I’m glad those containers worked out for you. When creating a sealed envelope for longterm outdoor use; the seals need to be able to resist the change in pressure differential that can result from thermal cycling. Even small leaks can result in a “pumping” phenomenon. During the day the air inside the envelope is heated increasing the internal pressure. Often a seal meant to keep water out may do little to keep air in; such weak seals or other small leaks can result in some of the internal air being ‘burped’ out. This isn’t directly problematic, but overtime when the air cools down it can result in a small vacuum pressure. This negative pressure will continue to slowly build up until humid air or even liquid water is sucked in through tiny leaks or the enclosure is manually opened. This process can be driven forward by a subsequent factor; humid air draw into the container will tend to condense, early in the day and pool in the bottom of the container. Some of this water will evaporate during the day (now ensuring the internal humidity stays around 100%) Though some will escape during subsequent “burps” in general the liquid water will tend to accumulate. Under the right circumstances in the right environment a truly shocking amount of water can accumulate this way. As mentioned desiccants can mitigate the problem in some applications. Where I live in Florida, and other humid places desiccants alone might be a lost cause; even exacerbating the problem. In the end I find it’s best to evaluate whether you really require a sealed enclosure. If not make sure it can breath and drain. If you are going to seal an enclosure make sure it can resist egress as well as ingress.

Here is the logic behind the names of Ikea's furniture: Bathroom items = Name of Swedish lakes and water connection Bedding = Flowers and plants Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture = Places in Norway Bookshelves = Occupations and Scandinavian boy names Bowls, vases, candles and candle holders = Swedish places, adjectives, spices, herbs, fruits and berries Boxes, wall decorations, paintings and frames, clocks = Swedish slang terms, Swedish places Children's products = Mammals, birds, adjectives Desks, chairs, swivel chairs = Scandinavian boy names Fabrics, curtains = Scandinavian girl names Garden furniture = Scandinavian islands Kitchen accessories = Fish, mushrooms and adjectives Light = Units of measurement, seasons, months, days, shipping and nautical terms, Swedish place names Carpets = Danish place names Sofas, armchairs, chairs and dining tables = Swedish place names

Dear Andreas.. you can look at something called "IP68 waterproof vent plugs". I use these in my projects and they are perfect for temperature dessipation as well as avoiding condensation from happening due to non movement of air. You get them in ABS like material with a silicone 'O' ring and backnut screw to mount it on any flat surface with a hole.

Thanks Andreas, I really enjoyed watching this. My lab starts getting more and more of a mess, but each time I want to reoganise things I spend too much time thinking about what should go where and eventually just give up. These type of video's help getting some insight into how other people are organizing their labs.

Be aware that polyproylene is not resistant to UV and deteriorates when placed outdoors in the sun! I used a polypropylene sandwich box to house an L-band patch antenna and placed it on the roof. It was not IKEA but another known brand SISTEMA who make attractive boxes that are tempting to use for this purpose. However, after a year on the roof I took it down (as the satellite service I used it for was terminated) and the box crumbled in my hands. It had not leaked yet, but I think had it been out another winter season it would have cracked and leaked. And this was in the Netherlands, quite similar to Switzerland w.r.t. sunshine I think.

For masking sunlight, try aluminium foil tape (used for duct sealing etc.)

Thank you for showing the used solar panel. I had plans to use the same ones in a project and I will now protect them with glass.

I recognize the bamboo drawer inserts... I like them too. As a maker, (almost) all Ikea products are suitable for dual use. So is almost everything else.

Thanks for another provolking video. IKEA is everywhere! I love cross purposing stuff. For example, I have been using my 18V Ryobi battery packs from yard equipment, saws, and drills, for powering an nicrome-wire igniters that sets off a waterproofed firecracker that I place in mole hills in the grass. A vibration sensor senses the activity. The sensor signal goes through a MCU for verification, the MCU/transistor/relay then discharge the firecracker. Too much fun.

I love to use IKEA shelves and plant growing lights. I never thought to use their containers.

Ikea Lack square tables (the yellow one at the end) also make good 19 inch racks, though you may need to support very heavy equipments at the rear by using offcuts of hardboard sheets stacked in between items - the legs are relatively weak as they are hollow except at the ends but will easily support network switchers and routers. For taller racks you can drill the ends of the legs and glue in dowels (I used a short piece of M6 threaded rod) and drill a corresponding hole in the lower tabletop - this prevents disasters because the upper table will slide on the lower one otherwise. You can then place very heavy equipment direct on the tabletop, where it can slide in/out easier. Cut a sheet of hardboard to make a liner to assist sliding - or the tabletop may be scratched by the nutserts and screws on the equipment case. Stacks 3 or 4 tabes high are possible if you put the lighter equipment at the top.

