DiyLightAnimation
Hardware => Lynx Smart String => Topic started by: hbomb341 on January 13, 2011,
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What case was the Smart String Hub mounting points designed for?
Harrison
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There is no case specified for them. This currently is going to be a DIY part of this process. Some are thinking of using computer cases to hold them and the computer power supply that they are designed to use. I am on the fence with this one because most computer cases were not designed with outdoor use in mind and may be subject to significant corrosion issues if exposed to the elements like that. I guess that you could keep them inside and run the wires out a window but that would not work out in my display. I think that I will look for an enclosure that I can keep outside that will potect the componens even if I have to build it myself.
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Ya - Just wanted to see if the mounting holes were designed for a case pattern.
Harrison
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keep in mind that the specifications on an atx power supply require the heat to escape the back of the power supply, and to suck air in though the vent that would be inside a pc. placing this inside a "weathertight case might cause a supply to overheat.
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That depends on a lot of factors like how big the supply is (watts), how hard you are pushing it, how hot or cold it is outside, and the insulting properties and size of the weathertight case. If the case is plastic or wood you could vent it like a PC but then the power supply would still be drawing in damp air that could have negative results on the hub as well as the power supply itself. I would probably consider passive venting where there is some limited vening but not directly connected to the power supply and monitor the temp to see where it goes. If the supply is getting too hot the I could alter the venting to that of a PC to draw in more outside air. This and last year here had average temps in the low 30's and some nights in the teens during the show season so I doubt that I would oveheat the supply. I plan on setting up a show for halloween and then it could be in the 70's at times and that will give it a real test.
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I have successfully used a PC power supply for the past 2 years outside in the same enclosure that the LE uses.
Granted I was not pulling the amount of amps that I will need for the Smart gear, but for what I was doing that past 2 years it has worked out fine.
Everyone just needs to take a close look at what there needs will be and then design a solution that best fits what they need.
Bill
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just remember something from my data center days.
Ideal humidity for electronic components is between 30 -70% humidity
<30% increased static electricity build up
>70% condensation and corrosion.
just a tidbit
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I know I am bring this back from death (and I HATE when people post to a WAY old topic) but now everyone has the PCB in there hands and started to work on assembling them – anyone come up with a way to mount the hub for weather proofing and still allow for the 20 cables in and out? I know RJ left this up to the community to figure out.
Harrison
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I'm going to try a prototype SSH Case using a $5.xx HD plastic storage bin (rough neck?) that seems to be the perfect size for an ATX PS and the SSH ... and room to spare in between. My rough thoughts are to mount on a couple pieces of wood, and then glue those mounting boards to the enclosure walls with either hot glue or constructive adhesive or epoxy.
I think the venting might be something where I could optionally attach a short dryer vent hose or PVC pipe for venting.
I'm not concerned about moisture in CO, as its typically dry and rain isn't a risk either. I've had very little problem with controller buried in the snow, etc. I put them on the roof and they have all been fine.
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I would avoid hot glue and stick with the epoxy. You would be supprised how hot these cases can get inside when exposed to direct sun, even in the winter. Hot glue never really dries and of warmed back up will release again. Once epoxy sets up, that's it. No fear of heat making the components move around.
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I'm going to try a prototype SSH Case using a $5.xx HD plastic storage bin (rough neck?) that seems to be the perfect size for an ATX PS and the SSH ... and room to spare in between. My rough thoughts are to mount on a couple pieces of wood, and then glue those mounting boards to the enclosure walls with either hot glue or constructive adhesive or epoxy.
I think the venting might be something where I could optionally attach a short dryer vent hose or PVC pipe for venting.
I'm not concerned about moisture in CO, as its typically dry and rain isn't a risk either. I've had very little problem with controller buried in the snow, etc. I put them on the roof and they have all been fine.
I did something similar this past year when mounting some controllers before I upgraded to demarcation enclosures.
I used screws with washers to attach the pieces of 1x2 wood from outside of the rough neck container to the inside. I then unscrewed them a little and put a dap of silicone to seal the new holes I made.
