What you describe is ¡°potted¡±. Confirmal coat is generally quite thin and clear.
A guy once gave me conformal coated over the air subscription TV box to reverse engineer
I could see the board edge throught the coating
I whacked it using a tiney Excelite flat blade screwdriver as a chisel.
Bing chunks flew off.
Easily figured it out, ground off a control path and it decoded all the time.
Poor design.
On Sunday, April 20, 2025 at 08:42:39 AM EDT, David Hamm via <cs30imagine=
[email protected]> wrote:
On conformal coatings¡.
This process is normally used in critical Military gear, although not in the latest generation of COTS equipment.
It renders any repair much more difficult.? Careful removal is required using special solvents, and any residual coating will complicate soldering with quality.? Then, one would have to repair or ¡°re-coat¡± with an identical coating to complete.
It also complicates determining component values and obscures their marking.
If this inexpensive device was designed to be submersible, a different watertight enclosure would be warranted.? In short, driving up costs and rendering the device disposable after failure.
In understanding any design at this point, we must consider cost.? That is how the world operates now.? Design centers around a price point.? Secondary environmental protection is good, using inexpensive plastic items of all sorts.
Can¡¯t speak to the lack of a weep hole, but easily fixed with a small drill bit.? Not too large, or you will find the item filled with ants or other insects.
Dave WA4WX
After the warranty has expired, how about coating both sides of the PCB with conformal coating?
John
VE7KKQ
Speaking of conformal coating,?
wow, lots to unpack there.?
Before I put out another 3 remote antenna couplers this year I want to further understand these coatings.
Separate thread discussion anyone??
Mark kx8xx ??
-------- Original message --------
Date: 4/18/25 17:58 (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Re: [ldgelectronics] RT100/RC100 ISSUE
I don't want this issue to reappear.
?
I am not sure how water got in... I have the equipment securely mounted on the side of a sturdy post, with its connections pointing downward to prevent any potential water ingress. Despite the absence of flooding, the weather
was particularly harsh, characterized by heavy rain and fierce winds.?
?
Inside the unit, I was struck by the conspicuous absence of a conformal coating¡ªa vital protective layer I deem essential for any equipment expected to endure the punishing elements. While the utility case appeared reasonably
well-sealed, the lack of this protective feature raised concerns about the device's long-term durability. Furthermore, I noticed the absence of other elements, such as a weep-hole to help keep humidity buildup in check.
Joe KE0FF