Waterproofing a photon

After putting together my minikit, I was thinking about how to waterproof a photon. I then remembered Bee using the gladwrap press n seal to pack his meds. So off to experiment.

I took a small photon-like led light and sealed it within the press and seal and dunked it in a bowl of water. About 20min later, i fished it out and could not detect any leakage and the light still worked fine.

Now i can waterproof the photon on my minikit....
LED light on underwater


LED after 20 min in water


Although i certainly won't go diving with it.....

Neat idea! Thanks!

How well does the light transmit through the Press N Seal material?

Isnt photon waterproof anyway? I carry one on my dog tags and I swim with it, shower with it expose ti to sweat all the time and it keeps working like a charm.

You seem to be an optimist sort of guy <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />....

Generally speaking, any electronic circuit, with voltage applied and exposed to water, is as good as dead....
Now, AFAIK, Photon III and Freedom models are somewhat waterproof, not models I and II.

One of my photons got dunked. Barely worked when it came out. The leads of the LED were a corroded mess. Not fatal as a few quick brushes of steel wool put it back to normal but not waterproof either.

latvija

I've submerged my Microlight II a number of times. It doesn't stop working--it just won't shut off until it's dried out. No big deal, just looks funny having a glowing spot in your pants. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Amen. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Press N' Seal is great... I use it all the time for food and PSK items. For example, I have a candle wrapped with a similar sized Bic lighter. Makes a nice waterproof combo.

I haven't been so lucky with my leds. Most of the 'waterresistant' photons or gerber led i've had were not so.
The lights didn't die, the cr2016 batteries did. They leaked out this black goop and made a mess of the inside. The led worked fine still with new batteries though...
Hence the need to look for a better solution..... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I recall reading somewhere that some Navy Seals use the photons for close up work underwater in situations where they can't use their standard dive lights. They open them up and dab everything with silicone caulk. Probably a little experimentation to figure out where and how much, but if it's not good, let it cure and peel it off to try again.

worth a try!

I read that some cavers filled the inside with PJ or some other similar "grease". Deep submersible vehicles will use pressure compensated battery compartments that are filled with mineral oil and have a diaphragm to the ambient pressure.

Bill

A Photon II doesn't have any circuit inside; it's just an LED connected across a couple of coin cell batteries, similar to an incandescent flashlight. The LED leads make contact with the batteries when you squeeze the light. If you dunk one in water it's not destroyed but if the water is impure (conductive) it means that the light can (dimly) light up and this can drain the batteries. I've seen that happen after people swim with the lights clipped to their clothes. The light is fine after you rinse it out with fresh water, dry it, and replace the batteries, but that's not so easy in an emergency. That said, a Photon II will run for days on end while still producing enough light to keep you from bumping into things in pitch darkness.

The Photon Freedom does have a circuit board that's subject to destruction by salt water, but it's better sealed than the Photon II.

I've heard of someone recommending sealing the seam and switch hole in a Photon II with vaseline, but I haven't tried that.

The heat-sealed baggie thing sounds like a good idea, and you can also get small ziploc bags that should be pretty waterproof.