It was a little more flexible than I wanted but that could be fixed with cross pieces. I then mounted the control board in them and turned them upside down. No problems for the whole season last year. I would recommend making a few small holes in the lip of the container, water collects there.
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Thanks for the great tips.
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pictures! pictures!
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<np..
OK, don't twist my arm to hard.
So I made 2 of these enclosures for my 2 Ren24SS last year.
Pictures 1-3
It all started with I didn't want to spend the money on demarcation enclosures, and I said "I can build something better". So I saw this thread:
http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?12474-Less-sloppy-wiring-of-Renard-SS-series-boards.&p=126804#post126804 (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?12474-Less-sloppy-wiring-of-Renard-SS-series-boards.&p=126804#post126804)
and decided I really wanted to build that enclosure that XmasInGalt did. (See pics 4 & 5 if you couldn't see the pics at the above link.)
I got all the holes cut out and plugged all the outlets in and started to slide the board in, but it was about 1/4" too small to fit the controller board inside with plugs on both sides. (I had 6 outlets on both sides for mine). (insert sad trombone sound - Wah wah waaaaahhhhh)
So instead, I took these bins and mounted the boards with cheap walmart electrical plugs (less than a $1 a piece) connected to my outputs.
I was like great, I can connect my lights directly to these plug channels and save on extension cords...... NOT!
The cords aren't long enough to reach where they plug into the outlets so I had to use extension cords anyways. :(
Oh well it worked pretty good for controller boards, but why waste the time and money because demarcation enclosures are perfect. They are what I am using for all my controller boards this year, except maybe the SS hubs and power supplies. I guess I have a use for those old modified storage bin enclosures after all.
Brian
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that first pic looks kinda scary, that 4th pic looks pretty sweet.
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nice work! how did you make the mounting brackets for the XBee and transformer?
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I didn't make the enclosures on pics 4 and 5.
Yeah, I wanted mine to look like the 4th pic, but it failed because I didn't think it through enough and just jumped right into it.
The cool encolsures shown in pic 4 & 5, that was XmasInGalt on DIYC.
http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?12474-Less-sloppy-wiring-of-Renard-SS-series-boards.&p=126804#post126804 (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?12474-Less-sloppy-wiring-of-Renard-SS-series-boards.&p=126804#post126804)
I believe he took cut sections of the vinyl fence post and made them.
P.S. vinyl fence post makes a mess when you cut it.
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Just brainstorming / prototyping at this point. I like the $5.xx price and easily availability of this box (HD).
It is a 3gal Rubbermaid Roughneck.
It seems to fit either PS + the SS HUB with room to spare. I think there would be room to
mount a small board under each, to add strength to each interior mounting platform.
My worry is how to ventilate and pass wires in/out without compromising too much.
Attached are pictures: some with my 400W antec PS, some with the 750W corsair ... and comparison of them.
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Comparison of supplies and their sizes. Suprisingly, the corsair is very slim for its power. ANd of course it comes with carry case ... for those who like a nice case for their PS ... lol !!
Looking at all the extra wires included with these power supplies, it makes you wonder if they would make cheap 3 or 4 wire connectors for something, like internally mounted RGB modules in a coroflake or similar.
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From last year, I just turned mine upside down and ran the wires out the open bottom (actually the top, except its upside down). It didn't sit perfectly flat but the controller was up inside.
I have 2 of those Rubbermaid small containers and it didn't have enough space for me to get stuff mounted and have it far enough away from the ground. Not to mention, are you gonna have enough airflow in there? I liked the quality of those grey containers but small was too small and medium was to big.
I ended up with the cheaper walmart bins, if the sun is going to get to it, I will just replace it. They grey ones i used last years season had no problems and it was in the sun all season.
I wonder how hot my PSU will get under load in a 2 cu ft area?
