonable effort to
support you wherever your adventures land you, including remote corners of the
globe. Anytime you need advice, parts, overhaul, or repair, Gates will take care
of you promptly and to your satisfaction.

Please read through all the documentation contained in this package to
become familiar with your Gates housing
and valuable information to make using your new housing easy to learn and use.
Soon you’ll be capturing images and showing your friends and colleagues the
splendor of the undersea realm.

Complete and return the warranty card enclosed in this package to activate
your

2-year renewable warranty.

your investment and unprecedented peace of mind, only from Gates.
Gates wishes you the greatest success in your diving adventures. May you

capture the memories of a lifetime and the envy of your friends. And
remember…..

Don’t take a chance…Take a

Sincerely,
John Ellerbrock

President

reliable, durable

You’ll receive 2 years of warranty coverage for

and

before

dependable

diving. It contains important

Gates!

housings to suit

Gates Underwater Products • 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • [e-mail] • www.GatesHousings.com

2

Gates EM43 External Color Monitor

Setup and Use

Before You Begin

Every Gates housing is pressure tested before leaving the factory to assure a watertight
seal. The EM43 is shipped with batteries installed and is ready to use. Rough or
abusive handling during shipment however, could have caused unnoticed damage after
leaving the factory. Please carefully inspect the contents of the package and the EM43
for any sign of damage during shipment. If damage is suspected, contact Gates directly
for further action.

Camera Setup

Special setup of your camera may be required to use the EM43.

9 Information display. Some cameras can be set to display important camera

information (such as battery power and record time) on the EM43. Every camera is
different in this regard, so consult your camera user manual for further help. Your
Gates housing Setup, Use and Care Guide may also have specific information on
these settings.

9 Video aspect / format. Your camera will also require setup in the menu system to

properly display a video image on the EM43. Refer to Appendix A of this User Guide
for specifics.

9 Camera video connection. The location

and type of connection required to supply the
EM43 a video signal from your camera is
specific to the camera. The Setup, Use and
Care Guide for your housing will contain
details on this connection.

9  Caution: If you are not using

the EM43 monitor do not plug the video
connector into your camera.

Example connection of
EM43 video wire to the

Canon XL1s

Gates Underwater Products

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • www.GatesHousings.com

3

• 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

Mounting

Attachment of the EM43 to any housing is straightforward. The dovetail base will slide
into the grooves on the top of the housing and then secured with thumbscrews.

Tighten in place with

thumb screws

Slide the dovetail
into the grooves

Video Connection

The EM43 will electrically connect via one of two methods: either a 2-pin EO connector
(SD interface) or a 6-pin connector (HD interface). In either case the male cable
connector will mate with an easily identifiable female bulkhead connector on the
housing.

2 pin E.O. connector

Gates Underwater Products • 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • [e-mail] • www.GatesHousings.com

4

6 pin connector

6 pin connector mated and secured with

retainer strap

Insert and fully seat the connectors to each other. The 6 pin connector can also be
secured by a retainer strap.

9 Verify operation by turning on the camera. If properly connected, the monitor will

automatically turn on and display an image within 3-4 seconds.

Gates Underwater Products

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • www.GatesHousings.com

5

• 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

Batteries

The EM43 uses 8 AA cells for power. The EM43 will accept a variety of AA cell battery
types (or chemistries):

• Alkaline (such as Duracell or Energizer)

• Oxy-nickel hydroxide (such as

Panasonic Oxyride)

• Lithium (such as Energizer e2)

• NiMH or NiCad rechargeable

 Caution: Do not use mixed battery

types. This can cause battery leakage
and damage to the EM43.

Changing Batteries

To change the cells, release the latches on the
either side of the monitor and separate the two
halves where you’ll find the batteries readily
accessible.

 Caution: Always install 8 new, fresh batteries when replacing spent ones. Using

new and spent batteries together can lead to leakage and damage.

 Caution: Verify the batteries are installed in the holder in the proper direction.

