Tag Archives: dew controller

Overall I’m very happy with this project. It seems to work very well and is a huge improvement on not having dew straps. Generally it’s a pretty straightforward build with nothing really that much more taxing than making sure LED … Continue reading →

So, testing… I downloaded the Arduino code from Sourceforge and unzipped it to find a directory called “Tests”, which seemed quite straightforward. In the documentation there are a list of tests n the order they should be run, but I … Continue reading →

To complete the testing I need to make up the temperature sensor plugs. This wasn’t a major problem. The black connector part unscrews from the metal body revealing the pins for connecting the wires, so it’s just a case of … Continue reading →

I’ve now finished making all the other connectors, so it’s time to start testing. I have already plugged in the 12V supply and the magic smoke didn’t come out, so that’s a good start.

There was one other component I almost forgot! The DS18B20 temperature sensor that goes on the PCB. I could have soldered that direct to the board, but put a pin header in instead and mounted the sensor in the plug:

The lid, complete with all wiring. That’s almost all the soldering done. I think there are just the temperature sensor plugs and possibly a power cable to make up (I think I’ve run out) that will require more soldering work. … Continue reading →

The remaining components in the case — the fan, USB connector, power socket and DHT22 are now fitted. I drilled the mounting holes for the fan and USB socket through the walls of the case as I wasn’t confident that … Continue reading →

The next step was to finish off the diodes on their fly leads, covering the exposed leads with plenty of heatshrink. I’m not at all convinced this is the best solution, but I’ve not come up with any better ideas … Continue reading →

I printed the lower section of the case, so it was time to fit the Nano to the PCB and put the PCB loosely in place so I could connect up the USB cable and see what happened. The good … Continue reading →

Temperature sensor plugs and sockets… My dissatisfaction with the 6P4C connectors led me to try to find other options for plugging these in. Initially 3.5mm stereo jack plugs such as these sprang to mind. However, Robert Brown himself explained to … Continue reading →