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Still in prototyping as well, but a thought on venting to add to the general discussion:
I'm looking at building a 3/4" PVC frame (two rectangles with a straight section between them to create a skeleton that will hold a rubbermaid box off the ground by about 3 inches when inverted over it. I can then either mount the ATX and Hub to the sides of the rubbermaid as done elsewhere or build on a small raised stand. Either way, the frame goes on the ground outside, the box inverted over it with the ATX and Hub inside. The three inch gap allows for free flow of air in and out as well as a path for cables. Working on system during the season is as simple as flipping over the rubbbermaid. At the end of the year you can disassemble the PVC frame and store it in the box with the hub, supply, and cat 5 cables, put the lid back on, and stack in the basement.
The three inch gap is too small to allow rain to penetrate to the equipment, or for snow to build up under it. It's large enough to allow air circulation assisted by the ATX fan. I think the airflow will be important, as a sealed container that repeatedly heats up and cools down will result in condensation forming inside. Without airflow, even if heat build up isn't a problem, you could get damaging humidity levels. I'll post pics of the test shortly.
Another thought was to build a vertical wood frame (mini hat stand) and attach the ATX to one side of the vertical pole and the hub to the other, then just drop the rubbermaid on the whole thing like a hat. You'd need to weight down the rubbermaid though or it could blow off. I'd be a bit worried about water leaching up the wood in this arrangement, but you could still the get the 'hooded' effect of having the rubbermaid off the ground a few inches, and it would require absolutely no holes drilled in the container. It also benefits from full and easy access to the hub simply by pulling offf the container.
Not totally happy with the concept, but figured I'd add it to the discussion. Any refinement ideas would be welcome. I figure if enough people post ideas and pictures a 'best' solution will present itself eventually.
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Not totally happy with the concept, but figured I'd add it to the discussion. Any refinement ideas would be welcome. I figure if enough people post ideas and pictures a 'best' solution will present itself eventually.
I agree - this is the one con for smart string - against normal RJ design process start with a case and work forwards. Had a solid design but no case. I am sure there will the "case" for this before to long.
Harrison
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For the last few years, For the LE’s on my mega tree, I have used a similar system to what mnarel described in his second choice above. It has worked very well for me with no problems and I think could easily be adapted to the PSU and hub.
I take 2 clip boards and mount an LE on each one with the normal nylon stand offs. I then drill a hole thru 2 PVC ½ inch caps. At both top corners I run a small bolt thru the clip board – the PVC cap – then the other clip board. This makes the clip boards have about a 1-inch gap between them.
I take 2 sections of rebar about 24 inches long and pound them partly into the ground. I slide the clip boards over them and have the top of the rebar go into the PVC cap to hold the clip boards a few inches off the ground.
I than use a clear plastic tub I get from our Big Lots store. They are much like the blue ones in the other pictures but are clear plastic and about the same price. I use the cheep plastic colored table cloths I get from the dollar store and wrap the tubs like a Christmas present. I place the wrapped tub upside down over the controllers like a “hatâ€. I have left the rebar up just high enough so that it is keeping the bottom of the tub an inch or 2 off the ground. I place a big red bow, I get from Wal Mart on the front of the tub to complete the package look.
In my area I have never had a condensation problem with it. We do get 40 + mph winds and it has not come off yet, but I do worry about it. I was planning on putting a few tent spikes down on the lip section of the tub just to hold it down. Originally I had put a light in the tubs and had them as flashing Christmas presents and part of my show.
It does make it easy to work on and I keep 2 spare controllers already mounted to the clip boards so I could easily just slide them off and change them out if needed. I did take pictures last year but do not know where they are. Will see if I can find some.
Just some more thoughts for you to work with.
-Jeff
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Cool ideas. THe simple ones really are compelling. My only worry is having a PC power supply and SS Hub so exposed to the elements. I have a habit of accidently dropping stuff ... and into the snow would be bad.
I'm really not worried about moisture / condensation /raide much where I'm at ... and I'll be lucky if any night in December is above 50 F and its really dry cool air at 6500' in CO.
Where I live, I'm not as concerned about it being off the ground, as there isn't much moisture there, even if its snowed ... its a dry snow. I think as long as the box doesn't have holes in it, that allow the snow in easily, it'll be fine.
