We have one of those giant full color LCD signs at work. Unfortunately, the damn thing uses a 9-pin Serial connector. Needless to say, it's a pretty shitty solution for something that's outside 24/7. I'm getting tired of having to scrape rust off the damn thing any time I want to change the display. Searching for "weatherproof serial connector" and every similar thing that I can think of has turned up nothing. Any ideas on where to get one?

I plan to switch it over to Bluetooth (that's what we wanted but it wasn't ordered correctly so...) but between the part cost, set up, & having someone take the sign back down for installation, we're looking at a couple thousand dollars so it's on the back burner for now.

6/9/2010 7:02:41 PM

duct tape

6/9/2010 7:04:46 PM

Electrical tape.

6/9/2010 7:08:54 PM

Harris Teeter plastic grocery bag.





^,^^or those.

6/9/2010 7:48:24 PM

rubber cement? Or something like it. I dont know if its waterproof, but something like it or silicon based that you can smear all over the coupling and then just pull it apart when you need to disconnect it.

6/9/2010 8:19:04 PM

something like this? https://cart.jetkit.com/p-819-replacement-serial-port-cap-for-all-pciipciiipciiir-models.aspx

6/9/2010 8:38:51 PM

Pretty sure that's going to block the very port he's using.

6/10/2010 3:09:18 AM

Is that not the idea? Its my assumption that the port only needs to be accessed when changes need to be made. As long as something will protect it, it will help.

I'm guessing you might want something like this, but for a serial connector of the correct gender?

How difficult would it be to just wire it to use an RJ-45 and use an adapter on the PC side?

6/10/2010 4:19:08 AM

^5/6/7 Tape & bags aren't going to stop moisture.

^^^^I've thought about something like that but I don't want to take a chance on it getting in one of the ports and not being able to get it cleared out.

^^^ A cover may work if it's tight enough

^ that's close but if it had a sealed plug that went on the end, it'd be perfect. I honestly don't know whether I can rewire it into something else or not. The software sucks and won't work correctly unless it finds the sign on COM3 (took a couple of weeks trial & error to figure that gem out). I currently use a Serial-USB converter but would be open to trying something else. When it comes to ports, I know jack though.

6/10/2010 7:21:38 AM

Wait...are you scraping rust off the port so you can plug in to it??? If so I would scrape the rust off...coat it with some grease (dielectric, WD40 or whatever) and when I get ready to use it, clean it with brake cleaner. Sounds like you need a weather proof/outdoor sign...not the other way around.

6/10/2010 6:28:07 PM

It IS an outdoor sign. You know those big LED billboards on the side of the road? It's one of those (1/2 - 1/3 size depending on the sign). The problem comes from the fact that the cable is typically run inside where it can stay hooked up to a computer. We don't have that convenience because the sign is 100' from our building and there is no way to go back in and run conduit inside or anything (driveway, sidewalk, & slab in between).

Obviously, this wasn't seen as a potential problem when the sign was put up or we would have already changed something. I think I may just replace the connector and then run it into a weatherproof box that can be accessed when I need it. I'm not having much luck with a weatherproof connector.

6/10/2010 6:56:48 PM

Mount one of these inside the sign?

http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detail.aspx/900-MHz-Serial-Transceivers-1-Client-Server-Unit/MDR292A

Kills two birds with one stone.

6/10/2010 6:59:42 PM

Shit, that might just work since I can install it without taking the sign down. Thanks!

6/10/2010 7:34:00 PM

Quote :

"Enable you to interconnect teminals as far as 20 miles apart!"

Damn!
I hope your sign doesn't get hacked

6/10/2010 7:41:52 PM

Well thankfully it's some uber shitty Chinese program so either it's so shitty that nobody would be able to figure it out or it's going to start changing when the kid down the street starts playing with his wii

6/10/2010 8:05:21 PM