Instruction Manual V. Felix Bettonvil Description POgLED (Petnica bolide all- sky camera Device) is an automatic camera designed for photographing fireballs. It is based on a DSLR (Canon 35D Mpxl) with Sigma 4.5mm/F2. fisheye lens. Between lens and body a Liquid Crystal chopper is mounted, periodically obscuring the exposure at a rate of cycl/sec. The camera is a sister camera of HHEBBES! and BINGO!, being similar camera systems operated from The Netherlands. Operation basics The camera is put in a dedicated weather proof housing on the roof (Figure ) and controlled by means of a control cabinet, mounted near the stairway to the roof (Figure 2). The camera works fully automatic: it starts.5hr after sunset and stops.5hr before sunrise, and works every night, no matter weather conditions. Exposure time is set to 2 55, followed by 5 for data storage. ISO sensitivity is 4. Exposure control and sunrise/sunset times are calculated by a Theben 642 Top 2 radio- synchronized (DCF/Frankfurt) timer controller, which has two switching contacts. Contact #2 is connected to the remote release contact of the camera body and makes the 2 55 exposures. Contact # is used for powering on camera and chopper at twilight. Data is stored on a CF card inside the camera, Gb large (biggest size that fits into the camera) and needs to be replaced and emptied periodically. (There is no remote image transfer for robustness, although in theory possible via Wi- Fi or USB). Chosen image format is Large jpeg, typically
resulting in images 2.5Mb in size. Depending on season it allows for ~2 weeks operation, after which the CF card needs to be exchanged. The camera works every night, no matter if the night will be clear or not. It cannot be switched off. Heaters and fans in the camera box prevent for condensation. In the Control cabinet all power is converted from 23V to 3.5V (heaters, fan, relays) and 5V (liquid crystal controller) and V inside the camera box. Manual operation The automatic operation of the camera can be overruled by a manual switch located in the middle of the upper row of the control cabinet: - - Figure. Camera installed on the roof of the main building of the Petnica Science Center. Lever Down = automatic operation Lever Up = manual operation, the camera will be switched on. This function permits to check operation of the camera during daytime. It will NOT disable operation at night. Power ON The main switch of the camera is located in the upper right of the control cabinet. The switch is also a A fuse as well as 3mA residual current monitor. It should normally be ON (lever upward) but can be switched off in case of maintenance. Control sequence and status LEDs Figure 2. Control cabinet inside the building. During all time (both day and night) the external heater on the camera housing is ON. It prevents for condensation of humid air on the protection window. The heater and fan inside the camera box is also ON all the time. They ensure that inside the box never condensation occurs. Also the Liquid crystal chopper controller (blue box in control cabinet) is always on (for temperature stability).
After sunset the Theben timer controller switches ON the camera power. The two right LEDs left of the timer controller will light green. Also the signal to the chopper is connected to the LC chopper (2nd green LEDs starts blinking, with HALF the chopper frequency). The timer controller immediately starts to control the remote release contact of the camera body with the programmed exposure time. When the camera shutter is open the st LED lights up.; if not the shutter is closed. If the st LED is OFF more then 5sec and other LEDs are ON then something is wrong: - CF card full - malfunction camera GSM The camera system has a GSM telephone I/O unit. The system relays the signal of the st LED and measures the temperature of the camera box for information. The information can be received by sending with a mobile telephone a text message to: Telephone number: +xx xxx xxx xxx xxx and message: status #53 the camera responds with: GX7. e -------- Alarm: off (not used) GSM: 75% (strength GSM signal) Accu: 9% (level battery charge) Area: off (not used) Voltage:.4V (adc not used) ADC: 27.C (temperature camerabox) IN: high (camera shutter signal: high= ON, low = OFF) OUT: off (relay not used) OUT2: off (relay not used) INCALL: OUT s (not used) IN displays the signal of the first LED (low = off; high = on); ADC gives temperature of the sensor in the camera box. If after darkness IN is low something is wrong and intervention required. Note: the SIM card in the camera is prepaid, and needs periodically to be recharged via Telenor. Maintenance The camera does not require much maintenance. Main maintenance is once per ~ 2 weeks interchanging of the CF card. This time can also be used to clean the window with a clean soft handkerchief. The inside of the camera window and fisheye lens in general needs not to be cleaned. If the weather is not good (rain, high humidity) it is better to not open the camera box as moisture can be trapped in the box and condensate if temperatures drop. Opening of the box is done by releasing the 4 plastic screws at the 4 corners. Do not tighten them to strong after closing, but ensure that the box is hermetically closed (no wires sticking out, no slit between upper and lower parts). The box in principle is water tight. Several parameters (exposure time, ISO rating, file format, chopper frequency) in principle can be changed, but are chosen based on experience. In case of a needed change, contact Felix (address below). Circuit diagram An electrical diagram of the system is included below.
Contact In case of questions contact: Felix Bettonvil bettonvil@astron.nl References Bettonvil, F.C.M. (24), Remote and automatic small- scale observatories: experience with an all- sky fireball patrol camera, In,Ramsay S. K., McLean I. S., and Takami H., editors, Proceedings SPIE, Ground- based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy V, 947, id. 9473U, 9 pages Bettonvil, F. (23), Digital all- sky cameras VII: Putting the camera into operation, Proceedings of the International Meteor Conference. International Meteor Organization, 34-37.