Anyways, I was thinking of a 1.5" PVC exhaust and using cheapo 40mm fans (one for air intake, one for air exhaust). Then using a combination of a PVC elbow and tee on each side (and exterior) to serve as the vented in and out exhaust ports.
This is one possibility for the 40mm exhaust in/out fan I could use. Its roughly 1.5" fan. I could do two SS HUB enclosures (4 fans) for $13.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835221004
I could see each interior 40mm fan plugged into the SS PS (handy) and then mounted onto a small interior mounting board (square) with a 1.5" hole drilled in the middle of it. That would be attached to the wall of the container. One of these on either side of the container. Then with another 1.5" hole in the case, the PVC exhaust ports would be mounted, connected the mounting board with exterior exhaust PVC ... perhaps using something like what you would use on electrical panels when connecting new PVC to them.
I know, probably way too complicated, but just thinking of doing an el-cheapo computer case with good air-in, air-out and very indirect (weatherproof) exhaust ports. A similar pvc design could be used for the cables in/out ... in a 3rd port ... allow easy cables in/out ... without allowing direct introduction of snow into the enclosure.
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With temps never higher than 50 and an efficient power supply, I wonder if it would dissipate enough heat through conduction and convection with wind without any ventilation.
Down here in southern Florida and also being near the coast, December at night for me is usually between 65° - 75°F, so I have to be careful.
Also what is that stuff you were talking about "snow", I don't know that term. 8)
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when you do your enclosures, you could put computer case fans in your underside wall of the inclosure, and add that air flow material between the fan, and the grille, to keep other object from entering the enclosure while keeping cooler air coming in. kinda like, one intake, and one exhaust fan.
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I just had a thought after reading Chris's post. Maybe that is what he was talking about.
So how bout a storage bin with foam tape around the top edge with the lid on (to seal it).
An intake snorkel, and an exhaust fan/ snorkel. So you only need 1 fan, for that matter if you did it right you would only need the exhaust fan from the PSU connected to exhaust snorkel. The PSU fan would be the case fan.
See my pic but forgive my crude drawing.
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that's a little more than what i thought, but actually a better idea.
the material i was thinking about, is some of the higher end computer cases have a fabric material over the fan, to keep dust out.
i figure a nice warm enclosure outside might attract little crawling things, especially in the warmer climates
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I like that idea with the snorkels ... I was think snorkels on the outside, but not sure why.
I think using a connector like you would use when connecting PVC to power panel would allow you to hook pvc into the enclosure with just a little stub of pvc sticking into the enclosure. Then was thinking the small 40mm fan could be epoxied right over the top of that opening and onto the side of enclosure wall ... and for exhaust ... would be blowing out ... and for intake would be blowing in ... or could use passive in.
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Ive also contemplated a more distributed two-box design, where you might mount the SS HUB in an lower box, and the ATX PS in an upper box (or other way around?) ... connected via. a PVC put for the AT power cable to run through.
Kind of like a main power panel on a house and a subpanel mounted just below it. This way the ATX PS could be just weatherproofed and ventilated possibly with just an exhaust on it ... or an intake and exhaust on it ... while the SS Hub would be more isolated from the associated heat issues. But if the hub also gets hot (???) then this doesn't make as much sense.
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I saw an article where they used scotch brite pads as intake filters. You could also buy some of those reusable air condition filters and and cut them down too.
The outside piece of the snorkel facing down was to keep water from going in via gravity. The intake inside at the bottom to help establish air flow bottom to top. Exhaust at the top to pull off the warm air rising?
Also something else i mentioned but was thinking about further, if we were to direct exhaust the PSU, it would reduce the rising temperature of the box.
Keep them ideas coming, especially if we can find something simple and cheap to make it work. I was looking for weather resistant enclosures that might fit the bill besides what we already have but couldnt really find anything.
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From last year, I just turned mine upside down and ran the wires out the open bottom (actually the top, except its upside down). It didn't sit perfectly flat but the controller was up inside.
