Waterproofing your canister

1. Waterproofing your canister Professional penetrators Do it yourself waterproofing

2. Waterproofing • Creating a waterproof canister is not difficult. • Creating a waterproof canister and then drilling holes in it for wires, creates a number of complications. Water pressure, even at depths found in MATE Competition pools, will push water through pipe threads, openings, holes, or weak spots. This can leave your canister flooded and your electronics inoperative.

3. Professional penetrators If you are spending thousands of dollars to construct a vehicle, spending a few hundred on a professional penetrator may be cost effective. What is the value of your watertight electronics? Subconn: www.subconn.com/

4. Sea Con: http://seaconworldwide.com/products/penetrators/ SeaCon underwater penetrator Teledyne Impulse www.teledyneimpulse.com SOURIAU: Teledyne Impulse penetrator www.souriau.com/underwater/accueil.html Underwatersystems.com: www.underwatersystems.com

5. Do it yourself Creating your own waterproof penetration through your canister Example: www.homebuiltrovs.com/howtosealingwireexits.html This website shows a method we have been using at the MATE Center workshops for the last few years. One alteration is to stagger the location of the wire stripping

6. Basic Epoxy Seal • Drill a hole through your canister • Insert wire through hole • Use epoxy to seal the hole so no water can get through

7. Leakage • If you get a hole or break in the wire sheath, water will penetrate into your canister through the sheath, or even between the copper wire and the insulator.

8. Strip each wire • Strip a section of each individual wire. • Stagger your wire stripping so that bare wires will not touch one another and cause a short or other electrical problem.

9. Sealed • Water cannot penetrate through the seals. Even if water is moving down between the wire and insulator, it will not get past the stripped and sealed portion.

10. Close up view Epoxy