Waterproof connectors provided for water monitoring RF telemetry system

Intelliconnect has provided a UK manufacturer of remote water monitoring and control systems for irrigation, drainage systems, and data loggers with SMA Interface waterproof adaptors required for an RF telemetry system to provide feedback of the status and situation of their monitoring equipment. System sensors and controls are frequently installed in boreholes and often subject to immersion under flood conditions and needed to operate reliably under these extreme conditions. The SMA Interface waterproof adaptors were supplied to connect to a GPS antenna with a second SMA Interface required for an RF transmission antenna providing information on location and system status. Internal connections were made via an MCX cable link allowing for ease of equipment installation and assembly and the possibility to upgrade or replace internal components when necessary. The external connector was required to be sealed to IP68 and additional unused connectors fitted with blanking caps were installed in the system to allow for future upgrades including activation of GPS. “The end equipment can be installed in boreholes which are prone to flooding and silting up,” comments Roy Philips, managing director for Intelliconnect. “We were asked to provide a competitively priced connector featuring ease of assembly, offering provision for possible future upgrades and which had to work reliably in aggressive environmental conditions including a very wide temperature range and the presence of contaminants.”