Camera w LC chopper PSU V DC Terminal block #3 Heaters/fans Lens Heaters DCF Antenne GSM Antenne 23V AC POkLON Petnica bolide monitor POgLEd Petnica bolide all- sky camera Camera box Terminal block #2 Terminal block # Mains fuse 5V DC PSU Chopper signal generator Manual/Auto switch Fan 3.V DC PSU Relais DCF Imer switch GSM I/O monitor Fan Cabinet Cabinet Door Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R Main layout
Flash (center pin) From terminal block #3 (internal heaing + fan) 3.5V From terminal block #3 (lens heaing) +3.5V DC R=Ω R=Ω R=Ω R=Ω R=6Ω? Fan 2V (2x) Lens heaters Top level LC chopper Terminal block #3 Shu^er release contact ( pin/red wire) R=6Ω? PSU 5V DC 4, 7 & CAM power (+V DC) +V DC from PSU V To +V DC PSU (red) CAM power To Lens heaing (grey) 2 Lens heaing To Internal heaing + fan (brown + red) 3 Internal heaing + fan (purple) 4 LC chopper (blue) 5 LC chopper Flash (black) 6 flash 7 shu^er (black) (black) (red) (white) Temp sensor 9 NC Temp sensor Temp sensor Temp sensor Base level Nr##%#LEFT#%#power#cable Nr#2#%#RIGHT#%#control#cable +3.5V DC IN from CAM power terminal block #3 OUT +V DC (to CAM power) Bo^om level # power #2 control Pin## Description color Pin## Description color CAM%power blue 2 lens%heating brown 2 3 internal%heating%+%fan red 3 4 GND black 4 LC%shutter black 5 5 LC%shutter blue 6 6 flash% black 7 GND black 7 shutter white GND black twilight%sensor black 9 9 twilight%sensor red temperature black temperature green GNDH2 shielding GNDH2 shielding Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R Camera housing 2
Terminal block #2 Terminal block # ) Camera cable + shield (2x) 2) 23V ground To terminal block #3 (LC shu^er) To terminal block #3 (LC shu^er) To terminal block #3 (flash contact) To terminal block #3 (fshu^er contact) To terminal block #3 (temp sensor) To Theben Ime switch L To terminal block #3 (temp sensor) To terminal block #3 (temp sensor) To terminal block #3 (CAM power) To terminal block #3 (internal heat / fan) To terminal block #3 (lens heaing) 23V AC 2 3 4 5 6 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 L N GND V DC V DC V DC + 3.5V DC + From 3.5V PSU 2 3 4 6 LC shu^er (Grey) LC shu^er (Grey) Shu^er=open feedback Shu^er release (Back) ON* OFF 23V AC mains (L) (Red) (White From GSM module ) Camera power Internal heaing camera (+3.5V) Lens heaing camera (+3.5V) A 3mA L To 3.5V DC PSU & Theben Imer switch N * ON Imer switch forced to work at dayime (for tesing) OFF works automaically only at night Control cabinet upper row Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R 3
5 +3.5V DC IN +5V DC OUT BNC OUT +5V DC IN V DC IN BNC chopper signal (to relay pin #4) PSU 5V DC MHS 23A wave generator 5 Mhz 5 Control cabinet door upper row Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R 4
To Theben switch Ext 2 23V AC - L phase To terminal block # +3.5V DC L L Chopper. To terminal block #2 7 3 To terminal block #2 To terminal block #2 V DC 2 From switch terminal block /2 From relay L L L From 23V mains fuse & From 23V mains fuse To DCF antenna To DCF antenna LED ON = camera acivated LED blinking = Chopper ON LED ON = Shu^er open 4 2 2 24 22 4 2 L N blue To external antenna (black) V + 3.5V DC To external temperature sensor From flash contact camera 9 + 3.5V DC from BNC wave generator brown Empty Relay LED modified LED Empty Relay LED modified LED 2 24 22 NC NO COM Relay LED 4 2 2 24 22 NC NO COM Relay LED 4 2 NO COM NC Ext C2 Ext 2 Theben Selekta 642 top2 RC Imer switch L DATA - N DATA + Golden connector 2 3 4 5 - + - IN + DC IN ADC IN GSM I/O module 6 7 - + Digital IN A2 A A2 A A2 A A2 A 4 9 From flash terminal block 3 & to GSM module +3.5V DC 7 From relay pin # From shield coax cable chopper V DC From Theben relay C V DC From Theben relay C To LED C NO COM NC To coil relays +3.5V DC Control cabinet door lower row Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R 5
23V AC IN 23V AC IN (Brown) 3.5 V DC OUT (Blue) V DC OUT +3.5V DC 25V/T.A. Note: PSU Heat sink needs to me removed for access to fuse. Fan (2V) 3.5V/4A DC PSU (VoltCrak FSP- 34 housing modified) Fan (2V) Control cabinet lower row Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R 6
Theben DCF antenne 974 GSM antenne DATA + (brown) DATA (blue) Black cable (to GSM module) External atennas Date: 25-7- 5 Designed: FB Rev. R 7