Outdoor Door/Gate (Reed Switch) Enclosure

thingiverse

Outdoor enclosure for low-cost RF Reed Switch mounted on wooden gate. The goal was to locate and install a wireless sensor that indicates when garden gate is both open and closed. After numerous iterations, including ESP8266 use, LiPo batteries, and solar recharging options, the simplest solution emerged: utilize an affordable 433Mhz Chinese door/window sensor. These sensors are designed for indoor use in white plastic housing as shown. Following testing and validation, the challenge was to create a weather-resistant enclosure that doesn't enlarge the sensor and allows convenient battery replacement (1 year) without tool usage. A slide-on/off cover mounting system was chosen, with the rear covers attached to the wooden gate and post using suitable screws and some glue/sealant for waterproofing any gaps. The front section containing the battery and circuitry can be easily removed or replaced for maintenance purposes. The main PCB/battery transmitter unit could be easily extracted from its original plastic enclosure and reinstalled in the outdoor enclosure. Unfortunately, the magnet couldn't be detached from its original white plastic housing as it had been sealed into place. Since this wasn't significantly large, keeping it within its original enclosure contributed to weather protection. PLA material has proven extremely reliable and of high quality for this and other prints. To verify enclosures' water resistance, the front covers were submerged in water for an extended period with no signs of dampness or water seepage detected inside. This is not a robust security sensor but rather built for peace-of-mind notifications.