+1 -- though I used USPS Coroplast boxes ... same idea, though.
\dmc
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if we were to direct exhaust the PSU, it would reduce the rising temperature of the box.
I had been wondering if you could use a dryer vent hose to do this, but the fans on both my PS's are really big, bigger than the hoses I've seen. I guess you could vent it directly out the side and something on the outside to exhaust it into which is fairly weather resistant.
On a different note, I have sprinkler valve boxes in theyard which are not used in the winter months ... I wonder how those might be used ... they are certainly out of the elements like snow and wind.
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I like the snorkels for better airflow... especially venting out the top like a landfill. Exhaust fans start ratcheting up the price tag and use additional power (yes it's there in the ATX but it means more wiring) There ought to be a way to configure it for the ATX fan to supply the movement. In combination with convection, placing the atx low in the box with the fan pointed up at the exaust pipe in the roof above should be enough to create the current and eliminate the extra fans and wiring. It makes the final box harder to store out of season though with the holes and exterior piping.
Has anyone done a temp analysis yet? Practically speaking, even with a mega tree of pixelnet nodes time on vs. time off while the sequences are running should average well under 50% of max power consumption. We're building for peak loads and finalies when you get a lot of blinky for a big finish, but really, the overall load should be fairly low... and then only at night, and not continuously. If anyone has the ability to run a test of say 8-10 100 node strings on 'white' for about 10 minutes in an enclosed, then passively vented (open bottome, or non powered vent) case that'll give a good idea of what kind of temp increases 95% of us are ever likely to see. We may all be overthinking this.
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If you look at videos you will see mine were in the same kind of plastic box with no extra fans, snorkle or anything else and this is in Florida where we had 85 deg temps some nights and it was fine. I had the power supply off the ground slightly but in the bottom and there was no heat issues.
RJ
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If you look at videos you will see mine were in the same kind of plastic box with no extra fans, snorkle or anything else and this is in Florida where we had 85 deg temps some nights and it was fine. I had the power supply off the ground slightly but in the bottom and there was no heat issues.
RJ
Glad I bought the same power supplies you used. They are rated pretty well for efficiency, which means less heat.
I even did a bunch of research on power supplies and the Rosewill green series rg630-s12 were the best bang for the buck, especially when you catch them on sale at Newegg.
RJ do you have any idea on temps with the show running or tests?
Maybe like you said, we might be over thinking this...
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I would avoid hot glue and stick with the epoxy. You would be supprised how hot these cases can get inside when exposed to direct sun, even in the winter. Hot glue never really dries and of warmed back up will release again. Once epoxy sets up, that's it. No fear of heat making the components move around.
This VERY much depends on your hot glue. There are hot glues with 120f and 250f working temps, so it's more an issue of selecting the proper glue for the project. Hot glue can also "build up" well, allowing you to fill in gaps.
Here is a sample of one mfg hot glue specs:
http://www.adhesivetech.com/industrial-services/adhesives-detail.cfm?CID=111
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I just got my first SS HUB and SSC working tonight. EXCITING!!
The Antec 400W Neo ECO 400C PS ... wow! ... no noise at all. The fan is near dead silent. So probably not a real good test, but I was running some test patterns on a 120 node flex strip ... and nothing ever got warm in the least. I honestly could not tell the PS was on, it was so quiet.
It made me feel really silly about all this talk, but we do need to test it under some real load.
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the venting might be more for those who do 4th of July, or summertime displays
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I've been looking at this as a possible enclosure for the Hub
I haven't picked one up yet, so i'm not sure.
It's a case that can hold a car battery, and has the openings for battery cables to come out the top...
anyone alredy have one, or has seen this yet?
It's in Sears Automotive
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPA5772S1447359901P?prdNo=15 (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPA5772S1447359901P?prdNo=15)
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I like the battery box....looks tuff....post pics if you get it.....
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Thats funny, because a few days ago I also was thinking about a battery case just like that.
