I'd like some experienced opinions on protecting e.g. a newly constructed AMT 5000 and it's connections, mounted outdoors at the bottom of a custom antenna system, from storms and condensation. What say?
I had a Decade outdoors on a roof for several years. I put it in a weatherproof box (Hypertech, I believe, t least it was Hyper-something). You have to make sure that you have a drain hole at the bottom, as condensation will form inside from the extremes in temperature.
I don't know how rugged the AMT5000 is - the Decade is built very well, and that one still works today, even after going through the cold of winters and the heat of summers (in the Pacific Northwest, admittedly).
"(in the Pacific Northwest, admittedly)."
Yep me too (Friday Harbor).
Thanks...I was wondering if a little incandescent bulb might help burn off condensation without interference. I'll look up the box you mentioned now, but the goal is to mount it inside the same pipe in which the coil and antenna will be built.
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A while back at the cottage I had a portable radio that I took outside in the winter but when bringing it inside again there was the problem of the condensation so I had the idea of spraying the circuit board with a non conductive spray that would waterproof the whole thing and it worked nicely.
Was unaffected by getting it wet.
Mark
Hi Mark, thanx...
so do you recall the name or chemical(s)?
Actually used a product sold back then from Canadian Tire here in Canada that was also for waterproofing ignition systems on cars that dried quickly to a greasless simi-hard finish and was non-conductive, no odor, nothing, when dry. There are other things that would probably work too. Clear fast drying coatings for plastic sold at hardware stores may work too. Also electronic component stores have all kinds of chemical sprays for different things that are used on circuit boards.
You want to use something that dries to a greasless finish but the only thing you have to protect from the spray if you do that is the frequency selector switches and the trimmers.
But on the solder side of the board nothing will be affected there.
Mark