Okuma Convector issues

[jigstick]

I just picked up two of these reels. I believe the 30D model. To use on my downriggers. I use convectors on my wire dipsy rods with no issues. But on these new reels....the drag is incredibly hard to tune. It seems to be either locked down tight, or too loose. Same with the knob that u turn to adjust the drag. if I get the setting where I want it, the knob is EASILY moved with a slight bump. Is this normal? On my dipsy rod reels, it's easy to get the setting where I want, and the drag knob stays where I set it

[bandrus1]

i have same issues with 15's

[Thun]

Two of the four drag washers in the Convectors aren't carbon fiber drags and probably the problem. They can be replaced with Penn Ht-100 Carbon Fiber drags, part #56-440.

[tyest02]

Thun is correct on the drag washers. The new convectors are not as nice as the old ones. I have put my old ones through some serious wear and tear and they are still going. The new ones ive had problems with the linecounters as well not working properly. Never understood why companies make a great reel for a good price then change it to save a few cents

[jigstick]

That's another thing I noticed. When setting leads with these new convectors...it doesn't seem right. I'll let 50ft of line out on the convector, and then 50ft out on a Diawa Accudepth, and the line out on the convector is no where near as far out as the line on the Accudepth. I'm seriously considering taking these reels back and exchanging them for some Diawa Accudepths

[Thun]

A couple of other things you could do before servicing them is to make sure the line leveler or guide is in sync with the line as it comes off the spool. If the line coming off the spool is at one end and the line leveler is at the other, it puts a lot of strain on the drag. (Might cost you the fish of a lifetime too). If that doesn't help, you could check the Belleville washers and make sure they're oriented correctly. Like this "()". There's a picture, 74th down in this tutorial. The linecounter problem seems to be a common issue with Okuma reels. China! This tutorial should be almost identical to the older 30 D's. If all else fails, Tuna Tom's...

 

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=774.0

[jigstick]

The amount of drag I can apply is not the problem. I can set the lever to achieve the proper amount of drag. The problem is it only takes maybe 1/2 a turn of the wheel for the drag to go from "acceptable" to completely locked down. It's hard for me to explain. It's like the adjust wheel doesn't have enough "range" to tweak. For example...I had one of these set on a down rigger and a steelie hit....I started to reel in the fish. The fish went to go on a run so I went to back off the drag. And as soon as I bumped the drag adjustment wheel the drag went wide open and almost free spooled. On my Diawa reels I would have had to make maybe 1-2 complete revolutions of the drag adjustment wheel in order to back off the tension.

[tyest02]

Another thing i notice with the new vonvectors and i already replaced the drag washers so its not them. Is that it constently wants to dribble out line and in order to stop it i have almost lock the drag down. I have 6 of the old ones and no problems at all. I love the power of them thats why i buy them. But im going to step up to the catalinas. I have tekotas 600lcs that will be going up for sale soon as im not impressed with them. They are smooth and everything but like you said on the convectors from what i would call a decent drag setting to tight is a quarter turn of the star

[Thun]

Different reel but same problem (i think). Those belleville washers "()" are bent like to determine the ramp rate of the drag curve. Some are configured like this, "()", some like this, "((". Their configuration determines the amount of range the wheel (or star) can be ramped down or tweaked. Does that make sense? The schematics calls them drag spring washers, #609. I recommend sending them out to Tuna's.

 

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=4988.0

[tyest02]

I have checked them on my tekotas. The first thing i usually do when i buy a reel is put new drags in them and check everything out before i even use them. And i put them back together as the schematics say. And i order my stuff from tunas. I love the catalinas so i will most likely get a bunch of them.

[tyest02]

But i will go home and check them again to make sure before i sell them. The tekoyas are great and bulletproof reels. They still dont have the power of my okumas.

[rlconverse]

Are you letting the rigger down on the drag of the reel or free wheeling thumbing the spool. I had the same issue with my convector and catalina. I learned that you can not back off the drag for free spool it Have to thumb the spool and set the " bail"

[jigstick]

When I set my Diawas on the riggers I just back off the drag while dropping the ball down. Then tighten it back up when I get to depth and take up the slack. I tried doing that with these convectors but u can't...they just pop out of the clips. So I had to set them in free spool with my thumb. this is also annoying. Especially when I'm already at depth with the ball, and just want to drop it down another few feet. These reels are just annoying the **** out of me. I think I'm going to return them and buy Accudepths instead. Reviews I had read said the Convectors where a better real, but I'm not seeing it.

[TyeeTanic]

When I set my Diawas on the riggers I just back off the drag while dropping the ball down. Then tighten it back up when I get to depth and take up the slack. I tried doing that with these convectors but u can't...they just pop out of the clips. So I had to set them in free spool with my thumb. this is also annoying. Especially when I'm already at depth with the ball, and just want to drop it down another few feet. These reels are just annoying the **** out of me. I think I'm going to return them and buy Accudepths instead. Reviews I had read said the Convectors where a better real, but I'm not seeing it.

 

 

I always loosen the drag on my Convectors when dropping the rigger weight. When I stop dropping, I tighten up the drag about 1/4 turn and it holds. Still a good level of drag if a fish takes it, will definitely click the reel over.

 

Not sure. I have 8 convectors of which 4 were purchased last year, and none of them have the problems described above.  The only real issues I have with them are once in a while the line counter doesn't click, but a push of the reset button always corrects this. Also if the drags are really tight, it sticks a little, so if you back off the drag, the line doesn't come off easy until you over-loosen the drag. Once it gets going it loosens up nicely and I can easily manipulate the drag tension.

[Thun]

The initial pull on your drag is called "start up" and the reason I prefer my drags greased with Cal's. Many out here disagree and that's OK. It's my opinion that greased drags could only help these sticky Convectors. I've posted this out here in the past but I believe it's relevant to the thread.

 

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=47.0

[jigstick]

I just can't figure out why the thumb wheel for adjusting the drag has such poor range.  Within 1/2 revolution the drag will go from wide open to locked down.  Yes I can adjust and get the drag set properly.  But the thumb wheel is not securely in place.  It is soooooo loose that it almost turns on its own from just manipulating the rod.  That is what is annoying me so bad.  That thumb wheel should have to make a few complete revolutions in order to go from free spooling to locked down.  Not a quarter turn……And when you get it where you want it, the thumb wheel should stay in place.  Not spin around just from lifting or lowering the rod.

Edited July 27, 2015 by jigstick

[BAZOOKAJOE]

I used a new Convector the other day on a buddy's boat. The drags are terrible. They're slow and the line counters are junk. Do yourself a favor and buy some Daiwa Saltist or SG57LC.

Edited July 28, 2015 by BAZOOKAJOE

[Nontypical]

Yep same issue 300 copper on convector, try to set the drag with an inline board on so that it doesn't constantly creep out and without clamping it right down is near impossible. I Lost 2 heavy fish on the weekend due to vicious hits and the drag being set too tight so it doesn't creep steadily resulting in a clean break. Done with this piece of crap.

With my shimanos I can set the drag perfectly so they creep barely on turns or if there's a shaker on. Very frustrating.

[jigstick]

Yeah. These are going back. I'm going to pick up some Diawas.