Anyone know anything about electronics and want to help me out :)

[Disease]

Over the break we had a power cut which in turn left the server room air-con switched off, the first I knew was when I popped in 4 days later to do something and nearly passed out in the 50+ degree heat in the server room.

I want to create an early warning system but know nothing about electronics ( I am adept at following instructions though)

Is anyone able to help me out by designing a plan to build from parts a temp sensor with a theshold level with alarm and flashing light that I can get from say maplins?

I know it's a big ask, but would appreciate any help.

[mats]

Starter for 10 - arduino ( / freeduino) plus a DS18B20 one wire calibrated temp sensor, driving a mains relay (via a transistor) which drives a flasher / siren / whatever.

[mdench]

Not something to build buy maybe a possible future investment? AVTECH - Room Alert 4ER Monitors Real-Time Temperature, Humidity, Power, Flood, Smoke, Room Entry, Air Flow, Heat Index, Motion, Sound, Light, IP Network Cameras, Panic Buttons & More with Logging, Graphing, Alerting, Signal Lights (optional) & Autom

can set threshold and warning levels, with a web UI and can set it up to email you when the various limits are reached.

[Domino]

this: Temperature sensor tutorial - Using the TMP36 / LM35 outputs the temp readings to the serial console, but it should be a simple bit of coding to add a trigger for an attached light, etc

any good?

[Chris_]

Or if you want an off the shelf system you could look at things like the APC NetBotz environmental monitoring system.

NetBotz 200 - Product Information

[SYNACK]

How good are your servers, depending on their managment ability many can be told to send an email when internal temperature reaches a certain level. Not as accurate as an external thermometer but will still give you some warnings.

[plexer]

HomeChip

One of those can be configured to latch it's relay and thus activate a strobe/alarm etc... at a certain temp.

Ben

[Andrew_C]

Much simpler would be a standard room stat, a battery, and a bell/buzzer. All you need to do is check that the stat doesn't have a heater in it (some do). However, the more complex solutions are better in that they could warn you when you were away from the site.

[Disease]

Thanks all a lot to look at, I was hoping to get some sort of battery powered unit, as when the power is off none of the network monitoring units will work. I want a visual, audible alarm that would indicate to caretakers walking past that there is a problem and to contact IT.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I did find this as well, IRPS1363 GSM Remote Power Socket - control mains devices by text messages - www.audon.co.uk
or this http://www.audon.co.uk/home_sms/gd04.html

[mats]

Much simpler would be a standard room stat, a battery, and a bell/buzzer. All you need to do is check that the stat doesn't have a heater in it (some do). However, the more complex solutions are better in that they could warn you when you were away from the site.

Really simple. Like it. Mains charger (eg motorbike charger) to 12v leisure battery to 12v siren / beacon. 12v stats must be available. No mains isolation issues.

[FragglePete]

We got one of these;

CM-2, The Original Climate Monitor*::*Climate Monitors*::*The Climate

Sends Text messages via a e-mail if a condition is met (so you need to ensure your network/gateway is powered in the event of a power failure) - various bits and bobs can be added to monitor other things link power.

Pete

[3s-gtech]

Our server room air-con used to do this - we got the engineers in to change the settings on the unit so it now autostarts. Can you do that for a start?

[Disease]

Thanks 3s will ask them.

[BatchFile]

I've got a UPS on the aircon... but it's just a small domestic unit as the server count isn't huge

(Rural location => Lumpy electricity)