If you don't have adequate lightening protection, you'll want
sockets.

Use silicon grease on the pins to make them watertight.
e.g. bead of grease on each row of pins, and then grease bead
after the chip is inserted. The mechanical action of a good
socket will wipe the grease off the pin where it makes contact.

You'd be better off sealing the boxes. Silcon sealant (RTV) applied
to the cable entry points works well, and is easily peeled off
if you need to service things.

But if you DO have good lightening protection on the wiring,
then do as Ken suggests and fully seal the units.
You can seal it with socketed parts, but it is a real PITA to
clean off the sealer to do repair work.

Robert

Kenneth Lumia wrote:

> Goran,
> 
> Don't use the sockets!  Also, once the design is complete and 
> the board cleaned up, spray it with a sealer - I've used GC 
> electronics Acrylic Plastic, but there are other types of 
> coatings providing even better protection.  Try looking 
> for a urathane or silicone conformal type.  I think 
> Tech-Spray has a suitable line.
> 
> Ken
> klumia@adelphia.net
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Goran Hosinsky" <hosinsky@ya.com>
> To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <piclist@mit.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 3:06 PM
> Subject: [EE] To socket or not to socket
> 
> 
> 
>>I am placing small circuits with a PIC in my garden, in
>>plastic boxes. They are protected from rain but the
>>boxes are not hermetic, cables coming in from below,
>>so ambient humidity, ants, spiders etc can sometimes
>>come in.
>>
>>Normally I always use sockets for mounting ICs but in
>>this case I wonder, if it would be better not to use
>>sockets to avoid the posibiity of oxidation and
>>faulty contact between the PICs pins and the socket.
>>
>>Any recommendations?
>>
>>Goran
>>-- 
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>>
> 
> 
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