enclosures

[kernal]

Ok, show me some of the enclosure ideas you talented people have come up with.  I know some people have built their own...  i wanna see em!   

[jnealand]

I use nothing besides a Keptel CG1500.  Years ago I tried a medium plastic tub, but too fragile in cold weather and water would pool on the top lid which I did not think was very good.

[bassmants]

I went with the CG1500 as well.  Very durable and waterproof.

[Steve Gase]

wrt CG1500 enclosures...  I just completed mounting 12v controllers into 5 of these... and mounting Expresses into 7 more.
I would prefer not to put holes into the enclosures for mounting hardware.
 
I want to elevate them off the ground... but I don't want them to be high off the ground to avoid obscuring my cluster of mini-trees, I plan to place the enclosures among the lights to avoid lots of extension cords.
How to people mount their enclosures?

[bassmants]

I dremeled the slots in the back and put SS hose clamps through.  Siliconed the gaps.  I then put a 1" piece of pvc with a cap on the back.  Then a simple piece of rebar in the ground to sit it on.  Worked well last year.  To be extra safe, I covered all with black trash bags for extra waterproofing and looks.

[jnealand]

I want to elevate them off the ground... but I don't want them to be high off the ground to avoid obscuring my cluster of mini-trees, I plan to place the enclosures among the lights to avoid lots of extension cords.
How to people mount their enclosures?

I drill a hole in the two upper studs on the back of the LE, then put a galvanized heavy duty wire between the two studs.  The length of the wire is about the width of the box and I bend the two ends 90 deg to keep it from coming out.  Then I take a big plier and bend the wire out from the back a little.  Bend it after it is thru the holes otherwise it is too hard to thread.  Also be sure to use a galvanized wire or the wire will just rust and also stain the back of the CG1500.  i use pieces I cut from an old tomato cage that I once used for a small tree.  Once the wire is bent you can hang it on the top of a short fence pole available from any hardware store and also hang them up in your storage area.  See pictures below.

[Steve Gase]

I dremeled the slots in the back and put SS hose clamps through.  Siliconed the gaps.  I then put a 1" piece of pvc with a cap on the back.  Then a simple piece of rebar in the ground to sit it on.  Worked well last year.  To be extra safe, I covered all with black trash bags for extra waterproofing and looks.

"SS hose clamps"?    smart string?  do you have a link to a part number or picture?

[caretaker]

I dremeled the slots in the back and put SS hose clamps through.  Siliconed the gaps.  I then put a 1" piece of pvc with a cap on the back.  Then a simple piece of rebar in the ground to sit it on.  Worked well last year.  To be extra safe, I covered all with black trash bags for extra waterproofing and looks.

"SS hose clamps"?    smart string?  do you have a link to a part number or picture?

SS= Stainless Steel   

[maffeirw]

 

I drill a hole in the two upper studs on the back of the LE, then put a galvanized heavy duty wire between the two studs.  The length of the wire is about the width of the box and I bend the two ends 90 deg to keep it from coming out. 

I then put a 1" piece of pvc with a cap on the back.  Then a simple piece of rebar in the ground to sit it on. 

I guess I combine bassmants' and jnealand's methods together.

I drill a hole in a 6" piece of 1/2" PVC then I pass the wire from one stud through the hole in the PVC and through the next stud.  No cap is needed on the PVC as the wire keeps 1/2" rebar from going through.  You can vary the height the enclosure sits above the ground by varying the length of the rebar. I've used this for 4 years and have never had a problem.   

[chrisatpsu]

i drilled a hole using the mounting holes of the case.
siliconed the hole to trap moisture from entering,
then use wood screws into two wooden garden stakes that i get from lowes.

[winwin]

Are you looking for water proof enclosure ideas? if not, what I did is used an old computer and stripped out the content. I mounted 2 LEs inside the case. Cables come out from the back.
Interested too to see what other people may have done as I have 2 more LE controllers to mount.

[txag2008]

Sounds like we did similar to bassmants.

Knocked out the plastic in that upper slot and ran a hose clamp through the case in order to tighten on a metal stake driven into the ground.  This is the only picture I have and it doesn't show the back like I had hoped it would.

[Steve Gase]

Thanks, everyone!!  All were great ideas.  I think I'll go with maffeirw's solution for the ground-mounted controllers.  I like the simplicity of dropping it over a stake.






What solutions do people use for mounting enclosures to a pole or tree?   


I have 4" drain pipe that I'm using as the trunk on some megatrees -- and I'd like to mount 2 enclosures to the center pole and off the ground.  The wires are coming down from the top of the tree (to avoid wire clutter on the ground)... and therefore did not make the wires long enough to reach the ground.  Again, a solution that avoids violating the water-fastness of the enclosure is ideal.


I've been considering rubber straps that go around the drain pipe, like a tree-climber's rig.

[arw01]

Maybe not like a tree climber rig, but what about those rubber cord minders that have all the holes in them for a peg and you just stretch it a bit to pull it tight or use a further out hole to make it loose.  I think I see those at the Borgs from time to time in the cardboard box displays they like to clutter the isles with!

[maffeirw]

What solutions do people use for mounting enclosures to a pole or tree?   

I do the same thing I do in my previous method but I leave out the PVC and use a wire, through the studs, that's long enough to wrap around the tree or pole etc. and then twist it tight.