Hi everybody,
First, apologies if this is already answered… I have searched the forum for an answer, and I still don’t have this very clear. I read much about outdoor vaults, but not about garage enclosures (ie. not outdoors, but not cosy indoors)
Well. I have had the shake for a week, and I truly love it. It’s fantastic. At the moment it’s on a window sill -and I think that’s not too bad- Ours is a laminated floor, resting on insulation. Hence, the sill. The results are impressive though.
Now, I can put it on the floor in the garage… but this is the UK. Without having water in the garage, it feels cold and probably humid. I have been recommended to use an IP54 box, and that makes sense to me: Protect the RS from potential splashes, rodents and impacts. I’ll stuff some silica bags inside too.
Great! That’s the plan. Now, the question…
An IP54 box is after all a plastic box, which even resting on the concrete floor, will probably absorb (or amplify?) some of the potential movement. Should I then put a weight on top of the IP54 box? Should I, maybe, put a weight on the RS indoor case that will be inside the outdoor box? Both? Perhaps it’s irrelevant?
Thanks in advance!
Jorge
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HI,
I have mine in a IP54 electrical box but without the raspberry shake case. I purchased my shake as a DIY without the pi or the enclosure. I mounted the pi with the shake hat directly to a Stainless steel base plate in the box. The geophone is mounted directly to the stainless steel plate as well. I used 3 long machine screws as mounting feet, they pass through the plastic box and are bolted to the steel plate inside the box. This provides a very rigid coupling from the ground to the shake. I also have a small weight on top of the box to hold it firmly on the ground. At night it can get fairly quiet.
This has been my shakes temporary home since the kickstarter days. I plan to build its own little vault some day with a cement column reaching around a meter into the ground to hopefully eliminate even more surface noise.
Benjamin.
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I see, interesting set up, thanks!
Did you seal the holes with silicone or any insulation?
temporary home since the kickstarter days
I did not, but mine is not outside. Its in an old outbuilding so its protected from rain or any water. I live in a humid area but the pi does produce some heat so I imagine that it is staying dry inside. Never had any problems with moisture.
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Yes, the Raspberry Pi normally operates around 50-55°C, so it will provide a measure of “heating” inside a small IP box, like the ones being discussed.
Adding some silica gel, as mentioned, is also a good idea.
If you really want to splurge a bit, you can upgrade to an IP64 box, which offers superior dust protection compared to the 54, and it’s just three versions below the IP67 we ship our Outdoor RS Models into.
And, regarding the coupling with the ground, if the garage is frequently visited and the RS could physically “jump around” due to the activity inside, then a solid installation like the one Benjamin recommended is the best way to go. Otherwise, you can experiment a bit and find the installation solution that looks best for your specific location.
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Thanks, @Benjamin and @Stormchaser,
Still haven’t had the time to make the space for it. I have monitored the humidity: around 80%. Goes to 89% if it rains outside. But the garage itself is dry, and not at risk of flooding. It’s not particularly dusty.
My plan at the moment is to drill three holes for the machine screws, and have the shake rest directly on the concrete. I’ll put a thermometer-RH sensor inside, and a couple of 350g silica bags.
As a first step, I’ll do the same setup, minus the holes, and see what happens. The “garage”, is really more a workshop. It’s a British garage, hence the car doesn’t fit inside
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It sounds like a solid plan.
Let us know how it goes!
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