Total Sky Imager

Hardware Home Built/Kit Weather Stations/Sensors
1

Hi,
i want to build a Total Sky Imager (as http://www.yesinc.com/products/data/tsi440/index.html).
I need some information…: type of mirror (type, angle…,diameter), how to hide the sun…
In internet there are only commercial products…not homemade.
I have find this mirror: http://www.sirespa.it/segnaletica/segnaletica-e-cantieristica-stradale/cupola-di-sorveglianza-per-interni-o-70-cm.html

My major problem is to hide the sun i think…

But it’s a beautiful project…and if can interfaced with WD to calculate clouds coverage…WOW!

Alberto

2

I’ve seen this discussed before in astronomy circles, they were using the setup to capture night images. I don’t have any links but you should be able to google for info. Might give you more sources for the hardware.

3

Orion has one at telescope.com

Randy

4

I saw a homemade astrophotography setup once where they used a convex chrome hubcap for the mirror.

5

Looking good Mick. What is it you want to capture with the webcam? I ask because you mention infrared LEDs and rotating the mirror. The setups I found were into imaging the night sky, to catch meteorites. Don’t need LEDs for that…

6

…and why do you want to rotate the mirror :?

7

My point is that if it’s spherical mirror, what difference would rotating it make :?

8

Aha, yes, you do need some kind of moving mask for that.

9

Where does the webcam get power?

10

Make sure the extender will provide the needed voltage to the camera as a lot of them don’t…

If you decide to capture images at night I’d love to see them as I have been thinking of doing that project. The camera has to have good night vision to be able to pickup the stars.

11

Good Job!
Now you make a strip to stop the sun light.
The mirror is an half sphere ?
The mirror MUST be an half sphere ?

Alberto

12

From http://www.yesinc.com/products/data/tsi880/index.html i have used this design

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/573/tsi880img10.png/

I have used this design as raster image into autocad.

The result is this:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/207/totalskyimager.jpg/

All dimensions are in inch.

The sphere used is about 16.64 inch (diameter) …about 42.27 cm.
The mirror isn’t half sphere!
I have autocad (dwg) file if you want (i can’t attach in this msg i think…).