Your Setup! #693
Replies: 6 comments 17 replies
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I have a Pi 4b with 4 GB memory, Power over Ethernet, and a ZWO ASI178MC camera sitting on the top of a 6-meter pole at my observatory. At home I have a Pi 4b with 8 GB memory I use for testing the Allsky software. It has both an ASI290MM camera and an RPiHQ camera. Right now that's all sitting in my office but I plan to make a "Y" shaped housing for it, with each camera on one of the "Y" ends, and the Pi in the middle. It'll probably look like an alien! |
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Sounds cool, you should post pics when its up and running! |
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Hi @robmorin , good idea, thanks for starting the thread, hope we can get others to participate! Here's my setup... Major parts: Lots of 3D modeling & printing was used for internal parts, fan ducts, along with printed dome & fan duct seals in NinjaFlex. Fan ducts have window screens to minimize bugs. Parts made in PETG from Matterhackers. Here's an assembly view:
Next project is to add a focuser stepper motor to adjust focus after installation, along with a small 12v battery to act as a UPS for brief power outages. (edit - removed links as they were all borken) |
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Here's what I got and it works well on the acrylic dome... |
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Thanks! |
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Damn that stuff's hard to find online. Walmart shows out of stock. Only place I found it available was Amazon Canada! |
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I was lucky to get it from Amazon, but they're now showing no stock. Probably sitting in a container off LA harbor, like most of the stuff I need! |
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Thanks I will keep a watch on it. |
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Hola from Volcan, Panama! Just built a test setup: rPi 3B+ Also built software to count stars in images and message me if the sky is clear (for astrophotography). We often have cloudy skies in the evening which clear in the wee hours...so this allows me to snooze until they are clear rather than waking up to check. Working on dew heater now. Related links: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/2mVwWnRjFgg |
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Also: I added threaded metal inserts for mounting the acrylic dome to the flange. I did not include the holes in the design, just created them with a fine tip on a soldering iron (an old tip I reserve just for that purpose). |
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I've got my allskycam mostly running smoothly now. As the skies begin to clear here in Panama, it is producing some pretty decent timelapses. Link to a recent timelapse: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wduph6zz1sq0s6q/AllSkyCAM%20TimeLapse%2020211226.mp4?dl=0 |
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My Allsky system, operated in Dresden / Germany:
My Allsky website: Construction of the system was initially provisional, but is now running on the roof. ;-): Unfortunately, finding the right values for the white balance is still problematic. A very big problem is still the very long pause of up to 10s between 2 pictures (at night). |
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South coast - UK I have 2 setups, one outside under test and one indoors for updates / development etc. The outside Allsky is the latest RPI4 with USB-C to M.2 instead of SD card, of course running this allsky software. it is connected via PoE meaning I can fully control it from within indoors, and just have to pull the ethernet cable to power off if it's required. The camera is a ZWO 178MC-Cool and a Fujinon 1.4mm f1.4 180 degree+ lens. The camera dome is from an old Vycon CCTV, for which I designed and 3D printed a PETG lower half to hold the camera, dew heater and cooling fans. Attached to this PI is an arduino on a custom PCB running MySQMPro by Rob Brown, which is turn creates a text file for overlaying on top of the allsky image. This may become redundant as I could write some basic code and use different sensors directly onto the PI for a much trimmed down version, such as temperatures only. Not much else is relevant. The rest of the hardware could be used as a portable SQM device. The dew heater is an aluminium ring with a silicone heater strip wrapped around it. It's quite large not only to fit in the space available well, it also take a while to cool down if the dew heater power is lost for watever reason. The dew heater is controlled by my own basic python code to come on when the external temperature is below 12 Deg C. This seems to work well for the most part. Eventually I will have this take into account the internal temperature of the camera dome and any dew points to calculate if dew is likely (inside and outside). The cooling fans will come on if the internal dome temperature is getting 'too warm' by the greenhouse effect. This I can't do much with until the summer sun / heat arrives. The inside setup is very similar hardware wise, but a non-cooled 178MC. This is used for update testing, python code testing and have just started to use grafana / influx db as a dashboard. My little project is constantly evolving and I enjoy it. An allsky is a must for astronomers in my opinion. |
