Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

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Ton_vN
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Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#1 Post by Ton_vN » 31 Jan 2021, 13:56

Had a BH1750 in dome installed in 'optimal' position on top of a housing,
but due to condensation at bottom side the circuit is now 'out of business'.
No longer for sale at AliX.
.
Looking for best compatible replacement, controllable by ESPEasy through I2C.
Somebody a hint?
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BH1750 in dome
BH1750 in dome
bh1750dome.jpg (43.83 KiB) Viewed 11049 times
BH1750 on top
BH1750 on top
Lichtmeethuis.jpg (79.53 KiB) Viewed 11049 times

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#2 Post by TD-er » 31 Jan 2021, 15:02

Looks like Banggood (1st suggestion in Google) still has the same as you showed
https://www.banggood.com/nl/BH1750-BH17 ... 95888.html

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#3 Post by Ton_vN » 01 Feb 2021, 10:20

Thanks for the hint!

;-( Sometimes too biased, should look wider than AliX.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#4 Post by Ton_vN » 21 Jul 2023, 17:20

The other 3 lightsensors in the housing still doing their jobs => no need for urgent repair of the BH1750.
However, the protecting window of plastic & gaze of the sensors' housing (as shown in 1st message in this thread) has increasingly been discolored & fractured due to prolonged UV/light-exposure, handicapping operation of those sensors.
Therefore the setup now indoors and dismantled, showing that the BH1750-PCB is 'far beyond-repair'.
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Rusted BH1750Zenith-circuit
Rusted BH1750Zenith-circuit
DefectBH1750Zenith.jpg (56.13 KiB) Viewed 2983 times
.
Banggood for the BH1750&Dome still reports 'awaiting resupply'.
Looking today at AliX they again seem to have several suppliers for BH1750&Dome.
While awaiting arrival of the new BH1750, the opportunity to invent/make more sturdy windows for this housing
and some better condensation-protection for the Zenith-BH1750.
For the latter aspect, perhaps not fit the new PCB tight into the dome, but with some 'extender' to allow airflow over the PCB and into the dome.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#5 Post by TD-er » 21 Jul 2023, 19:43

Why from far, when you can order it from "around the corner" to where you live :)

https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/sens ... sor-module

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#6 Post by Ath » 21 Jul 2023, 21:26

Instead of the plastic dome, you could use a small glass bowl, and lots of hot glue to make stuff water-tight, avoiding the horrible corrosion you've shown.
/Ton (PayPal.me)

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#7 Post by Ton_vN » 22 Jul 2023, 07:48

Ath,

In fact thinking along that line, because already lampbowls in use as housing for other lightsensors, UV-sensors and as 'solar_jar'.
'Solar-jar' is a setup in which you measure temperature inside a glass-jar enlighted by the sun, and compare with a 'normally' shaded thermometer:
- the air inside the solar-jar heats under effect of the sun's power
. the difference betwwen the temperature inside the solar_jar and the open air temperature outside the solar_jar is measure for sun's power.
Sounds simple, but is unreliable
=> quickly tracking the up-line, but the stationary air inside the bowl slowlier cooling-down for the down-line
=> just useful as a coarse indicator ...........

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Lichtmeetbollen
Lichtmeetbollen
Lichtmeetbollen.jpg (83.68 KiB) Viewed 2947 times
.
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Lichtmeetbol
Lichtmeetbol
WS7000P19Sensor.jpg (110.75 KiB) Viewed 2947 times
The 2nd jar inside the clear bowl meanwhile has been removed, because cause of reflections spoiling the measurements, and bad for temperature management.
.
The shown lampbowls have surprising little effect on the sensing performance of the lightsensors and UV-sensors.
The 'slanted' lampbowl has the advantage that the sensor can easily be aimed in the direction of the noon sun-position.
Because the bowls sometimes are 'less uniform' at the central point, other advantage is that zenith scanning is performed through the side of the bowl.
Further experience shows that temperature inside such bowl can become a 'problem' in summer,
even causing temporary stop of the PCBs' functions.
;) 'Challenge' to fit a simple, yet effective ventilation ........
Last edited by Ton_vN on 22 Jul 2023, 12:16, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#8 Post by ManS-H » 22 Jul 2023, 10:14

Ton_vN wrote: 21 Jul 2023, 17:20 The other 3 lightsensors in the housing still doing their jobs => no need for urgent repair of the BH1750.
However, the protecting window of plastic & gaze of the sensors' housing (as shown in 1st message in this thread) has increasingly been discolored & fractured due to prolonged UV/light-exposure, handicapping operation of those sensors.
Therefore the setup now indoors and dismantled, showing that the BH1750-PCB is 'far beyond-repair'.
.
DefectBH1750Zenith.jpg
.
Print aflakken met blanke lak, deed jou vroegere werkgever ook. :D

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#9 Post by Ton_vN » 22 Jul 2023, 12:08

Protecting laquer against moist should be 'old fashioned' type, containing 'dirty, but effective' components.
Industrial type of varnish/lacquer as used by my former employer out of reach, but perhaps hairspray is equivalent?
;) cannot borrow from the wife for experiment, because nowadays very few women use.
Although anyway doubting:
at this time such spray probably also 'healthy, natural & water-based' = hardly resistant against moist

Fearing that 'ventilation' is only practical remedy against condensation ........
Last edited by Ton_vN on 22 Jul 2023, 22:13, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#10 Post by TD-er » 22 Jul 2023, 12:44

Another coating can be nail polish.
But I'm not sure whether that will crack due to heat stress.

Or vaseline might be useful too as it will repell moisture.
But that one might also melt or drip off due to heat.

