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Marine-proofing a Computer
thaddjuice writes: "I'm interested in installing a computer on my sailboat to interface with the ship's navigation and communication systems. What I'm wondering is what needs to be done to a computer to protect it from salty air, potentially damp surroundings, and temperature extremes. What parts are most vulnerable? What about peripherals - can you protect keyboards, mice, and monitors from these conditions? Power is also a concern, it has to run off of boat batteries. Should I start with a laptop, desktop, or rackmount system?"
Well, I used to live in fla, off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale... 2 miles from the beach my whole life, so, I've actually had some experience with this...
First, I'd recommend the laptop as the start. You can rig the battery slot to run off the boats battery a lot easier than having to convert that to AC instead... That usually works the best, rather than converting power and worrying about a monitor and everything else..
Secondly, they have clear plastic shims that a you should be able to pick up at most aquatic sports shops (Not fishing outlets)... They're used to protect diving equipment and other electronics on the boat. Personal suggestion is to just seal the computer inside a layer of this stuff (it'll conform to the keys and should provide some protection against the sun as well when using the system during that blinding sunrise/set). You will have to make arragements for airflow in/outtakes through the base of the stand, where you can make sure no water will seep into...
The heating/cooling issue I've never had a problem with... granted, I've never kept a sysem out on a boat 24/7 before... As long as it's dry, I can't really imagine it being that much worse than just using it in a non-airconditioned enviornment... Maybe if you got a laptop with a mobile dock so you don't have to leave it out there 24/7 (not sure if that's something you'd want to do, but if it was my laptop, considering the security of the docks and everything, I'd never leave it not locked down) you could get one of those mobile docking stations inside, and just protect keyboard/mouse externally... the laptop would be completly sealed...
Hope this helps some...
-PhaseBurn Welcome to Linux country. On quiet nights, you can hear windows reboot.
You need to either 1) find a computer that was meant for use on a boat, or 2) find an enclosure and peripherals which is meant to house a computer on a boat.
Normal computers are not hardened enough for that environment, nor do they take well to non-ventilated boxes. You can (if you want) look at computers meant for industrial and food service use. Food factories have to be able to wash down every surface that is open to the processing area, and industrial computers can take that abuse and often more. It'll probably be cheaper to get a computer from a company that makes one specifically for boats.
If you insist on doing it without specialized components, well, good luck. Salt air will eat through computer parts like you wouldn't believe.
-Adam
The sea, she is a hungry creature, no?
Lockheed Martin does this for the military. EMP proofing equipment is one of the hardest things to do for electrical equipment, you need to have layers of absorbant material such as Boron and lead while still having the machine usable. You can actually buy much of it on the internet through reputable dealers. Slashdot even ran an article about it before.
Consider for instance our main stadiun. It had a dozen or so intelligent lighting fixtures mounted on tomcat truss about 80 feet above the main pool. These fixtures have fairly large boards and processors in them, but also could not be sealed because of the need for ventilation.
Without ever coming into direct contact with the water these fixtures had troubles. The huunidity combined with micro-droplets of saltwater in the air was hell on the boards. Even the special ruggedized, sealed power cable connectors we used could only last a few seasons before needing replacement. DMX (signal for lighting) connectors failed even more frequently. Worse, the inner boards would accumulate enough salt deposits to cause them to short in some cases in just a few months of exposure to two whales splashing around. And these instruments are designed to be rugged, roadworthy fixtures for getting banged around on rock concert tours.
Our solution, 1) by the best connectors we could get our hands on. This was the number one point of failure. Not just water resistant, but submersible. Look in specialty electronics catalogues, we only bought AC and DMX connectors, but they had many types available. We then wrapped all connection in several layers of amalgamating tape (great stuff!!). 2) We had a frequent overhaul plan where instruments were brought down, thoroughly cleaned (dunked in deionized water, allowed to dry 100%, prayers before powering up again)3)Pay attention to where air intake is located..add filters and larger fans to accomdate the reduction in airflow they cause.
Basically, I'd invest in low cost equipment, keep a repair/replacement schedule, stay very vigilant about salt buildup.
You really should be asking a group of sailors. They will for sure be able to tell you what does and doesn't work. We aren't talking about computing in the cockpit, so don't get too crazy about waterproof. Lots of people have laptops at their nav station and get e-mail via shortwave radio, so this isn't new ground. The trick is to secure the computer when underway. I'm not a big fan of laptops, so I'd look at this one. Small and too the point without paying a huge mark up for a laptop.
It may be to much for you but I'd look at the Panasonic ToughBook series:
This is for the Model 28
DURABILITY FEATURES
Designed using MIL-STD-810F test procedures
Full Magnesium Alloy case with carry handle
Moisture-resistant casing
Dust-resistant LCD, keyboard and touchpad
Sealed port and connector covers
Removable HDD is mounted in shock-absorbing gel and stainless steel case
Scratch-resistant coating
Rugged hinges
Notes on Humidity Testing for MilSpec:
The Humidity test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 507.4 (Aggravated). The test items were tested for operation near the conclusion of the fifth and tenth cycles. Each cycle was one day (24 hours) and the entire test was performed over ten days.The temperature was cycled between 86 and 140F with the relative humidity at 95% constant.
Results:
The Toughbooks continued to boot up and operate following each test, and there were no visual anomalies.
Notes on Water Resestance Testing:
The Water Resistance test was performed in accordance with MIL-STD-810F, Method 506.4, Procedure III (Drip). The test items were subjected to this test with the LCD open and the unit operating, but with ports closed. The Toughbooks were opened following testing to inspect for water intrusion.
Results:
The Toughbooks continued to operate during and following the 15-minute water drip test. There was no evidence of water intrusion.
I mean if these things can't do what you want then I don't think anything will. And they even offer features like built in GPS, Wireless (802.11b) or 3 different Cellular technologies.
A simple Pricewatch check shows them starting at $4000 for the 28 Series, this is the most water resistant model they show.
iRepairIT - iPhone, Mac, & PC Repair
I am not a computer expert by any means, but I know a lot about boats and the marine environment. I would not use a non-marinized computer on a boat, but ESPECIALLY for something as critical as navigation.
Instead, I would look at OceanPC or NAvigator PC or one of the other companies that sell computers designed and hardened to work in the marine environment. Also, there are some marinized laptops available- make sure you get one with a screen that is visible in sunlight- most are not bright enough.
If you can sweat it out without it for a while, the cost of marinized bright displays is dropping and will continue to for a few years at least. This stuff will continue to get cheaper and cheaper.
More information: the most popular software pkgs for navigation are The Cap'n, Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite, and Maptech. There may be some new ones as the raster versus vector chart business sorts itself out. Recent issue of Practical Sailor and Powerboat REports carried evals of those packages, with, as I recall, the Nobeltec judged the best.
If I were going to do this, which I have opted not to do for the time being, I would get either a marinized laptop with the brightest display I could afford, or hardwire into the boat a computer built for marine use, and with a separate display. Not small bucks either way, but much more dependable than taking a land-based computer to sea. Good luck, and DON'T forget paper charts etc etc.