Modular solar radiation shield for weather stations

Introduction

This radiation shield was designed with established weather station design principles in mind. Its dimensions, plate spacing, and overall geometry were based on common practices used in professional radiation shields. It should provide effective solar shielding while maintaining good natural airflow around the sensors inside. In other words this thing is good.

Hardware required and assembly

• M3 threaded rod cut to size

• 6x or 3x M3 nuts

• 1x or 4x M3x6 threaded inserts

• + more depending on your particular setup

The M3 threaded rod should be in three peices and fed through all of the plates and secured on the very top M3 nuts or inserts and on the bottom with M3 nuts. For housing one sensor absolute minimum nuber of plates is 4 , recommended minimum is 6.

My solution to mounting sensors is either using M3 standoffs of different lenghts or using a peice of threaded rod and seuring the sensor PCBs insede by tightening them in between two M3 nuts. The standoff method is the one preferred. It is best to use plastic m3 standoff instead of metal ones for better thermal isolation. It is important that the sensors inside maintain a good clearance between each other and all the sensors should be somehow centered inside the solar radiation shileds.

Mount the entire assembly using M4 hardware. For exaple you could drill a 4mm hole into the mounting surface or use one of those zip tie mounting bracket things to secure the shield. The things I am referring to:

Before you print

• walls >4

• infill >20%

• top/bottom layers >6

• material: UV-stablilized material like PETG or ASA

• if you print the top plate with cutouts for nut set Bridge Counterbore hole to Partially bridged or Sacraficial layer (in case of OrcaSlicer)

My setup

I used a SHT41 sensor i2c molule with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W mounted on the roof together with my ADS-B setup. Planning on adding a brometric pressure sensor at some point.