The "kitchen line" is a very good idea. Thanks. I'm using the IVAR system for selves.

My favorite: kitchen knife magnets. I use them for screwdrivers, drillbits, ... Mounted them to ikea shelf and enjoy them ever since. Even printed hex-shaped holder to hold drillbit inserts.

Hi Andreas! Thank you for all your videos and amazing work! To cool the batteries, or anything else for that matter, I believe that you could use the glass itself like a heatsink. By having the enclosure printed in white inside as you do, I honestly doubt that the temperature of the glass would go more than a few degrees centigrade above the ambient temperature, even on a very hot day... but again, it would depend on quite a few factors.

Yet again! A great and informative video. Thank you, Andreas.

Very nice video. I also have a room full of modified Lack tables and Samla containers. I did not know about the nice drawers and the smaller containers and I have to commend you on your bravery for besting the IKEA labyrinth. I haven't done that in a while and just order from their online store.

Being on a tighter budget, I use thoroughly washed TakeAway boxes (polypropylene), for my UKposts projects and storage - they are throwaway free. Just make sure they've only held boiled rice, spring rolls or dumplings etc., in their former life otherwise, you'll never get rid of the stain/aroma ;) I'm certain IKEA would endorse this perspective - it's a very green.

Evening from Australia. Andreas now gold this weekend. You could use a desiccant valve with a one way valve so any moisture will vent out of the project.

The meatballs are great. The market hall is a great place for a hack. The Tropfest as a bench drill press is a cool feature in my workshop

Hey, thank you for the IKEA ideas. I'll have a close look on the "kitchen" ones, METOD, as it seems the perfect solution for my needs. One comment about those small weather worn solar panels. I regularly clean the surface of those solar panels used with garden solar lights (and solar Christmas lights as well) with Methylated spirits (alcohol) or Metho in Australia available in hardware shops. It seems to dissolve or at least soften the plastic surface but it does get an absolute perfect clean surface. They look as new. It works for us.

One can close eyes and listen to what he says. Much comprehensive and narrative.

For small projects, like an esp8266 based neopixel controller with lets say temperature sensors or relays or any other switched appliance, i like to use the boxes that gets used for home eletrical wiring from the home improvement store. You get different sizes, can cut a few holes in it, mount it easier to a surface and theyre also cheap and commonly available. All my smarthome node that i built myself are in such a box. Except the rgb controller in my PC, thats just mounted inside the case. I used also one to stuff my wago terminals for their wiring (seperate 5v for the appliances, 5 standy for the controllers, ground all from an old atx psu) on my desk in, so it looks a bit less messy.

I have a very large plastic bin with a snap lid like that, that I use to hold 4 spools of filament for my 3d printer. Each filament has a just-tight-enough bung to feed to the printer, the others covered in tape when not needed.

Use a Gore-tex protective vent to equalize the pressure difference while blocking water getting in the container.

Great video!! Here area my favorite from Ikea Spain: I use the LADDA/Alcalist/CR32 batteries, power bank, 103.115.96 great for keeping all spugers/small tools, 102.891.14 to store RTL-STR and leads, gliss transparent boxes for components etc (just came back super cheap), 600.940.72 coloured trays/bins for work in progress or bring small tools and measurement equipment to site of failed equipment. Still looking for the radio controlled clock you showed. I guess Madrid is too far from DCF77 (1000 km), but I am able to sync with my wx station (guess Ikea don't want to field service complaints if nor working reliably). Thanks for the tips on the new containers, looking really good.

I like the batteries, also the USB cables are very good. The tradfri panels light my work bench. plenty of boxes and the Besta cabinets for storage.

Well said sir! You hit it right on the head there. Build verses buy. Ikea's price to performance is phenomenal. I've created 8 RU audio racks using their (sadly discontinued) Rast bedside table. Most recently I've used the super cheap Himmlesby frames for my eink poster projects. Additionally, can I recommend the Fixa box for cheap cable management solutions. Ikea gear is cheap, well made and easily hackable.

Thank you for your video. About Ikea batteries, I currently use AA and AAA ones, good capacity and low price. On the other hand I tried to use CR2032 buttons batteries and I found them very bad quality, specially about the using time that is very short comparing to same price products. I used them in an Ikea product (Tradfri switches and remote). For the TRADFRI line of products, most of them work fine: bulbs, remote, gateway and switch with magnetic sensor don't really work. Enjoy.

