Wet charge connector

betti154

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Hi,

I was looking at a narked at 90 marker strobe and noticed they had a funky charging adapter. You just plug in to a connector on the base of strobe that is exposed to water. See picture.

Anyone know what part it is, who makes it, anything similar out there?

http://img.tapatalk.com/3cf2b2c0-b598-1a25.jpg


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Darker View

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The contacts and barrel look Lemo or Redel to me, including the tan barrel color. Do not recognize the series, something custom?
 
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DIWdiver

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Waterproof and heavily gold plated, it should hold up as long as there's no voltage on it when it's wet. Even gold won't survive that forever.
 

betti154

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thanks guys, that gives me something to look into anyway.

I'm looking for a connector that is waterproof in an un-mated state. I then want to plug in to charge, meaning the light is always a sealed unit.

I've been using two port plugs for this (as they conduct), but it's a bit clunky so want a better connector. I've isolated the power from the wet socket using a magnet and hallsw switch from taskled, though I imagine with a 4 conductor socket this could be done electrically. I considered using E/O but the bulkhead side is too big. Something in the panel mount style would be ideal.

I'll dig into the Lemo/Redel connectors now, thanks.
 

DIWdiver

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Also, note that 'waterproof' and 'depth rated' are NOT the same! I'd bet that most waterproof connectors would leak at 50m, especially if not mated.
 

betti154

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Also, note that 'waterproof' and 'depth rated' are NOT the same! I'd bet that most waterproof connectors would leak at 50m, especially if not mated.

Thanks, these need to go to 250m so I'll not mate that assumption.
 

Packhorse

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As I see it there are 2 issues.

1. Depth rated/waterproof.

2. Electronicly isolated for a voltage source to eliminate galvanic corrosion.

#1 can be done in any number of ways. 2 bolts through the body with an Oring to seal it work. As would soldering wires to 2 metal cable glands.

#2 can also be done in a number of ways also. Using relays or reed switches when charging out of water would work.......

But what I have thought about doing but not yet tested is to use a Maxim 1555 ( or maxim 1551) 4.2v Li Ion charging IC and simply connect the GND and VIN pins to the glands or bolts. According to the specs on the IC's they should not have any voltage across them when not being charged.
Max input voltage is 7volt ( I think). But if you throw in 2 diodes on the inputs then you could run (7+0.7+0.7=) 8.4 volt and would have taken another step to reduced voltage leaking out on those pins.

I use the Maxim 1555's in my DIY HUD PPO2 meter and they seem to work well although they take 10+ hours to charge up a 18650.
 

betti154

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As I see it there are 2 issues.

But what I have thought about doing but not yet tested is to use a Maxim 1555 ( or maxim 1551) 4.2v Li Ion charging IC and simply connect the GND and VIN pins to the glands or bolts. According to the specs on the IC's they should not have any voltage across them when not being charged.
Max input voltage is 7volt ( I think). But if you throw in 2 diodes on the inputs then you could run (7+0.7+0.7=) 8.4 volt and would have taken another step to reduced voltage leaking out on those pins.

I use the Maxim 1555's in my DIY HUD PPO2 meter and they seem to work well although they take 10+ hours to charge up a 18650.

I looked into the Maxim 1555 before as you mentione it, but my battery is a 4S 18650 do not really enough.

As I'm currently using port plugs as the conductors, my current thinking is to just turn up new brass port plugs but with nice 4mm banana plug sockets on the outside. the problem with the port plug is that the 4mm banana plug doesn't engage into th eport plug very well.
 

Packhorse

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There is probably a similar IC that will charge 4 series Li Ion cells.
Max 1737 looks like a candidate.
 
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betti154

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For what it's worth, revised solution was to create some brass sockets to the similar specs to LP power plugs. The one difference is they have deep 4mm banana plug sockets instead of shallow hex sockets.

7524149926_6afab0b7a5.jpg


The charging plug connects in nicely, and the magnet (epoxied together) enables the hall switch on the inside to make the sockets live.

7524146976_33b92dd719.jpg
 
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