Underwater switches?

[426Scuba]

Anyone have any good ideas on what to use for push button switches. I'm thinking about making electronic controls for my underwater video camera. I will need both momentary and maintained SPST switch. I would like to stay away from using external boots if possible.

Something like the ocean images controls:
http://www.oceanimagesinc.com/products/products.htm

 

[Charlie99]

You can avoid any penetration of the housing by using a magnet on the outside to control a reed switch on the inside.

Be sure to post what you eventually end up with.

Charlie

 

[dexter98]

I have to agree with Charlie99 that using a magnetic type of switch is the best and only way. If high currents need to be switched (which cannot be done directly by a reed-contact or a Hall-element), add something like a FET or a transistor to switch the high current.

For switching power-supplies, please note that many switching regulators have an enable pin, so the complete regulator can be put into standby and extremely low-current mode by disabling the devices.

 

[426Scuba]

Dexter98 the controls will be very low current applications so I think a reed switch would work except I would like to have them located in the handle like the ocean images. And I have only seen them used like a slide switch not a push button (want to keep it kind of small). I could see making one a momentary switch but not a maintained???
I'm allready planing on having one hole in the camera housing for the monitor so while Im at it why not drill 2. Or I may just route the wires into the monitor housing....

Charlie, I plan on documenting the building of my camera housing (and post it here) when I get more into the building stage, currently I'm still planing and collecting parts so no pictures yet.

Also if anone has pictures of how you did something like this please post them.

 

[FatRob]

If you want to go the penetration route you will simply have to machine plungers with o-rings that seal them.... or use rotary switches...

you could also use a flexible membrane over the switch panel allowing you to activate the switches through the membrane... obviously you will need to protect from the ambient pressure activating them for you...

I have used a cam like rotary o-ring sealed shaft to acivate a micro switch for the u/w light that I'm building...

 

[pavelow-drv]

Hey any progress on this? I was working on the same thing but greese filling the switch boot. My application is higher current and I wanted to this to be EMP proof so no circuits.

 

[bradsab]

426scuba-
check out the link in my signature for the 800 lumen dive light. I used a collar with magnets that twists to activate the reed switches inside the light housing. When designing my combo dive/video light (also in signature), one of the options I had on paper was a handle with two small collars on it activating reed switches inside the handle; same concept as what I used on the modded Maglite, only smaller. You could also have several switches performing different functions on one rotating collar, depending on how you arrange the switches and magnets.

 

[antero]

My favorite is magnetic reed switch. Sometimes I use relays, and sometimes more complex circuit boards. For camcorder one of the options is to put reeds in parallel with remote control buttons and trigger them from outside using magnet. Magnet attachments are only limited to your imagination. You can attach it to the end of a bolt clip, or make a collar, or attach to the end of a machine screw, or just slide along the nylon line like I did for my sidemounting lights. IR diode can be extended on cable and stick to the reception sensor of cam. Same idea applies to cameras with LANC controllers (SONY or Canon), or auxilary remote controllers attached to the smart hot shoe. There are some cheap video monitors on chinese websites they are just 2" diagonal and that can be used to control recording.

Machined penetrating mechanical levers are easy to do if you have lathe and taps. That is what I did.

I also found that some of the stems available at HD/Lowes plumbing section could work, so as the Delta shower shaft brass nickel plated switch. I would test those in pressure chamber though before use as they may have different direction of the high pressure sealing.

Some sketches and pictures are here:
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