Shark Shield tester : CLOSED

I ordered parts to make a small batch of Shark Shield testers. The tester is mentioned here...
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=98940.msg1108360
I'm offering these because I want to make some available to this community at a reasonable price. (I paid Ocean Guardian $62 for mine.)

It will behave the same as the tester sold by Ocean Guardian, https://ocean-guardian.com/collections/dive-series/products/multi-device-tester,  except that I will not be installing the LED's on it as they don't serve a practical purpose. When the tester is attached to your SS, your SS will show a solid green light, indicating your SS is working properly. It will send out a shock every second or so. (Don't touch the metal part of the probes while they are touching the electrodes, unless you enjoy getting shocked.) This device basically allows you to confirm your SS is working while you're on land. I will provide a bit more info about the device after I put them together.

Parts should arrive within the next 2 weeks. I only have time and materials to make 10 testers. I do not plan to make more. At this point, I think the tester will be priced at $15. Shipping is another $5. Don't send money yet. Please post your interest in this thread.



Update 08/17/2022: Due to demand, I had decided to order another set of parts to make 10 more. I'll make a total of 20 testers. Second batch should be ready in 3-4 weeks. I will close the thread once 20 is reached.
Update 08/17/2022: The second batch has all been claimed. I'm not accepting more orders.
Update 08/22/2022: The first batch of parts arrived early. I'm practically done with the first batch. Will start sending PM to ppl on the 1st waiting list tomorrow.
Update 08/23/2022: Some production photos.




The package would come with a velcro strap. If you strap the probes on the side, you can use the SS with one hand.


Here's a short video showing the tester in action. Note the two-hand and one-hand operations.


Update 8/29/2022: 2nd batch is ready. Will PM ppl on the wait list.



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Warnings:

First and foremost, please use common sense when you're using electronic equipment. Many things can kill you. If you don't feel comfortable operating the tester or the Shark Shield even, then stay away from such things.

Please do not operate the tester on the water. It is meant to be use on dry land and is not waterproof.

Please do not operate the tester for an extended period. It is not designed for such purpose. For example, you cannot use the tester as a capacity checker to figure out how long your SS will run before depleting the battery. The power resistor(s) inside the tester will get too hot. There's no reason to run the tester for more than a couple of minutes straight, but absolutely must not run it for more than 5 minutes continuously. (Well, maybe it can run for longer, but please don't try.)



Q & A:
Q) What exactly is a Shark Shield tester?
A) It is a tool that allows you to test your Shark Shield while its electrodes are not submerged in salt water. As you all know, the SS does not send out shocks until the whip is submerged in salt water. Therefore, you wouldn't know if your SS is working or not until you go to in the ocean. It would be a bummer to find out your SS doesn't work after you arrive with full gear at Bean Hollow, or SC This tool helps you verify your SS actually works while you're on land.

Q) What does the tester actually do?
A) It provides 0.5 ohm of resistance between the two test probes. When you touch the two electrodes on the SS with the two test probes, it provides the 0.5 ohm resistance that the SS senses for. When it senses the right amount of resistance, it starts sending out high current pulses, which the tester would absorb. The LED light on your SS will stop blinking and change to a solid green, indicating normal operation.

Q) How do I use the tester?
A) The tester has two test probes (red and black). The tester does not require a battery to operate. First turn on the Shark Shield. It should go through the normal startup sequence, then shows a blinking green light. That means it is trying to sense the desired resistance between the two electrodes. (If at this time, your SS is blinking abnormally, or is beeping continuously, your SS is defective. The tester will not help you fix your SS. Contact Ocean Guardian for tech support.)
Assuming your unit is blinking green, you can touch one test probe with one electrode, and touch the other test probe with the other electrode. Polarity does not matter. You just need to touch the two test probes against the two electrodes. Make sure the test probes are touching the metal part of the electrodes. At this point, if your SS is working correctly, the green LED will stop blinking and turn solid green. You will also notice the zapping sound of the pulses. (Please don't touch any of the metal or you'll get zapped.)
If you're sure you touched the two test probes with the two electrodes, and the SS continues to blink green, it means your SS has problems. It is possible that you've hit the same corrosion issue that I encountered. You can decide to seek help from Ocean Guardian, or attempt to perform your own repair. It's your call.

Q) Where are the electrodes located?
A) One electrode is located about one foot from the head of the whip. The other electrode is located about one foot from the tail of the whip. They are both underneath the black plastic mesh covering the entire whip. If you pay attention, you will see the metallic color sections peeking through the black plastic mesh.

