New Monsoon Modular Reservoir System

[BoxGods]

The worlds only Orange Monsoon as of now. Its for my next build which I hope to have complete by PDXLAN this summer which is going to be mirror acrylic , uv orange acrylic and uv blue acrylic theme.

This thing is amazing !!! I can't wait to build my new case. Boxgods and Danger Den are an amazing team










Now if I can get a DD Orange delrin CPU and GPU block to match I would be in heaven.....

I'm going to be polishing the faceplate soon. I'll post pics when its done :-)

You have the only Orange Monsoon there will EVER be, not just as of now.

I could have polished that face plate for you man...somehow I had it in my head you were just going to have DD add the six mounting holes and power button holes when they laser cut your case, then mount the D5 right to the case body so there was no "face plate"...like totally seamless uber clean.

Sorry, I just did not listen clearly enough.

[Barso]

Looks fantastic.
BG, one thing that worries me is the fitting of the cap on the pump housing.
Mine is not flush when fitted on and appears to have a lip where the power cable of the D5 pump fits through.
Was this a problem of the moulding process of the delrin?
Sorry but the OCD side of me takes over with small things like this.

[BoxGods]

Looks fantastic.
BG, one thing that worries me is the fitting of the cap on the pump housing.
Mine is not flush when fitted on and appears to have a lip where the power cable of the D5 pump fits through.
Was this a problem of the moulding process of the delrin?
Sorry but the OCD side of me takes over with small things like this.

I *think* your talking about the mounting tube cap right? Those are actually machined delrin and the problem with that cap is two fold:

Most users in here would have ZERO problem removing the molex plug from their pump, feeding the power wires through a pass through hole, and putting the molex plug back on. Unfortunately a lot of users would have a problem with that so we had to go with a notch.

The other problem is the Delrin itself. When we machine the notches for the pass through the stresses in the Delrin cause a slight cup. We have tried every annealing schedule imaginable and although we were able to reduce that slight cupping a lot we couldn't consistently get rid of it all together.

Your not being OCD about it, or at least your not the only one as it has driven me bonkers as a machining challenge. Because the "flaw" is very slight and the cap is purely aesthetic and because we could not get rid of the cup entirely that is the way they are. On the plus side I have redesigned the cap so it is lower profile and can be machined from aluminum.

The new cap design WILL fit the current motor mounting tubes also. The down side is that it will be a few months till we do another D5 run and make the new caps.

[DarthBeavis]

You have the only Orange Monsoon there will EVER be, not just as of now.

I could have polished that face plate for you man...somehow I had it in my head you were just going to have DD add the six mounting holes and power button holes when they laser cut your case, then mount the D5 right to the case body so there was no "face plate"...like totally seamless uber clean.

Sorry, I just did not listen clearly enough.

I think I might do that on a project I am working on (case will be air-brushed as well).

[Elmy]

You have the only Orange Monsoon there will EVER be, not just as of now.

I could have polished that face plate for you man...somehow I had it in my head you were just going to have DD add the six mounting holes and power button holes when they laser cut your case, then mount the D5 right to the case body so there was no "face plate"...like totally seamless uber clean.

Sorry, I just did not listen clearly enough.

That might work as well. I have thought about that too. Oh well... I can get someone around here to polish it cheap and I might not even use it...

Going to pick up the acrylic next week from tap plastics for the case then I have to contact DD and work out something for the laser cutting. I have about 10 billion ideas I want to do.... Would be nice if I could drive down there and work with them in the shop ....

I like air brushing but I don't have an air brusher in my back pocket like DB

[Elmy]

Looks fantastic.
BG, one thing that worries me is the fitting of the cap on the pump housing.
Mine is not flush when fitted on and appears to have a lip where the power cable of the D5 pump fits through.
Was this a problem of the moulding process of the delrin?
Sorry but the OCD side of me takes over with small things like this.

you got pics to see what you are talking about ?

[DarthBeavis]

That might work as well. I have thought about that too. Oh well... I can get someone around here to polish it cheap and I might not even use it...

Going to pick up the acrylic next week from tap plastics for the case then I have to contact DD and work out something for the laser cutting. I have about 10 billion ideas I want to do.... Would be nice if I could drive down there and work with them in the shop ....

I like air brushing but I don't have an air brusher in my back pocket like DB

I have an air-brush in my garage (just used it) and I am picking up a spray gun and larger compressor today for painting larger areas

[Barso]

you got pics to see what you are talking about ?

[BoxGods]

The new motor cap design is machined from aluminum, has slightly wider openings for the motor power wire to pass through, and is recessed into the motor tube shortening the front-to-back dimension by about 12mm. It will also be anodized to match the other aluminum parts on the Monsoon line.

I also revamped the embossed recess design to a Maltese cross, as seen bellow.



As I mentioned earlier the motor mounting tube, (the finned part) is unchanged so the new cap design will fit existing tubes. I will also be taking Martin's suggestion from his review about adding an adhesive backed foam sound dampening pad to the back side of the cap to make the Monsoon D5 even quieter when the cap is installed.