Great video. I love those glass bottom containers, they are much better in terms of discolouration resistance compared to plastic. Their USB chargers are also great quality. I do wonder how does one mount your parts inside if you don't have a 3D printer, perhaps plastic stand-offs with double sided tape?

Andreas, I am sorry to say I have never been to an Ikea store. I have used some of their products when employers during startup days used Ikea desks and furniture. I think your video may have convinced me to check one out. There is one south of Boston that is an hour or two away from me.

I use Tradfri zigbee lamp and other stuff over the conbee II gateway on raspbery pi 4. makes fun for an acceptable price.

One can use 2"×3"×8' boards to strengthen IKEA's Henje wooden pine storage racks to hold IT & server equipment as well and quite well too.

Isn't the glass borosilicate? If so, you can just use thermal paste to transfer heat to the "glass" from the components. Also, if you don't use IR, just use an optically transparent IR reflector, like those used in car windows.

Clever hacks and ideas. I will take some of them. Thank you :-)

We find electrical boxes with clear plastic covers with IP67 protection for a bit over a euro. For a bit more, you might be able to source a larger unit. They have silicone nipples that you can cut as needed for routing cable, although your application seems self-contained. Very easy to open and close as well. Check your local or German electrical supply online. Yes, we bought online locally because it was cheaper like that but still came in-country. I think they’re made in Poland, which is no surprise because Poland seems to have very good cost and quality for injection molded parts. I have no idea why this is.

You're right Ikea is sometimes a good source. The next Ikea to me is literally just 5min away. I often go there for light bulbs etc.. When I have projects with many small parts I use the plastic tablets "tillgång" (1€/piece) to keep everything together while assembling etc.

I created a small and cheap trolley for my workshop using IKEAs Alex, 4 wheels (Rill), handles for cables etc. (Lansa) and Småcker for the drawers. Very nice and less than 85€.

Fantastic video Andreas!! Saludos desde España.

Hi Andreas, thanks for another great and interesting video - I think that using a double glass walled container like a thermos would serve you well would be a great experiment that I might even try myself

Some great ideas where presented here! Just combine them... To release the heat, you possibly can replace the lid with an aluminum plate, reuse the seal and clamp it to the glass container with top and bottom aluminum beams across the container, joint with threaded rods and bolts... It remains sealed and has a built in heatsink! I would definitely cover the glass with some aluminum tape where you can.

By far I'd have to say my favorite thing at IKEA are the Swedish meatballs. 😁 They come up with some pretty creative fixtures though (especially lights).

Excellent ideas @Andreas, & definitely worth investigating if you're a maker. I've actually been using super cheap soap dishes for some of my boxes (sealed with hot glue). I am curious about the exposed boxes on your roof & in your garden. Specifically, I'm wondering if the plastic lids have held up to the weather since heat & cold can crack many plastics in my experience. Cheers & looking forward to your next project or tips!

Very good idea! I probably find those box in our nearest Dollar store.

I use 4 Lack tables stacked for my 3d printers and 3018 cnc. Very convenient and saves a lot of space

For power in/out you can easily drill a hole into the lid and use a cable gland for a waterproof connection. The battery box can be opaque and sit in the shadow.

My initial thought is to remove the battery from the container and the heat inside. I would have the glass near the edge of a structure such as a roof. I'd run a very short run of power leads outside the bottom of the container, use rubber grommets if worried about moisture. Then the battery can tuck under the roof edge into the shade protected from the direct sunlight. Build enclosure or hat for the battery if worried about water so it can drip down and off instead of flowing into the battery itself. Use the loop or bend trick on the leads before they connect to the battery so that any moisture buildup will through gravity collect at the loop bottom and drip off instead if traveling asking the wires to the battery.

I love those LADDA AA batteries. I'm powering my indoor temperature logger with them (3 x 1.2V) with a FireBeetle ESP32 board. I get 4 months runtimes out of a charge. Board wakes up from deep sleep every 15mins, then it connects to WIFI, reads temp sensors and uploads values to Google Drive.

An Ikea Gnedby CD cabinet, cut to half height and put on its side on my bench gives little compartments to put stuff in and lab bench PSU's and oscilloscope on top.

