Locating Temp/Humidity/Solar

[mramsey]

Selecting a location for the combo H/T/S board seems to be a dilemma. For accurate temperature and humidity readings, it needs to be in a cool shady location. On the other hand, the solar sensor needs a clear view of the sun. What solutions have you used successully?

I'm contemplating building a Stephenson shield using plastic planter bottoms - there are plenty of design examples online. To illuminate the solar sensor, I'm thinking of two solutions.

1. Some kind of light pipe penetrating from outside the top of the shield.
2. Removing the solar sensor from the board and wiring it remotely to the top of the shield.

Ideas?

 

[ericvic]

Selecting a location for the combo H/T/S board seems to be a dilemma. For accurate temperature and humidity readings, it needs to be in a cool shady location. On the other hand, the solar sensor needs a clear view of the sun. What solutions have you used successully?

I'm contemplating building a Stephenson shield using plastic planter bottoms - there are plenty of design examples online. To illuminate the solar sensor, I'm thinking of two solutions.

1. Some kind of light pipe penetrating from outside the top of the shield.
2. Removing the solar sensor from the board and wiring it remotely to the top of the shield.

Ideas?

I have had many users who remote mount the solar sensor and it seems to work fine for them.

Eric

 

[stevendt]

Eric,

I'm reaching the same conclusion - the solar sensor needs to be mounted off the T/H board.
Do you have any feel for how far away the solar sensor could be extended, using say cat5, from the board ?

regards
Dave

I have had many users who remote mount the solar sensor and it seems to work fine for them.

Eric

 

[ericvic]

Eric,

I'm reaching the same conclusion - the solar sensor needs to be mounted off the T/H board.
Do you have any feel for how far away the solar sensor could be extended, using say cat5, from the board ?

regards
Dave

Dave,

About 3ft (1m) is the farthest I would go.

Eric

 

[mramsey]

I extended my solar sensor with a simple pair of wires maybe 15 inches long and mounted the sensor on top of a radiation shield I built. Voltage/current levels and frequency of the signal are such that cat5 is probably not required. I put an RCA plug in the HTS housing where the sensor used to be so that I could more easily assemble things. I'm getting good results. I have trees to the east so the reading fluctuates in the morning as shadows cross over the sensor. Midday, then sensor saturates so I read a constant maximum value. In the evening, there is a steady drop until dark.

I'll likely change the sense resistor to get a wider range of readings.

Ultimately, this will go to my vacation house in the Caribbean. For now, it's under development in CA.

http://66.60.185.57:8000

 

[ericvic]

Mike,

Glad to hear that it is working good for you. Adding the RCA connector is a nice touch.

Eric

 

[stevendt]

Eric,

thanks for the info, I'll use cat 6 I think (as the rest of the network is) and go with the 1m that you suggest. Just need to plan exactly how I can best locate the T/H sensor in relation to the S.

Mike, thanks too - just wish I had the "problems" associated with mounting the sensor in my "vacation home in the Caribbean" too !

regards
Dave

Mike,

Glad to hear that it is working good for you. Adding the RCA connector is a nice touch.

Eric