Don't they have louvred sides presumably for cooling which won't work well in a box.

Would a case from a scrapped air con unit be suitable ,they live outside .

How about a plastic coal bunker? Cheaper than the Adept cabinets and larger. My 500kg bunker is approx. 600 x 1200 x 1000mm, keeps the fuel dry so should keep your RC dry. N

If you put it outside you may have to put in a small tubular heater and thermostat in the enclosure to keep condensation at bay, have done similar for compressors etc in the past. You can wire a cooling fan if necessary to cool down equipment as well. We just knocked up a wooden and board structure with plenty of room and loovered door

David

Given the cost of replacing a rotary converter and the dangers of wet electrics, that worries me a bit too. Certainly not an insoluble problem but I think there are a number of questions worth asking before deciding on a solution:

• Is security an issue – theft, vandalism or curious children? (May suggests locks and strong construction.)
• How exposed to weather is the location? (Avoid louvres open to driving rain and plastics that don't like strong sunshine.)
• What's the likely range of temperature inside the box, mid-winter to high-summer? (May require insulation, heating, and cooling fans. Rotary conversion is electrically inefficient and produces significant waste heat – running one without adequate ventilation will overheat it.)
• Will the box and it's location be a fire risk to the rest of the property? (May suggest steel rather than plastic construction or a change of location.)
• Are there any legal or insurance issues it would be unreasonable to ignore?
• Does anyone else have an opinion? (Landlord, SWMBO …)

Matt's options are much wider if he lives on a farm and can put the box in a sheltered private spot. A different arrangement would be needed if the converter and wiring was to be located next to a public pavement in the window box on the weather side of a London flat.

Dave

Other thing to consider is neighbours and the noise putting it outside.

Do have a 5.5kw Transwave rotary kept as backup last used in 2010. Mines as loud as a compressor under minimal load, put in some boxes could amplify the noise and vibration. Certainly would not want to have that thing of mine outdoors, neighbours would be phoning the council.

The old ones are simple boxes, the mains supply got no special treatment.

You don't need a Rolls to go shopping

Edited By Dave Halford on 15/04/2019 11:26:03

I suppose it depends how much you want to spend.

Here are links to 2 suppliers of steel cabinets:

Ritherdon

Glasdon

Or you could make a brick cubicle with a concrete flag as a roof.

I have a 10hp R/c to power my workshop.

I mounted it on an angle iron frame,screwed to the wall,one to cut down on the noise by being mounted on a shelf [this was a no-go,too noisy ] The second reason was to save floor space.. There was still some noise from it,not a lot,but this was solved by fitting a plywood cover,open at the bottom. To date this has worked well,noise is very little,damp is not a problem. I would say,keep it inside,too easy to have it knocked off,and they dont come cheap.

And the 750W worth of 48v comes from???