"Potting" and/or otherwise *really* waterproofing the TrueSmart - Ornate TrueSmart

Alright, gang - here's the million-dollar question: has anyone come up with a way to make the TrueSmart *truly* waterproof? I'm not talking about dipping the unit into a still tank of water. I'm talking about white-water rapids, Niagara Falls, in-the-jet-tub-naked-with-your-sweetie water-invasion proof.
I'm not asking for pie-in-the-sky ideas. I'm asking for folks that have experience with making devices impervious to the elements. The way I see it (not having seen the device, but checking out lots and lots of photos) there are basically two strategies:
1) replace the gasket with something more resilient/robust, or
2) potting the electronic assembly with epoxy to seal the electronics that *might* fail
I've done some testing of electronic components for resistance to contaminants that have force/velocity behind them. The primary test was to use mineral spirits - and spray the enclosed unit under a fully submerged bath. Then we'd fully dry the exterior of the unit and then open it to see if any mineral spirits had leaked in. As some of you may know, mineral spirits are non-conductive, so the possibility of the unit failing due to invasion of the liquid is relatively minimal. (contaminants in the liquid notwithstanding). There are other considerations such as the relative viscosity/covalence of the material relative to water - but it was close enough for our purposes at the time.
So - are there any intrepid souls out there who are willing to try different water-proofing strategies and test it using a method like this? Is there another relatively safe method that could be used to validate an 'aftermarket' approach to truly waterproofing the TrueSmart?
I'm all ears.

Buttons need to be in a sealed assembly
Mic needs to be in a sealed assembly
Speaker needs to be in a sealed assembly
Rear seal, seal groove, screw stand-offs and back needs to be redesigned (think tongue and groove or snap-off watch back)
1-3 are not too difficult, 4 however is a problem. May be able to get away with a thicker gasket that is glued into place.

Lokifish Marz said:
Buttons need to be in a sealed assembly
Mic needs to be in a sealed assembly
Speaker needs to be in a sealed assembly
Rear seal, seal groove, screw stand-offs and back needs to be redesigned (think tongue and groove or snap-off watch back)
1-3 are not too difficult, 4 however is a problem. May be able to get away with a thicker gasket that is glued into place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was *somewhat* as I feared. I was wondering if there was a material that could be used to 'fill seal' the gasket area and form a lip/bulge as it cured out to protect the seam. Man, that really disappoints me. But between the delivery delay and the advent of the latest training watches from Garmin and Polar I might be left with my original decision, which is to simply sell the unit and buy one of the suited-to-purpose products.

I am seriously considering this as an option if/when mine arrives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZrjXSsfxMQ
$20 at The Home Depot.

poncespr said:
I am seriously considering this as an option if/when mine arrives.
$20 at The Home Depot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm... I honestly wonder how it will do with water under pressure hitting a seam on-axis. (shower, diving, backstroke)

It might eat the TrueSmart's "Sapphire Glass" coating.
When they dunked the iPhone, I was rooting for the water !
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Related

Looking for dead One to attempt disassembly method

Hello, looking for a broken/borked/dead HTC One to attempt a different disassembly method to try to help the One community.
It is my understanding that they are glued together, not screwed, and that the suction cup method does not work. I used to retrofit headlights that also used glues, some heat glues, some needed a solvent. I have a lot of technical skill, and i would like to try my hand at popping one apart WITHOUT destroying the case/screen. I dont care if its water damaged, cracked screen, whatever, as long as its intact.
Posted this in all HTC One sections, please PM me if you have one or know of one, i'll pay shipping to and fro (i will NOT attempt repairs, JUST non-destructive disassembly) and post the results and a video on youtube if successful, and ship the unit back disassembled if successful, and not damaged further if not successful.
Please PM if interested or if you have any heads up to exchange contact information.
Thank you,
Slade8525
Interesting, have you looked in eBay yet?
TrueYears said:
Interesting, have you looked in eBay yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not yet, i may later, but i want to see if its possible to decouple the hardware with simple acetate gas in a bag (pretty safe; its nail polish remover) and a low heat gun with a suction cup.
thats how i got the glass off my friends iphone digitizer when he cracked just the glass, then reglued it. glass screen cost $10 on amazon, screen/digitizer was only available through apple as a $200-something repair job.
joboutu trace
Ive taken one apart. Your not getting it apart without damaging the housing. No if's and's or but's. The amount of heat required to melt the glue holding the housing assembly together would damage the LCD (believe me, I know). In addition, any chemicals used will risk melting the delicate white plastic that is molded to the case. What I will tell you is that this will be a phone that requires a housing any time you service anything inside. Look on ebay. Complete housings are 50 bucks, that is what you will be looking at if you have to change a battery, lcd or internal board. I will say that 50 bucks isnt to bad for an aluminum housing. Plus, it freshens up the one to look like new. Let me know if you have any questions.

