SkyEye User`s Manual - Interactive Astronomy
Contents
1. johndoe 6 Password Enter the web host password here 7 Path to Host Click the button adjacent to the text field to open the ftp file browser 8 Web Host Status Displays the current web host connection status 9 Upload Progress Displays the progress of the current upload 10 Connect button Connects or disconnects ftp client from the web host 11 Image Save Method Determines weather files will be saved incrementally or overwritten Date Stamp images Select option to add time and acquisition data stamps to images 12 Image Filter Select if dark frame calibration is to be used 13 Anomaly Detection Turn on anomaly detection algorithm 14 Create Dark Frames Button Click to create a set of new dark frames 15 Create Movie Check boxes to automatically create a standard movie anomaly movie or both 16 Movie Format Select movie file type Available choices are Quicktime Flash Windows Media and Avi 17 Frame Count Select the number of the most recently acquired frames to be included in movie 18 Update Interval Select the movie creation interval frequency 19 Frame Rate Select the desired frame rate of the movie 20 Status Movie creation and upload status 10 Detection page descriptions Below is a brief description of the controls on the Detection tab and their functions SkyEye Capture ells X Main Settings Detection 1 Status Location Scanning x 172. a darkened environment It is important that no light reaches the camera during this procedure Click the Start button at the bottom of the window and follow the prompts to begin acquiring dark frames This procedure will take a few minutes to complete and under normal circumstances only needs to be performed once The program will notify you when the procedure is completed Mounting the camera Choose a location for mounting the camera that is as high as possible to avoid obstructions near the horizons An adjustable mask is incorporated into the camera to block unwanted light on the horizon as needed The camera can be mounted on a standard 1 66 diameter satellite dish mount such as the Winegard DS3000 or ona standard 1 1 4 diameter PVC pipe Orient the marks on the camera housing so that they are pointing to North if desired Important mast preparation for camera installation If you are using a plastic or metal mast it is important to cut relief slots if the mast is too tight There should only be a light snug fit to camera for ease of rotation and removal Integrated Dew Heaters The SkyEye camera has two built in resistance heaters to reduce dew and frosting on the polycarbonate dome There is a 2 1mm power connector at the base of camera that will require an external optional 12 18 vdc lamp power source At 12 vdc this will produce approximately 2 4 watts of additional heat inside the camera housing The
3. hard drive along with the created Anomaly movie The SkyEye capture program contains several adjustable settings that allow for a great deal of flexibility in the operation of the camera In most cases the default values will work well However in some cases settings may need to be adjusted to produce more desirable results Initial settings Before connecting the camera for the first time select a filename and path for the program to save the image files Click on the Settings tab to open the settings dialog Click on the button shown below and a file browser dialog will open Navigate to the folder of your choice or create a new folder and enter a filename for the image files The default filename is skyeye and all images are saved in jpg format If using a different filename use only alphabetic characters for the filename SkyEye Capture Main Settings Detection File Locations Image Settings Path to Image Files Users Wes Desktop SkyEye Im fen Image Settings V Increment Files x i ml ee v Date Stamp Images Path to Placeholder C Users Wes Documents Visual J9 Image Filter Subtract Dark Frame Ftp Settings Anomaly Detection V Detect Anomalies C Set Host Credentials Create Dark Frames Hostname 10 0 0 101 Movie Settings Username Wes Create Movie V Interval Movie Password v Anomaly Movie OT TT ES i rmat Quicktime v ftp 10 0 0 1
