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Part 1 of Dew prevention done - well beta tested


stash

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I have just completed my project (well 85% complete) to automate my Dew band control using a number of these little gems https://wiki.wemos.cc/products:d1:d1_mini to create a network of Temp/Humidity sensors including one in my Obsys and, most importantly, one inside the dew shield on my scope. The real advantage is that they work work wirelessly  and can be programmed to sleep between "sensing". The other part of the project is my remote dew band controller using a £3 LCD dimmer switch ,an Ardunio Nano,Nema14 Stepper and some own brand programming in Python.

It means I should" be able to monitor what is going on in my scope and control the amount of juice going to the band remotely via PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) - i.e. Dimmer switch.

Hopefully version 2 will remove the stepper motor (it turns the dimmer POT) and do it electronically - if I can work out how to replace the POT.

Anyway indoor testing has worked and now the real test begins using it all in the real world. 

dewcontroller-pt2.jpg

dewcontroller-pt1.jpg

scopetemp.jpg

obsystemp.jpg

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now that's clever! If you can figure it all out in a neat package you could sell those. This time next year rodders!......

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That's brilliant Clive.  You just need to maybe include an emergency overtemp if possible, I had a channel on my heat controller fail closed circuit and it melted my Telrad.

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23 minutes ago, BAZ said:

That's brilliant Clive.  You just need to maybe include an emergency overtemp if possible, I had a channel on my heat controller fail closed circuit and it melted my Telrad.

I do monitor, in real time, the voltage given out by the PWM Dimmer but not the Amps - just relying in fast acting 1.5amp resettable fuse. Plus I did melt 2 cheap (£2) stepper motors due to EMF (I think). So swapped the cheapo stepper driver for optical isolated driver and used a better Nema 14 motor which works a treat and no heat at all - just  big.

l I will keep your point in mind for v4.

42 minutes ago, Perkil8r said:

now that's clever! If you can figure it all out in a neat package you could sell those. This time next year rodders!......

I wish - I just want to interface happily with my scope dew band AND connect to my Bosch/Worcester boiler Wave system. More likely to get a Reliant Robin - in purple dont like yellow :D

 

Now if I could invent an Anti Cloud machine ;)

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I was doing all right up until EMF. :D I get opto isolators as well.  That's dead technical to control dew, but I really do hope it works for you.

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56 minutes ago, BAZ said:

I was doing all right up until EMF. :D I get opto isolators as well.  That's dead technical to control dew, but I really do hope it works for you.

EMF = Wiki "Electromotive force, also called emf (denoted and measured in volts), is the voltage developed by any source of electrical energy such as a battery or dynamo" - in my case a stepper motor because it contains magnets - that's my theory anyway.

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