Hardware Hacking x201 : IP67 Compliance

So, as we all know the Omate TrueSmart is as waterproof as a leaky boat, or perhaps a sponge.
However, I don't think there are any other Horologists on the forum at the moment. ( wikipedia horologist http:// en.wikipedia.org /wiki/horologist ).
After looking at the "seals" on the case buttons, and the laughable o-ring that Umeox/Omate have chosen to use on the back, along with the piece of silicone flap that they are using to seal the SIM card... I have to say that expecting it to be water resistant to any degree is a bit laughable.
So, I have a solution, the same one used by Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Citizen, Seiko, etc.. etc...
* Liquid silicone sealant gel on the SIM card seal and flap.
* Replace the silicone o-rings for the watch back with a thin silicone gasket, with more sealant gel
* Retrofit and replace the button seals, or create black silicone button covers that better seal them
I'm going to have to look at the speaker port on the watchband. I don't know if there is a simple solution there to make it compliant for 1 meter depth without severely affecting the quality of the sound output from that port. A brief examination makes it seem that the port -might- be able to take IP67 conditions .. but without reinforcement, I doubt it could take the forces involved in a swim, waves, wakes, spas.
Still, I think I can put together a kit, and instructions that careful and diligent people could use to retrofit the TrueSmart to make it far more waterproof than the manufacturer does. The kit would cost between $15 and $25 US, mostly to cover the cost of making custom molds for the silicone gaskets. ( There is a local TechShop here in Austin, and I have a CNC mill to make the aluminum molds, and all the design experience and software I need. Even so, a small super-accurate mold is a couple hundred dollars worth of materials and work. )
If there is enough interest evidenced here on a poll, I'll make the kit.
Sincerely,
Martin Bogomolni
Maker, Horologist, Coder, and Machinist
Need to redesign the case so that the speaker is sealed as well.
I've read that the O-rings are different among different runs. If the shape of the part of the case they fit against is different as well, wouldn't that make this effort require potentially as many different molds as the number of firmwares Loki has been trying to contend with? Or is it just the ring that's been different?
The case design is different. There's at least two maybe three.
Then that means I'll need to make two or three variants of the kit. This will also require some externally-visible way to identify the differences between various batches of TrueSmart watches.
Lokifish Marz said:
The case design is different. There's at least two maybe three.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think, just an opinion, that if the gasket between the body and the back cover has holes for the screws to pass through it like on my Last of the Kickstarter Dev Eds, 1/8/1900, delivered first of the USA group in early Feb, then that gasket works if properly placed and screwed together. The housing on these is flat, without raised screw hole posts and no groove.
I think the main problem you are going to need to overcome is the buttons and the mic pinhole leaking.
The speaker, if it doesn't mind getting wet itself, provides no entry path into the body if the wire set going in has been properly sealed inside (white sealant on mine, I think). Water could destroy the speaker, OK maybe, but not the watch unless it can follow the speaker connections back up into the body. Where the band halves meet the body on both sides there is a hole through the body to let the cables through, sealed inside with some white stuff. Maybe sealed...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
The speaker is inside the case (under the square "bump" in the backplate) and uses nothing more than double sided tape. It is partly held into place by the plastic insert.
What is that open slot for then, in the band on the speaker side ?
Where the sound comes out ?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Yep. (see attached image)
Yes I was also curious about how the waterproofness of the speaker and microphone port would be approached. But I'm definitely down for one of these.
For what it's worth, I've submerged (no more than 2ft) my NA 1gb/8gb OTS and used it in the shower after having opened the bottom. During the first week I was constantly checking inside the case for internal moisture and didn't see any. It's been a while, but I remember thinking the physical buttons looked like they would let water in if used while underwater, but that didn't seem to happen.
