Sealing electrical contacts

[uss silversides]

[color=#000000]Just a simple question about sealing..... MUST I seal electrical contacts completely? Example 1]

[JWLaRue]

Hi Jonathan,

No, it is not

Hi Jonathan,

No, it is not absolutely necessary to seal the contacts. I have never done this on any of my subs and they work just fine. An exposed positive terminal will show corrosion due to electrolysis, but it doesn't hurt anything.

Over the 7+ years that I have been regularly running my large Skipjack, I only just now replaced the positive lead...and it didn't really need to be replaced yet.

-Jeff

[uss silversides]

Hey Jeff,

Thank you, I am

Hey Jeff,

Thank you, I am glad to hear that. How about the SLA battery itself? Just a lot of silicone on the terminals?

While I am on the subject of silicone, I have been wondering about what type of silicone to use for sealing. All of the stuff I see at the local hardware stores says, "Not for aqaurium use." That has me kind of concerned because after all, an R/C submarine isn't really all that different from an aquarium. Is it?

Jonathan

[anonymous]

I've been using Devcon clear

I've been using Devcon clear silicon from my LHS. So far so good. No leaks. It doesn't say non corrosive on it or not to be used for aquariums but it seems to be holding up well.

Steve

[JWLaRue]

Hi Jonathan,

SLA batteries, sometimes/usually called

Hi Jonathan,

SLA batteries, sometimes/usually called gel cells, work just fine in the wet space. Like the terminals on the dive module, I do not seal the battery terminals either.

The caution label on some silicones is due to a concern for the health of the fish. They'll work just fine for our use.

-Jeff

[uss silversides]

Oh. I just figured that

Oh. I just figured that that meant that it won't hold up well in water. Thanks for clearing that up.

Jonathan