Thermostatically Controlled Meteor Camera

[AJohn]

Hi all,

This is my first post.

I am hoping to build an inexpensive housing for a Watec PAL camera that I have with the intended use as a meteor camera. The camera needs to be protected from the environment, rain, snow, fog and ideally in a controlled temperature situation while it runs all night looking for meteors flashing across the heavens.

I understand that good outdoor surveillance camera housings that are heated and cooled can be had with a nice poly dome for perhaps $ 200 or less. However is there a ready made electronic device or setup I can buy and install in my own homemade housing?

Any suggestions? I live in the Northeast where temps can fall into the subzero digits and in the summer hit more than 100 degrees F on occasion. I do understand some of the rectangular outdoor camera housings do have the features of heat/cooling for a reasonable price but I really need a domed version due to extreme wide angle lens I would like to use.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[anorlunda]

I think $200 for a dome with heating/cooling is pretty cheap. I'll be interested to hear if I PF can suggest cheaper alternatives.

What max/min temperature can you tolerate?

 

[AJohn]

I think $200 for a dome with heating/cooling is pretty cheap. I'll be interested to hear if PF can suggest cheaper alternatives.

What max/min temperature can you tolerate?

 

[AJohn]

I'd imagine that 55 to 85 degrees F would be an acceptable opperating range or so.

Just wondering what might be out there as a third party system.

 

[Hesch]

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

A bimetal thermostat in series with a 100W resistor ?

Have a look here: ( I don't know if it is accurate enough ? ).

http://www.senasys.com/shop/product/12-thermostat-switch-430-301a092-f/

PS: Of course you should choose a model that opens at temperature rise.

 

[anorlunda]

Well then, if you live in the Northeast and use the camera only at night, and if your max temperature is 85 F, then you don't need cooling at all. That will make it much less expensive.

A simple incandescent light bulb can be the source of heat and a household thermostat with a mercury switch, plus a little insulation might be all you need.

Do you need the temperature closely regulated and stable, or merely min temp 55 F?

 

[AJohn]

Well then, if you live in the Northeast and use the camera only at night, and if your max temperature is 85 F, then you don't need cooling at all. That will make it much less expensive.

A simple incandescent light bulb can be the source of heat and a household thermostat with a mercury switch, plus a little insulation might be all you need.

Do you need the temperature closely regulated and stable, or merely min temp 55 F?

Yes I have already thought of this but was wondering what kind of setups exist for the commercial security cameras. Surely a light bulb on within a housing is not a good idea when trying to run a camera at night trying to capture images of faint meteors! It maybe possible to baffle the housing to shield the light created by the bulb but I rather not go in this direction.

 

[meBigGuy]

I think you should look at reptile heating systems.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=reptile+thermostats&tag=pfamazon01-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CZ0J3E/?tag=pfamazon01-20

BTW, they also have ceramic heating bulbs, etc