for giggles, my omate arrived with bad software, and only pulling the battery would fix it. I had first tried letting the battery die out but the vcom drivers didn't fully take until i pulled the battery, so the water seal warranty was moot from early on. I don't remember how long I waited, but I sent the following screen to cecilia and a few other mailboxes at omate for help with no response (surprise!) before pulling the battery and stepping through the restore guides.
Looking back, I can't even imagine how the bootloader got to be so trashed! Volume up and down you say?
I am in. Also shared on G+ and KS comments the poll, good luck!
Yep
I'm definitely in support of this. I created a kayaking app that is pretty useless with the watch the way it is... having this kit out there would be great.
Hi. I am a watchmaker (horlogist?) from Germany and its my daily job to make watches watertight.
I have access to professional measuring devices for checking the watches if they are sealed. It is testet via air pressure, no water. The watchcase deformation is measured by fine sensors and if it is deforming in the given parameters then the device says proof or leak. There are ranges from -0,8 Bar to +20 Bar.
Further tests to locate the leak are made with water tests.
I havent received my pre ordered true smart yet (but I own a simvalley AW-414.go). Before I would test the true smart I would like to know how much pressure it could take before the screen brakes.
After the long wait and seeing this IPx7 drama unfold, I decided to just flip my TrueSmart on delivery - and flog it on eBay/Amazon without ever opening the box. Depending on the delivery timeline and other factors (such as the impending release of the Polar V800 and Garmin fenix 2) I may reconsider that strategy if this "aftermarket waterproofing" plan gains momentum.
I checked the option to be willing to pay for professional install (having waited this long - and the fact that the V800 is another $100 more expensive than the TrueSmart) but I'm more than happy to do the install myself if the kit is solid. From what I gather in the initial post, it's going to be a far sight better than the factory seal. So, if I keep my TrueSmart I'd be in for either the home install or the pro install option.
FWIW - I could care less about using this phone in **** Tracy mode [trademark pending]. For my money, stuff a grommet in the ports and glue/seal them in place - my goal is to use the device for training.
DerUhrmacher said:
HThe watchcase deformation is measured by fine sensors and if it is deforming in the given parameters then the device says proof or leak. There are ranges from -0,8 Bar to +20 Bar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In a pressurized submersion test it will fill with water before anything else. The case was never tested beyond about 0.015 Bar and even then it wasn't tested properly (bare case, no buttons or straps and all the ports sealed in 15cm of water).
Them doing something as simple as not putting in the speaker right or the double sided tape not seal correctly on the speaker will negate any water resistance it may have had.
Had any luck looking into this?
I would definitely be interested in a kit to improve waterproofing...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Me too ! I don't see a survey, maybe Tapatalk does not support surveys ?
I bought a NeverWet spray set from HomeDePot recently. They show how to treat an iPhone 5 by removing the back cover and spraying inside. I don't have an iPhone or I might try it. Wouldn't care...the stuff worked pretty good on my shoes though.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
In the meantime...
Hi horologists,
I was wondering: is there anything a layman could do in the meantime to, at least, improve the water sealing on the TrueSmart? I'm not interested in submerging it or taking a shower; I just don't want to be afraid that my watch will short if I get stuck in rain and put it in my pocket.
One of the things I obviously don't want to be doing is just smearing vaseline all over it as that'll ruin the silicone components, correct? I am currently purchasing silicone grease (dielectric so non-conductive) to improve the seals on the bottom and around the sim card case. What should I do about the buttons? Can I put more grease around their edges? Would vaseline be apprpriate there, since it's coming in contact with my skin and there seems to be no silicone gaskets? What's the best quick fix for buttons?
Sorry if these questions are stupid but... this is admittedly coming from a place of utter ignorance. : )
Take care and thanks very much.

