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Hi Bill,
In addition to contacting the reed switch
manufacturers, you might also want to contact some of the guys who are building,
and designing manned submersibles. They are very knowledgeable, and
I am sure would be very interested in what you are doing. Subs are their
lives, believe me.
I would suggest Barry Walden, with WHOI's ALVIN
group, either Doug Pridgeon or Rich Slater
with Delta Oceanographics, or Jim Sullivan with Harbor Branch
Oceanographic, for starters.
One of the best of them all is probably
Graham Hawkes, of Hawkes Oceanographic Technology. He's designed lots
of subs and rovs over the years and is a great guy to talk to. he's
presently working on Deep Flight.
Another of the best is Doug at
Delta. He designed and built (by hand) the Nekton subs. I have been
down to 700 ft. with him in the Delta, off the coast of Catalina. With
Doug Email might be best, as he's deaf as a post. He is quite a
genius when it comes to cost effective subs, and he's a guy who gets his hands
dirty. A machinist.
If you would like pursue this angle, let me
know and I will send you some email addresses and if you want, an email
introduction. you really dont need it, with these guys, though. They
are all enthusiasts of the highest caliber.. All these guys are old
customers of mine for underwater tracking and navigation systems, and I
have spent a lot of time with them.
Byron
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2005 4:37
AM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Magnetic
Switches & Clutches
Hi members. Mad scientist, wetsub Bill
here.
In my search for some kind of waterproof
variable speed switch for my wetsub,I have read many articles about the
magnetic reed switch.
I am enclosing some links below that mention this
type of switch. A lot of the links are about DPV's (diver propulsion vehicles)
and
dive scooters and the type of reed switches they
use. I noticed some of the highter end DPV's have a VARIABLE SPEED
magnetic reed switch.
I intend to contact the manufacturer of these
DPV's and ask them about those switches. I need to make sure they will work
with my 24
volt minnkota and that the amps and volts would
work with their switches. I believe a magnetic switch is the way to go because
it precludes
having to worry about using an "O" ring on the
shaft of a rheostat to waterproof it, plus the switch itself can be completely
waterproof encased and
activated by a magnet that I can attach to my
hand or to a lever that moves the magnet close to the encased switch when I
apply pressure on
the lever. I will let you know what I find out
after calling some of the manufacturers as to how their magnetic reed switches
will work for controlling
my wetsub's motor speed. Here are those links if
you want to take a look.
I also found out that an idea I had a while back
has already been made. I once proposed here that if someone could encase an
electric motor into a waterproof housing
wherein the motor would spin a magnetic plate and
that plate's magnetism would then transfer thru the waterproof housing to a
clutch that would then turn a prop, this
would enable us to make motors that we would
not have to worry about equalizing because there would be no exposed motor
shaft with a motor shaft seal to leak from
outside water pressure. Well an outfit called
Rimtec has made it. This could really be something we could use. No more
worrying about equalizing our motors or shaft seals
leaking! We can completely enclose our electric
motors in a waterproof container and let the magnetic plate attached to our
motor shaft turn the clutch that is OUTSIDE of the
housing and attached to the prop. Here's the
links.
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