Frustration ??

[clippermiami]

I think I've discovered the most frustrating thing about this whole MySensor effort ... finding boxes to put the things in Just when I think I've solved it, i find the box is too tall or too short or too narrow

Absent a 3D printer ...

[bjornhallberg]

Yeah, I'm starting to think I overdid it with the AliExpress enclosures:

Haha. They even fit the Uno with a couple of shields ... but I actually intend them for outdoor use. And they're nice for big ugly components like the AC->DC converter with the yellow PCB on the left.

[hek]

haha.. yes.. a 3d printer is on the top of my wish list as well

[marceltrapman]

@clippermiami said:

Absent a 3D printer ...

Me, 2 more months waiting (I hope), making nice boxes, smile...

[epierre]

that is a post that would be interresting to share enclosings...

[Yveaux]

Got this one, €3,17

Nice small box holding two AA batteries. Battery contacts need to be ordered separately ( which I forgot....) As does the optional mounting bracket.
Mouser order nr 789-S1A-302112

[clippermiami]

I am oddly/sadly glad to see that I am not alone in my frustration

Right now I have about a dozen working sensors in various states of undress Its time to make nice to my wife suggesting that a 3D printer could do all sorts of great things for her, something that she has needed for years but just didn't realize it. That's the ticket

[Yveaux]

@clippermiami Good luck with that! Please tell me the one sentence that did the trick once you've convinced her

[Bandra]

Hah! I am at this very stage right now. Finding the right enclosure is HARD!

Ideally I want a vented enclosure so temp, humidity, pressure all work. Seems like all of the boxes on fleabay are waterproof, not vented.

[clippermiami]

@Yveaux My pleasure, we need to have a common front on this kind of thing

[hek]

@clippermiami

I'm signed up for build-your-own-3d-printer thing. But it is still a few people missing until it can start.
After a few visits at the maker space with the family my wife has actually seen some nice 3d-prints and is slowly accepting the whole thing

[clippermiami]

@hek Good Man

I've casually mentioned it a few times and shown her some of the things people have made for the home and she didn't frown ... too much.:-)

Our older daughter is an artist and she has expressed an interest in 3D printing a way expand her market for the art shows she attends.

[Zeph]

@bjornhallberg

Wow, that's very close to the direction I'm taking! (One of the) same boxes, very similar components!
(There'a also smaller box which is similar construction)

I'm guessing the Uno is just to show that the box would actually hold one but you are using the APM in the node.

I was going to put the DHT on the side to expose it to the air, and the PIR motion detector through the cover. I'll be interested in how your project evolves. Are you running at 3.3 or 5V?

And the biggest question: how are you going to mount the boards and battery holder?

[bjornhallberg]

@Zeph Yeah, I just lined up a couple of things for scale. But I was nevertheless pleased that the UNO did fit since that might come in handy for an ethernet gateway. Still haven't actually managed to find a controller software that I like. Or to get the bridge to Domoticz working.

Don't know if I'll use DHT22s or just the DS18B20. This DHT22 is probably going inside my cctv/raspberry housing to monitor humidity there. I'll give the Raspberry GPIO another try. Couldn't get it working the last time with just a 4k7 resistor. Hope to have better luck with a 10k resisitor. If not, I'm giving up on the GPIO.

For sticking thermometers out of casings I'm thinking plastic Ebay cable glands perhaps, or just a piece of pipe to keep the rain and moisture away. The trick as I see it is drilling large holes without cracking the plastic. I'll give it a shot with the step drill, these things usually go up to 32mm but I've only ever tried them in much softer and thinner plastic.

I hope to run most of the sensors on battery and 3.3V, probably 2xAA alkaline with no boost until the we can get our hands on the proper MySensors designed module with proper quiescent power. There are some exceptions that I considered ... like the pulse power meter which I may not want to sleep etc. I thought about setting up an AC-DC power supply there to power a couple of sensors, including a repeater if necessary. The other non-battery powered point would be the doorbell, and doorbell chime where I figured I could leach power from the 12V AC transformer that is just wasting power anyway on the doorbell button light. That light bulb would be the equivalent of many arduinos I figured. And it would be perfectly situated to listen for doorbell presses, perhaps even replacing the doorbell button with some cool LED button.

I guess I can use the fix points on the bottom of the enclosure to screw the pcb down. Or blu-tack Or hot glue. Or just have it rattle around in there.

What I'd really like to do is make some enclosures out of wood. Sure, it may not be so fancy as a 3d printer, but the results can be quite stunning.

[Zeph]

Thanks, some good ideas there.

Any other thoughts on mounting the boards within the enclosure? Hot glue (but harder to remove), or some kind of standoff (requires sealing the hole if it goes through), or what?

Ideally I'd like something which could mount on the plastic where I need it, and hold the boards in place while allowing them to be removed. And some boards don't have screw holes (Arduino Pro Micro). I wonder if there's a glue that would securely hold a threaded nylon standoff to the (PVC?) enclosure?

[Yveaux]

@Zeph said:

some kind of standoff (requires sealing the hole if it goes through)

Just hot glue the standoffs. Maybe roughen the inside of the box where you glue them. Won't come off unless you plan to throw them around...

[Zeph]

@Yveaux said:

@Zeph said:

some kind of standoff (requires sealing the hole if it goes through)

Just hot glue the standoffs. Maybe roughen the inside of the box where you glue them. Won't come off unless you plan to throw them around...