To save someone having to ask:

1. When? It will be at least a month or two before we do another D5 run so I won't have the new caps till then.
2. Will these be available to current owners? Yes. I will try to set up some kind of exchange program...probably like having you ship the old one to me and I will ship out a new one.
3. Are you really going to make customers overseas pay to ship their motor cap all the way to the US? No...we will work something out.
4. Who will pay for shipping? You will as I will be paying for these replacement caps out of my own rather skinny little pocket
5. Why are you even bothering with this when 9 out of 10 users don't even care because you "cant really see the tiny gap when it's installed anyway"? Because I refuse to let a little bit of plastic win...and for me personally it is like a super hot chick with a gap in her front teeth...I can't help but look at it =)

[Barso]

That looks perfect BG.
To be honest, I am more than happy to pay for shipping and keep the old cap but if you need it back, that's fine.

[DTR]

5. Why are you even bothering with this ...and for me personally it is like a super hot chick with a gap in her front teeth...I can't help but look at it =)

WOW, now that is service with a smile.

You sir are storing up the Karma points....I would buy, and continue to buy from you over the 'other' guy any day of the week.

[thegcpu]

+2

[Bit Image]

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Faceplate off .... going to the shop to get polished on Monday .... WOOT !!!!

Anyone wanna trade my brushed faceplate for a black one? My DD res was just received today with a brushed faceplate just like the one above, but I would like a black faceplate instead.

[DarthBeavis]

I will trade you

[coolhandluke41]

Ok so i got my Basic the other day,must say it's one of the best looking reservoirs,and all tho it looks outstanding there are few thing i like to address


1-why there is no brass threaded bushings pressed in to Delrin for hold down screws (striped one of the threads without much trying)
2-the aluminium mounting ring should be redesign,there is way to much vibration passing from the pump to the body , one more O-ring could be implemented
between the ring/pump that will separate pump and minimize the vibration
I used the black-thick O-ring to muffle the noise to some extend ;
pump setting @ 3 speed, noise increase is about 5%
@4-10%
@5-20~30%
other then that very nice product that needs some minor improvements/refinement

@ BoxGods..i was wondering if there is a pump plug in case i would want to separate pump from the res
Thank you

[BoxGods]

Yes there is a pump plug, check DD or your favorite reseller, should be some left.

The idea of adding a second O ring to create some sort of isolation between the pump and the reservoir body is a good one in principle but not very practical in application, at least in my experience. The Monsoon D5 body has a substantial amount of mass that tends to dampen actual motor vibrations and the vast majority of any vibration transferred from the pump to the body is a result of cavitation type turbulence generated by the impeller and the water and a second O ring would not do anything for that--the second O ring would not decrease "noise" by any amount the ear could detect, unless the ear was on a dog. Additionally the extra complexity in mounting the pump correctly, (aka leak free) would become a support nightmare for casual water coolers. There IS something to be said for the K.I.S.S. school of design where large numbers of users are concerned. I am also not sure it would be good for the pump over it's full lifetime and as a designer I have to be very careful to "do no harm" in that respect. The stock D5 is "hard mounted" and we use the same type of mounting they use so it is not unreasonable to expect your pump to match the manufacturers tested life cycle or MTBF. I prefaced the above comment with "in my experience" because somebody might figure out a simple way to add that second O ring that is bullet proof for leaks and for sure would not harm the pump--just because I can't design it to a point I feel comfortable with doesn't mean somebody smarter can't.

My approach was to make the reservoir narrower then a typical optical drive so there is room for 1mm or 2mm rubber vibration isolation pads on either side and to include a pretty decent iso-mount solution stock with every unit to prevent vibration from the reservoir from being transferred to the case, and to provide a machined motor tube for those really after noise reduction, (the Monsoon D5 Premium).

As for stripped out screws. It does not matter what lengths we go to via inserts and the like, people will occasionally strip out a screw, or pull the insert free etc. I put HUGE notices in several locations in the instructions warning users not to over tighten the screws or risk stripping the threads. We have even had a user strip out the threads on a top port from over tightening a G1/4 thread. I am including the very first paragraph from the instructions bellow:

CAUTION: Stripping the threads of metal parts is not uncommon—stripping the threads of plastic parts—even the very strong, high quality Delrin used in your reservoir—is even easier if you over tighten screws. We have taken every precaution to make ALL the threaded holes in the Delrin D5 body as strong as possible. Pilot holes are drilled slightly undersized to increase threaded contact area, holes with higher loading are drilled deeper and screws are longer to increase the number of engaged threads, and parts are annealed after tapping to relieve any stresses from the tapping procedure. EVERY threaded hole is populated to confirm the threads are in good order before your part ships to ensure that there are no issues. IF YOU OVER TIGHTEN ANY SCREWS OR FITTINGS YOU WILL STRIP THE THREADS. Please read and make sure you understand all the instructions below before removing the face plate, installing the pump, or installing the reservoir as Danger Den is not responsible for any stripped threads and all returned parts WILL be inspected prior to the resolution of an RMA.

