Minleon LE case

[jonathan_eisert]

I didn’t want to highjack a thread already going on about Minleon and their controller so I figured I would post a new thread. Please keep in mind this is only my views and thought on this case.

I ordered 5 cases for the 5 LE’s I picked up from the COOP. There are a few things that should be stated about these cases. Out of the box they look good. I do like the black coloring to them, and yes they are smaller than the CG cases. The power switch is nice, but not really needed for my setup. All of my controllers are on digital timers that I picked up from Lowe’s. So hind sight being what it is, the power switch is nice but serves no point really other than a neat little extra to the case.  One thing to note about the power switch is that if you utilize this switch you will have to mod your LE for only one power cord or use a jumper and feed both sides of the LE with one power cord.

None of the cases I purchased came with pig tails. Not really a big deal for me, as I have plenty of wire and plugs to make my own. There is a clip latch along with a screw to close and secure the case. When I say secure, all I mean is a way to close it so it doesn’t fall open in transit. If true security is a must for you and your setup, you will have to DIY some form of lock on your case. So please be aware that unlike the CG cases I have purchased there is no place to physically apply a lock to. I only state this due to seeing quite a few posts on other forums discussing issues people have had with their cases being tampered with. For me the security/lock is not an issue.

One thing another DLA member and I noticed when trying to open the cases was an odd cracking sound, and the amount of force you had to apply to open the case. Not sure if I just got a bum back or what, but each case was like that. The hinges on them could have been better. Mind you other than one of the 5 they were only opened once. So over time the cracking and scraping sound will hopefully go away.  As for the sealing surface, IMO, it does not look like it will hold up against the elements very well. I could be way off mark here so please understand that this is just my opinion. Before I place them out in my yard this year I will be putting some weather stripping on the sealing surface of these. My thought is I would much rather have too much, than not enough.

As for the fit of the board in the case, it fits like a glove. One of my issues with the CG case for my LE’s was the amount of unused space below the board. I do like how the board looks in the case. The two openings for the pigtails are nice with the cable restraints built into the case. I have not installed nor tested a LE in this case but it does look like it will be a clean looking fit.

As for the mounting hole placement:  I really, really should have read the other post referring to this case before I purchased these cases. I completely missed that these will not fit the LE’s hole pattern. I’m not one for drilling into a case, so I was looking for a case that did not require modifying a sheet of acrylic to mount my boards to. I have had to do this with each CG case and my boards and hoped that was not the case here. If I could pick one down fall of this case in my eyes, it would be the mounting hole pattern. 

Over all it’s a nice case just not 25 plus shipping nice. The two biggest downfalls of this case are the hinges and the mounting pattern. I don’t like feeling like I’m going to break the case just by opening the lid right out of the box. Time will tell if this case holds up as good as the CG’s have for me.

Hope this helps.

[DonFL]

Good summary. I too have experienced the cracking sound when opening. There is that moment where you are sure you just busted the hinges on the case. It does not seem to subside with use, but haven't really looked at it closely to see what the issue really is.

I am in FL, so for me the element to deal with is rain. I was happy (and somewhat surprised, honestly) with the case as far as keeping everything dry, and that thru a few downpours we had while they were out in the yard. I was concerned about the entrance slots for the cords/dongle being an issue, but did not cause any issues. I DO think there could be some improvement on the design of the strain reliefs for the cords to make them even more weather-tight.

I went ahead and removed the switches on mine, no need for them (anyone need any spares?..I have plenty..  ).

As far as mounting holes, don't mess with the case, just drill a hole in the LE board. I had to do it with all of mine, and it was no problem. There is plenty of space on the LE board with no traces to deal with that makes it a solvable issue, just a little annoying to have to add the step.

[jonathan_eisert]

If you don’t mind I have a few questions for you. As I stated I haven’t tested these cases yet. All I’ve done with them is remove one of my LE’s from its CG case and placed it in the Minleon case to see how it will fit. I am thankful to hear that you had no issues with the elements. I live in Mississippi so the only element I’m worried about it rain.
1)   What did you use to fill in the void left from removing the power switch?
2)   Is there anything I should be concerned with in regards to the strain reliefs for the cords?
3)   How did you mark your LE for hole placement? (nervous  about drilling through a PCB)

When I mounted my other boards to the CG cases all I did was use an acrylic sheet with 8 holes drilled out. Four of those holes were used to mount the acrylic to the case, and the other four were used to install the stand offs and mount the board to them.

[DonFL]

If you don’t mind I have a few questions for you. As I stated I haven’t tested these cases yet. All I’ve done with them is remove one of my LE’s from its CG case and placed it in the Minleon case to see how it will fit. I am thankful to hear that you had no issues with the elements. I live in Mississippi so the only element I’m worried about it rain.
1)   What did you use to fill in the void left from removing the power switch?
2)   Is there anything I should be concerned with in regards to the strain reliefs for the cords?
3)   How did you mark your LE for hole placement? (nervous  about drilling through a PCB)

When I mounted my other boards to the CG cases all I did was use an acrylic sheet with 8 holes drilled out. Four of those holes were used to mount the acrylic to the case, and the other four were used to install the stand offs and mount the board to them.

1. The cases I got had an extra plastic piece similar to what you have on the right side, so just removed switch and used that piece. Makes me wonder if they are all shipping that way. The ones I bought were drop-shipped from the mfgr.

2. I always allow some extra play in the cords, but this is where there might be some design improvement to be made. That said, once i have my controllers deployed, they aren't really going anywhere, so the "strain" is pretty minimal.

3. On the cases I have, one existing LE hole matched, the other didn't. I just lined up the new hole location with the case mount, and then marked the spot to drill on the board, make sure its even horizontally with the other LE board hole. As mentioned, it lines up such that you've got good distance from any traces, etc., so its low risk. Just drill slowly and carefully.

[jonathan_eisert]

Thank you for the insight. I will look at it when I get home.

For those that have read this post, please do note that the case is very nice. Just because of the few issues I have had with it does not indicate that it is a bad case. Even knowing what I know now about the cases I would have still purchased them.