WATERPROOF POTENTIOMETER QUESTION

[SVEN1]

The fishing boxes sound like a good idea. I would not trust them. Again waterproof but not submersible. Some are made of flexible plastic, a bit of deformation, they may leak.
Some of the Plano variety lids will warp in the heat and sun. I learned the hard way. The box worked great for about 6 hours. Found the leak by pressurizing the insides and found the warping.
Until you actually try one of those boxes, you won't know of its short comings--The polycarbonate Plano brand are excellent boxes, claim to be waterproof. When you read the fine print -
"Submersible to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes". As I mentioned mine leaked. Think the main problem with them is the latching. It has only one latch which doesn't supply equal pressure around the box.
I took a gamble on the Underwater Kenetics brand since it only had one latch. Since I scuba dived for about 15 years, I used the UK boxes for storage and had faith in them. So far so good.
Plano used to make a really nice polycarbonate 3 latch boxes. I would trust them more. Unfortunately, the 3 latch boxes are no longer made in polycarbonate they make them out of flimsy polypropylene or polyethylene .









Eric Foster used to use waterproof boxes similar to these http://www.ebay.ca/itm/151191676765?...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
They look pretty plain. Lids are held in place by four screws and there's a sealing o-ring.
I haven't tried them yet. Worth a shot. Most are now made and imported from China.
Come in many sizes.

Finding an off the shelf waterproof box to use that will work is going to be trial and error. Take your pick.

[daverave]

I think your right about the fishing boxes and i would not trust them either...maybe just good as shower proof boxes...the eric foster type boxes look ok and very cheap price but i think i will go for the ultra box 206...im dissapointed that the ultra box will not take a surf pi pcb as too long for the box.....so it will have to be either the mirage or the mini pulse but i will have to modify the audio as im not keen on vco audio.

[SVEN1]

Here's a link to a bunch of boxes, might find something that would work, number of manufactures boxes are posted here.
http://www.casesbysource.com/category/electronics-cases

[woodbob123]

If you need a box for a surf board plus battery that's easy I have some 2" approx. od thick walled plastic pipe simple job to cut a couple of end caps fit a cable gland to bottom one and bond that all together for coil cable entry. top cap would be a tight push fit with more cable glands audio out and 2 pots but depends on size of glands will have a look tomorrow in B&Q if nothing on line. I have used this system to hold a video camera and it spent 3 days in 2 mtr + of salt water with no problems, you would be able to jack up car and lower it with this under tyre.. Its all stuff that will be going soon if/when the house sells and as I have made some before just 1 hours work and up to 12" long (shorter would be easier to machine) would be fine giving you plenty of battery room

Cable glands would clamp tight onto cable would have to make a suitable rod to go through gland then with some grease on would turn quite nice may be able to fit an O ring as well. If it turns out ok could then offer them at a good price.
Bob

[daverave]

I did think about plastic tube but not easy to cut to the correct length clean with straight ends...also i could not get the correct size end stops from ebay as the one's i got are several millimeters too small diameter...i did use plastic tube on the detectors that i made some time ago but not waterproof also they have separate aluminium battery boxes.

[woodbob123]

No problem to do will have a look tomorrow and see about making two have a surf board here so been meaning to get one started for years but just never got around to it, where are you thinking of putting battery in tube or in pocket/belt and what would be minimum number of pots you need.
making a production run of pin pointers 6 grandchildren all fighting over the one is not relaxed detecting so one each, also thinking about one in a walking stick coil on end battery and vibrating unit strapped to wrist.

[daverave]

not sure whether to have batteries in their own small tube but not belt mounted...i normally like 4 controls like delay/sens/tune/on-off/volume...its not easy getting things done as i have two small children who always on the go !!!! so maybe have to start doing detectors at night...i will try both tube and box and see which is better.

[woodbob123]

Ordered some small glands (8mm thread) when they arrive will sort out and build a MK1 version x2 that should sort out housing for surf detector board and controls may have to look at miniature pots to make it easier. if you can have a look at your battery size will then see what can be done with that I'm thinking of litium batts in a straight holder in a smaller dia second tube but lets get the detector sorted first. Bob

[daverave]

can you get the glands in the uk ??? why you going for miniature pots instead of normal ones...is it because you can drill smaller holes ???? i see on ebay they sell a pulse detector in a aluminium tube called a sand shark and claims go under water...for around £150 which i guess is good value for under water machine.

[SVEN1]

Look for your needed parts in the UK at Farnell.
They make various size pots as well as various shaft size diameters. Smaller pots take up a lot less room than standard size pots.
If you making a land unit and you want a common inexpensive pot Alpha Brand, most popular as a very small body diameter pot of 12mm compared to the standard 16mm.
http://www.mouser.com/Catalog/catalogusd/645/822.pdf
http://www.banzaimusic.com/Alpha-12mm-Full-Shaft-Lugs/

[Qiaozhi]

i see on ebay they sell a pulse detector in a aluminium tube called a sand shark and claims go under water...for around £150 which i guess is good value for under water machine.

Check the reviews. It leaks like a sieve.
The real Sand Shark PI comes from Tesoro, and this is just a very poor imitation.

[woodbob123]

Glands are from the uk (e-bay) have to get pots into a tube 1.5" dia would prefer to have them all on one plate inside rather that have them staggered hard to explain until I start to put it together on the bench works perfectly in my minds eye Bob

[daverave]

where will you mount the pots cause 1.5" dia does not sound a lot of space for pcb and mounting the pots ??? can you still waterproof the pots as the tube being round and not flat ????

[SVEN1]

To properly seal the pots on the outside, you'll have to mill in some flats.
The joy and fun designing a housing, lots of trial and error............the trick is making everything fit in a small housing............

[daverave]

surely be better to use square plastic tube with no extra problem of milling.