allsky camera modifications
The allsky camera system has been around in its current configuration for some years now, and we’ve been meaning to renovate it for some time now.
As seen in this image, we’ve had water seep in and discolour the wood platform, the two resistive heaters were actually touching the wood surface and burning it, the 12vdc circulation fan had stopped working, the dome was getting foggy in places, and there were a bunch of hornet, bees and flies inside the dome that we could not get out.
So today we took it down and
*replaced the dome,
*replaced the platform and made many modifications.
* To counteract the water seepage we put the platform up inside the dome.
* The hole for the camera lens was enlarged to have the entire camera come up inside the dome. This would reduce the amount of air inside that needed to be heated, and reduce the surface area of the dome that as looked through and kept clean.
* The 12vdc fan was replaced with a larger one, this time mounted inside the dome instead of underneath. Underneath it lost much of its airflow and little if any circulation in the dome. Now, inside the dome, will give a good circulation to keep the condensation down.
* The two resistive heaters (24vdc) were mounted off the surface of the wood 180 degrees apart, instead of being close together on one side before.
* The dome used to be sealed with silicon to the platform and there was no easy access inside.
Now the dome is removable as is the platform.
The two platform vents are covered with mesh to stop bugs from getting in .
The net benefits from all of this work: fewer bugs inside the dome, less condensation and fog inside the dome, faster melting of ice and snow on the dome, better cooling efficiencies of the peltier cooled ccd camera, easier maintenance in the future.
And the final assembly for now with some more minor revisions in the near future, including the replacement of the blocking band around the bottom of the dome to block out local low elevation light sources, rainx on the dome surface.