4. the ADU threshold value the camera goes into the Idle mode and an off line placeholder image is displayed and uploaded to the web host The following evening the process repeats and the previous evening s image files are overwritten Two separate movie creating methods are available Checking the Create Movie tick box on the Settings tab will create a standard movie With this mode a new movie is created at timed intervals that are user adjustable by changing value of the Update Interval setting The standard movie is created by rendering the most recently acquired frames The Frame Count setting determines the number of frames included in the movie After each movie is created it is uploaded to the web host if connected Movie format type and frame rate are user selectable Additionally Anomaly movies can be created These movies are created using only frames that contain detected moving objects such as meteors and satellites When the Detect Anomalies tick box is checked on the Settings tab an anomaly movie is created each morning when the camera goes into the Idle mode at dawn The movie is created using all frames containing detected anomalies from the previous evening s imaging session After the movie is created it is uploaded to the web host if connected and saved to the computer hard drive All frames that contain detected anomalies are archived to a date stamped sub folder on the
5. 01 SkyEye_Images 7 Movie Format Path to Host Frame Count frames Web Host Status Connected z 5 Update Interval minutes Upload Progress E ii sm Frame Rate frames second Disconnect Status Idle Connect the camera When the USB cable is connected to the camera the program will recognize the camera and establish a connection If for some reason the camera is not connecting or has been disconnected click the Connect Disconnect button to establish a connection SkyEye Capture Settings Detection Camera Dsena fem Status Camera Status Connected Expose Progress ADU 0 Web Host Status Connected S k yE ye bem AllSky gt Y Camera Upload Progess Exposure Settin e AETR w a g Interactive Astronomy Exposure Delay Auto Exposure Exposure Level _ i Location Start Stop Always On Sentinel Mode K Once the link to the camera is established the Camera Status label will report the current status of the camera Main page setting descriptions Below is a brief description of the controls on the Main tab and their functions SkyEye Capture E Main Settings Detection Camera t Disconnect Status 2 Camera Status Connected 3 Expose Progress j 4 ADU 0 5 Web Host Status Connected S k yE ye 6 Upload Progess AllSky Camera Exposure Setting
6. 6 y 106 2 Detect Anomalies 3 Sensitivity _ p A 158 4 5 Frame 822 Acquisition Time 1 20 39 AM ADU NA Acquisition Date 2 1 2014 1 Status Displays the current status of the anomaly detection routine 2 Detect Anomalies Click the Start button to begin detecting anomalies in the current image set and save the flagged images to a new folder Function only available when imaging is stopped 3 Sensitivity Adjust the detection algorithm sensitivity 4 Currently displayed image acquisition data 5 Object Displays the coordinates and relative magnitude of the object that the mouse is hovered over Magnitude is based on a 60 second image and may not be accurate under all conditions 11 Ftp File Browser ftp interactiveastronomy com TestFolder Z Select or enter a new file name lt Folder gt Test_Images skyeyejpg skyeye mp4 3 Filename skyeye 4 Save as type JPg 5 Server Response Connected 1 Up Button Moves up one level in the host file heirarchy 2 List of files in the currently selected host folder 3 Enter filename for the uploaded image file to be named If using the interactiveastronomy com web host use the default skyeye filename 4 Save as type Currently only the jpeg format is supported for uploaded image files 5 Server Response Displays the current status and server response 6 Save button Click to save the chosen filename and f
7. SkyEye Camera Instruction Manual D il Se SkyEye AllSky Camera Congratulations on purchasing the SkyEye all sky camera To get the most out of your camera please read this manual before operating the camera for the first time Before installing the camera in a permanent location it is important to follow these steps Install the software Do not connect the SkyEye camera USB cable to the computer until instructed to do SO If installing from the CD insert the disc into the drive and follow the on screen instructions If the installation does not start automatically then open the CD file folder and double click Setup If you are installing a version from the web be sure you have downloaded the correct version for your computer s operating system Launch the installation program and follow the on screen instructions If you are updating the software please remove any previous SkyEye programs through the Windows Control Panel before updating Acquire dark frames Run the SkyEye capture program if it is not already started Before connecting to the camera for the first time click on the Settings tab and choose a file path for saving the images The default file name for the images is skyeye Click the Connect button to establish a connection with the camera if it has not connected automatically Cover the camera with a box or towel completely so that no light reaches the camera preferably in