Reversed cells may leak and cause damage.
When closing the EM43 housing, perform a routine inspection of the o-ring for any

foreign material or damage. Replace if necessary and clean the o-ring groove bef ore
installing the new o-ring. Refer to the Gates “Housing Care and Maintenance Guide” for
more information.

 Caution: Do not lubricate the large orange o-ring! It is a special silicone o-ring

and can be damaged by petroleum-based lubricants.

Battery life

The EM43 will operate for ~9 hours when in HD mode and ~14 hours in SD mode of
operation. Battery life will also be affected by battery type, manufacturer, age,
temperature and operating mode (SD or HD).

Low Battery Indicator

The EM43 is equipped with a red low battery LED warning light located on the right side
of the display. The low-battery LED will give you ~30-60 minutes warning to change
batteries. Note that different battery type, manufacturer, age, and temperature will
affect the amount of time left when the LED turns on.

Gates Underwater Products • 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • [e-mail] • www.GatesHousings.com

6

Monitor Adjustment

The EM43 has three adjustments for hue, contrast and brightness. These adjustments
can be found on the inside rear half of the housing (see photo).

While the monitor is pre-adjusted at the factory, Gates recommends the monitor be
further adjusted to match the camera being used. This will ensure a consistent match
between the monitor and the image actually being recorded.

Matching the camera and monitor should be done in a darkened area to allow good
viewing of both the monitor and the camera electronic viewfinder (EVF).

With the camera on and the monitor plugged in, compare the image on the EVF to the
monitor. Using a small Philips screwdriver, make minor adjustment to the hue, contrast
and brightness on the EM43 until you are satisfied that the image on the monitor
accurately reflects that being seen in the EVF.

NOTE: Hue adjustment is only applicable to NTSC SD input mode. It is not used in PAL
SD or HD input modes.

Contrast

Hue

Brightness

Customer Support

If you have any questions or require further assistance with your EM43 External Color
Monitor, contact your dealer or Gates directly and we’ll be happy to assist.

Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Gates Underwater Products

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • www.GatesHousings.com

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• 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

EM43 Setup, Use and Care Guide

Appendix A

Camera Display Settings

In some instances your camera will require setting up the video output settings to properly
display a video image on the EM43 monitor. Use the chart below to navigate the menus system
of your camera to establish these settings.

Standard Definition

Input to EM43

EM43 Interface Connector 2 pin E.O. connector 6 pin connector

SD Cameras
Sony DSC-VX1000
DSC-VX2000/2100
DCR-PD150/170
DSC-TRV900/950
DSC-PD100/PDX10
Canon GL2/XM2
XL1/1s/2

No Changes Required Not Applicable

High Definition

Input to EM43

HD Cameras
Sony HDR-FX1 MENU Æ IN/OUT REC

Æ TV TYPE Æ 16:9

Sony HDR-FX7 MENU Æ IN/OUT REC

Æ TV TYPE Æ 16:9

Sony HDR-HC1 MENU Æ STD SET

Æ TV TYPE Æ 16:9

Sony HVR-A1U MENU Æ STD SET

Æ DOWNCONVERT Æ

SQEEZE

Sony HVR-Z1U

Sony HVR-V1U MENU Æ IN/OUT REC

Canon XL H1
XH A1 / XH G1

Panasonic HVX200 No Changes Required MENU Æ AV IN/OUT

MENU Æ IN/OUT REC

Æ DOWNCONVERT Æ

SQEEZE

Æ DOWNCONVERT Æ

SQEEZE

No Changes Required MENU Æ SIGNAL SETUP

Not Applicable

MENU Æ IN/OUT REC

Æ COMPONENET Æ

1080i/480i

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

MENU Æ IN/OUT REC

Æ COMPONENET Æ

1080i/480i

Æ COMP OUT Æ

1080i/480i

SETUP Æ COMPNT OUT

SEL Æ 1080i or 720P

Gates Underwater Products • 5111 Santa Fe Street, Suite H • San Diego, CA • 92109

858.272.2501 • 800.875.1052 • Fax [phone] • [e-mail] • www.GatesHousings.com

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