Waterproofing after back case open

Thought id ask to see what kind of experiences everybody has had.... This isn't meant to be a warranty question I kinda what to ascertain what the TS can do instead of what it was meant to do
As I understand from the factory the TS should be able to withstand, hand washing, being rained on, sweat and the occasional spillage, I mention these as none of these having any additional water pressure that would force water ingress for example, showering.
Once you open the back case is it game over.... or if you properly screw back in you will get back the same level of water protection?...
I mean physical protection as obviously warranty is automatically void...
Anyone thought about getting some Hyrdrophobic coating?
http://www.nanostate.co.uk/flash-flood-to-waterproof-smartphones-and-tablets-5ml-p-3.php
Best advice would be to treat it the same as your phone. Try not to get it wet. I had to remove the cover on mine due to an issue flashing. The rubber seal was not properly placed from the factory to begin with.
Regarding the hydrophobic coating. I have considered it, but not some do it yourself process. There is a company that you can ship your device to. They will put it in a vacuum chamber and inject a gas that seeps into every tiny area. You can't get everywhere from a do it yourself kit.
I've opened the back case of my TS (voiding the water warranty) due to a factory shipped bad flash, and since to install a micro-sd card + check for water. I haven't had any seepage from wear in the shower or while washing dishes. I don't think the two physical buttons are designed to be used while submerged, and the touchscreen is useless when wet (if you're lucky, if it's covered in droplets the screen is registering touches all over the place).
removing the back cover does not break any magic water sealing. between the back cover and the housing is a thin and easily damaged rubber ring which needs to be reinstalled correctly. if you read through the forum, you'll find the QA process is not very refined, and many devices with unbroken "OK" stickers have suffered water damage among other issues
as you've alredy removed the back cover, you can remove the battery and do some testing to see if your seal holds. at least without power going through the circuits, any damage will be minimal and you'll know your tolerances.
--
The two buttons were exactly designed to be used underwater. The original design had no buttons, but kick starter backers pointed out that touchscreens do not work at all underwater. So Omate added buttons to the design. They just leak, that's all.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

My Truesmart get moisture

Hello,
Something happened to my watch. I opened it to install an SD card. I did as the instructions says, carefully. The rubber gasket was well placed and I tightened the screws the maximum I could, with the provided screwdriver. I guess it would not be tight at all, because, although it has been wet three times and anything happened, Yesterday it was exposed to sweat for a while, and then washed the same way like previous times. Today it worked well all the morning, but around noon, I saw it appeared many stripes on the screen and checking the clock externally I've finally seen condensation into the lens, so I guess, obviously, that moisture has entered inside the watch. I've opened the watch, remove battery and SD card, and then introduced it into rice, using an airtight container to try drying it.
Lens condensation has disappeared, but in the display is still appearing lines.
I wonder what can I do, who should I contact for assistance to repair, where should I send it for repair in case I can't revive the screen, because as I think, this type of damage is not covered by warranty.
I am disappointed with this device because of this. It should not be so complicated to close it and to keep it well sealed. Its design in this particular point is disastrous. I can ensure that the rubber seal was installed properly, and the only thing I can imagine is that the screws do not stay tight properly, but I repeat that I tightened it all the way I could, strongly, until the limit of not to damage the screw heads, and checking for the joints are well sealed. If I finally can fix the watch, the next time I need to open the back cover, I'll pre-tighten it with a sergeant tool before tightening the screws... it seems to be necessary...
Thank you for your help.
It is ruined. Sell it for parts maybe. A shame.
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lanzas said:
If I finally can fix the watch, the next time I need to open the back cover, I'll pre-tighten it with a sergeant tool before tightening the screws... it seems to be necessary...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a waste of time. There is no way to make the existing case waterproof - not just the two screw openings but also the antenna, speaker, microphone and buttons are all possible routes for moisture ingress.
One look at the SIM cover and its pretend gasket convinced me of this. There is not enough structural integrity to ensure a good seal. The gasket will not be compressed in a way that makes a watertight seal - over tightening might even make things worse by deforming the plastic.
If you ever get it to work again, keep it dry.
lanzas said:
Yesterday it was exposed to sweat for a while, and then washed the same way like previous times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a very good idea to wash an electronic device that has no water / moisture protection what so ever (the seals don't do much good, and there are lots of other gaps in the watch where water can get in). Sometimes devices can recover when dried completely. Maybe put it in a bag of rice, that's great for absorbing moisture... But most likely, it's dead.
It is supposed to be a waterproof watch...
Definitely the screen is broken. The watch works fine, but the screen shows a lot of lines that don't allow clear visualization. No one from Omate answered my email...
I feel cheated... and silly...
You WERE cheated, we all were. Don't feel silly though, you were misled by a pro.
You might possibly be able to replace the display with an iPod Nano display, but I don't know anyone who has and an iPod Nano display might be worth more than your TrueSmart.
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In the name of science: How can the visor glass be removed without breaking ?