8. camera also produces about 1 6 watts for a total of 4 watts of internal heat Up to 18 vdc may be applied to the heaters to produce at total of 7 watts of internal heat for more extreme weather conditions Dew heaters can be controlled with an optional X 10 controller interface If the SkyEye Capture program detects an X 10 controller an icon will appear indicating the current state of the dew heater control An X 10 module set to housecode K1 will turn on when the sky darkens enough to start the camera exposure routine and will turn off when the sky begins to brighten in the morning Alternatively an X 10 module set to housecode K2 will have the opposite effect Clicking on the icon will override the function allowing manual control of the X 10 modules when necessary Program Overview The SkyEye system is designed to operate 24 7 with no user intervention required During daylight while in the Sentinel Mode the camera periodically takes an image to measure the average sky brightness ADU As twilight approaches and the ADU drops below a pre set value the camera will start acquiring images After each image is acquired the image file is saved to the computer s hard drive and simultaneously uploaded to a web host if connected If the Increment Files tick box is checked default then each image is saved to the hard drive with a numerator appended to the file name When dawn approaches and the ADU increases above
9. e camera exposure time to one or two seconds and follow the procedure below USE A SMART PHONE TO VIEW IMAGE ON YOUR WEBSITE 19 OUT OF FOCUS DUE TO ADAPTER TILT If the lens adapter shifts or becomes slightly loose one side of the image may become slightly out of focus To correct this condition just ever so slightly loosen 2 of the setscrews and push down evenly on the adapter as shown below Then while holding even pressure re tighten the setscrews General overall re focusing may then be required 20 DOME CLEANING TIPS The dome is made of clear polycarbonate plastic This is a very tough durable grade of plastic However some care is required to prevent scratching GENERAL CLEANING gt DO NOT WIPE DOWN DOME DRY BEFORE BLOWING OFF DUST AND CLEANING WITH A LIQUID SOLUTION AS DESCRIBE BELOW 1 Blow off dust 2 Wipe down with a liberal solution of Windex cleaner and soft white tissue 3 Wipe dry with soft white tissue 3 Final wipe down with Micro fiber towel to remove tissue particles SCRATCHES Very light scratches do not show up in the nighttime images If the scratches are moderate the following polishes may used to reduce them to an acceptable level Semi Chrome Polish Arm amp Hammer toothpaste Some of the finer grades of car polish NOTE Use a soft white tissue to work the polish If the scratches are severe then start with approximately 1000 grit wet dry with water and finis
10. ettings page descriptions Below is a brief description of the controls on the Settings tab and their functions SkyEye Capture Leia x4 Main Settings Detection File Locations Image Settings 1 Path to Image Files Us es Desktop SkyEye Im J 11 Image Settings V Increment Files V Date Stamp Images 2 Path to Placeholder C Users Wes Documents Visual 12 Image Filter v Subtract Dark Frame Ftp Settings 13 Anomaly Detection V Detect Anomalies 3 Set Host Credentials eee 14 Create Dark Frames Start 4 Hostname 10 0 0 101 Movie Settings 5 Username Wes 15 Create Movie V Interval Movie VIA I i 6 Password v Anomaly Movie h E Eeee r 16 Movie Format Quicktime v 7 Path to Host tp 10 0 0 SkyEye_Images iJ 17 Frame Count 200 frames 8 x 2 x Men Host ees Cornered 18 Update Interval 10 minutes 9 Upload Progress i i 19 Frame Rate 10 frames second 10 Disconnect 20 Status Idle 1 Path to image files Click the button adjacent to this field to browse to the folder you would like the image files to be saved to 2 Path to Placeholder Click the button adjacent to this field to select an off line image 3 Set Host Credentials Check this box to enter alter ftp log in credentials 4 Hostname Type in the name of the internet hosting service i e yahoo com or 123 45 67 890 5 Username Enter the web host username here i e
11. h up with the polishes listed above If any of the above scratch removal techniques are not adequate replacement domes are available 21
12. moval adjustment gt General Focusing gt Adapter Tilt gt Dome Cleaning Tips 15 DOME REMOVAL After the ring screws and dome are removed carefully set aside Note Should you lose a screw the replacement size is Potentially after the Dome has been on the camera for some time it can stick to the O ring 16 DOME REPLACEMENT After making sure that the O ring is in place replace the dome ring assembly and center up all 6 screw hole locations Drop in all of the screws and tighten as shown below Rotate CCW a couple turns then CW This allows the coarse screw threads to properly engage OVER TIGHTEN Just enough to make sure there are no gaps etween ring amp sealing surface 17 MASK REMOVAL ADJUSTMENT An adjustable light mask is incorporated into the camera to facilitate blocking unwanted stray light near the horizon Adjust the mask as described below To remove or adjust the Mask use a twisting motion then push or pull as needed NOTE Only a very small movement is needed to change the FOV Top of The Mask is shipped with the position shown Approximately in the middle of the lens curvature This provides a maximum FOV To block light intrusions on the horizon the Mask should be raised slightly as needed 18 GENERAL FOCUSING PROCEDURE If the camera requires re focusing remove the dome and light mask to gain access to the lens Adjust th
