Design and Construction Changes after Voyager 2.5 - Part 2 - Voyager 2.6

September 2022. 

Voyager 2.5 has been rebuilt since ending up on the rocks in May. 

She's been rebuilt to directly address the issues encountered in the last voyage, and is now designated Voyager 2.6.

Most of the issues addressed are related to hardening against water and preventing water ingress.,

Voyager 2.6 ready for the water

Most of the water leaked in through the Wing Angle Sensor housing and ran down the silicone tubing cable duct into the main equipment housing to the main controller board.

The Wing Angle Sensor housing was 3D Printed in ABS plastic.

It leaked a small amount of water over the period of two days.

The sensor housing is still 3D Printed, but it is now filled with epoxy resin.

No water should get into the silicone tubing cable duct, but just in case, it has been partially filled with silicone sealant to ensure no water can pass.

Sensor housing potted in epoxy, and the silicone tube cable duct sealed with silicone sealant 

The aim is keep water out of the main equipment housing, but if water does get in, the next aim is to reduce the chance of water causing problems.

The two PCBs for the wing sail controller and main controller have be redesigned to be potted in epoxy resin to improve resistance to water.

This has been been done by reducing the number of onboard connectors, and moving them off-board as in-line connectors. When connectors are placed in-line within the wiring, they can more easily be sealed. The onboard connectors in the previous design corroded dramatically, are a difficult to seal.

More components have been placed on the PCB to allow the overall height of the assembly to be reduced. This allows the whole controller assembly to lifted higher within the equipment housing to reduce that chance of coming in contact with any water.

New controller boards; potted in epoxy and designed to minimise onboard connectors.

Controller Boards

The previous build of Voyager 2.5 included the use of Plasti Dip aerosol spray as a rubberised sealer for some components such as the wing sail battery assembly.

Water leached through the Plasti Dip applied using the aerosol spray. so this was not to be used again.

Plasti Dip no longer supplies non-aerosol products in Australia, but there are competing rubberised paints that can be used as a dip.

Battery Assembly (light blue) dipped in rubber sealant paint.

Fully assembled Voyager Controller for Voyager 2.6 ready for installation