Using WetLink Penetrators on cables without a jacket

Blue Robotics Products WetLink Products
1

Hello everyone!

I have some homemade 3D printed thrusters which use basic 5010 BLDC motors.

I would like to use WetLink Penetrators to connect them to my electronics enclosure, however since these motors are simple, off-the-shelf drone motors, they don’t have a thick jacket around the 3 inner cables like the T200 or similar.

Can I still use WetLink Penetrators to securely seal the connection?

Thanks in advance!

2

Hi @meo209 -

If you mean that your motor has 3 independent wires, this won’t create a seal with a WetLink Penetrator unless you use one per wire! Alternatively, you could splice cable with a jacket and route it through the WetLink Penetrator, however you’ll need to seal the end of the cable at the splice, as otherwise water will leak along the cable between the wires held by the external jacket. This is done inside the Thruster on the T200/T500 with epoxy (currently at least!)

Generally I wouldn’t expect your 5010 motors to last more than a few exposures to saltwater, and maybe have a dozen in pool water, assuming you rinse and dry well… The “sealed “ bearings leak just enough to marinate all the internals in corrosive liquid!

3

Thanks for the advice.

Could I theoretically buy some thick (T200) motor cables and solder them to my motor? Then I would pass them through the WetLink Penetrators.

4

Hi @meo209 -

Yup! That or any cable with a jacket - but at that joint with your motor wires (at the motor itself or whatever splice location), you’ll need to create a seal so water doesn’t enter your enclosure via the jacketed motor cable acting like a pipe through the WetLink Penetrator.

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