Subscribe to Our Youtube Channel
Related Manuals for Diffraction Boltwood Cloud Sensor III
Summary of Contents for Diffraction Boltwood Cloud Sensor III
- Page 1 Boltwood Cloud Sensor III User’s Manual Version 1.0 – July 07, 2022 DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 2 Class B Information Technology Equipment according to European Standard EN 55022. The limits for Class B equipment were derived for typical residential environments to provide reasonable protection against interference with licensed communication devices. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 3 Aluma® are registered trademarks of Diffraction Limited. Boltwood Cloud Sensor, Aluma AC, AFW, StarChaser, SC-2, SC-3, ST-4, STF, STX, STXL, AO-X, MaxIm DL, and MaxIm LT are trademarks of Diffraction Limited. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
- Page 4 NOTE: The new Boltwood Cloud Sensor III uses a new generation of sensors, improving upon the prior generation of Boltwood Cloud Sensor II. It also adds new capabilities that were not available on earlier models. Unlike the older models, these units use new software, including the current state-of-the-art ASCOM Alpaca technology for Safety Monitoring and Observing Conditions.
-
Page 5: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents Warnings ......................4 1 – The Boltwood Cloud Sensor III ..............6 A Quick Tour of your Boltwood Cloud Sensor III ..........7 2 – Supplied components ................10 3 – Equipment Installation ................11 Direct Mounting .................. -
Page 6: The Boltwood Cloud Sensor
When it detects adverse conditions, the Boltwood Cloud Sensor III will trigger a contact closure (relay) output. When connected to an observatory roof controller such as the MaxDome II system, this will cause the observatory to close. Note that this will not park your telescope or other equipment. -
Page 7: A Quick Tour Of Your Boltwood Cloud Sensor Iii
A Quick Tour of your Boltwood Cloud Sensor III DIFFRACTION LIMITED... - Page 8 The Sun Shield protects the weather sensors underneath from direct sunlight, while allowing air to flow through freely. Underneath the Sun Shield are power and roof cable connections, plus several additional sensors. Keep this area clear and open to the environment, do not cover it. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 9 The left-hand LED shows communications link status. It glows amber when a link is active, and blinks green with a successful message transfer, and red for a failed message transfer (note that an occasional red is normal depending on Wi-Fi signal strength). DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
-
Page 10: Supplied Components
2 – Supplied components Observe proper handling procedures for sensitive electronic equipment and unpack your Boltwood Cloud Sensor III carefully in a clean, dry, static-free area. Inspect the contents to ensure all components are present and in good order. You should find the following: •... -
Page 11: Equipment Installation
3 – Equipment Installation The Boltwood Cloud Sensor III must have a clear view of the sky overhead, and unobstructed air flow. It can be installed on a pole, fence post, etc. It is also possible to install it on a roof fascia, although you should avoid installing over a potentially hot surface such as concrete or in any situation that blocks wind flow. -
Page 12: Quick Mount Bracket
If the AC power supply is not being used, connect the cloud sensor to a 12V power source. Although nominally a 12V input, it will accommodate a voltage range of 10.5V to 24V. The polarity of the connector is not important – it can be connected either way. DIFFRACTION LIMITED... -
Page 13: Roof Close Cable
The contact will also close if power is lost to the cloud sensor, which is useful for shutting down the observatory in the event of a power loss. This assumes your roof system has a battery backup. DIFFRACTION LIMITED... -
Page 14: Initial Network Setup
Ability to change the conditions under which the observatory closes • down Ability to change the thresholds for observing conditions • This password does NOT restrict: • Accessing any of the screens • Viewing the cloud sensor information DIFFRACTION LIMITED... -
Page 15: Cloud Sensor Id And Default Setup Password
Access Point connection When the Boltwood Cloud Sensor III is powered up for the first time, it will default to its Access Point mode. The Access Point is actually a hot spot and can be accessed from a smartphone or notebook computer. -
Page 16: Wireless Network Connection
Access Point and Wi-Fi Network modes simultaneously. Use the following procedure to set up a connection to your Wi-Fi network. 1. On the Home web page, click on the Wi-Fi menu item. This brings up the Wi-Fi configuration page for your network information. DIFFRACTION LIMITED... -
