Author Topic: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB  (Read 8121 times)

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Offline onedart

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24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« on: June 14, 2010, 02:54:10 PM »
Just finished my little project, 24 hour aspirated radiation shield, I bought 4 pvc vented panels and secured them with 3 pvc 6mm sheets. The lower sheet has a 12cm pc fan connected to it which in turn is secured to a 11cm pvc cylinder which houses the sensors, The fan draws air up over the sensors which are fully protected from uv ray's. I have noticed a temperature drop of around 2-2.5deg C during the day when the sun is at its strongest compared to another sensor which is just shaded. I have posted some pics, please feel free to comment and i can reply, Regards Colin
« Last Edit: June 14, 2010, 02:57:43 PM by Colin West »

Offline tweatherman

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2010, 04:45:01 PM »
Would you care to share the materials used and how you put it together and the cost of this when it's completed.

Thanks,
Tim

Offline onedart

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2010, 12:07:25 PM »
No problem, I have cable tied 4 bathroom pvc vents together to create the initial square. cost £11
I purchased 3 6mm pvc sheets, 2x 320mm2 and 1 at 360mm2, they are bolted together with 45mm machine screws and 4mm bolts, cost £25
The lower sheet sits on top of the vents and has a 120mm diameter circle cut out the middle which the 120mm pc fan sits on, fan cost £4.50
Bolted to the fan frame is a 110mm diameter pvc cylinder which houses the sensor, cost £5
Today i purchased a circular vented/meshed cover for the bottom of the cylinder to protect the sensor from any debris as the fan has quite a good pull, cost £5
Total cost with fixtures is around £ 50, Thanks Colin

Offline onedart

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2010, 06:35:43 PM »
The fan is at the top of the cylinder and sucks air up by the sensors. Sorry if description wasn't clear, Thanks Colin

Offline BigOkie

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2010, 06:58:03 PM »
The fan is at the top of the cylinder and sucks air up by the sensors. Sorry if description wasn't clear, Thanks Colin

And really, you can do it anyway you want as long as you're drawing the air past the sensors.  I have my SRS100LX oriented in such a fashion that the fans blows down but is drawing air from the top of the stack across the sensors.
Current setup: Davis Vantage Pro 2 Plus Wireless
Weather radios:
Reecom R-1650
Sangean CL-100
Uniden Home Patrol I

Offline DanS

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2010, 09:20:50 PM »
Forum member Weather1967 ran several tests for FARS fan position and flow direction   http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?action=profile;u=368;sa=showPosts;start=90  . I believe he mentioned that the fan positioned above the sensor blowing down resulted in slightly higher readings versus drawing air up and out.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2010, 09:25:54 PM by DanS »

Offline BigOkie

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2010, 10:25:59 PM »
Forum member Weather1967 ran several tests for FARS fan position and flow direction   http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?action=profile;u=368;sa=showPosts;start=90  . I believe he mentioned that the fan positioned above the sensor blowing down resulted in slightly higher readings versus drawing air up and out.

Makes me wonder if he tried my orientation.... (fan at the bottom of the sensor cavity drawing air from the top down and out through the fan).

Example:

Current setup: Davis Vantage Pro 2 Plus Wireless
Weather radios:
Reecom R-1650
Sangean CL-100
Uniden Home Patrol I

Offline onedart

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2010, 05:37:01 PM »
I Think that sucking in air from below may take any heat from the bottom discs and pass it through the sensor chamber as well as any heat off of the fan motor too, That's why i installed fan at the top of the chamber as is the case in a Davis 24 hour set up, Regards Colin

Offline BigOkie

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2010, 05:45:40 PM »
I Think that sucking in air from below may take any heat from the bottom discs and pass it through the sensor chamber as well as any heat off of the fan motor too, That's why i installed fan at the top of the chamber as is the case in a Davis 24 hour set up, Regards Colin

I have the sensor in a tube though..I think that would reduce that effect.  Plus, you'll get the same effect really either way.  And I'm not sucking air in from below, I'm drawing the air out from the top of the sensor chamber (five platters up).  The airflow, if you look at the photo, is down...
Current setup: Davis Vantage Pro 2 Plus Wireless
Weather radios:
Reecom R-1650
Sangean CL-100
Uniden Home Patrol I

Offline tweatherman

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2010, 07:24:18 PM »
Can someone do a metric to u.s. conversion with the money for this project.

Thanks,
Tim

Offline DanS

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2010, 07:32:34 PM »
I got just under $75 U.S.

Offline Wx4U

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2010, 07:35:29 PM »
50.00 GBP = 73.6474 USD
Dan that is a good wag, above is the bank wag
Bob
Retired USAF Air Traffic Controller, Davis VP2 Wireless, WLS 5.8.2, LaCrosse 2308, Logitech Pro 9000 (Roof mounted on rotor), CoCoRaSh gauge, KTXARLIN35, Compaq Presario W/Vista

Offline NigelS

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2010, 03:26:20 PM »
No problem, I have cable tied 4 bathroom pvc vents together to create the initial square. cost £11
I purchased 3 6mm pvc sheets, 2x 320mm2 and 1 at 360mm2, they are bolted together with 45mm machine screws and 4mm bolts, cost £25
The lower sheet sits on top of the vents and has a 120mm diameter circle cut out the middle which the 120mm pc fan sits on, fan cost £4.50
Bolted to the fan frame is a 110mm diameter pvc cylinder which houses the sensor, cost £5
Today i purchased a circular vented/meshed cover for the bottom of the cylinder to protect the sensor from any debris as the fan has quite a good pull, cost £5
Total cost with fixtures is around £ 50, Thanks Colin
Hi Colin, nice project!  I just have a couple of questions:

1. How is the bottom 320mm2 PVC plate attached to the top of the vent square (sorry I cant make it out from the photo)?

2. How is the OS sensor mounted to the fan frame?

3. How are you powering the fan? (presume solar panel? - is this a std OS solar panel?)

Thanks
Nigel



Offline onedart

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Re: 24 hour radiation shield, DIY JOB
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2010, 02:42:52 PM »
The vents are mounted to the pvc via L brackets and machine screw and bolts, The sensor is secured via a machine screw which holds the fan cylinder to the fan.I will be buying a solar panel with a battery pack to power the fan but in the mean time I have wired the fan to the mains via a 12v plug. Thanks Colin