OK, I'll try again. I tried hot glueing to a PVC box (not one of these, something much larger) a couple of years ago and was frustrated by weakness (detaching at inconvenient times), which left me skittish. I don't know about these boxes, tho - not sure of the material. (And I gather there are different types of hot glue, so some other hot glue might have worked, but I'm not knowledgeable on that).

[lininger]

Cases that take into account a NRF2401+ are non existent.

I finally moved my ethernet gateway from breadboard to a case. After looking for months for a case I finally settled on this one.

http://www.crispconcept.com/product-p/ar-uno-e-tr.htm

No glue or screws required it snaps together and can be easily taken apart. I ordered the one that holds the UNU R3, and Wiznet Ethernet Shield. The a NRF2401+ LNA & PA Antenna version also fit nicely into the box, but did have to drill a hole for the antenna.

[Yveaux]

@lininger Nice case! Looks good!
I see you modded some leds to get feedback. Ever seen these modules ?: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arduino-kit-Multicolor-6-Color-LED-Matrix-AVR-ARM-PIC-MCU-with-UNO-MEGA2560-code/251592321396?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140602152332%26meid%3D807c425bc96142acb67c767f9436c12c%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D20140602152332%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D271303570679

(you would have to mount them 180 degrees rotated btw)

Quite cheap, small and come in multiple colours!

Me like

[lininger]

No I had not seen them before, Just ordered a couple. Thanks for the link.

[RJ_Make]

@lininger That is a sharp looking case.. Nice Neat Work..

[hek]

Finally!

Just signed up for a build-your-own-3d printer course (with material) that will start end of september.

[Yveaux]

@hek whoooop! Lucky you

Have fun!

[marceltrapman]

@hek said:

Just signed up for a build-your-own-3d printer course (with material) that will start end of september.

September is going to be my month too I hope.
Next week Kate Bush and by the end of the month my very own (pre-built) FABtotum (http://www.fabtotum.cc). Me happy

[samppa]

@hek
Lucky bastard

Those that happen to live in Helsinki might check this out (in Finnish):
http://www.helmet.fi/fi-FI/Kirjastot_ja_palvelut/Kaupunkiverstas/Juttuja_kirjastosta/Tervetuloa_kokeilemaan_3Dtulostusta_Kaup(17945)

So the pubic library lets you print your stuff for 0.40€ per piece. I winder what schema or blueprint file that machine imports..

[samppa]

Actually I went to the nearest library and there you can print 3D objects for free!
So I immediately created a holder scaffold for arduino nano (plate and poles on corners with studs on top for the small holes in the corners of the nano) for easier mounting inside any box. The first prototype tested the precision of the printer and strength of the plastic.

Here is the SketchUp model if someone is interested: ArduinoNano Holder 4.skb

Next I will try to make a snap-on plate that is only cut with scissors to snuggly fit into any case width to hold the nano in place.

With these I hope to resolve my frustration and still use existing boxes.

[hek]

@samppa said:

Actually I went to the nearest library and there you can print 3D objects for free!

The libraries in Finland seem to prioritize the right things! Fostering a new generation of DIY people.

[RJ_Make]

That's interesting.. Here in the state I live, (USA) many of our legislators are trying to pass legislation that effective bans the possession of a 3D printer. You gotta love our 'freedom'... ;-(

[Yveaux]

@ServiceXp there goes your 3d printed gun

[hek]

We've been building for 3 hours this evening. This is the result so far. The metal frame is really sturdy!

On sunday I will hopefully have something like this:

[marceltrapman]

@ServiceXp I am just curious how they are go to do that.
I remember the same paranoia when the first full colour printers became a reality because it was too easy to create counterfeit money.

[marceltrapman]

@hek So, you are going to enjoy your 3D printer at least one month before I can

[hek]

@marceltrapman

Hope so!

[Yveaux]

@hek Great man! Keep us posted!

[hek]

Day 2:

Tomorrow I'll connect everything to an Arduino Mega and start tuning.

[Yveaux]

@hek Ahhhh... Why didnt you stick with the pink print head ???

[hek]

@Yveaux said:

pink

Must be the light that makes the head look pink on the picture.. It is black.. promise

[RJ_Make]

@marceltrapman
I live in a State where the mass populaces doesn't require much intelligence in their elected leaders.. Unfortunately.. there is a long list of crazy things our elected officials have been able to get passed.

Two words...... Rain Tax...

[RJ_Make]

@hek
Looking Good!

[hek]

First print!

First 3d Print – 01:35
— MySensors

[blacey]

@hek

Sweet!!!

[Yveaux]

@hek great man! Only thing left is MySensors support

[RJ_Make]

@hek
So cool!

[gregl]

Nice one Hek.

Definitely add MySensor support for : 3d Job complete!

[hek]

Need for starfished shaped sensors anyone?

[marceltrapman]

@hek said:

Need for starfished shaped sensors anyone?

Not really. But I do need one in the shape of a spider (including legs)

[RJ_Make]

@hek
I've got to know...... Print time on the starfish?

[hek]

@ServiceXp

29 min, 2.35 meter filament, 7 grams

[hek]

9 hours later... Tada!

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:19104

[Anticimex]

Impressive for a DIY 3D printer

[RJ_Make]

Looks good, I guess someone is going to be doing some sanding in some very tight spaces..

[Tibus]

I'm designing my own mysensors casing... 3D models are finished... I'm waiting to resolve some details like the screws,... and I will print it in 3D and make some mold in resin... I'll post some picture when it'll be finished if you want...

[Yveaux]

@hek said:

9 hours later... Tada!

It usually takes 9 months at least