Return to the archive index

weather-proofing a wearable

>>>>> "Paul" == R Paul McCarty <> writes:

Paul> I was walking my dog in the rain over the weekend and I
Paul> thought.. Gee it would really suck having to leave my wearable
Paul> home everytime it rained...

( for pics of what I am describing, see
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~priestdo/wearable.pics.html )

First off, my "rig" is against my body and protected by whatever is
protecting me (rain coat, wind breaker etc.)  the other exposed parts
are headphones, (cheap and replaceable) and the keyboard.  Knowing
that I wanted to wear this unit outside everyday I put the
expensive/hard to replace stuff in against my body where it would be
safe.

My keyboards are just that, keys - 7 (well 8) switches and some
leather and a peice of cat5 wire, nothing more.  This ruins back to a
board that is packaged in with the rig.  The keyboards are made out of
leather and then dipped in liquid beeswax (before the keyswitches are
put in) this makes them good at shedding water.  The techniques I use
in making them I learned by making leather drinking vessels.  I coat
all the wireing inside with "liquid electical tape" it's this rubbery
stuff that you brush on.  I would not submerse these keyboards, but
they have been unaffected by rain, sleet or snow.  (Well, anything I
have been walking around in anyway.)  I have often thought about
sealing up the keys a little better, but have never bothered to do so.
The one I use the most in bad weather is showing no signs of having
had any moisture problems.  Ok, that being said, here is what I do
when it's too wet or cold for my hands to be comfortable:

For cold weather I have keyed with gloves on without problems (using
either the "first" or "third" leather keyboards in the pictures).  In
bad weather (sleet) I have been able to do this for quite some time,
keyboard unprotected.  However, I did start to worry about the
switches and I found it uncomfortable to type with gloves on, so I
made an oversised mitten which just fits on over my hand and the
keyboard.  I used that this past January - March.  It worked fine.  I
would recommend it to anyone wanting to use a hand held keyboard in
the cold.  Much more comfortablke than typing with gloves. (No picture
of the mitten on the page.)

I played with a pocket keyboard for a while but it is
more of a novelty. There is a picture of it on my wearable pics page.
I put it in a polar tech vest pocket and have used it when on walks
where I am not going to do too much typing (reading) or when I want to
use may hands a lot.  It is made with cheep switches, I have never
gotten it wet directly.

For wet (not cold) I have not bothered to do anything special.  If it
is not so bad that my hand doesn't mind, I have not seen any problems
with the keyboards.  If I am walking with an umbrella in my non keying
hand, then the keyboard is getting some protection that way.  I have
on occation put a clear plastic bag over may hand in heavy rains
and tucked the open end up into my sleeve.  

Basicaly, by putting minimum cost and some weather proofing in to the
vulnerable parts of the rig, I have not had to wory much about
weather.

Greg

--
 Greg Priest-Dorman
       NO SOLICITING

From Wear-Hard Mailing list Archive (WH)
Maintained by R. Paul McCarty

Archive created with babymail