I then remembered that I had found a special battery box for my dual 12v RV gold cart batteries (think big) ... and found that a local battery supply place in Denver had sold then, and they also had a nice custom box with holes and lid, in various sizes.
But the problem is that I think the box was like $10-20 ... so not it brings me back to these RV battery boxes or just doing the cheap $5.xx enclosures instead.
And its hard to argue with just putting stuff on a pole, then putting a bin over the top and calling it done.
I like to use those edging stakes for everything, because they are like 12" long and really hold stuff down. You could put 4 onto the corners of the upside down crate and it wouldn't go anywhere.
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I've been looking at this as a possible enclosure for the Hub
I haven't picked one up yet, so i'm not sure.
It's a case that can hold a car battery, and has the openings for battery cables to come out the top...
anyone alredy have one, or has seen this yet?
It's in Sears Automotive
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPA5772S1447359901P?prdNo=15 (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPA5772S1447359901P?prdNo=15)
This got me thinking - this is a GOOD case idea - all ready water tightish and has a way to get wires in and out still secured (no modification) and CHEAP ($9) - looks OK may WONT be wife approved but we will see (Maybe some paint). So now going inside ... I notice my power supply and the hub is about the same size and ATX power supply's have a standard size and mount (IE: Computer Cases - depth changes). Have a few ideas and need a few trips to Home Depot to see what I can come up with. Thinking a compression mount for the Power Supply - to get this up of the bottom of the case and give a spot with the wholes mount to bolt on the hub on top - this idea should also work in any container. We will see what I can come up with may be next week before I can get to it warping up all my controller cases this week.
<np..
Harrison
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Well for $9 I am going by Northern and picking one up just to see what I can do with it.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200321561_200321561?cm_ven=Aggregates&cm_cat=Sears&cm_pla=Category&cm_ite=167801
Ron
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i hope it works...
Northern Tool, and Sears are pretty wide spread, at least in the states that anyone could get one, and being $9... it's not bad at all
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I've been looking at this as a possible enclosure for the Hub
I haven't picked one up yet, so i'm not sure.
It's a case that can hold a car battery, and has the openings for battery cables to come out the top...
anyone alredy have one, or has seen this yet?
It's in Sears Automotive
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPA5772S1447359901P?prdNo=15 (http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPA5772S1447359901P?prdNo=15)
This got me thinking - this is a GOOD case idea - all ready water tightish and has a way to get wires in and out still secured (no modification) and CHEAP ($9) - looks OK may WONT be wife approved but we will see (Maybe some paint). So now going inside ... I notice my power supply and the hub is about the same size and ATX power supply's have a standard size and mount (IE: Computer Cases - depth changes). Have a few ideas and need a few trips to Home Depot to see what I can come up with. Thinking a compression mount for the Power Supply - to get this up of the bottom of the case and give a spot with the wholes mount to bolt on the hub on top - this idea should also work in any container. We will see what I can come up with may be next week before I can get to it warping up all my controller cases this week.
<np..
Harrison
I think I may have a working idea after the Home Depot run - thread rod, angle aluminum, few bolts (32), some drilling - end up with a 12 x 6 x 9 (L x W x H) - for about $25 get a nice cage that will fit in the battery case (or another). Ya $35 total is a little steep but will be a nice design, water proofish. It may be a little tight on the supply hoping for some give in the build. Maybe tomorrow I will pickup the supply's next week - unless I get a new idea before then.
Harrison
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IDK what the deal is today the juices are going here is a HORABLE stick drawing on my idea - maybe help someone to improve this.
Key:
Black - Case
Blue - Threaded Rod
Brown - 12 Inch Angle
Pink - 6 Inch Angle (Cross beam)
-- Bolts would be on ether side of each beams - maybe zip tie to hold down the hub or if a whole can be bolted will be bolted.
I have a feeling cost creep will come in and this be more towards the $40 range - this is getting pricy - ideally would like the $20 range plus case.
Harrison
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I decided to go with the battery box. I used left over chip shipping tubes to support the SS Hub. It is easy to remove for access to the power supply.
