Waterproofing / rainproofing the 35a controller on RR+?

[handlebar]

Is there space inside to slip in a small desiccant pack?  Spraying the PCB with conformal coating would also solve that problem.

I hadn't thought about that. There's plenty of space in mine. Before I sealed the bottoms, there was at least once when I thought I had it dry but had to open it again because it still malfunctioned. A desiccant might have prevented the recurrence and maybe prevented the first problem.

I wanted to take the circuit board out, but screws and nuts hold the heat sinks of several transistors to the case. I tried the first and found it tricky to hold the nut in place without a special tool, so I quit while I was ahead.

[JedidiahStolzfus]

Is there space inside to slip in a small desiccant pack?  Spraying the PCB with conformal coating would also solve that problem.

I hadn't thought about that. There's plenty of space in mine. Before I sealed the bottoms, there was at least once when I thought I had it dry but had to open it again because it still malfunctioned. A desiccant might have prevented the recurrence and maybe prevented the first problem.

I wanted to take the circuit board out, but screws and nuts hold the heat sinks of several transistors to the case. I tried the first and found it tricky to hold the nut in place without a special tool, so I quit while I was ahead.

If I get around to doing mine, I'll take lots of pictures how I did it and post them for you.  I probably won't get to looking at it for a few weeks though.I think spraying the PCB with conformal coating would be a big help in keeping it protected.

[Eric7]

Is there space inside to slip in a small desiccant pack?  Spraying the PCB with conformal coating would also solve that problem.

I bought a pound of desiccant mail order from a famous web shopping site.  If something like that happened to me, I'll put the desiccant in a bag and tie the bag around the controller and let it sit for a week or 2 during a downtime.  Dry up everything.  Then seal with those bathroom clear caulk things which can be peeled off.

The desiccant can be regenerated in the oven.  A pound of desiccant can suck out a lot of water.  I dried a water-soaked book once with it.

[handlebar]

I bought a pound of desiccant mail order from a famous web shopping site.  If something like that happened to me, I'll put the desiccant in a bag and tie the bag around the controller and let it sit for a week or 2 during a downtime.  Dry up everything.  Then seal with those bathroom clear caulk things which can be peeled off.

The desiccant can be regenerated in the oven.  A pound of desiccant can suck out a lot of water.  I dried a water-soaked book once with it.

Purchased items often come with 5 or 10 grams of desiccant. I've considered saving it but thrown it away. Now I realize it could prevent rust on antique knives and mildew on binocular lenses.

I dry table salt in a pan on the stove. I monitor it with an IR thermometer. Otherwise, it could get dangerously hot without evidence unless touched.

[Altema]

The other solution would be to figure out a way to seal up the enclosure the PCB is inside.  Maybe use a thin bead of RTV around the seams.  Or maybe spray the entire enclosure with the conformal coating linked above.

I have the Bolton upgrade controller on a Radrunner. The first time I used RTV, I left the bottoms of the end pieces unsealed to allow ventilation. It seems a problem may come from mist, which can be drawn up with air. I haven't had trouble since I sealed the bottoms.

Is there space inside to slip in a small desiccant pack?  Spraying the PCB with conformal coating would also solve that problem.

On the 35 amp controller that Bolton and EBW sell, yes; there is room for a small desiccant pack. I'll post a picture of the internals later, as I have one that is already taken apart.

[Altema]

The other solution would be to figure out a way to seal up the enclosure the PCB is inside.  Maybe use a thin bead of RTV around the seams.  Or maybe spray the entire enclosure with the conformal coating linked above.

I have the Bolton upgrade controller on a Radrunner. The first time I used RTV, I left the bottoms of the end pieces unsealed to allow ventilation. It seems a problem may come from mist, which can be drawn up with air. I haven't had trouble since I sealed the bottoms.

Just a quick note that the 35 amp controllers don't need internal ventilation. The power transistors are mounted so they pass their heat to the box which has fins. I have overheated a Bolton motor, but never the controller.

[JedidiahStolzfus]

The other solution would be to figure out a way to seal up the enclosure the PCB is inside.  Maybe use a thin bead of RTV around the seams.  Or maybe spray the entire enclosure with the conformal coating linked above.

I have the Bolton upgrade controller on a Radrunner. The first time I used RTV, I left the bottoms of the end pieces unsealed to allow ventilation. It seems a problem may come from mist, which can be drawn up with air. I haven't had trouble since I sealed the bottoms.

Just a quick note that the 35 amp controllers don't need internal ventilation. The power transistors are mounted so they pass their heat to the box which has fins. I have overheated a Bolton motor, but never the controller.

I was wondering about that, thanks.  I have mine mounted at the same spot as the factory with only a slight modification.  I think I needed to drill a hole through the flange of the controller to mount it.  I'll probably work on conformal coating my controller when I finally gets too cold to ride.  Today there's gonna be a high of 70F, and I plan on riding home from work tonight around 10:30pm.