The AllSky Capsule.
The AllSky Capsule is a camera system for astrophotography. It constantly records images of the sky, both night and day, and compiles timelapses using the captured images.
I have developed the AllSky Capsule to use Aaron Morris' indi-allsky software.
https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky
There are many other AllSky software packages available, and I have designed another Allsky Enclosure in the past using Thomas Jacquin's AllSky.
This version, The AllSky Capsule, is inspired by the Ikea BEGÅVNING Glass Dome. Costing just £13, I couldn't resist the opportunity to try and fit an AllSky system inside.
The AllSky Capsule is built around Arducam's LN051 120 Degree Ultra Wide Angle Lens. I Have chosen this lens for several reasons. Firstly, the cost is very good for the quality of the optics; secondly, the image it produces is almost perfectly flat. I didn't want any distortion or fish-eyeing, it is the largest FOV I could find without significant distortion. Lastly, it seems to be widely available. Much like the Ikea Dome, it should be easy for everyone to acquire.
Indi-allsky supports a large range of sensors and modules. I have included a BME680 environmental sensor, a TSL2591 light sensor, and a GPS module.
A Raspberry Pi 5, with a Waveshare PoE HAT+ (C), Active Cooler, and 256gb M.2 SSD hosts the indi-allsky install. There is also a System Fan to help keep things cool.
Features.
- Raspberry Pi 4/5
- Raspberry Pi HQ Camera.
- Arducam 120 Degree Ultra Wide Lens.
- Temperature Controlled System Fan.
- Designed for PoE.
- Real Glass Enclosure.
- Real-Time Weather Data (BME680).
- Temperature.
- Pressure.
- Humidity.
- Air Quality.
- Real-Time Lux Data (TSL2591).
- Lux.
- Visible Light.
- Infrared.
- Full Spectrum.
- GNSS Location Data (Adafruit Ultimate GPS Module).
Download The AllSky CAD Pack.
What To Expect.
The AllSky Capsule records the sky 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some days will be rain and clouds, some will be crystal clear skies.
Currently, as it is summer, the nights are short, so the daytime timelapses are significantly longer than the night.
Sky Oddities.
The camera will image anything that flies into the field-of-view. Below are just a few examples.
PoE.
The AllSky Capsule needs to be outside, and will require both power, and a network connection. Power-over-Ethernet is the obvious solution to both these requirements.
There are many, many PoE HATs available. I chose the Waveshare PoE M.2 HAT+ (C). It has space for an M.2 SSD, and is compatible with the official Active Cooler. Obviously, you are free to make your own selection. I very nearly chose the SupTronics X1207 PoE UPS HAT instead.
Sensors.
Indi-allsky supports a huge array of sensors. I picked what I thought would be the most appropriate and useful for me (GPS, Environmental, Light). I may add the AS3935 lightening sensor in a later update. There is plenty of space for more if you wish.
For a full list of supported devices, visit indi-allsky.
System Fan.
Right at the top, directly below the camera, is a 30x30x15 5v Sunon 6 CFM fan. The AllSky Capsule is enclosed in a glass dome, and could get warm inside. The System Fan draws air directly from the top of the dome and exhausts it straight out the bottom of the capsule.
Cool air is drawn in past the BME680 and into the enclosure. The fan is temperature controlled by indi-allsky automatically. The CMOS temperature in the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera is monitored by indi-allsky and is set to come on at 30C (it actually comes on at 24C due to the Threshold Delta configuration). The Raspberry Pi HQ Camera has an operating range of 0C to 50C.
The Raspberry Pi 5 produces it's own heat, and while the Capsule has not been tested in the winter yet, I am hoping the heat from the Pi is enough to stop it freezing over at night. Unfortunately, we will have to wait a few months to see if this is the case.
Made For The Outdoors.
The Capsule is, by design, intended for use outside. It has been tested in the British weather, which can frequently mean it is cloudy, sunny, cold, raining, clear, and hot, all at the same time.
There are two seals, one for the Glass Dome, and the other between the Top & Bottom parts. While it isn't waterproof, you will have to put it in a bucket of water to get the internals wet.
We do not recommend you put it in a bucket of water.
Build Your Own AllSky Capsule.
The AllSky CAD Pack is available here, or you can download the basic STLs Set from Printables or MakerWorld.
The CAD Pack includes the following.
- The Complete STLs Set.
- The Full STEPs Export (including Master Assembly).
- Fusion 360 Master File.
- Diagramatic Bill Of Materials (BOM).
The CAD Pack makes it possible to edit, modify and change the design. You can incorporate different sensors, or remove ones already included. This is not possible with the basic STLs Set. Downloading the CAD Pack also supports my work, with a percentage of any profits going back to the community.
Comprehensive documentation covers everything from printing the parts, to installing the software | The Documentation.