Has anyone run across an enclosure to buy or build to contain both the Raspberry Pi and the SDR?
I know people who live in areas where there is limited coverage. I could convince them to plug a self contained box into their network, but the tangle of components and wires that make up a typical DIY setup is more than I am willing to ask.
The image of the flightaware box seems like a good setup, but it doesn’t seem to be available to purchase.
Check out your local super-market or department store and take a look at the available seal-able plastic containers. I am sure that you can find one that would hold a Raspberry Pi & Dongle. And if you set it up with a wifi adapter you would only need to power and the antenna.
…Tom
Found a nice Reddit thread with just that. Pictures can be found at Imgur. It has PoE, waterproof case and a 1/4 wave groundplane antenna.
According to the Reddit thread “Spfoamer”, the guy who made it, it is feeding to FA. Can’t find a user on FA with that name, but I really like this setup.
I’ve just ordered some gear from China to make something similar. I’ll set that up at my parents place hopefully and it could be my new “take to work set”.
That is an interesting way to go about it.
I forgot who I stole this idea from
hiddenguns.blogspot.com/2015/03/ … r-kit.html
Man, that’s a sure winner in anybody’s ugly dog contest, but it works! Love it!
I picked up a used enclosure for $10 at the local surplus electronics place. Goal is to have a system built into it for Field Day the last weekend of June. It will probably be marginally prettier than the one in the lamp enclosure… I"m doing wired Ethernet/POE.
bob k6rtm
So…here’s my question:
What are you guys doing about heat ventilation in these enclosures (or what do you think is being done for the enclosure in the clear case linked in one of the first posts in this thread)?
Using an IR thermometer, I know that my NooElec dongle stays quite warm (105F if I aim at the center of the dongle) sitting on a shelf in an open room. That, combined with a little heat from a Pi, in a weatherproof enclosure seems to be asking for problems rather quickly…but then I read that some folks have been using these setups outdoors for months (which means direct sunlight). We all know what happens to the temperature inside a vehicle that sits out in the sun all day even when the windows are cracked a bit - and that will at least provide some ventilation compared to some of these enclosures that people are placing out in the sun with hot electronics inside.
I’ve always been a junkie for excellent ventilation when it comes to computers, networking closets and enclosures, etc. and don’t like any electronics that I’m responsible for (or paid for) to run any warmer than necessary. What am I missing here?
Thanks,
Matt
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While it’s true that system life expectancy seems to be inversely related to operating temperature, and I’d prefer things run cool, if it’s under 70C (about 158F), particularly for something without moving parts (e.g.no disk drives) or something like LiPo cells, I’m not that worried. The stuff is made of silicon, not meat, after all.
If I burn my finger when I touch it, then I’m worried…
Remember that in reflow soldering, boards and components are “warmed up” to over 120C, and the actual reflow takes place around 230C – 70C to 80C isn’t that bad.
My son spends a lot of time in data centers. Expected temps have changed a great deal since I was in the mainframe racket, when computer rooms were kept cold. Modern data centers tend to run the “cold” aisle at 80F, and the hot aisle warmer than that – extrapolate that to the operating temp of stuff in the racks. One data center (unnamed) the cold side is 90F…
bob k6rtm
If you are willing to order from China and can wait about three weeks - there are great:
They hold the entire package and are waterproof if you’re looking at an outside install. I have mine mounted vertically in the rack room in my home.
I drilled two 1/2" holes in the bottom and top for heat venting and everything is good.
I took a piece of 3" PVC pipe about 6 inches long and two end caps. In each end cap I drilled a 1 inch hole. The top one I mounted a 3 foot piece of 1 inch PVC pipe to hold the CoCo antenna, and the bottom one is the mast. I am using WiFi to get back down to my computer in the house, so I am pumping 5V from a wall wart up to a powered hub, which powers the Pi, dongle, and WiFi unit. I did have to notch the tube because of the side mounting connector to bring power into the Pi board. works good and is easy. I used hot melt glue to hold the parts in place. Next one I will use 4 inch and 1 1/4 inch pipe. Will be much neater and stronger. This stuff is cheap and easy to work with too. next one is also going to have a 7805 5V regulator inside. Then I can put a capacitor in there to filter the momentary power glitches we have so often in Florida. I am powering this off of 120v supply for an attic fan, which has a lighting arrestor in the breaker box. I like WiFi down link as I don’t have to worry about a lightening hit taking out my computer too.
I’d be worried about quite UV induced deterioration from that source. Perhaps you know of a good UV blocking treatment?
Has the “next one” been assembled yet?
I’m using this box to hold everything: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UPANU2/
These to pass 120V inside the box: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00841YGX4/
And then I just through-mounted a SMA to F connector through a drilled hole in the bottom side: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CQ353RY/
Telephone Company termination boxes work great. Micro ventilated so bugs and rain can not get in and seals for the cable entries.
I was planning on either that or an electrical box. Those guys have already worked out the bugs, I figure.
I am yet to complete this guys way of doing things but it is doable. I picked up the outdoor timer box at one of the smaller Home Depot stores so most should have it in stock.
Original post (hope link works) post193620.html?hilit=timer#p193620
Guess reason most could not find post searching is the box is called outdoor timer box in original post.
My holdup in completion is the cable connectors. I have some here but can only locate one of the now. Amazon shows the type I have used for a number of years in industrial applications. Search there for 10 Pcs PG9 Black Plastic Waterproof Cable Connectors.
So, this would be out of the question?
I guess you could call me a minimalist.
This is my enclosure:
homedepot.com/p/FloTool-Extr … /205152532
$1.45 + tax 
I need to add some heat sinks to the FA Pro Stick aluminum case. It gets very hot. Much hotter than the Pi3.
Neat. If you were to nest two funnels leaving an open air gap between the outer and inner with the outer annulus open to air at funnel top, you would create a cooling tower surrounding the inner chamber.
This is the technique used by high end weather stations to aspirate air to maintain ambient temperature at the temperature sensor.
Great! Thanks for the tip.
I’ll start working on the modification tomorrow. It should really help in the 90 degree plus heat down here.
