RE: Clear Sky Detector

["Creager, Robert S" <CreagRS@LOUISVILLE.STORTEK.COM>]

Hey Tom,

When you are happy with your results, can you provide a schematic/parts list
for those of us who have a soldering iron but no electronics skill
what-so-ever?

Cheers,
Rob

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom Droege [mailto:tdroege2@earthlink.net] 
> Sent: February 11, 2003 10:42 AM
> To: tass@listserv.wwa.com
> Subject: Clear Sky Detector
> 
> 
> Last night was almost solid clouds.  I set up the Mark IV so 
> that it would 
> take darks when the sky was cloudy and object frames when the 
> Clear Sky 
> Detector said it was OK.  The result was that the detector 
> found 3 patches 
> of clear sky out of about 150 images.  Since only one of 
> these was really 
> clear, I think I have it set about right.
> 
> Next comes the Day/Night detector.  I found a Panasonic 
> device that might 
> do the trick.  The PNA4603H.  I ordered 10 at $3.51 each.  We 
> shall see.
> 
> I will then just turn on at dusk and let the Mark IV decide 
> what to do.
> 
> For those that have asked, the TEC I am using is a Melcor 
> CP1.0-127-05L.  If I were designing from scratch rather than taking a 
> device out of a cabinet, I would use one with longer 
> junctions.  For this 
> purpose I would pick one with the largest number of 
> junctions.  The signal 
> is of order a millivolt so a low offset amplifier is needed.
> 
> Edison is supposed to have said "Invention is having an idea 
> and a lot of 
> junk".  I do have a wonderful collection of junk.
> 
> Tom Droege
> 
>