I even mention that the most common reason for over tightening is some sort of foreign object/debris under an O ring like lint or cat hair. If users do not clean the O ring and O ring channel before installation no amount of tightening will create a seal.

Will an occasional user strip a screw? Yes. Fortunately after hundreds and hundreds of units sold that number is well bellow 1%. Something like 6 per thousand I think, though DD handles returns and Jeremy may not have forwarded every single RMA ticket to me. Inserts would add at least $5 to $7 per unit to the price or more and not decrease issues as inserts are not indestructible. That said I have been testing lots of inserts for the face plate in particular and if I find one I am positive improves Monsoon I will include it in a future version--the reasoning being that if a user DOES fubar an insert it could potentially be replaced making the very expensive Delrin bodies salvageable. For the record I am in no way saying you were inexperienced or careless when you stripped a screw in your Monsoon D5 Basic--it happens. I have literally mounted THOUSANDS of screws on Basics and Premiums and have myself stripped maybe 10 screws out. Being tired, in a hurry to make a UPS ship time, distracted etc.. It can happen if your not careful and yes it DOES suck...I get very pissed off at myself because for me it usually happens about a millisecond after I think to myself, "dude, pay attention to what your doing before you blow out the threads on this part...and BAM. That is usually followed by a lot of cursing

Thank you for taking the time and thought required to post suggestions for improvements. I do read and carefully consider every comment and suggestion users post here in the forums and take them all seriously. Obviously I can't implement every single one because so many factors go into production, but quite a few DO actually make it onto future revisions.

[Barso]

BG I am absolutely loving the black/red premium you sent.
Is there anyway to have the led lights turn on when I start my PC up instead of having to push the res button each time?
Thanks, still can't believe how amazing this res looks and feels.

[BoxGods]

BG I am absolutely loving the black/red premium you sent.
Is there anyway to have the led lights turn on when I start my PC up instead of having to push the res button each time?
Thanks, still can't believe how amazing this res looks and feels.

Thank you for the kind words!

The need to press the button/s when you power up is actually the limitations of a one man design team where that man has a really poor skill set when it comes to electronics and programming micro controllers =(

On the plus side it is NOT a limitation of said micro controller. I made sure to leave the connection pins used to load code onto the controller so that community members conversant in HEX code can reprogram/alter how the lights work however they want.

If somebody in here wants to take a crack at that and posts the code I would make sure it got onto future batches of the LED boards. There is no reason that I know of that the LED's cant blink/strobe etc. also.

Anyone into electronics that can program HEX code PM me and I can get you info on the controller and a copy of the code I have loaded on it now if that helps.

Glad your enjoying your Monsoon Barso

[Bit Image]

Is there a place where I can purchase the black allen head screws for the monsoon front plate, but in a longer length?

[DarthBeavis]

Is there a place where I can purchase the black allen head screws for the monsoon front plate, but in a longer length?

www.mcmaster.com

[Lu(ky]

Yes. I want to add orange, white, and green the next time we order the LED's...but that is a month or two out...

Also want to oomph up the HEX code for the LED micro controller so there are a few more modes...just need some genius modders to figure that part out

Hey BoxGods are these leds 2 x 3mm or 5mm leds inside?

[BoxGods]

Is there a place where I can purchase the black allen head screws for the monsoon front plate, but in a longer length?

If you mean just regular black screws, DB is correct, you can get them anywhere. If you mean the awesome black we use on Monsoon then I am not sure where you can get them as I have those made special for Monsoon. We do have them in three lengths though.

[BoxGods]

Hey BoxGods are these leds 2 x 3mm or 5mm leds inside?

They are actually very small board mounted units, (SMT) and there are 4 of them.

[Lu(ky]

They are actually very small board mounted units, (SMT) and there are 4 of them.

Thanks

Do you have a ETA on getting the white led replacements yet?

[nullcorp]

We finished a batch of the non pumped dual bays and single bays this week, should be shipping Monday if they haven't already gone out--played hooky Friday for some COOP Portal so I do not know if they made UPS Friday.

The Dual bays with rear window are ready but waiting for me to get off my can and send the file for laser cutting the acrylic rear windows to DD. I will be doing that tomorrow so depending on how soon they can get them cut and shipping time to us here...could be as early as next Monday, (May 2nd) or within a few days of there for us to have them out. I will post here first when they ship.

So short answer, about 10 to 14 days "ish".

Thanks for the kind words and welcome to XS =)

Thanks for the welcome, BG.

Indeed I've seen a few new "no pump" models appear in the DD store a few days ago (premium single bay and basic dual bay). But still no premium dual bay with rear window yet.

Any update/ETA on that version? Thanks in advance for your answer.