Waterproof Monitor

superart · 01-31-2009, 12:48 PM

Hi,

I'm looking for a waterproof monitor for installation onto a bike. What do you guys think of this one?

http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/prod...e_Display.html

If anyone has any other suggestions, I would be happy to hear them, also any info on making waterproof enclosures would be welcome as well.

Thanks.

Tidder · 01-31-2009, 12:54 PM

I really have no input other than I'm really interested to see how you do with this.

superart · 01-31-2009, 01:06 PM

The main thing I'm concerned about is ventilation.

I can't really find anything on how much air an LCD needs to stay cool. If someone could tell something along these lines, I could design and build the enclosure myself.

superart · 01-31-2009, 01:09 PM

Here's another one.
http://www.rackmountmart.com/rmLCD/Table20.htm
It says they have the option of IP65 standard waterproof protection. However I would Ideally like to have the monitor be 7" due to size constraints.

HiJackZX1 · 01-31-2009, 01:12 PM

I'm wondering.... does this have to be touchscreen also? If so, maybe you can build a enclosure, but the top has a clear rubber barrier to use the screen. The ventilation can easily be at the bottom of the custom case so water cant go up into the screen.

superart · 01-31-2009, 04:59 PM

Yes, must have touchscreen.
Still deciding on the technology, as it will be mostly used with gloves.
I am thinking about trying to somehow use wacom's touch screen technology as it is compatible with gloved hands.

As far as the screen, I don’t know about rubber. I don’t know of any that are clear. And even if there were clear rubbers, they are fairly flexible. I am thinking of some sort of plastic like polycarb or acrylic. What do you think about that?

blackcobra487 · 01-31-2009, 07:57 PM

You could probably make one pretty water resistant yourself, depending on your setup. I would think making a custom case for it would work really well, since you're likely to make a custom mount anyway. You could do this with any TS, and put a small bead of silicon around the edge of the TS overlay before putting it into the bezel. I'd imagine this wold work pretty well.

superart · 01-31-2009, 10:37 PM

Black,

Yes, I thought that too, but what concerns me is the heat that would build up. Also condensation might be an issue.

That being said, I then thought about laptops. The screens in laptops are fairly well sealed in really restrictive enclosures with no ventilation (as far as I can tell). And they don't really get all that hot. This leads me to believe that maybe the main heat source is the controller, and not necessarily the screen itself. So maybe, if I mount the controller away from the screen, I can seal off the screen really well.

Thoughts????

blackcobra487 · 01-31-2009, 10:53 PM

That may be possible, but you'll have some restrictions. Most LCDs connect to the controller with a ribbon cable, as well as the TS overlay. This would limit how far the control board can be, unless you can extend the cables. I think that the LCD ribbon can only be extended so much before you notice that the signal becomes degraded.

I don't think heat would be too much of an issue for a few reasons.
First, you're most likely go with a transflective screen, since sunlight will be a big issue. I don't think I've seen a transflective that doesn't have LEDs as it's backlight. LEDs don't make much heat. It's when you have a CCFL as a backlight that you get heat. Not only from the light, but from the control board since it needs to create high voltage. LEDs are low voltage.
Second, it's ouside, on a bike. As long as the housing is painted a fairly lighter color, or maybe even clearcoated really well, it shouldn't get much hotter than the air around it. I'd suggest keeping you building materials thin rather than thick. This should reduce any "insulation" affect.

This is something I would like to try myself, but I don't own a motorcycle and I can't see putting a PC on my 18 speed.

Edit: Afterthought. Maybe this is the key: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/yoon/78 ??

superart · 01-31-2009, 11:28 PM

That is a good link, thanks. But i bet it's probably really expensive.
On a similar note, its fairly cheap to get some spray conformal coating from radio shack and spray over everything. That should achieve similar results.

freeflashstuff · 01-31-2009, 11:44 PM

Can you say "Distraction?" I too am interested in this project.

HiJackZX1 · 02-01-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by superart

Yes, must have touchscreen.
Still deciding on the technology, as it will be mostly used with gloves.
I am thinking about trying to somehow use wacom's touch screen technology as it is compatible with gloved hands.

As far as the screen, I don’t know about rubber. I don’t know of any that are clear. And even if there were clear rubbers, they are fairly flexible. I am thinking of some sort of plastic like polycarb or acrylic. What do you think about that?

99.9% of touchscreens work with gloves and what not. I use all kinds of objects to touch my screen. Only ones that are made for POS applications usually can only use fingers so people dont break the screen faster.

BigAl205 · 02-01-2009, 06:08 PM

I wonder if it could be wrapped in one of those sticky page protectors or maybe a vacuum-sealed bag? I wonder if it would impede the touchscreen use?

Just a thought...

superart · 02-01-2009, 11:30 PM

OK, so thats good to know.
Still thinking about the monitor though....

Right now, I'm thinking of using a small laptop, like one of those 7" deals. split up the clamshell, extend the monitor cable and mount the screen in a waterproof enclosure where the instruments panel is. Then keep the computer itself in a custom enclosure in the seat.

The only thing I am concerned about is if the computer will have enough power to do what I need it to do.

dMand · 02-02-2009, 08:53 AM

Buying a weatherproof monitor can be pretty expensive. Furthermore, mounting one on a bike or motorcycle means that the device must be able to withstand moisture, extreme temperature, and vibration.

With that said, you could go a cheaper route and seal the entire unit yourself using silicone.

Silicone sealants are used to protect and seal anything from the smallest silicon chip to the worlds tallest skyscrapers. Sealants are available in a wide range of product forms including free flowing, cure in place gasketing, elastomeric silicone rubber and lubricating greases. When applied properly, silicone is extremely stable under the aforementioned conditions.

I would advise to spray all PCB's with a silicone grease after sealing ribbon and molex connections using an elastomeric automotive grade silicone. Research those from Dow Corning which are available for use in temperatures ranging from -40° to 450° F (-40° to 232° C). Dow Corning has innovative products to meet your exact needs, and has helped customers with solutions that go beyond what you would get from any other supplier. They've assisted me with instructions on how to weatherproof my door mounted CCFL LCD.

Here is their silicone website:

http://www.dowcorning.com/default.aspx?bhcp=1

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