Allsky1 rebuild
The SCGO Allsky1pi Camera system was rebuilt on June 12th, 2023. The testing of using a raspberry pi Cam F was a failure, so we went back to using the original ZWO ASI120MC (2014) camera for now.
There were a number of design changes so we can talk about those below.
These are the major components. A new 4″ dome from amazon.ca (shipped from China!) a new right angle USB A cable, a new black carboard mask, a bigger (taller) 4″ PVC housing, and a new mid housing platform for the pi to sit on.
The new dome was pristine.. no marks, scratches or accumulated acidic bird poo. It was predrilled along the flange. We added felt to help prevent overtightening of the screw and cracks in the dome.
A right angle USB A connector is essential, otherwise it will not fit inside the housing. This is a short one, perhaps 30cm long, plugging into the raspberry pi 3B. The camera is mounted on a friction fit wood block with a 1/4×20 bolt and wingnut to secure it in place. The top lens cap comes off before installation. The black mask prevents reflections of the camera from appearing on the dome and in the image.
This is the old Raspberry Pi Model 3B, with an external wifi usb dongle.
Looking down into the housing, is a friction fit wooden platform for the pi to rest on. In the past it was just shoved in the bottom of the housing and sometimes it actually fell out of the housing, exposing it to the elements… not good!
The bottom friction fit plug… it has insect netting to try and keep the critters out (bees, flies, etc) and has a slot for cables to enter. Currently we have two: the 5vdc raspberry pi power cable and a 3-12vdc power line for the resistive heater inside to keep the dome from condensing at night.
It is mounted on a 4×4 post attached to the SCGO Serenity Observing deck. We attempt to align it so the image top is north, but sometimes it is a little tricky. The housing is secured with a single metal strap.
Assembly: The housing is mounted to the post.
The pi power cable is brought in from the bottom and the pi in from the top. power is connected as is the usb camera cable. The pi then sites on the platform. The resistive heater assembly is brought in from the bottom and the bottom plug is installed.
The camera assembly is plugged into the USB cable and rests inside the main housing. The dome assembly is then placed onto, another friction fit.
Looking down from above. Images are taken, and decision made about how to rotate the camera, and to use the flipx, flipy settings in the allsky software.