LED Dimmer based dew controller

[Alan White]

Hello All

Just wish to share my diy project, a dew controller based on the led dimmers from eBay.

Very pleased, two channels with two outputs per channel.

No labels as of yet, will work on that, what have you all done for labels?

 

[Alien 13]

Nice project, I use one of these for labels http://www.ryman.co.uk/brother-pt90-hand-held-labeller.

Alan

[steppenwolf]

Very neat indeed - those LED dimmers on Ebay are amazingly good value for money, just be sure not to connect up the power the wrong way round. I am not prepared to tell you how I know that this is a terminal error ......

For labelling, I laser print the text/icons onto an A4 sheet of self adhesive label material and then cover this in adhesive transparent Fablon as below.

[RayD]

6 minutes ago, steppenwolf said:

Very neat indeed - those LED dimmers on Ebay are amazingly good value for money, just be sure not to connect up the power the wrong way round. I am not prepared to tell you how I know that this is a terminal error ......

For labelling, I laser print the text/icons onto an A4 sheet of self adhesive label material and then cover this in adhesive transparent Fablon as below.

Now that is very posh. 

[Daz69]

On 22/01/2017 at 17:30, Alan White said:

Hello All

Just wish to share my diy project, a dew controller based on the led dimmers from eBay.

Very pleased, two channels with two outputs per channel.

No labels as of yet, will work on that, what have you all done for labels?

 

Hi Alan.

Did you use these?

I have 2 arriving soon, and plan to split them to give 4 channels for four heaters. Mind you, the time they're taking to get from China it'll be summer!!!! 

[spaceboy]

I went with a piece of insulation tape fashioned on the original dimmer decals.

[Alan White]

12 hours ago, Daz69 said:

Hi Alan.

Did you use these?

I have 2 arriving soon, and plan to split them to give 4 channels for four heaters. Mind you, the time they're taking to get from China it'll be summer!!!!

Yes I did, they do come via the slow route, I ordered my ones at the start of November and they arrived in Second Week of January.
Really easy to work with, but do be careful with the circuit board as they are a little delicate when working with them.
I broke one while cutting the connection block off.

[Alan White]

12 hours ago, spaceboy said:

I went with a piece of insulation tape fashioned on the original dimmer decals.

 

Sapeceboy, I was wondering how to do that decal, a bit of white insulation tape required in my case then.
Great and again simple solution, I like simple.

[Daz69]

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Yes I did, they do come via the slow route, I ordered my ones at the start of November and they arrived in Second Week of January.
Really easy to work with, but do be careful with the circuit board as they are a little delicate when working with them.
I broke one while cutting the connection block off.

Thanks for the heads up Alan. I was thinking of leaving the blocks on and just running fly leads from them to a terminal block where 2 sets of leads will go to the sockets. I guess the pot knobs pop off easily? 

I'm adding 2 further sets of sockets via voltage regulators to give me 5v and 9v outlets just in case I need them, and (maybe) 2x 12v ciggy sockets. 

[Alan White]

29 minutes ago, Daz69 said:

Thanks for the heads up Alan. I was thinking of leaving the blocks on and just running fly leads from them to a terminal block where 2 sets of leads will go to the sockets. I guess the pot knobs pop off easily? 

I'm adding 2 further sets of sockets via voltage regulators to give me 5v and 9v outlets just in case I need them, and (maybe) 2x 12v ciggy sockets. 

I removed the blocks and soldered on fly leads to remove the screw terminals, thats how I broke one. I dont like screw terminals much.
The knobs come off with a light persuasion from a flat blade under the knob upwards.

Yours is sounding rather flasher than my version, show us all when you get it done please.

[Daz69]

21 minutes ago, Alan White said:

I removed the blocks and soldered on fly leads to remove the screw terminals, thats how I broke one. I dont like screw terminals much.
The knobs come off with a light persuasion from a flat blade under the knob upwards.

Yours is sounding rather flasher than my version, show us all when you get it done please.

Cheers for that Alan, I will post some photos when done. I'm thinking of future proofing that's all really. I would like to do some photography so the 5v will be for that (I think my Canon uses 5v, will have to confirm before committing). I also plan on fitting a PC fan to the rear of the primary so this will be powered by the 9v so that the power isn't too much, rather than fitting a potentiometer to control the speed. I've used pots before when I built a magnetic stirrer for vaping liquid as I make my own liquids now, using a 90mm PC fan. That way I can start the mixing slowly and once the ingredients are mixed thoroughly I can up the speed to aerate it. Great little device, better than shaking the devil out of it  

 

The ciggy sockets are for a phone charger/tablet and a dimmable 9" red LED strip light for general use. 

Each of the outputs (4 controllable for heaters and 2 for power) will have a small toggle switch and red LED indicators. 

A couple of years ago, I built a power pack using a 12v 9Ah deep cycle SLA battery and I use this for night fishing. I have an 18" dimmable white LED strip light that I hang inside my bivvy. This pack has 2x ciggy sockets for the light and my phone/tablet charger. Great bit of homemade kit. This also has a "push to work" switch to illuminate a volt meter for showing the pack voltage. Might incorporate one on my telescope power pack as well, if I have enough room inside the box. 

[Alan White]

I just removed the 12 volt fixed  lead.

Replaced with a 12 volt fixed input socket on the heater box and a matching plug on the supply lead previously feeding the unit.

Reason, well to make it pack away better and uniformity, the lead could now power a mount perhaps, thought this a better idea.