Andreas, perhaps a passive heat sink or heat exchanger or peltier junction applied with heat conductive grease might help with your box's thermal issue. I make extensive use of Ikea kitchen organizers, especially the Sunnersta bins on rail system and children's dish and bowl sets and organizers to feed my animals, help with food preparation and as temporary part holders during disassembly of gear. The children's items are very cheap, colorful and mostly BPA free. Perhaps your cat would enjoy them.

I keep my SMDs in WenTai boxes from Ali. But I keep those boxes in a Kvissle tray box from IKEA. And of course, LADDA is king.

Thanks Andreas!

Thank you for keeping your videos relevant and diverse. When I watched today's video I was like "It's so obvious", but then again, I didn't think about these uses myself. Great job

idea for waterproof case and heat transfer. cut a hole in the polypropylene lid, epoxy or silicone (maybe even gasket maker) a heatsink, the larger the better. or use the silicone gasket that comes with the lid, and make an aluminum lid. print some clamps to keep the lid tight. you got yourself some pretty "cool" electronics right there ;)

Andreas Spiess + GreatScott? We _NEED_ this crossover

The pure definition of waterproof is that water that gets in will not get out.

as part of your cooling put your project bix up on pilars , noticably taller one side than the other , this greatly assist convection cooling suggest shorter length at about 25 mm to allow sufficient flow. and to thermaly couple batteries to bottom of enclosier and insulate their top.

Hi, good video as usual. 👌 I only see a problem if you use the Boxes upside down as water will stay in the lid. I use the (original) professional out door cases for years now for my sprinkler system with great success. It may depend on the quality of the polycarbonate if they get milky. I like the mounting points outside the containment. Wall mounted and horizontal installations does not show any leaks or milky front panel. I Always made sure that cables exit the case on the bottom through waterproof fittings (only use one fitting per one ROUND cable or waterproof connectors). You can get the BH1750 with a diffuser dome which can be easily sealed on top of the case.

Add a heatshink to the lid.You have to cut the lid to make the hole for the sink. Sealing around the edges of the sink will make it water right again. Putting the PCB on a "gap pad" that is on the sink will keep it cool.

When I saw Fight Club, I didnt expect Ikea stuff to be very popular among electronics use. That toilet paper holder is classic now for headsets and so on.

The reason your solar panel turned opaque (at least part off the reason) is that these cheap panels turns opaque in UV. The effect is supposed to be worst closer to the UVC range so putting them behind plastic or soda-lime or borosilicate glass will probably help protect them by blocking some of the really nasty UV but it will hurt your over-all efficiency more in the short term when the temperature rises since solar panel efficiency is reduced by high temperatures. It also also important to note that attempting to completely seal electronics meant to operate outdoors isn't necessarily a good idea. The reason is that you need to make your seal so good that it seals not just against rain but also needs to be fairly air tight. During the day the air will heat up and contain some humidity. If any of this air makes it into the container, then during the night when the temperature drops you will get condensation inside of the container. Then during the next day the condensed water will have a more difficult time evaporating because of the sealed container. This cycle can slowly build up water inside of the container when conditions are right. Often it is easier to simply have a container with a small drain hole toward the bottom, but you should put a filter here since the heat from the electronics can attract bugs. As you mention li-ion batteries are also problematic since they should never be charging when above 45 C. This is unfortunate since you end up with the hottest temperatures exactly when you would be getting the highest amount of energy from your solar panel. Using the solar panel as a shade for the electronics (including enclosure) is a good idea. I just don't think those resin solar panels are worth your time for outdoor use (and of course they don't work with normal indoor light sources). Look at ETFE panels if you don't like the glass solar panels (though finding very small ETFE panels can be difficult). Just be careful not to have ETFE panels in a situation where they can catch fire (e.g. near a Li-ion battery). ETFE is amazing in many ways but you really don't want to breathe ETFE smoke.

For heat exchange, middle of the plastic lid should be cut off, and covered with a peace of aluminium plate, mounted with screws and sealant. Small heatsinks can be mounted inside and outside, with a small fan inside. That would transmit some of the heat outside, without sacrificing the seal. The problem is this plastic will not stick properly to any glue, so mounting the plate can be quite difficult.

Here in SA it's Walmart or Leroy Merlin, however between those two one can get everything needed. To get Ikea stuff here we have to preorder with a local importer after choosing the product from the China website, huge hassle and expense. But Ikea does have good stuff, their furniture is very nice, however we pay a premium price for here. There's a local importer, and they stock the furniture products, and it's expensive. A six drawer set on castors is 310 dollars here, pricy for us.