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Good job Big Jim! I like it. I have already bought a battery box. Thanks for the pictures of project.
Ron
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I like it Where did you buy the box and what brand, part number?
I may do the same. I knew you guys would come up with a good setup for me to copy! <yk..
RJ
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Jim...
How do you plan on getting the cat-5 cabling out? Are there spaces under the lid where they can fit out?
I really like this idea!
Greg
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Apparently the toes know (pic#2).
Great idea!
RM
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I dont know where he got it, but ran across this while checking on the prices for the cases for the Aether's.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200321559_200321559
If its the same let me know, so I can get the best shipping buck and order some of the aether cases too.
-JS
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I have seen the battery cases in walmart and sears. I would assume any place where they sale car parts would have them
Cheers
Rick R.
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Yes the case is the larger case at Northern tool. Its a $10.00 solution. I have attached the last two pictures that would not fit in the first post. The top is flared so the cables can pass out of the box. There are two small vent holes in the top of the box but they are easily sealed off with a little silicone.
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Nice Box
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'therealbigjim' you hit the concept on right on - Good Job!!!!
Harrison
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Great idea!
If there is no carying handle on this, i think i would try to find a box with one!
- Paul
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When I was trying to find a battery box for (2) large 12v RV batteries, I found a local battery shop that made all sorts of custom sized battery cases. I'm thinking it was around $10 ... and the venting probably not as good as the retail battery boxes, but it did have holes for allowing wires in and out.
The key may be finding a box local to you, to avoid shipping costs.
I've also contemplated the use of those small PC slot ventilation fans, or just mount an el cheapo PC fan into on side of the box, above the hub, to force a little more air out one of the sides.
Here is an interesting link on a case ventilation project:
http://www.vandalm.net/webcam/ventilation.html
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The battery box is an excellent idea.
Other interesting pictures to think about ....
I"m also thinking about a cooler as something which is cheap and may be suitable to mod.
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Ok, I just bought the same group 24 battery box from Walmart ... and it was just under $7 ... which I thought was very reasonable.
Its got carrying handles on either side, which could also be used for exhaust ports, as they are also covered ... and there are 4 total places where you can feed cord/cable in or out.
The only issue with this box is that there are a couple small (sliding) exhaust ports in the lid top, which could leak water or snow down into the hub from above. So I'm thinking I'll seal that up with silicone caulk or hot glue ... to prevent that from happening.
But really for $7 how can you go wrong?
I think an exhaust fan addition to one of the exits and/or an air intake snorkel would still be possible improvements to consider if heat is an issue.
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I decided to go with the battery box. I used left over chip shipping tubes to support the SS Hub. It is easy to remove for access to the power supply.
That battery case is a great idea. Went to Wal-Mart yesterday and got a couple. They had quite a variety of sizes.
I tie wraped my PCBs to the chip tubes to add stability to the mounting.
The only modification that I see needs to be made is the two vent holes on top need to be sealed by using hot glue or silicon to keep water from directly seeping in the top. Otherwise this is an excelent solution available from multiple sources.
If someone didn't have the plastic tubes you could use 1/2 inch pvc pipe as well.
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Has anybody had a power supply under load in this box to see how hot it gets?
Looks like a simple solution if it doesn't overheat in the small space.
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Yes, using a battery box from Wal Mart I measured about an 8 degree F temperature rise on the box exterior after running for 10 hours (box closed with lid).
Test setup included a closed battery box containing a hub and 600 watt Corsair power supply (no additional fan), five SSCs of 100 nodes each, and one SSC with 50 nodes for a total of 550 nodes. All SSCs were loaded/run with the test software to exercise the nodes fully and run simultaneously for the 10 hours. I used a non-contact IR thermometer to run the test; I checked several objects in the room to make sure the thermometer was accurately reading test targets.
I considered instrumenting the inside of the box to measure temps at the PS and on the hub, but with such a small temp rise on case exterior I do not consider this necessary. By the way, I left a number of the nodes bundled as received from Ray, and the node temps rose to 115F in this test setup. Obviously, spreading them out and using a more typical duty cycle for a show will result in substantially lower temps.