Hello,
I want to open my Nexus 6P in the name of science
I´ve managed to open other devices before but this Nexus 6P somehow scares the living cr*p out of me when it comes to the visor glass :crying:
There is barely any gap between the glass and the Aluminum back and even a razor blade is barely thin enough to pass through.
I tried to heat the glass with a hairdryer and to carefully fit a razor blade between the glass and the case. I´m afraid that the thin razor blade cannot create a powerful lever and even if, this might cause the glass to burst.
Now I really wanted to open this device since I don´t care about the warranty anyway and use some nice 17W/mK thermal pads inside.
By any chance, did any of you already open this device before and is there a secret strategy maybe ?
Well even if the glass visor breaks... There is one available for cheap on eBay
The problem with the cheap glass is that a) I might have to wait for several weeks for it. If I only partially damage the glass while still maintaining the area for the camera, it would not be that bad. But what if the glass cracks this area too ? This is why I´d rather prefer to remove the visor glass in one single piece
Try: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus+6P+Teardown/51660
I watched a strip down video of this phone a while back.....it did not look pretty. The glass visor on the back I believe was removed with a razor blade and if I remember correctly it did not crack. I would use a heat gun and heat the area to soften any glue before trying to pry it off.
In all honesty though, this device was not made to be stripped apart and put back together. I just don't see being able to strip the device and put it back together without leaving some sort of evidence that it had been taken apart lol.
This is the best teardown video I found. Using pieces of a soda can was a great idea and the phone looked intact around the glass and lower piece areas. Glass was in one piece as well. It's in my YT favourites in case I ever need it *knocks on wood*
PS: If you end up using this method (or any other), please let us know how it went.
Thanks for the great link, I will try again later I don't care about the warranty and I will continue to use a case anyway. It's just something some guys like to do. No risk, no fun. No brain, no pain Awesome idea with the selfmade lever out of a soda can
Seems like LG is the only company making phones that are easy to repair.
Sent from my LG-E980 using XDA Free mobile app
Well, at least I had the heart to try it out I don´t have a heat gun and I guess it´s next to impossible to soften the glue without one. A regular hair dryer is too weak. I also tried to make some levers out of soda can parts but it´s useless if you cannot apply enough heat in order to soften the glue.
Maybe it´s possible if you wait for hours for the device to heat up with a hair dryer but you also damage the whole device because of the way you spread the heat.
I might try again later if I get a heat gun. This phone is really tough to open. Did anyone else already manage to open this device without some special equipment ?
@Gorgtech, I had to open my nexus 5 to replace the screen/digitizer. I purchased an $8.00 cell phone/small electronics toolkit from Walmart. It has magnetized screw drivers, plastic pry tools and a suction cup. I highly recommend it!
Thanks for the hint, I have some various tools which are OK for most repairs but only lack a heat gun. I´ve decided to get one in the end because it´s not as expensive as I thought before. However, I´m not sure if I´m still allowed to post reviews or guides on this site anymore so don´t expect too much input after
Erm, why wouldn't you be allowed?
All my reviews on this site have been closed because I mentioned the manufacturers and also posted Amazon Links. I got a Pm which warned me of creating any extra 'spammy' reviews. I'm a long term member here and I didn't intend to offend anyone. Nevertheless I'm not sure if I'm still allowed to post reviews or user guides here if I get something from any manufacturer for a honest and unbiased review.
I don't know what to say. I mean, the community needs users like you to survive and remain interesting. Oh well...

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