13. older settings Note Folders on the web host list will be displayed in brackets i e lt foldername gt Double click on the folder name to open the folder and use the Up button to move up a level Right click the mouse to open a file options menu 12 SkyEye Web Page Setup Please use the following settings in the SkyEye camera program for uploading images and videos to the interactiveastronomy com web site File Locations Path to Image Files lt as desired gt Path to Host ftp interactiveastronomy com skyeye jpg Path to Placeholder lt Optional as desired gt Ftp Settings Hostname interactiveastronomy com Username lt assigned username gt Password lt assigned password gt Movie Settings Movie Format Quicktime Frame Count lt as desired gt Upload Interval lt as desired gt Frame Rate lt as desired gt 13 Step by step instructions for interactive astronomy web hosting Click the Settings tab button at the top of the program window and check the Set Host Credentials check box Type interactiveastronomy com in the Hostname field if it is not already displayed Type your assigned username in the Username field Clear the asterisks in the Password field and type in your assigned password Click the Connect button After a few seconds the Web Host Status label should display Connected Click on the folder button adjacent to the Path to Host field An ftp browse
14. r window will open and display the contents of your web site folder Type skyeye in the Filename field if it is not already displayed and click the Save button to continue If you would like to have a customized image displayed during daylight hours when your camera is off line click on the folder button adjacent to the Path to Placeholder field and navigate to the image file you would like to be displayed when your camera is off line The image should be in the jpg format and the image file size should be less than 600K If you are uploading movies use the Quicktime codec format All setting and credential information is saved to your hard drive so in the future you only need to click the Connect button to connect to the web server If you cannot connect to the web server for any reason double check the host credentials and your internet connection The credentials are case sensitive and must match the provided credentials exactly If you are still having difficulties please contact support interactiveastronomy com for assistance If you already have a web site and would like to have a web page on interactiveastronomy com as well replace the web host credential information with the credentials provided by your web hosting service and contact support interactiveastronomy com with your web site url Please do not share your web host credentials with anyone 14 Maintenance Tips gt Dome removal replacement gt Mask re
15. s 7 Exposure Time 6 0 seconds Interactive Astronomy 8 Exposure Delay i seconds 9 Auto Exposure 10 Exposure Level Image Location 15 Gamma Start Stop 11 Always On 12 Sentinel Mode 1 Connect button Connects and disconnects camera from PC 2 Camera status label Reports current camera operational status and function 3 Exposure progress Reports current exposure time remaining 4 ADU label Reports average brightness of the current image on a scale of 1 to 255 5 Web host status label Reports current web host connection and operating status 6 Upload progress Reports current upload time remaining 7 Exposure time Adjustment for exposure time in seconds 8 Exposure delay Adjustment for delay time between exposures in seconds 9 Auto Exposure check box System will adjust exposure time according to sky level 10 Exposure Level adjustment Adjusts the auto exposure level threshold 11 Always On check box Sets system to expose constantly regardless of sky brightness 12 Sentinel Mode check box System will auto start and auto stop depending on sky brightness Dusk Dawn 13 Dew heater icon Displays status of X 10 controlled dew heater if equipped 14 Start Stop button Starts and pauses imaging functions 15 Gamma control Adjusts brightness and contrast of displayed and saved images 16 Zoom button Opens a scalable window that displays the current image S
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