Topic: My Custom 24hr FARS... Finally

[Bobvelle]

So I built a 24hr FARS for my Davis Pro2 Temp/Hum Sensor.

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Anyway, I already had the Radiation shield parts including the welded core, Davis fan and insulated tube that I bought A La Cart. I just never purchased the solar panel, NiCad batteries and PCB board that the whole package comes with. I always planned to make my own because the OEM version just didn't seem reliable. Well a few years later and I finally completed my project.
 
 It's a Sched-40 1-1/2" x 10'  Pipe set 3.5' into the ground with Quickcrete. This puts the sensor 6 ft over grass. I got a Universal Shelter housing a Sunsaver 6 Charge controller, with some straight thru terminal connectors a Fused terminal connector contacts and a Midnight Solar DC Breaker all DIN rail mounted with two 12v 7a/h AGM batteries and a 30W Monocrystaline PV panel mounted on top of the pole using a re-purposed sat dish mount, some super-strut and PV clamps on spring nuts. The black line is a braided steel anchor cable supporting the SHT31 w/25ft cable going to the ISS/rain bucket.
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The Fan is a 92mm 12vDC Computer Case Fan 'Panflo' 2.5w moving about 30CFM. I put some screen material over the fan to keep the lizards out. Duct seal compound in the 4 gaps left by a square fan in a round hole. Waterproof connectors (the kind like current automobile headlamps use).

I'm getting 5.5 hour direct sun on the panel. Batteries are going into float mode with 2.5 hrs of sun left after all night on battery power. So I should have adequate reserve for less optimal sun days. It could operate fine on one 7 ah battery but my calculations showed 2 of them would give me 2 days reserve power just in case.

ALTERNATE : The other option that I tried for a few days was adding a PAM1 relay with coil power connected to the PV terminals and the N.O. lead switching the + fan conductor. This made it daytime fan that switched on about 7am and turned off about 8:30 PM. I may go back to this as this will double the life of the fan. Night time aspiration is not that crucial after all.

As you can see, I did this instead of cutting my grass 

[Bobvelle]

more photos.
I put my 'Daytime fan' relay back in and went back to 1 Battery for now, just to see what works best.
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[ct]

Do you do any remote monitoring of fan speed/status and battery voltages?

[Old Tele man]

Do the kids ask to hang their volleyball net over those wires? 

[Bobvelle]

Do you do any remote monitoring of fan speed/status and battery voltages?

I had a LED attached to monitor the fan coming on and off when setup as daytime fan only. But this only tells me that the power to the fan is on and not that the fan is actually spinning. So no. No real remote monitoring.
That would be an awesome little project too, but outside my expertise unfortunately.

I 'm not concerned about the batteries, Iv'e work with these batteries for 20 years and I know what they can do and how long they will last. Plus its 50 ft from my back door 

[Bobvelle]

Do the kids ask to hang their volleyball net over those wires? 

Yeah I know  There is actually a split level in the yard just right of the first photo, so the cable is about 7-8 ft over the ground most of the way.

I thought about moving the ISS and rain bucket out there too, But My anemometer and UV/Solar also separated and mounted on a pole on the roof peak... so gonna be wires anyway I do it unfortunately.