ISIS Radio pot installation

[Trevor]

I'm replacing my pot as it has gone brittle. The one that came out had a number of holes in the sides for the various leads but I'm thinking one in the bottom with grommet and sealant would be better.  Slightly off centre to allow for the battery to rest on the bottom.  There will be one small hole near the top as that's where the aerial tube is glassed in. 

Is this the right way to do it or do you have any better ideas.

Cheers

Trevor

[frayz]

Personally I’d put all the holes as high as you can. Therefore if water should get into the hull, and it will, your radio gear stays as dry as possible for as long as possible. 

My wired are sealed with a small amount BluTack. It can be removed and reinstalled as much as I want, and still does the job. 

[Trevor]

Thanks for that Frayz.  Part of my problem was that the holes had blu tac but it was so dried up that most of it had fallen out!

[frayz]

Perhaps replace with new then. Its reusable, adaptable and will conform to whatever shape you need.

Also make sure you key/scuff the outside of the new pot before sealing it in to allow the sealant to bite into it. Sounds obvious, but i found my one had been previously installed as a lovely shiny new pot. Subsequently the adhesive didnt stick for long.  Another good tip is to screw it to the hull from inside, as this helps provide additional supprt to cope with the torque of regularly tightening the pot lid.

Edited May 22, 2019 by frayz

[Trevor]

My idea of cable entry from the bottom was a non starter as the pot rests on the keel!  A 9mm strain relief grommet will just take a lubricated servo plug. With the neck inside the pot I could just squeeze the assembly with three cables, through the deck recess.  The grommet neck is filled with blu tak.  Pot sealed to deck with silicone without sanding as it will have to come out if I need to change a servo. May put a screw in if it turns too much although the aerial tube is glassed into the hull and protrudes into the pot so may act as a key. Can't see it leaking much even if the silicone doesn't stick.

Cheers

Trevor

[FRA 3759]

My Isis has always been 100% watertight. My pot is not glued or screwed to the hull, it is a perfect fit and there is just a tiny smear of Loctite silicone around it.

That had the disadvantage that the only way in for water is via the pot lid, the water on the deck is sucked in by the flexing of the hull in heavy weather unless the lid is properly screwed down with a smear of vaseline. I found the problem one day when the hull was dry inside but the pot had a centimetre of water in the bottom.

Since then I have made a drain hole in the bottom of the pot and the receiver is raised on a small foam block. That works even if there is a slight leak from a badly applied deck patch.

Thanks to Barry Chisam for a perfectly built boat.

 

 

[Trevor]

2 hours ago, FRA 3759 said:

My Isis has always been 100% watertight. My pot is not glued or screwed to the hull, it is a perfect fit and there is just a tiny smear of Loctite silicone around it.

That had the disadvantage that the only way in for water is via the pot lid, the water on the deck is sucked in by the flexing of the hull in heavy weather unless the lid is properly screwed down with a smear of vaseline. I found the problem one day when the hull was dry inside but the pot had a centimetre of water in the bottom.

Since then I have made a drain hole in the bottom of the pot and the receiver is raised on a small foam block. That works even if there is a slight leak from a badly applied deck patch.

Thanks to Barry Chisam for a perfectly built boat.

 

 

Hi FRA

Not sure the drain hole is a good idea, at least not on mine as the pot is only just off the keel! I did contemplate not having a pot, velcroing the (sealed) battery to the keel (makes it adjustable ballast) and mounting the RX (waterproof anyway) on top.  

Cheers

Trevor

[Darin Ballington]

Velcro the receiver to the side of the pot, that way if any water gets in the pot it is not sitting in water.

[Trevor]

1 hour ago, Darin Ballington said:

Velcro the receiver to the side of the pot, that way if any water gets in the pot it is not sitting in water.

Hi Darin.  That's where it is at the moment so the long aerial can go down the aerial tube that's just under the deck.