Setting up a Fireball Camera

Hi Michael
Just some test images and images of the camera system as promised.

Clear skies
Mike

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Thanks for the images Mike.
I hear what you are saying re the equipment.
In terms of a fireball camera, it would not need to see the faintest meteors, just the v. bright ones.

For comparison:
The Samsung camera is selling for 100pounds.
Computar 1/3" chips are quite cheap ( a few euro) and easy to get on ebay.
cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370191081352

150euro would easily get the camera + lens compared to 750euro for the Watec option.
Of course, the Watec would be a better camera.
I kmow that the Samsung B1311P camera is in use as a fireball camera in Spain
www.imo.net/imc2010/talks/Ocana.pdf
www.didactum.de/samsung-sccb1331p-farbsw...514.html?language=en
From a quick glance at the spec, the B2031 would appear to be a better than the B1311P camera.

FWIW, I just sent a query to the seller re if it is colour or momo.

Michael.

I did bit more research on these cameras.

1. It would seem that using a larger chip is a good idea as you get larger pixels. Larger pixels => increased sensitivity.

2. Quoted lux values are not the be-all-and-end-all. Many are based on integration times of stacking frames together. Some just stack more frames on the cameras built-in memory than others. Not of much use for live video capture.
For example:
cgi.ebay.com.sg/Samsung-Camera-Security-...-0001L-/250652833751
THis camera would seem to have a rating of 0.001 lux - the most sensitive I could find on ebay.
However, this is based on integrating 512 images together.
True minimum illumination value is actually 0.05 Lux, which is still pretty good but not as useful as may initially seem.

Michael.

Hi Michael

Using frame integration mode / stacking mode on the fly will brighten/enhance a starry background, but this technique is as I understand it poor for motion detection such as a fast moving meteor, the S/N ratio of the moving object is too low and therefore the recorded image of the meteor is faint and thus difficult to extract useful information. This will cause problems for software in later analysis of the image clip and may produce inaccurate results. Therefore I do not recommend frame integration cameras for meteor detection work. It may be possible to turn off frame integration mode but I guess this would defeat the design of the camera in the first place and of course you have to be careful with quoted lux values as you have found out.

Anyway, I managed to place a few meteor videos on you-tube, links as below











Clear skies
Mike

Mike,

I was looking at the spec of the SBIG all-sky camera.
www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=12597 - RS232
- 1 image downloaded per 15 secs
- Camera readout time = 1sec

How would one record meteor velocities and orbit trajectories with this camera?
Surely the cameras you have are better than the SBIG one for meteor detection?

Michael.

Hi Michael, happy new year.
I love SBIG products; their engineering, finish, support etc is great. The new SBIG 340 is an interesting product. This new edition is in its third guise after upgrades to hardware and software, in particular to the CCD chip which by the way is also used in SBIGs new STX series of research grade CCDs as a guide chip. Alas with any product it has pros and cons.

The initial camera setup looks quite involved, the price as listed for this model is 2,195 USD, importing to Ireland I guess you would pay an equivalent amount in Euros or even more (remember that a complete proven system as I described above will be about 55% cheaper to SBIGs offering). SBIG say that for this camera it can be important to take darks on a regular basis, this of course would interfere with real time meteor patrol; also it is unclear (at least to me) as regards memory buffer, time stamping for uncompressed AVIs, download speeds for AVIs and integration with other software etc. The supplied fish-eye lens has a focal ratio of f1.4 and it has a fixed iris only, the Computar Aspherical lens has an auto iris feature for video/DC drive lens which compensates for light / dark conditions). SBIGs supplied lens will limit recording of fainter meteors at 185 x 185 degrees, it’s a trade off between capturing more sky but only recording brighter meteors or capturing less sky but also recording fainter meteors (as well of course the brighter meteors). I still think the ½” Aspherical lens design and faster f ratios (f0.8 and f1.0 for example) have proven themselves over time as have the Watec cameras for meteor patrol, occultation work and lunar meteorite impact patrols.

It’s really down to your preference Michael and what you really want your system to do; obviously there are more knowledgeable people out there whom could offer you better advice, like going to a doctor, a second opinion is sometimes warranted, having said that Michael I stand by my advice as I have given it above and in my previous posts as the best based on my current knowledge and experience.

Best wishes and many clear skies for 2011
Mike