Enclosures and Panel Connectors¶
For use on a boat, HALSER should always be placed in a waterproof enclosure. The board is designed to fit standard 100×68×50 mm waterproof enclosures.
Recommended Enclosure¶
The easiest way to get started is the Hat Labs pre-drilled enclosure. It comes with 5 pre-drilled 13 mm holes and 3 PG7 blind plugs — no drilling required. The holes accept NMEA 2000 panel connectors, SP13 connectors, and PG7 cable glands directly.
The enclosure is IP65-rated ABS with stainless steel (A4/AISI 316) screws and integrated wall-mount flanges.
Using a Generic Enclosure¶
Any 100×68×50 mm waterproof enclosure will fit HALSER. If your enclosure does not have pre-drilled holes, you will need to drill them yourself.
When drilling holes, always use a conical or step drill bit (one that looks like a small metal Christmas tree). Standard metal drill bits may easily bite too hard and crack the enclosure wall.
When planning connector placement, leave sufficient room for tightening the connector nuts and for the connector body. If you are wall-mounting the enclosure, place the connectors facing down to minimize the risk of water ingress.
Hole Sizes¶
| Connector Type | Hole Size |
|---|---|
| PG7 cable gland | 12.5 mm (1/2") |
| M12 (NMEA 2000) panel connector | 12.5 mm (1/2") |
| SP13 panel connector | 13 mm |
| PG9 cable gland | 16 mm (5/8") |
Grommets
Rubber or silicone grommets allow for higher cable densities than panel connectors or cable glands. However, they are less waterproof and require permanent cable attachment, making servicing more difficult.
Soldering Panel Connectors¶
When soldering internal wires to panel connectors:
- Always use heat shrink tubing on the individual wires
- Slide the heat shrink onto the wires before soldering
- Add solder to the connector pin cavity first, then re-melt and insert the wire