Biscuit tin solar shield

[kingqueen]

I have the W1081 and as others have noticed the supplied solar shield isn't great with this.

The location I have only gets sunlight from the southwest and due west, i.e. only afternoon / evening sun. So I got an old biscuit tin and cut two sides off it. I rolled over the cut edges to avoid injury, and painted it white with several coats of gloss paint, hoping this will both reflect and weatherproof the tin. I then mounted it in the appropriate place:



It works well. It doesn't get any direct sunlight, and I don't think it will even in the height of summer. The perspective on the above is shortened; in actual fact, there's loads of space for air circulation. And I no longer get false temperature spikes with the sun low in the sky

[steve]

It's painted white, but I'm still wondering whether when the sun is on it in summer, it might get warm and start radiating heat towards the sensor, as it's made of steel?

[kingqueen]

It's painted white, but I'm still wondering whether when the sun is on it in summer, it might get warm and start radiating heat towards the sensor, as it's made of steel?

We'll see. The distance between the sensor and the shield is further than it looks on the photo, also it's a sight better than the sensor being directly in the sunlight but I'll check on a hotter day and rethink if necessary.

[steve]

What kind of biscuits were they?

[kingqueen]

I don't know! The tin had contained my camping first aid kit for 10 years, and I think I acquired it from somebody else before then. Given the amount of sanding I did so I could paint it you'd think I'd have noticed, wouldn't you. Tin was originally red

[BCJKiwi]

If the metal plate does get hot, convection should create a vertical air flow between the plate and the sensor. If there is nothing generating heat below then the generated air flow should help keep the sensor cool

[tomcatuk]

What kind of biscuits were they?

[daedalusminos]

May be these?

[kingqueen]

well the solar shield works well with one problem: as the sun's angle in the sky changes over the year, it's amazing what angles it manages.

I had to extend the shield along one side to stop the midday sun now we're approaching the solstice. But now the morning sun 6-9am catches it. I can't realistically extend the shield round a third side, it will be unwieldy and collapse under wind I think.

I shall have to come up with something else, because the WH1081's inbuilt shield is pretty useless. I think I read on here some time ago of home made ones using plant pots etc.? I shall have a search.

[kingqueen]

Mark 2 was this, the extended metal flap (part of an old computer) required as it approached summer the sun was coming in at a new angle.

That worked, but a couple of months on, the sun is coming in the morning from the North East. I'm getting wrong temperature spikes between 6am and 9am.
I went to the local hardware shop looking for inspiration and have created this, out of a squirrelproof bird feeder, a hanging basket hook and a bit of white tarp.

The only "open" side now is the North side, though there are gaps all round, including drilled in the top of the bird feeder. I may fit a solar powered fan to aspirate, as I'm concerned it is too enclosed now, in my attempts to keep the direct sun off.
The other problem being the metal is working as a Faraday cage or similar. Wireless reception range has gone down substantially. Lol.

[Charlie]

Starting to look like folk art... put a "modern sculpture for sale" sign on it - perhaps a passing tourist will buy it for enough money that you can purchase a Stevenson screen, LOL

[kingqueen]

Starting to look like folk art... put a "modern sculpture for sale" sign on it - perhaps a passing tourist will buy it for enough money that you can purchase a Stevenson screen, LOL

It's certainly elicited a discussion in my care home about what it is I've ordered the requisite plant pot saucers, white spray paint, threaded rods etc. off Ebay to do a better job.

[BCJKiwi]

What about a couple of pieces of white plastic tube - downpipe or drain pipe that will fit inside each other with a reasonable space between then and between the inner tube and the existing solar shield.

Once you have the tubes sorted, you could cut long and wide vertical slots in them to provide good air movement and stagger the slots on the inner and outer tubes so you can't see through to the original shield.

That will provide plenty of ventilation and provide complete sun shielding and hopefully it will look better while taking up much less space.