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Please can you help me. I'm trying to get my dew heater working with my temp sensors but can't get it to switch at all. |
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@clambert24, who are you asking? Are you using the dew heater module? |
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Anyone who can help, lol. |
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You will get more and better responses if you start a separate thread rather than post in an unrelated thread (this one). When you create a new thread please post more details about your configuration and what you have done so far. |
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I've been using my build for just about a year: Computer: Raspberry Pi 4B, 4GB RAM, 128GB SD card. Camera: Raspberry Pi HQ camera, Arducam 3.2mm (120º) lens. Mount: PVC 3/4" and 2" pipe with bungee cords. Power Source: Baseus Power Bank, 20000mAh 65W. Enclosure: Folgers Coffee (Colombian, 33.7 oz) and Hood Cottage Cheese (large curd, 12 oz) containers. The design provides quite a lot of ventilation. A sealed enclosure tends to trap moisture... just sayin'. |
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So, I was beginning to think that I was running the only 'fair-weather' Allsky system, but I see that WAL20 is well ahead of me. (Nice YT video btw Bill). My camera sits on a sturdy tripod and also uses a 20A PowerBank. I generally only put the system outside if the BBC weather forecast is sure that there will be no rain, no wind speeds greater than 15mph, and a clear sky. The only exception is if AuroraWatch UK shows high geomag activity, then it may go out if its dry & calm but cloudy). I'm using a Pi 4 2GB + 32GB sd + 8GB USB + Pi module 3 camera. It only has a vertical field of view of about 67 degrees, but my view of the sky is narrower than that. Its housed in a black ABS box approx 150 x 100 x 60mm with a small acrylic window. The Pi is fitted with a heatsink and a fan that only operates when SOC temperature exceeds 70'C, which in practice is only when the system is compiling timelapse/startrails/keograms. This stops the Pi from throttling down to half speed and also reduces load on the PowerBank (its a 1W fan!):- I haven't had a problem with condensation so far, as the heat from Pi + camera seems to keep the window clear. I save a very small number of the more interesting images & keograms on an 8GB USB thumb-drive plugged into the Pi, but I really can't see the point in archiving everything. I align the camera as best I can pointing due north with a compass, and generally set the altitude to 80 degrees (best alignment with minimum trees & houses in view). I am mainly interested in capturing bright fireballs. But its been interesting to realise that a lot of air trafic from Europe seems to enter and exit Britain over 'our' beach, before either continuing north or heading north east (presumably heading for Heathrow and Gatwick respectively). Its also good to capture the occasional pass of the ISS and the Dragon Crew ships. http://captainbodgit.blogspot.com/2024/09/allsky-new-box-dark-frames-other-tweaks.html |
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Hey all, I wanted to see what others are using/doing with their AllSky project. Like me, I am sure some people get stuck or confused on certain aspects of the build. Maybe we can share what we have accomplished or what are current status on this project?
Here is my test rig so far, I am using less expensive parts for first build.
Board: Raspberry Pi 3 B 1GB RAM. I will upgrade to a Pi 4 4GB when done testing.
Storage: I am using external M.2 256GB USB SSD for booting and storage, makes quite the difference in speed.
Camera: RPIHQ Camera
https://www.canakit.com/raspberry-pi-hq-camera.html
Lens: StarDot LEN-2M1.55MMCS 1.55-1.55mm f/1.5-1.5 Fisheye Body
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01CX4U7DK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Enclosure: BUD Industries NBF-32016 Plastic ABS NEMA Economy Box with Solid Door, 11-51/64" Length x 7-55/64" Width x 5-7/64"
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B005UPANU2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Dome: SupremeTech Acrylic Dome/Plastic Hemisphere - Clear - 4" Diameter, 1/2" Flange with Pre-Drilled Holes
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01N29BQN6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have not received my enclosure or dome yet. :(
The AllSky software seems to be working as advertised. :)
So what does your build consist of?
Have a great day!
Rob VE2XTC
Montreal, Canada
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