Today I did some browsing at the local hardware store for some parts. Here’s what I found and how I plan to use them.  I’ll also show a part I had in my “inventory” just waiting for the opportunity to be used.

I found some small flower pots made from UV resistant plastic that will work well for my radiation shield.  They are a different shape from the plastic bowls I had used previously, but are very similar in size.  I’ll have a detailed explanation (with photos) of how I used them in a future post.  For now, here’s a picture.  I plan to paint it a lighter color once I find some suitable paint for use on plastic.  The hardware store had some, but not in a light enough color. The white plastic paint was out of stock.

The next item I purchased was a plastic lid for a five gallon bucket.  It is very similar to what I currently use as a base for mounting my rain gauge.  Unfortunately it isn’t UV resistant, but at $1.28 US dollars, it was a steal.  I’m hoping it will last another 3 years, just like the first one I used.  I do plan to continue looking for a UV resistant flower pot base that will hold up better. But at least I know I have something I can use until I find something better. Here’s a picture.  I’ll provide more details and pictures when I finish making it into a rain gauge base.

Plastic Bucket Lid

Finally, I had a UV resistant weatherproof plastic enclosure I purchased several months back.  These enclosures are typically used by cable and telephone companies, and hold up well.  I will use this to house the hub, anemometer board, and probably the barometer.  I need to mount the boards and drill some mounting holes.  I think it will work out really well. And yes, I did purchase this one. There isn’t some cable or phone company installation missing theirs.

Weatherproof Enclosure

Inside Weatherproof Enclosure

I also connected the new lightning detector just to make sure it works correctly.  It is functionally identical to my old detector, so no software changes were required, other than adding the new address to my configuration file.  After making the changes and connecting the sensor, it worked without any problems.  I’ll put it in the housing I made for it when I’m ready to move everything outside.