How to repair a fallen Tempest

I inadvertently opened the top of my radome :frowning: This latest snow system brought heavy snow and wind to Iowa, and I ran inside quick to plug in the hub and left the sensor mounted to a tripod on my deck. The wind picked up and blew it over down the stairs onto the concrete and popped the top that houses the light and hipatic rain sensor (I’ll upload the pictures later). Bummed out, I quickly blew out the snow on the motherboard circuit card assembly (CCA), and top cap and set the unit inverted over a heater vent in my house.

It appears that the CCA has quality silicone grease and injection molded clear plastic over the water sensitive connections and components. The ribbon cable that connects the cap was disconnected from the MB CCA but looks to be okay. A plastic half moon shaped piece (approx 1 in) was cracked near the mating surface of the dome but is still hanging on. I’m planning on using adhesive to repair this crack.

Was curious if anyone knows exactly what is holding the cap to the main sensor body. Friction or a couple dots of adhesive/super glue and or both? The gasket is still generously coated with some type of silicon grease.

From the way the ribbon cable was bent, I have an idea of how the dome was orientated on the main body but was not sure if the cap has a specific theta orientation.

The plan is to let the unit continue to dry until this evening and then use super glue to repair the crack in the dome, reconnect the ribbon cable and test for functionality prior to attempting to mating the dome to the body.

I’ll likely open a ticket, but thought I’d throw the topic out here to see if anyone has experience something similar.

Cheers to any comments/advice.

Ryan - AE0BE

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Broken Radome on Tempest