wormix

So last night the pictures stopped being taken before 1am and started again after 3.  @jiberjaber, I seem to recall you had this problem, was it linked to file size in the end?

pi@raspberrypi:/home/allsky/pics/night $ ls -ahl

total 6.2M

drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K Jun 20 03:51 .

drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4.0K Jun 20 09:24 ..

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 326K Jun 19 22:37 webcam-1592602381.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 326K Jun 19 22:37 webcam-1592602561.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 364K Jun 19 22:47 webcam-1592602741.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 393K Jun 19 22:47 webcam-1592602921.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 393K Jun 19 22:47 webcam-1592603101.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 366K Jun 19 22:57 webcam-1592603282.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 366K Jun 19 22:57 webcam-1592603461.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 362K Jun 19 22:57 webcam-1592603642.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 380K Jun 19 22:57 webcam-1592603821.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 380K Jun 19 23:00 webcam-1592604001.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 328K Jun 19 23:10 webcam-1592604181.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 248K Jun 19 23:10 webcam-1592604361.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 248K Jun 19 23:10 webcam-1592604541.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 157K Jun 19 23:20 webcam-1592604721.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 157K Jun 19 23:20 webcam-1592604901.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 222K Jun 20 00:20 webcam-1592608321.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 222K Jun 20 00:20 webcam-1592608501.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 226K Jun 20 00:20 webcam-1592608681.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 243K Jun 20 00:30 webcam-1592608861.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 243K Jun 20 00:30 webcam-1592609042.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 142K Jun 20 03:51 webcam-1592621282.jpg

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 150K Jun 20 03:51 webcam-1592621461.jpg

pi@raspberrypi:/home/allsky/pics/night $

13 hours ago, fozzybear said:

Jason,

Not used to linux i've tried to follow the script but what a ball ache. errors when inputting commands from the hosts github site...

can you explain if possible how you solved it

regards

Andy

Make sure you download the entire package and follow the instructions in the README file as they are formatted better than direct off github. 
 

I found copying the file lock stock over to the home directory and then following the instructions in README to work for the most part, just had to create the temporary movie files and edit out some text in the webcam.php file as I’m not running a temp sensor. 
 

Daytime was seemless yesterday and today - nighttime was working but video is only 5 seconds long, need to explore why that may be. 
 

Mine was also a virgin raspbian build 

1 hour ago, TerryMcK said:

If you ssh into the Astroberry then the username is astroberry and the password also is astroberry (as a default)

This can be changed easily.

Thanks - I was hoping you wouldn’t say that as I tried astroberry and it didn’t work meaning I changed to something I no longer remember!

Anyone know what the standard password for ssh is?

ta

Think I’ve cracked it - needed to manually start a couple scripts to give it a kick and found a bit of temperature script that I hadn’t commented out that seems to have got the browser end working. 
 

now thinking about cameras - currently using a pi 1.3 camera as that’s what I had at home. Saw earlier in this thread that the V2 low light performance is significantly better.  Is it worth the upgrade?

Would the NOIR version be best suited for this project?
 

Also just found that you can get a pi zero camera (same sensor as the v1 camera) including a 160 degree lens for peanuts so if the low light performance is tolerable that could be a really cheap way of getting this project finished off  

Software seems very unreliable on my original zero so may try and source a 3b to see how that goes. 
 

was having no joy last night, then tinkered again this morning and after multiple reboots the pictures are being generated again (had the error image all last night). Just waiting to see if video will be generated

Mine has stopped making a video - didn’t kick in last night and not working today either

No idea, but it’s all working well now, been stable for about 5hrs and creating the video too. 

Now need to sort out a housing and solar power supply, then figure out port forwarding which always leaves me stumped. 

For info this is running on an original non-Wi-fi pi Zero with Wi-fi dongle attached. 
 

Thanks for your help

Ok, so tinkered again and replaced the html Folder and now everything is working again

My Pi games seem to be a lot of hit and hope At the moment! 

6 hours ago, jiberjaber said:

I thought I had replied but looks like it didnt post!

in /run/shm there should be 3 files

When you view the allsky page, it runs some php which takes the webcam.jpg and puts the banner text on it then saves that as buffer.jpg, they should be within a couple of mins of each other (make sure you have opened the allsky - camera link first before checking.

