Bought some things for the truck plus a belt and oil filter for the tractor from RockAuto.
Need to go get some more top rail to build one tunnel side frame and get it put together and working as a proof of concept.
I found a place to get those weatherproof electrical connectors cheaper, plus they have rubber boots to cover the area of a multiconductor cable where the outer jacket is removed for inserting the individual wires into the connector.
Bought a 20x20x6 electrical enclosure. It's a Hoffman powder coated SS outdoor type and that size is normally about $700. Got this one for $100 because it had been customized but never picked up by the customer. It's new but has a 9" x 12" rectangle hole plus four 3/4" round holes in the door.
It was going to be a control panel with touch screen and four switches/knobs/lights to control a machine or something. I have that industrial touch screen to put in this but I might still be left with the four round holes. Is so, I'll find a use for them. Indicator lights, manual override switches etc. (four emergency close buttons for the sides?)
It's not going outdoors or even in the tunnel. It will be in the shed on the NW end of the tunnel. The shed will have a dirt floor and won't be tight but will keep rain out. The enclosure will keep my electronic components dry and dust free.
They use these outdoor type enclosures for control panels in factories for the same reason. Keep dust, fumes, humidity etc out and away from the high dollar electrical/electronic components. I'd been looking at 14x16 boxes because that seems to be a common size and the point where there's a huge price jump for anything bigger. This thing was such a deal. $100 includes shipping which will probably cost them $25.
I don't know as mine will be quite this neat when done but this gives you an idea of what a control panel is. That gray track is wire duct and costs $50/ft, so yeah, mine won't be that neat. Cable ties will do. That white panel in the back is stood off the back by 3/4" or so and is for mounting things to without drilling through the back of the box. It's a standard accessory and is $114 new. ($40 incl shipping on ebay - cool)
Drew up a 20x20 square and added the components that will go in it, all to scale. The V12 is that standalone PLC I programmed to be a simple irrigation timer. Set minutes - hit go. I have a small enclosure for it and was going to mount it in the tunnel somewhere but this big enclosure will be in the shed right off the end of the tunnel anyway and after adding everything else, I had a blank corner leftover in the top left that was just the right size to fit it.
When I drew the 20x20 enclosure and the first small modules, I thought 20x20 is going to be overkill/half empty. Then I drew the 8x8" PC. Enclosure is supposed to be here Thurs and inner panel that everything gets mounted to next Monday so this will be a next week project. Ordering bits and pcs right now.
Also looking at wire and cable and most everything was going to be big $$$ until I found out they make "irrigation cable". Who knew? $80 for 300' of 5 conductor cable 18/5 and actuator power wires are 18 gauge. Perfect. Cerrowire Made in USA. Cable be buried so I think I will for the sides. Cable for far end gable can be run inside a lengthwise truss brace. Drill a hole in each end cap and snap a plastic grommet in to protect the cable. When standing in the tunnel, all you'll see is 2 foot of cable for each gable and 1 foot at the ground for each side actuator. Sweet.
McMaster has a multi-cord grip that will fit all six actuator cables. One 1-5/16" hole in the enclosure.
I was going to use those Deutsch connectors with special panel mount plug receptacle but I would need 6 of them and they're $22 ea. Would also be 6 holes about 1" with four holes surrounding each of them for screws to mount them. I don't really need the cables to be unpluggable at the enclosure.
I do need the actuators unpluggable so I can keep a spare and swap it out quick and easy. It's also the only way to do a weatherproof connection to extend the cable that comes out of the actuator. Those will look like this.
Actuators have five conductors but they don't make 5 way connectors so I'm using 6 way and just won't use one hole. They make sealing plugs for unused holes. I'll prewire a plug end on the spare actuator for plug-n-play. Guess I need two spares since the gables don't need 24 inch actuators. More like 4 inch.
Decided to grow a row or two of potatoes in the tunnel and not a whole lot else. A few Daikon radishes, a few shishito, korean peppers. All generally no maintenance and bug free here. Gonna do that down the middle and black tarp the rest like I talked about last year. I still have a lot of grass in there. Will also tarp future outside beds to kill that sod. I haven't hardly been outside in 4 days. I'm scared to see how tall the grass is. Low wind - more raking and burning today and tomorrow. KILL MORE TICKS
Heading to that one grocery store to see if they've got Yukon seed potatoes. If not, it's Irish Cobbler.