Andreas, Maybe you have to consider installing a Peltier element in the lid of the box. Thank you for all the nice ideas! 73 from Dirk ON4VRT

Thnx for Ikea batt tip will get some next time I’m in Ikea gr Amsterdam

I have always learned that you should add a minimum 8mm hole to all devices that should work outside. The reason behind is that the temperature difference causes air to move in and out of the box, together with moisture. The hole size is the minimum size where water can escape. Some offshore antennas, have a long pole attached to vent to the outside, and with splash proofing, so water from a hose does not enter.

Thank You

Im also used to American brands having similar products, affordably. Whats produced closest to you is rarely going to be most expensive for you. As for heat issues - an old heatsink that punctures the plastic lid, sealed with RTV fireplace silicone will do the job. Then we just need a small fan or two, and a vented outer chamber. Cover the vents with tyvek (for moisture seal, but air exchange). If nothing else? White, high-end, disposable painters coveralls will probably be the right material. Now that I think about it, why bother with the heatsink? Perhaps a tyvek-filter-vented uni-chamber design would be sufficient. Just need two opposite sides vented to maximize airflow.

Ikea bamboo bowls to make beautiful original speakers 😄

People here are talking about names of IKEA items, but maybe they don't know that is because, if I'm right, Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA's creator, was dyslexic, so those names were easier for him to remember (not for me, I'm not swedish, Hehehe ! ). About the repurposing of "things", I suppose that is mandatory when we don't have easy acces to materials and tools, we need use what is available, I do that a lot, but I used to do even more when young, today's marketplaces are like "El Dorado" for makers. Thanks for sharing !

Hello Andreas, thanks again for sharing these nice ideas. Concerning heat exchange, why not use a metal plate that would go through the cover and seal it ?

Regarding the temperature issue: we sometimes use dual heatsinks, one on the inside, one on the outside, but we mostly use metal housing. Maybe it is possible to implement it by cutting in the plastik lid and ad some alumimium sheet for the heat transfer and silicone caulking for the water resistance.

The table you use for the 3d printer. also works well as a 19" rack

My light sensors are in a sealed test tube (borosilicate passes all relevant wavelengths), along with an aluminum rod that transfers the heat out of the tube without allowing any air exchange that could carry moisture inside the tube. The tube is covered with aluminum tape (used for sealing heating ducts) with windows cut for each sensor. I use shielded CAT5 cable to connect the sensors to a box that holds the electronics, which sits in the shade of its solar panel. Everything stays dry, and cool enough. So far.

I believe the same table you're using with your printer (I think its actually the Lack table from IKEA) is a near perfect fit for standard 19" rack mount equipment between its legs. Just google "IKEA table Rack" for more info; some of the setups are very impressive.

My hack: IKEA Bekvam Spice Racks comfortably hold 22 norelco cassette cases, and you can hang 'em on sloped ceilings. Perfect to reclaim some lost storage space due to the whole "Attic effect"..

Probably I speak for everyone on this channel in saying that my house is filled with little inventions and hacks that I've created to solve one problem or another. Quite often I re-purpose some item, to serve a different purpose. I've never shopped at IKEA though, (since it's not too convenient.) So this is less about IKEA, and more about solving problems with the things we have available. Here's an idea you might consider, for some relatively cheap and easy video content: Ask people to submit photos/videos/descriptions etc. of some of their favourite modifications/hacks/inventions, which you could then compile into videos and present on your channel.

Thank you.

IKEA frozen-food bags come in 4 sizes and are sturdy, easy to close and label. Great for grouping cables of the same type, and so on.

Outdoor enclosures for electronics projects is a worthy topics for discussion and perhaps future episodes. Even many consumer grade outdoor devices fail due to poor design. My purchased rain gauge required repair after 2 years due to water corrosion of battery terminals and insect infestation. I've built many outdoor Rpi webcams using repurposed containers such as your showed in this video. Most worked better than not-so-cheap purchased camera enclosures. Right now, I'm considering putting a Jetson Nano outdoors but need to solve the heat dissipation issue you touched on. Running AI object detection means active fan cooling. I worry the relatively expensive Nano will not survive long with dust, insects, snow in the winter, 40C heat in the summer.

The 365+ series is older on IKEA shops. The 20Litre variant is perfect for two pla spools from the 3D printer.

Just a hint on polypropylene: although a wonderful material, it definitely doesn't like low temperatures: it gets brittle. Maybe this doesn't turn out to be a problem for you, as your outsinde stuff isn't moved around that much. But fore sure something to keep an eye on in winter, as this brittleness doesn't go away when temperatures rise again.

