Mounting and cable management suggestions

J

JFReyes

Member
Hi all:

The following pictures show my first attempt at mounting and cable management of my aquarium automation. In a previous life I worked with IT data/voice rack cabinets, but that stuff is standardized and readily available; no such luck with aquarium equipment. Nevertheless, I tried to apply some of the same principles because the wiring mess can become burdensome and even dangerous when you mix electricity and salt water.

My inspiration came from these guys, who are gracious enough to provide blueprints even if you don't buy from them: Bulk Reef Supply Adaptive Reef. I'm not a PVC artisan so please excuse the roughness, but thank goodness for Dremel tools. I purchased 2 PVC panel boards from Home Depot: both are 2x4 feet wide, but one is 1/2 inch and the other 1/4 inch thick. The other materials were spray paint, nylon zip ties and wood screws (stainless steel are best but any will do as long as you paint them well).

As this is my first attempt I now realize that I made it too small for all the darn cabling I have. I will do better next time. I hope you find this post useful.

Regards,

José

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Hi all:

It turned out that v1 of the mounting board was too cramped for easy maintenance, so this this version 2. The bigger space and 2 sided layout (equipment in front, cabling in the back) is way better.

The small HDMI touch display is technically unnecessary but it eliminates the need for a network, which is helpful during storms. Plus, there's no need to pull out a cellphone/tablet/laptop to get an quick glance at the tank's status.

The empty space on the center-right is available for future expansion.

Hope the idea is useful to someone...
 

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That looks very clean, good job. Makes me think of when I was young looking at car stereo equipment, it was usually laid out something similar.
 
Rob F said:
That looks very clean, good job. Makes me think of when I was young looking at car stereo equipment, it was usually laid out something similar.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Well, I've also installed a few car stereos but having been in IT for 25+ years (rack equipment, structured cabling, etc.) helped too... :)

Cheers,
 
wow that looks great. Guess I need to get off my but and get mine setup and going. the tablet is connected threw wifi?

how tall is that board looks like almost 4 foot tall
 
rott said:
wow that looks great. Guess I need to get off my but and get mine setup and going. the tablet is connected threw wifi?
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Hi:

It's not a tablet, it's a 10 inch HDMI touch display. At first I thought about using a tablet but decided against it to avoid WiFi problems (it seems that the RPI's lose connectivity occasionally). It hooks up directly to the RPi's HDMI/USB sockets and works as a console. Plus it cost me $150 new, less than a 10 inch tablet.
 
that is a good Idea I am going to try and use a reefPi for an outside pond soon as the snow melts and I can get to the pond :)
 
The board is a PVC panel 2' x 4' x 1/2". I actually had to buy 2 of them because one is not enough for the side panels. However, I still have material left for additional shelves and cable mounts.
 
It weighs about 40 pounds, a lot of which comes from the cabling and power adapters on the back. Right now it's on the floor but I'm not sure about hanging it on a wall because whenever I have to make or fix a connection and then secure it on the backside (not often, but it happens) it would be a hassle.
 
can you post what screen your using and where you got it from so I can read about it a little it looks very nice and clean I like the way the edges are finished and it looks to have some kinda camera or a light sensor just above the screen
 
rott said:
can you post what screen your using and where you got it from so I can read about it a little it looks very nice and clean I like the way the edges are finished and it looks to have some kinda camera or a light sensor just above the screen
Click to expand...

I bought an ELECROW 10.1 Inch Touchscreen monitor from Amazon (see here). It's just a monitor with a built-in speaker so there are no cameras nor light sensors. It works great and cost less ($150) that a similar size tablet.
 
JFReyes said:
I bought an ELECROW 10.1 Inch Touchscreen monitor from Amazon (see here). It's just a monitor with a built-in speaker so there are no cameras nor light sensors. It works great and cost less ($150) that a similar size tablet.
Click to expand...

I had someone asking how you mount it. Looks like I see 4 screw holes 75mm apart on the back, did you use these and push bolts through stand?
 
I'm embarrassed to admit it but I just aligned two screws vertically on the panel and slid their heads along the vertical slot. Easy on, easy off.
 
JFReyes said:
I'm embarrassed to admit it but I just aligned two screws vertically on the panel and slid their heads along the vertical slot. Easy on, easy off.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that sounds even better than bolting it in place.
 
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