Q) Why do I see sparks when I touch the electrodes.
A) It is normal to see some sparks when you first touch the test probes with the electrodes. It happens normally when there is a small gap between the electrode and the probe. Remember, the SS is trying to send pulses of high current across the electrodes. Your tester is the closes thing between the electrodes. Sparks will fly. To mitigate that, touch the test probes on the electrodes with a solid contact. (But don't poke hard. Just touch electrodes with your probes to make a solid contact.) Even the tester sold by Ocean Guardian would spark.

Q) Can't you test the SS with a bucket of salt water?
A) Yes you can. The salt water provides the 0.5 ohm resistance between the electrodes. That is the same as testing your SS with the tester. The tester makes testing your SS much simpler and less messy. If you're trying to repair your SS at the workbench, you probably wouldn't want to dunk your SS in a bucket of salt water while you're working on it.

Q) How is this tester different from the one sold by Ocean Guardian?
A) The only functional difference between mine and OG's is, mine does not have the red and green LEDs. The LEDs on OG's tester indicate the change of polarity. The SS flip-flops the polarity of the electrical pulses it sends out. As a kayaker, I could not find a situation where I would need to know the polarity of the electrical pulses. I simply need to know if the SS is sending out shocks. Therefore, I eliminated the LEDs from the circuit. That helps reduce the cost of production as well. In addition, I made a conscious decision to not copy OG's design.

Q) How do I know if the tester is working correctly?
A) Use a Digital Multimeter to measure the resistance between the two test probes. it should read around 0.5 to 0.6 ohms, depending on how accurate your DMM is. If it is in that range, the tester is working correctly.

Q) My Shark Shield's blinking green LED doesn't become solid when I put the probes on the electrodes. Why?
A) Assuming you are using the tester correctly, it means your SS is defective. Most likely the wires have been corroded. Check here if you'd like to find out how to diagnose the corrosion issue... http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=98940.msg1108360
Unfortunately, this seems to be a common problem. I looked at 5 SS's where the owner thought their SS had a battery issue. 4 of them actually had corroded wires. If your's is corroded, I recommend sending your SS back to OG for a trade in.

Q) My Shark Shield doesn't turn on. Can I use the tester to check whether the SS is working?
A) No. Your SS must be powered on and booted up correctly before you can use the tester to check it. You can try charging your SS first. The battery pack inside the SS has a BMS that cuts off the power altogether if it is below a certain voltage. When this cutoff is reached, your SS would no longer power on. To release that power cutoff, you have to charge your battery. If your battery is not completely dead, the battery pack would be revived. If it is completely dead, no matter how long you charge the battery it would remain dead. You can PM me to see if I have any battery pack left. But getting a new battery is only worth while if the electrodes and wires are not corroded. You could try to power your SS with and external source for testing purposes, then use the tester to check whether your electrodes are in good shape. See the end of the referenced thread to find out how to check the health of your wires... http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=98940.msg1108360



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1st batch

1) Fisherman-x (shipped)
2) 123Engineering (shipped)
3) FishingAddict (picked up)
4) Mark L (shipped)
5) NowhereMan (shipped)
6) sebast (shipped)
7) Naoaki (shipped)
P-sherman (picked up)
9) bbt95762 (shipped)
10) Sakana Seeker (shipped)

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2nd batch

11) Eddie (picked up)
12) AlsHobie (shipped)
13) Fishy247 (shipped)
14) alpha1 (paid)
15) Bshawk (shipped)
16) Papa Al (shipped)
17) Fishcomb (shipped)
18) skyfight (shipped)
19) zisco (shipped)
20) cj (shipped)
21) DrDave (shipped)
22) cam3087 (picked up)

I’ll take one!

I'll take one. Thanks!

Ernest,

Thank you for donating your time and talent.
I will bring you a couple of bottles of my favorite wine.

Paul

Interested also.
Thanks!

Ernest,

Thank you for donating your time and talent.
I will bring you a couple of bottles of my favorite wine.

Paul

You are very kind Paul.

Ernest,
I’ll take one.
Thanks.

Ernest, yes please!

I’ll get one too!

Yes.  I’ll take one please…

Awesome!  Put me down, and Thanks!

When I first read the title, I was thinking you were looking for someone to strap on a SS and swim around in sharky waters to see if they will nibble on you or not. 

I'd definitely be interested once my SS arrives!

I would like one.  Thanks for the offer.

When I first read the title, I was thinking you were looking for someone to strap on a SS and swim around in sharky waters to see if they will nibble on you or not. 

Thank God I wasn't the only one. Though I was down to test it that way too.  Im cray cray hahaha