I used to place mobile phone screen protector foils on solar panels. Annual change solves maintenance.

Interesting. We here in Australia have Ikea, but also Kmart who stock generally lower quality items but at a lower price.

Two ideas for overheating, if it's just the batteries, mount them externally in another foiled container or as it is hermetically sealed, vacuum pump the internal space and seal it. With some of the atmosphere removed there is less to heat up.

Motorcycle dashboards usually have a hole in the back covered with goretex, it allows air in for ventilation but mostly keeps the humidity out.

Dollarama in my area sell packs of birch plywood planks, dowels and some wooden project boxes for $2 a piece. For that price, I can't even buy the raw wood used to make the plywood, to build the box! Needless to say, I went nuts and bought 10 of everything.

For projects that need to be sealed into an enclosure how about inductive power transfer like Qi to get power into the box to charge a supercapacitor. That way the box can be made light opaque and radio transparent reducing internal heat. An external solar power supply can drive the Qi or equivalent coils.

Thanks for the great idea to use these food boxes for your projects :) I think they are indeed very good value. I am not fond of the alkaline batteries from Ikea, because they tend to leak just at their best before date. More than any Duracell or Varta battery will do. Alkalisk seems to be made in Germany, so they are most probably produced by Varta. And the CR2025 are the same, they may not leak but they drain a lot faster in my car key than the original Panasonic battery did. LADDA seems to be very good indeed. The LACK table at the end is always very useful, it only costs 6 euros here in The Netherlands.

I use a product called 'damp seal' in the UK for leaving a UV proof wax layer over anything you spray it on, great for seals on boxes, and good enough to last a few weeks in Scottish weather on a exposed solar panel Its not a wd40 or ptfe spray, its a wax spray designed for older style distributor-type ignition systems on cars, thats why its got such great UV resistance. Its also wonderful at stopping condensation on pipes! Just spray it on, it creates a barrier layer and condensation no longer forms 😁 Edit: out of every tech tip and little trick I know, that one about the damp seal and the pipes is probably the one that's got me the most thanks over the years..... its a problem that drives people crazy for years, they can spend a fortune trying to fix, then I swoop in and fix it in exchange for a cup of tea 😁

For outdoor boxes we ussualy drill one ore two holes at the lowest point to facilitate the box "breathing" thru night do to pressure changes from the temperature, thus the water is spitted out in the morning, the only problem is that the humidity is the same as outside. But there is no problem of water collection.

Having sealed boxes has the problem of ‘breathing’ as the air within heats and cools, sucking in humid air. We used Goretex breather plugs in our IP67 outdoor satellite modems where I worked, to allow breathing but keep out liquid water. They’re expensive, but they work!

Did the refraction coefficient of the glass or box not effect the light/UV readings?

Interesting as always Thanks for sharing :-)

As you noticed, epoxy coated solar panels quickly degrade in the sunlight. However, there is a quick and simple solution. Multiple manufacturers make clear UV-resistant thick tape for fixing greenhouses etc. It is perfect for protecting the solar panels, easy to install and with a few years of experience it seems to do the job well. Also, it does not seem to affect the efficiency of the panels much. I believe big clive has a video about using this tape.

If you want any kind of waterproofness you have to compress the seal. The ikea glass lunchboxes are good for this, provided you use water-rated passthrough fittings

1) Improve thermal path: Embed a large aluminum plate/heat sink in the lid on the shade side to improve thermal dissipation and carefully seal around its edges? 2) Divide and conquer: Move to 2 boxes, one with the solar cell out in the sun and another in the shade for the electronics. You'll need a sealed hole in each lid for the power lines and UV-resistant/protected wire. Even without exploding batteries, I'd be worried about the reduced lifespan of a lot of the electronics under the harsh and constant sun in some places. 3) Preventative mods: 3D print new lids in ASA or other UV-resistant material. I've seen polypropylene nearly degraded to a fine powder in about a summer out here. Also worth adjusting the rim geometry so water can drip down and off the lid instead of just getting caught in the gasket area. Cheers from Southern California

Great video as usual Andreas!! Have to ask, what is the name of those under counter drawers you have there? I'm looking all over Ikea website but can't find anything like it. Was it a custom build you put together?

awesome, never knew ikea batteries were good quality

What you plan to buy in IKEA: Boxes What you actually bought: Blåhaj and Livlig

for radiating heat, fill the container with clean motor oil. the oil is excellent for distributing heat to the glass. heat sinks could be added to the glass for better cooling.