Just insulating it from UV might be done using a small plastic cover cut from a food container. But for those you might already be too late as those are now kinda being banned.

N.B. don't cut those using a laser cutter, as you may release extremely toxic gasses when made from certain plastics like ABS (others can also release toxic gasses when cut using lasers)

What I don't get is how parts on the inside of those bowls gets so wet.
Typically water condenses on stuff that's colder than the dew point of the air inside.
You could simply include the ESP unit inside that bowl too, so the PCB will heat up slightly and remain above dew point temperature.
Just include a plastic cover to prevent direct sunlight heating up the PCB too much.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#11 Post by Ton_vN » 22 Jul 2023, 21:58

Rummaging in the garage detected also a cartridge with silicon paste as used in kitchens and bathrooms:
well suited to fight moist, but not so sure that electronics like that paste.

Sensing some confusion, to be corrected.

The 'defect' BH1750 was not inside a bowl, but was fitted at the bottom-side of the small dome visible at the top of the exhaust-vent used as housing:
by dome & hood well protected against rain etc, but at the bottom-side exposed to air flow.
As can be seen on the detail-picture of the PCB, the PCB has a hole which would allow flow of air through the PCB into the small dome.
Apparently the thermal changes due to weather have effect that the air sucked inside the small dome has condensed, and the PCB being at the bottom of the dome with electronics at upper side has collected liquid & suffered the consequences .....
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Sideview onto Housing with BH7150
Sideview onto Housing with BH7150
BH1750_Sideview.jpg (12.97 KiB) Viewed 2880 times
Bottomview into hood of BH1750-housing
Bottomview into hood of BH1750-housing
BH1750_bottomview.jpg (16.14 KiB) Viewed 2880 times
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The electronics in the bowls nowhere are at the bottom of the bowl, but have 'elevated' positions, preferably in the center of the bowl for good view,
which means that any condensation can harmlessly flow along the sides to the bottom of the bowl, and exit through drainage holes:
occasionally ( ~ spring+autumn) I take off the bowls and check & clean, but seldomly seen any moist/liquid inside.

The ESP8266 related to the BH1750 and his brethern is located in the electronics box at the back of the housing (left on the picture):
no moist problems with that IP-certified box.

Your hint for 'small container' reminds me that such old-fashioned cartridge for analoque photo-film might have a good layout to make a cap for the new PCB:
a central small peeping hole for the sensor-view while the other electronics remain 'under cover'.
;-) I still have a few of those containers .....
Last edited by Ton_vN on 23 Jul 2023, 12:17, edited 7 times in total.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#12 Post by TD-er » 23 Jul 2023, 01:19

If you send me the exact dimensions, I can also send you something 3D printed.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#13 Post by Ton_vN » 25 Aug 2023, 12:38

TDer,
Will keep your offer in mind for 'improvement' related to BH1750-under-dome,
but basic restart of the setup and re-install of the other 3 sensors is more urgent.

Suspecting also some leakage at the side of BH1750's dome have carefully checked the fitting of the dome and put some extra paste on the edges.

Based on (positive) experience have put the other 3 sensors on an 'arm' inside a glass lampholder.
That lampholder is a front-extension of the original housing, mechanically connected aiming downwards,
meaning that the sensors now look at higher elevation, not yet zenith-scanning, but approx. +60 degrees rel. to horizon.
Simple support of the lampholder needed in form of recycled box+V-support, to keep the main housing vertical.
This raised elevation should already give some improvement, with the 3 sensors less looking at near obstacles, and more looking to summit of sun's trajectory.
The wooden bases for the 3 sensors shifted unchanged to the 'arm', meaning that the 2*TLS2561 are cross-eyed,
which was favourable in the original setup to avoid 'edge'- effects in the windows of the modules & housing.
In the new setup both (more or less) look through the same segment of glass: if the glass not uniform, same effect for both.
Ventilation inside a glass-bowl is not easy, and therefore possible that in midsummer the sensors become a little too hot for comfort,
but experience in the other bowl-setups shows that a functional breakdown seldomly occurs ......
.
Setup without glass
Setup without glass
Lichtsensors2023glassless.jpg (62.2 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
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Total setup
Total setup
Lichtsensors2023installed.jpg (88.43 KiB) Viewed 2725 times
Last edited by Ton_vN on 26 Aug 2023, 10:42, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#14 Post by TD-er » 25 Aug 2023, 13:05

Maybe test if there is a focal point of the sunlight inside the glass.
Just to be sure your setup won't catch fire :)

Last summer a neighbor of mine almost had her garden cushions on fire (large burn spot) due to an empty drinking glass left outside.
So I'm a bit more careful these days with glass and sunlight.


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Re: Replacement for BH1750-in-dome

#16 Post by Ton_vN » 25 Aug 2023, 20:08

TDer,

Possibly excessive heat due to accidentily focussed light is primary reason for offsetting the arm with the sensors as much as possible to the upper side of the lampholder.
Second reason is that the sensors' close position to the glass might reduce risk of reflections:
although graphs today at unexpected moments show some unexplainably high lightlevels.
;-( 'Renovation' not yet finished, requiring further look at aspects of high light level .....

Lampholder already has 4 holes in the bottomplate for some ventilation, but relatively small:
forced airflow would be beneficial, but at this time seems luxury.
;-) ;-) Perhaps addition of a spare DS18B20 as monitoring sensor for ambient temperature inside the lampholder:
easy job for the ESP8266.
;-) Side-effect that the setup with DS18B20 would be a primitive solar-jar configuration:
although ambiguous, in some way the air temperature inside the bowl will be proportional to incoming sunlight.

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