Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
variety of sources (including Amazon). The silica will dry out the air inside the con-
tainer even further, and it is nontoxic.
Silica gel packets usually contain the warning not to eat them because of silica's
extreme dessicant nature and the fact that it is commonly doped with other chem-
icals that allow it to visually alter its color as it takes on moisture. Those chemicals
are usually carcinogenic.
Also, depending on how waterproof (or animal-proof) you want the case to be, you
can take the extra step of sealing the container lid into place “permanently” when
you've finished.
We recommend that you consider wiring a temperature sensor (and possibly a hu-
midity sensor) inside of this container case in addition to any external sensors or
input/outputs (see Hacks
Hack #37
and
Hack #38
for details).
And as a bonus idea, you could also use this hack as the basis for a more elaborate
Raspberry Pi-powered interactive geocache (as described in
Hack #41
).
Make Your Pi Water-Resistant (Without a
Case)
HACK 40
Have you ever wanted to run your Raspberry Pi underwater without a
case? This hack can make that happen (at least for a while).
Normally, electronics of any sort coming into contact with water results in the release
of the magic smoke and one dead electronic component. Electronics used in the same
environment as water are carefully sealed in watertight components (think about un-
derwater cameras for example), but the Raspberry Pi is just a bare electronics board.
You could make it water resistant with a case (as described in
Hack #39
), but that can
get expensive, and at the time of this writing, there were not many water-resistant
cases for the Raspberry Pi out there. You could seal the entire Raspberry Pi in trans-
parent resin, but that isn't something most people have immediately available.
Safety Warning and Disclaimer
This hack is not for the faint of heart. It could very well result in a dead Raspberry
Pi and some serious pain. It goes without saying that the Raspberry Pi is not de-
signed or intended for use in water. By mixing electricity and water, you expose
yourself to a very real risk of electrocution. Unless you are really prepared to un-
dertake this hack
safely
, you might consider skipping it and moving on to some-
thing else. We don't want you to hurt yourself. No hack is worth injury.
