A long shot maybe

[EddieM]

Fair enough, but I don't really understand why they can't be hidden (just as they are very largely hidden in a full-size car) - does this model car perhaps have a transparent body?

With the sort of voltages you are talking about, waterproofing of the joints (which would be easy enough, anyway) is not really an issue, even with sea water around.

Kind Regards, John

Not sure If you have an appreciation of the scene (it's pretty sad TBH) it's going to be a "concourse" RC car.

This means everything is primped and preened to it's cosmetic best, hence the "hand wringing"

The irony is though it needs to be IP55 or perhaps IP68 rated, it will probably never run, it will be what's called a shelf queen.

It's sister however will.

Sorry, you probably and totally understandably find that extremely sad (which to a large extent it is).

 

[JohnW2]

Not sure If you have an appreciation of the scene (it's pretty sad TBH) it's going to be a "concourse" RC car. This means everything is primped and preened to it's cosmetic best, hence the "hand wringing"

It's not that, not the least because I have some pretty 'sad' aspects of my interests too.

However, I also, for example, have a couple of neighbours who drive very up-market (full sized) cars (costing many years worth of my total income), which are definitely 'pimped and preened', but I've never heard them expressing any concern about the wiring that is hidden from their view!

Anyway, only you know what you need/want, and we've given you some ideas - so it's all over to you now!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EddieM]

It's not that, not the least because I have some pretty 'sad' aspects of my interests too.

However, I also, for example, have a couple of neighbours who drive very up-market (full sized) cars (costing many years worth of my total income), which are definitely 'pimped and preened', but I've never heard them expressing any concern about the wiring that is hidden from their view!

Anyway, only you know what you need/want, and we've given you some ideas - so it's all over to you now!

Kind Regards, John

Indeed, you all have, it is indeed over to me. There is nowhere sadly to hide untidy wiring, so it's cosmetics more than anything, though your suggestions have been, as always, insightful and valuable. Over to me, it surely won't be harder than detailing the tyres!

 

[JohnW2]

.... There is nowhere sadly to hide untidy wiring, so it's cosmetics more than anything...

Fair enough, but I'm still a little intrigued!

If it truly were an exact (scaled-down) replica of a full-size vehicle, it would presumably have exactly the same (scaled-down) places to hide cables etc. as are used to hide them in the full-sized version (under seats & carpets, behind panels, fascia, trim etc, behind dashboard, within structural elements etc.). Indeed, if it did not have 'wires' hidden in those places, a purist might say that it was not really a very good 'exact true replica'

Kind Regards, John

 

[EddieM]

Fair enough, but I'm still a little intrigued!

If it truly were an exact (scaled-down) replica of a full-size vehicle, it would presumably have exactly the same (scaled-down) places to hide cables etc. as are used to hide them in the full-sized version (under seats & carpets, behind panels, fascia, trim etc, behind dashboard, within structural elements etc.). Indeed, if it did not have 'wires' hidden in those places, a purist might say that it was not really a very good 'exact true replica'

Kind Regards, John

The mechanicals only are a reasonable copy of the full scale vehicle, engine excepted. It doesn't really have an interior so to speak. Could of course build one, but due to the amount of metal parts in it, it is, compared to a modern RC car, quite slow.

I have in mind to build a nitro AWD version, but let's get this shelf queen out of the way first.

 

[mattylad]

So even with only 5 or 6 pins needed, getting a small waterproof connector pair is not easy.
Adding seawater into the mix makes it even harder.

Why do you actually need a connector?
Can you not wire them all direct? or is it for a detachable part?

Looking further the Horose JP30 range might fit the bill.
HR30-6J-6P(71)
http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2043818.pdf
https://cpc.farnell.com/hirose-hrs/hr30-6ja-6p-71/jack-solder-male-contact-6way/dp/CN13228
see if you can get the pair.

 

[EddieM]

So even with only 5 or 6 pins needed, getting a small waterproof connector pair is not easy.
Adding seawater into the mix makes it even harder.

Why do you actually need a connector?
Can you not wire them all direct? or is it for a detachable part?

Looking further the Horose JP30 range might fit the bill.
HR30-6J-6P(71)
http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2043818.pdf
https://cpc.farnell.com/hirose-hrs/hr30-6ja-6p-71/jack-solder-male-contact-6way/dp/CN13228
see if you can get the pair.

All the controls, servos, ESC, battery etc are encased in waterproof shell. The light box will need to sit in the shell (Will actually have to go where the servos would normally go, which will have to be replaced with a waterproof servo saver, which will be repositioned to make room)

The cables therefore need to go through the waterproof box without compromising it's IP integrity.

 

[JohnW2]

The cables therefore need to go through the waterproof box without compromising it's IP integrity.

That's interesting. Your needs/wishes may, of course, be different, but I would have said that, in general, if one wants to have cables entering/leaving an enclosure whilst maintaining 'waterproof' conditions, one would usually try hard to avoid the use of plugs/sockets, since it's easier to achieve the desired 'waterproofing' with just the cable exiting the enclosure.

Think of things like submersible pumps - no-one in their right mind would have the (under-water) connection to the pump using a plug/socket of any sort.

Kind Regards, John

 

[mattylad]

Use a 5 core cable and a plastic gland to exit the box.

 

[JohnW2]

Use a 5 core cable and a plastic gland to exit the box.

Exactly.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EddieM]

Use a 5 core cable and a plastic gland to exit the box.

Hmm, that's a very interesting idea.

 

[JohnW2]

Hmm, that's a very interesting idea.

Now we have got you down from 18 wires to 5, and established that there is no real reason for (and good reasons against) having a plug/socket, I would say that that is the 'obvious' way to do it - and a way which could be very 'waterproof'.

I think you may have 'got there' (with a very cheap solution) eventually!

Kind Regards, John

 

[mattylad]

Use the right size of one of these to fit the cable you use - and you can use your original 18 cores then

 

[EddieM]

Use the right size of one of these to fit the cable you use - and you can use your original 18 cores then

far too big.

 

[JohnW2]

far too big.

There are smaller versions available. For example, if you look (here) , it looks as if the smallest requires a 12.7mm diameter hole (and may be as cheap as 28p).

Kind Regards, John