If you arn't getting something with a recent time & date on it then something else is an issue  

 

Ok, so have checked and I have Buffer, error and webcam and as you describe buffer refreshes first and then webcam. 
 

The webcam jpg is fairly large at 257kb vs the buffer of 26kb. Not sure if that makes a difference?

Yep, one is appearing in there

Not understanding what’s gone on here - even did a clean install and no joy

Nothing at all;

Been playing around with the html and seem to have broken it - now not displaying an image, suspect I have to clear a cache somewhere. 

3 hours ago, wormix said:

Thanks - that worked and everything seems to be running ok 

Next silly question - I can actually view any output from the webcam, how do I actually view the front end!

 

sorry - very new to this!

Scratch that - figured it out

It’s alive!!!!!

9 hours ago, jiberjaber said:

Hi Gareth,  I don't remember having to compile Sunwait, it just worked for me iirc (it was a long time since I made the camera OS!)

 

ETA: Actually I must have done looking at it!  

Have you managed to clone the sunwait github? If so, you should have a dir called sunwait

from memory, if you change dir to the sunwait and then run 'make all' it should build  

 

 

 

Thanks - that worked and everything seems to be running ok 

Next silly question - I can actually view any output from the webcam, how do I actually view the front end!

sorry - very new to this!

Evening al - I thought I would give this a try as I have a spare Pi Zero that’s been sitting around unused for the last couple years. 
 

I got to the Sunwait section and have stalled - the Make File bit is new to me. Is anyone able to explain that?

thanks

Gareth

2 hours ago, Stu said:

😇😇😇🤣🤣🤣

Thought it may have been yours!

On 27/02/2020 at 22:32, AdeKing said:

Collected this evening, a new to me Vixen GP head and original counterweight in very nice condition but sadly missing the plastic cover for where the RA motor fits, a fact that I sadly didn't notice until I'd got it home and took a long while looking at it and pondering why it didn't look quite "right" before it clicked what was missing.

Fits nicely to my modded wooden TAL Tripod.

Hoping that my Skywatcher enhanced dual drives will fit it without to much bodging. Hoping it's a straight forward case of bolt straight on, which other posts seem to suggest is the case.

I have to say that from just playing with the slow motion controls that there appears to be virtually no backlash on either axis, something which can't be said of my EQ5.

I'm keen to experience first hand what a real Vixen GP is like and see what all the fuss is about.

There is a plastic cover for sale on eBay at the moment , just search Vixen

Not sure if this is really the right place but thought I would mention that anyone wanting to escape the bright lights for a bit of local dark site camping you could do a lot worse than Hill Farm Camping near Tring - beautiful location, good Bortle 4 skies and lovely owner

Plus it’s on top of the Chilterns so no risk of flooding (though it is currently muddy)

I store my caravan here and met somebody a few months back who had spent the whole night imaging and made me think It was worth posting  

http://hillfarmcampsite.co.uk
 

Photo is looking due east

Also worth mentioning that the TAL finder is an absolute gem

The TAL1 is a very good entry level scope, built like a tank and excellent optics and a rock steady mount - downside is the weight that comes as a byproduct of that sturdiness

The 26?mm plossl and Barlow that comes with the scope are very good quality too. 
 

I would say £60 is a bit steep to be honest, if you are patient they do come up cheaper. I have had 3 over the years and paid £30 twice and the final one was a fiver (I got very lucky on that one!)

Cheers

12mm x 30mm x 180mm aluminium bar and a clamp like above is what you need. 
 

cheers

Tripod adapter for my ETX90 arrived just in time to install on my newly acquired Vixen tripod obtained as part of the Polaris Mount offered by Heliumstar

Welcome Bryan - another one Hertfordshire, I’m in Tring so very lucky in terms of Dark sites as I’m surrounded by them. 
 

You have Bayfordbury Observatory just down the road from you so there may be some sites near there you can access. Also they have open days so we’ll worth a visit. 

I got a pi and installed astroberry last month but have yet to do anything with it other than playing with my DSLR remotely 

To connect to your HEQ5 do you just use and EQMOD cable direct to the pi?

Have a QHY5ii that I will sort for PHD at some point. 
 

Overall though I’m well impressed at how seamless it is