I am looking to purchase or build a weatherproof digital sign, preferably LED, that will display a three digit temperature. The preferred size of the text is 3” tall. The enclosure should have an appropriate length and spacing for three digits and be as thin as possible as it will mounted over existing painted numbers. The sign should communicate wirelessly with the network to update the temperature. There is 120v power nearby and a router within 100 feet.

Alternatively, a larger sign would cover the entire temperature placard and display, "TEMP 102*". The existing placard is 4" H x 12" L x 1/2" D.

I have been searching for weeks with no luck. I appreciate any recommendations or leads. I need 25 of these signs and I am willing to pay to have custom signs built.

 

Is 1/4" thin enough for you?

I would make the three digits with LED strip lighting, like this. Note that I am not recommending this product but simply providing it for your reference.

When you say that you are within 100" of the router, is that a wired or wireless router? How are you providing the inputs to the display? Do you have BCD outputs for each digit? Or is the input a decimal value? Or is the input the actual temperature sensor value?

In any case, a microprocessor can connect to the temperature source, and do whatever is necessary to display the temperature. If its wired, then the micro would connect via Ethernet (there are modules for this). Or, if its wireless, there are other wireless modules.

Can you provide more detail? As your question stands, it asks more questions than answers which youve provided.

 

Please be gentle with me...I do not even rise to the level of novice. Thank you for you recommendation.

I work for a resort in Colorado that has 25 hot spring pools. I am using an immersion sensor that connects to control box and speaks wirelessly to the sensor-provided software on the network. I would be glad to provide more info.

Once the temperature data is at the network it will be distributed to the website, to bulletin boards around the property (indoors and out), and also to signs beside each pool.



I would like to find, or design, a 3-digit sign that can fit over the temperature, eg, the 111* in the picture above. Something like this...

There is 120v power nearby and a wireless router within 100 feet.

The atmosphere of the resort is steamy and wet; wet pools, wet decks, wet customers. The spring water is mildly corrosive, like seawater. Not to worry though, I found a good YouTube that shows how to ruggedize electronic components using a coating and adhesive shrink wrap.

My lack of knowledge and experience leaves me uncertain how things will attach, but I see things very close to what I am after, just not so small a scale (3 x 3" digits) or so few required (25 units).

I see things like this and some of them talk wifi to a pc (or network, I suppose), but they are too big for my purpose.


I've even thought about reclaiming the displays from old LED clocks if I knew what to get for them them to talk to the network and display two or three digits for temperature.

I hope I have answered your questions and made my project more clear. as I said, I am not even a novice and obviously need a tremendous amount of help.

What is your availability for hire and what are your rates? If I even had a single unit (my naivete wants to call it a prototype #:^) ) I could work from there. Or rather, I could take to my boss, get an attaboy, and he would move on it from there.

I appreciate any wisdom you care to share.

Thank you,

Kyle

 

Is 1/4" thin enough for you?

I would make the three digits with LED strip lighting, like this. Note that I am not recommending this product but simply providing it for your reference.

When you say that you are within 100" of the router, is that a wired or wireless router? How are you providing the inputs to the display? Do you have BCD outputs for each digit? Or is the input a decimal value? Or is the input the actual temperature sensor value?

In any case, a microprocessor can connect to the temperature source, and do whatever is necessary to display the temperature. If its wired, then the micro would connect via Ethernet (there are modules for this). Or, if its wireless, there are other wireless modules.

Can you provide more detail? As your question stands, it asks more questions than answers which youve provided.

Yes, 1/4 inch is best.

 

If there are sensors at each pool, is there a way to tap the output from that sensor and wire that to the sign thermometer? Or even add an additional sensor to each pool? Then the sign wouldn't need any networking ability, which could allow using an off-the-shelf LED thermometer (maybe with the original display replaced), or a cheap Arduino board.

 

If there are sensors at each pool, is there a way to tap the output from that sensor and wire that to the sign thermometer? Or even add an additional sensor to each pool? Then the sign wouldn't need any networking ability, which could allow using an off-the-shelf LED thermometer (maybe with the original display replaced), or a cheap Arduino board.

That's a very good idea and I will look into it. Though, I do like the efficiency of all the little robots reporting to a master. I want to limit the number of wires going into the pool for trip hazard and esthetics reasons. I know that a wireless sign will talk to the sensor and the sensor can also talk to the network, but the signs are too big and too expensive for my small purpose.

Thank you for your recommendation, it is a good one.