All in all, it looks like there's nothing to worry about with the Battery Box setup from a temperature standpoint.
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I'm not sure if I read this right. Did you take a reading of the outside of the box? You might want to run your test and at the end of the time frame, open the lid and take the temp of the supply itself. A low temp on the outside of the case may only be showing the cases insulating properties.
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i went back into sears yesterday, and bought my battery box, they actually had two sizes, a car battery size for about $9, ans a slightly longer one for about $10. i got the one for $10. i do notice, i'll have to cover the vent holes in the lid, but i think that's all i'll have to do.
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I'm not sure if I read this right. Did you take a reading of the outside of the box? You might want to run your test and at the end of the time frame, open the lid and take the temp of the supply itself. A low temp on the outside of the case may only be showing the cases insulating properties.
Yes, I did read the outside of the box. You are correct this does not directly measure the air temp inside the box, nor the temp of the hub or Power Supply. Even if you did take a measure of the power supply, you would not be reading the temp of the components inside directly, which is where you would be most interested to gauge component reliability. There is some insulation value provided by the polypropylene case, however it's relatively thin and therefore doesn't provide a great deal of insulation; there is also the fact that the case is by no means sealed and there is some air exchange with the outside environment.
While I could repeat the test and put a thermocouple on the hub PC board and the power supply (or run a detailed thermal analysis), I do not feel it's worth the time given the relative small rise in temp on the battery box.
Skip
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warning, sarcasm inserted...
just drill a hole in the top, and insert a roasting thermometer ;D
sarcasm off...
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I run PC power supplies in plastic shoeboxes located in the yard for driving my MR16 flood lights and have never had a problem with moisture or heat for that matter.
These battery cases provide a large amount of air flow so I just don't see any overheating problems being created at all.
The worst thing might happen if a chipmunk was to squeez into one of the vents for some reason. ;D
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The worst thing might happen if a chipmunk was to squeez into one of the vents for some reason. ;D
Then you'd have "chipmunks roasting on an open power supply..."
-Mike
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The worst thing might happen if a chipmunk was to squeez into one of the vents for some reason. ;D
Then you'd have "chipmunks roasting on an open power supply..."
-Mike
That's funny I don't care who you are!
RJ
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The worst thing might happen if a chipmunk was to squeez into one of the vents for some reason. ;D
Then you'd have "chipmunks roasting on an open power supply..."
-Mike
<la..
That one really made me laugh. Classic!
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Allways happy to contribute to the enjoyment of the community.
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The worst thing might happen if a chipmunk was to squeez into one of the vents for some reason. ;D
Then you'd have "chipmunks roasting on an open power supply..."
-Mike
Tastes like chicken, they say.
Ron
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I picked up the small battery box from Wal-Mart yesterday to house the Smart String Hub and PC power supply. I noticed that if you turn the SSH board so that it's long dimension goes across the short width of the battery box it sits nicely on the little ledge molded into the battery box. It is slightly snug which keeps it from sliding around but does not deflect the sides of the box enough that the lid doesn't still fit easily. I think this will be how I use it.
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I actually like your suggestion of mounting the SS hub sideways in the battery case .. fits nice, tight, esp. in the middle.
Was thinking it would be even better secured if you you added a couple of square zip tie square mounts (the kind which you stick on like a sticker) ...
on both sides (so 4 total) .. and zip tied the SS HUB corner circles, since the hub already had those nice holes in each corner! ... and most of us already have plenty of zip ties
on hand.
http://www.amazon.com/Zip-Tie-Mount-25-Pack/dp/accessories/B000BSJHLE
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If you don't mind white cable tie mounts you can get 100 count for that price with cheaper shipping ($5.36 total shipped to me):
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10520&cs_id=1052006&p_id=5860&seq=1&format=2 (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10520&cs_id=1052006&p_id=5860&seq=1&format=2)
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Thanks, thats a great deal (typical monoprice) ... I looked for them and didn't find them, so THANKS !!!