Hello! I am not sure where to post this, so I thought I would post it in this forum.
Do folks run your systems unattended? How do you protect your equipment from rain?
I would like to proteect my equipment from rain. I have a Boltwood 1 Cloud sensor (makes noise when clouds come in), and I am wondering how to modify or use it to activate a cover or to close the top of a small enclosure in order to proteect my equipment from rain
I will be returning to the US from outback Australia in a few months where there is little rain, and the risk of my equipment getting soaked is miniscule. I can identify problematic nights from satellite weather images and avoid those few nights a year, so I have not needed to use the Boltwood here in Australia.
A few years ago, I was stationed in a humid desert environment that received one to two nights of rain a year. Shortly after receiving my SBIG camera and running it unattended, the only night rain of the year came through and soaked my equipment! That was when I purchased the Boltwood 1.
How might the Boltwood 1 be modified so that it can activate a motor to close a roof on a small observatory, such as a rool off roof ovservatory? This would be quite small, large enough to handle only my 8" LX200, perhaps 3 feet on a side. Or could I use a motor with a switch activated by the sound from the Boltwood to close the roof?
Thank you and best regards.
Mike
Hi Mike,
You'll need a Boltwood compatible roof closer controller. For example:
http://www.fostersystems.com/viewitem.php?productid=7
There are other vendors out there.
Michael
Hello Mike
I do not know for sure, but I would be surprised if the Boltwood I did not have a contact closure available when it rains. That can be interfaced to a Vellman board (<$50 US) configured by Lesve Dome to Shutter only operation, to close the roof, with the addition of a couple of relays, and a power supply. This is what we did on BSM HQ. It that case, its using the rain sensor that Arne found.
I have added the following; You mentioned Boltwood I as the sensor. Did you mean Boltwood II?
I have pasted the following, which may be for your sensor:
Although the Portable Cloud Sensor uses the same cloud detection technology as it's big cousin, theBoltwood Cloud Sensor II, it is not designed for permanent installations. It does not detect rain/moisture, wind, or humidity. The sensor is gently heated to prevent dew or frost, but it does not have the power to clear itself after a rain shower; it must be wiped off. It cannot connect to a computer or trigger an observatory dome closure. For permanent installations please use the Boltwood Cloud Sensor
I must retract my opening sentence about the Boltwood I.
Gary
I'm busy getting ready for a meeting (and finishing APASS DR9), but thought I'd post on a couple of the recent topics.
We have several cloud/rain sensors in the AAVSOnet system, and should install one at every unattended system. They are highly useful in keeping the system as dry as possible. They are not perfect; snow, in particular will confuse rain sensors, and thunderstorms can often hit faster than you can close a roof or shutter. Our usual solution is to not operate in conditions where rain/snow is possible sometime during the night.
The Boltwood I was the predessor for the Boltwood II; both work about the same. There should be both a relay output that can control roof closure, as well as software flags to tell your software (like ACP) that it is time to close. Our latest recommendation is the Auroraeurotech cloud sensor, at about 1/6 the cost of the Boltwood. It works; there are some issues with ACP (basically, the Auroratech doesn't timeout and therefore will oscillate between good/bad conditions when you are at a decision border) that I expect to be resolved someday. However, the Auroraeurotech also has a relay output.
The problem with roll-offs is that you need to be sure that the roof will not impact the telescope when closing, no matter what the telescope orientation is. Be sure to model your system and make the walls high enough, or the roof support structure high enough, for this to be true. Software can sometimes be configured to park the telescope and then close the roof, but I never trust this. My favorite enclosure is the clamshell, which never has this issue, but it does not give as much protection against wind and ambient light as does the dome. Each enclosure has good and bad features.
Even in places with minimal rain, there are other conditions when you want to close. Wind too high. Dust in the air. Total cloudiness. So having an automated closure is A Good Thing.
Arne
Hello! Thank you for your comments. I have a Boltwood 1, so I was hoping that I wmight be able to use it in order to close a small enclosure.
The system will be unattended, not robotic - I'll be just a few 20 meters away in the house. I can use the Boltwood 1 with the alarm so that I can go out an close the enclosure if needed, as with any portable setup, but I was hoping that I might be able to use it to activate automatically in case I don't wake up (or want to wake up!) when rain comes through.
In any case, the sensor and system would be prepped and cleaned before each observing session to ensure it is able to activate as designed.
There are no outputs on the Boltwood 1 to allow it to be integrated with a relay/motor. I thought that I might be able to run a circuit from the sensor to a relay/motor so that when the alarm activates, the relay/motor would also activate. The alternative would be to leve the Boltwood 1 unmodified, but to have a sound sensor that would activate the relay/motor when the alarm goes off.
Best regards.
Mike
To: Mike,
Here is another European (Spain) weather system that is a cheaper alternative to the Boltwood II:
http://tienda.lunatico.es/AAG-CloudWatcher-cloud-detector-1
This can be conected to their "Solo" and used to control a roll-off roof from a set of weather triggers and interfaced with automation software like CCD Autopilot.
James
p.s. Good time to buy from Europe as the Euro is at its lowest rate relative to the dollar since 2000; about E1.07=$1.00.
I have a robotic system and our club has three more. Unfortuantley I lean heavily on the guru we are lucky to have and can't speak with technical level advise. I can say:
Arne's concern is legitimate about roof clearance but you can solve that with a postions sensor for the scope that confirms its parked position. Arne's solution is better if you are remote because if it does not park you can still override to close the roof, but you are nearby and in any event after you have ironed the bugs out failures to park all but disapear. I have been running for two years and had one such incident that got me rained on, but parking problems are extemely rare anymore - but that is another story that has to do with parking a GM on the proper side of the pier. Point is, if your walls are not high enough do not dispair, it is not a big deal but get a park sensor $60 or so.
AAG weather sensor works well. It does clouds and moisture. If you are interested my club might have one to sell very reasonably. Foster box, I have one and I will give it to you, if you want it. I would not buy one frankly but in your situation it might work well enough. I am 35 miles from my scope and dependibility is critical. Maybe the software has improved. Just pay shipping it is yours.
This guy can be a big help: http://jimstar11.com not cheap but his stuff works.
Don't know where you are located but my club is sponsoring the Mid-State Regional AL conference at the end of this month in Little Rock, AR. We have a presentation on robotic setups, a photometry workshop, and several other presentations on vstar subjects. My guru will be there as well and you could tour our observatory.
http://msral2015.caasastro.org
bruce@mcmathlaw.com