Nokia 5140 + GPS

[Simon B]

Apropos of nothing has anyone used one of these Nokia 5140s with the GPS cover? Just in the process of getting one and wondered how "water-resistant" they were.

Also I seem to recall some product you can get that that can be used to waterproof circuit boards etc (NOT WD40!) Can anyone remember what it is? I'm still all of flutter thinkin its less than a week till we get a visual on MV Codders!

[Nick Thompson]

Originally Posted by Simon B

Also I seem to recall some product you can get that that can be used to waterproof circuit boards etc (NOT WD40!) Can anyone remember what it is?

It's called 'conformal coating', a Google search will throw up a few thousand suppliers.

[Simon B]

Originally Posted by Nick Thompson

It's called 'conformal coating', a Google search will throw up a few thousand suppliers.

Thanks Nick, if there are that many presumably it works - so why is it not factory applied?

[boatbuoy]

I have a 5140 phone. Has a built in compass. Didin't bother with the GPS, have the garmin 76, so why need another gps on the phone. The working life of the average phone is 14months, so why shell out £80 for a gps cover for it, that'll be thrown away shortly, cause it won't fit a different model.

And no, they are not very waterproof, but better than most. The heaving great hole in the back where the camera is lets in the water. You really need to box it or bad it if you want it on the rib.

[Nick Thompson]

Originally Posted by Simon B

if there are that many presumably it works - so why is it not factory applied?

It's expensive, difficult to apply, makes repair very difficult, on something like a mobile phone with switches, buttons etc it only protects the PCB, not the whole device.

[Simon B]

Originally Posted by Nick Thompson

It's expensive, difficult to apply, makes repair very difficult, on something like a mobile phone with switches, buttons etc it only protects the PCB, not the whole device.

So would it be a bad idea to give it good soaking in the stuff (RS ElectrolubeDCA or whatever)? Alegedly it can be soldered through, not that I'd be routinely soldering Moby!

[Nick Thompson]

Originally Posted by Simon B

So would it be a bad idea to give it good soaking in the stuff

Simon, I wouldn't dip the phone in the stuff, it wouldn't do the switches much good, but might help (very little) if you just coated the PCB.

My experience of mobile phones & water is:

1 SonyErricson which got damp (with sea water) & the contacts at the bottom of the phone rotted within a few days.

1 BlackBerry that I discovered didn't float.

1 (replacement) BlackBerry that survived a complete wash & dry cycle in our washer/dryer.

[hard1]

Nothing electronic will survive direct (or even indirect) contact with sea water period, unless completely protected on the exterior. I keep my mobile in a zip-loc bag which cost 3p each and still enables full use of the phone without taking it out. If you also puff a little air into it just before you zip it tight, it will also float with your precious.

Me? A cheapskate? Running a RIB you have to be tighter than a ducks anus..

As for general "waterproofness" of even dedicated marine gear, just last week a multi pin connector joining an extension harness into the main engine harness finally succumbed to a couple of years of secret indirect salt water corrosion beneath it's "waterproof" housing below decks, resulting in an electrical fire, complete loss of electricals to the motor and a £900 repair bill. And, it was just next to the fuel tank...Phew!

[Simon B]

Originally Posted by hard1

I keep my mobile in a zip-loc bag which cost 3p each and still enables full use of the phone without taking it out. If you also puff a little air into it just before you zip it tight, it will also float with your precious.

Cool idea, cheaper than a boxit thingy, I knocked up a floating neck strap for our hand held radio out of a 50mm strip cut off an old carry mat mattress.