Almost a Stevenson screen

Fig.1: ALMOST a Stevenson screen.

What is it about?

I guess everyone has a thermometer installed 'somewhere' in his house. I have one too! I'm living in a residential block and it so happens, that I have windows only on eastern and western sides of the building. So the thermometer I've been using for past few years is hanging on the eastern side, lying to me everyday before noon... No more lies! I am closing a temperature sensor in a shaded box. Time to build (almost) a Stevenson screen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenson_screen).

What is it not about?

All of this is not going to be even a bit close to proper temperature measurement's concept. My box will be too small! It will be also too close to the building. It will probably not have enough of windflow throught it as well. The sensor will not be precise enough to take the measurement as reliable. On the other hand... it will not be (hopefully!) just another useless thermometer being fried in the sun for half of the day.

How did I do it?

I've bought few 'glued-wood' boards and some wooden block and then...

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  I've cut vertical corner elements...

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  ..as well as the blinds / filaments...

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  ..with a circular saw.

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  Then I've cut fittings for the blinds under 45deg angle in the edges' elements.

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  The blinds were glued in later on.

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  Side blinds are 15cm of length, the front ones are 20cm long.

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  This is how it looked like after glueing in the blinds on three sides.

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  There is no back-side of the box. Nor is there a bottom side enclosed.

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  I've applied acrylic emalsion paint on it.

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  Here's the box right after the 1st layer has been put. I was expecting the wood to 'take' more of the paint.

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  On the balcony I've fixed two hooks to hang the box on.

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  The cable is hidden inside the wall, so it'll be an esthetical plus.

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  The other end of cable is in my room...

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  Here's a DS18B20 soldered and enclosed in hot-glue + thermal shrink combo.

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  Here's the box already hanging.

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  After applying three layers of paint it looks okay.

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  Here's a little sneak a peak inside the box.

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  The sensor is somewhere near the middle of the box.

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  Whole box is really small (about H20 / D18 / W23 centimeters).

Well does it work good?

I've hooked up some MCU+LCD set just to give it a test run and yeah - as for now it works. Plan is to have it as a part of some bigger project, so if this actualy happens one day - it will be a good moment for conclusions. By now I am all happy about it.

Yours truly,

pit, 2011-08-29