Page 17: Network Identification
To perform a reset, proceed as follows: 1. Look at the sensor from the front (the side opposite the mounting bracket). You will see the Boltwood logo. There is a hidden magnetic reset switch inside the housing directly behind the first letter “O”. DIFFRACTION LIMITED... - Page 18 • The Access Point function will be in the default mode, i.e. the access point will have a SSID of BCSIII and password will be the serial number in the format BCS123456789. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
-
Page 19: Software Operation
It can also be downloaded from https://diffractionlimited.com – please see the Boltwood Cloud Sensor III product page, Downloads tab. To install the program, run the installer file and follow the onscreen instructions. Note that the main window of Clarity III is actually a web browser. Normally it is set to look at your BCSIII's Home page. - Page 20 BCSIII network, and connect to Start Clarity III and click the Connect to Access Point button. A pop-up window will appear: Click OK and follow the instructions. Enter your observatory network’s SSID and Password in the two fields and click Submit. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 21 Note: By default, this password is not set. If you are a single user on your own network, you do not really need to set this. For security reasons, a secure password is highly recommended if you intend to DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 22 Edit. 11. Click the item you want to change and type in the desired value. Change any additional parameters you want to. When you are done, click the Save icon to the right of the Edit icon. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 23 To change the roof close options click Safety/Roof item on the blue bar. This enables the text edit fields for the On/Off switches for roof close. When you are done, click the Save icon to the right of the Edit icon. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 24 YYYY-MM-DD.txt. By default, the file will be saved to Documents\Clarity III. This command lets you change that location. • Get Support: Opens our technical support page at: https://diffractionlimited.com/forum Refer to Chapter 6 for details. The remaining items are self-explanatory. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
-
Page 25: Web Browser
MaxIm DL Pro and other third-party programs through its ASCOM Alpaca interfaces. For more information on ASCOM please visit: https://ascom-standards.org For assistance in setting up Alpaca please visit: https://ascom-standards.org/Help/Platform/html/e3870a2f-582a-4ab4-b37f-e9b1c37a2030.htm The Boltwood Cloud Sensor III provides two interfaces: • ISafetyMonitor • IObservingConditions Note: The ASCOM Platform 6.6 for Windows astronomy programs must be... - Page 26 In most cases, you can use the default settings in the properties window that is displayed and simply need to click OK. This is an ASCOM screen and any functions here are best described by the documentation available on the ASCOM website. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
-
Page 27: Maxim Dl Pro
1. Download the firmware file from our web site, and put it on your hard drive. The suffix of the file is .bin, but the prefix name will depend on the firmware version. The file is available from the Downloads tab at: https://diffractionlimited.com/cloud-sensor/ DIFFRACTION LIMITED... - Page 28 Do not interrupt the power or internet connection once the procedure has started. Should a firmware update fail for any reason, there is a way for the user to restore the firmware. Please contact our technical support for assistance. Refer to Chapter 6 for details. DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
-
Page 29: Technical Support
6 – Technical Support Technical support for the Boltwood Cloud Sensor III is provided through our support forum at: https://diffractionlimited.com/forum Click the Log in or Sign up button at top right. If you have not created an account already, you will be prompted to do so. Otherwise log in with your username and password. -
Page 30: Specifications
The Roof Close connector is an isolated contact closure. It may be connected in either polarity. Open indicates safe conditions; closed indicates unsafe. Contacts will close if power is lost. This connection is directly compatible with most observatory roof control systems, including MaxDome II. DIFFRACTION LIMITED... -
Page 31: Mechanical Illustrations
8 – Mechanical Illustrations DIFFRACTION LIMITED... - Page 32 DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
- Page 33 DIFFRACTION LIMITED...
Need help?
Do you have a question about the Boltwood Cloud Sensor III and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers