3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Favorite

Equatorial mount for solar panels and solar cookers and a possible alternative to Scheffler solar kitchens

video Equatorial mount for solar panels and solar cookers and a possible alternative to Scheffler solar kitchens

Some info on how equatorial mount works that may be helpful.

20 comments

Sep 6, 2010. 8:50 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

My attempt to scale this up to solar cooker size is at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7169062&l=bdacdfca26&id=736625766 It is going fairly well and the next part is to figure out how to make the reflector Here is video of the thing from the 6th September 2010

and here is the link for the video (embed looks strange just now)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OqG2LesnSo

May 16, 2010. 9:22 AMgaiatechnician (author) says:

I made a new model

Mar 5, 2010. 6:47 AM

rimar2000 says:

I can't see the video, neither with Firefox nor with Chrome.

Please add some explanations, I am working in a similar mount, the matter is very interesting for me.

Mar 5, 2010. 8:58 AMgaiatechnician (author) says:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhKYvwl86pA is the video direct link.
I am not planning anything else. It simply takes up too much time and I need to get back to other stuff (like work!) and earning money.
You could put in a request for a new instructable about equatorial mount on the forums.
Anybody with a telescope probably knows more about it than me. It would be great to see them contribute.
Brian

Mar 5, 2010. 1:22 PM

rimar2000 says:

Yes, I understand your time problem perfectly. But have mercy on those who do not speak English, put complete subtitles in the video (now I can see it!) in English, of course. I could read and understand them very well, but I understand 10% what you say. There are thousands like me, I am not an isolated case.

I know the equatorial mount, I use it in my solar cooker. It is the best mounting for a solar based device.

My "parabola" is a mirror arrange, Scheffler-Fresnel like.

Mar 7, 2010. 10:36 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-JpBu6vCgE is a much shorter version and hopefully youtube captions or subtitles will work on it.
Please let me know if it is helpful
Brian

Mar 8, 2010. 5:02 AM

rimar2000 says:

I regret to say that the subtitles do not appear. Thanks anyway for the effort.

Mar 9, 2010. 12:05 AMgaiatechnician (author) says:

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/File:Gimp_equa_float_pistons.jpg is the newest decendent of the dripper trackers. I may do an animation to make it clearer.
I also added a transcript to the short video. It doesn't work exactly right but perhaps it helps a bit. It finally has captions! Hurah.
Brian

Mar 9, 2010. 4:03 PM

rimar2000 says:

Very interesting, but I can't understand why the blue gear turns... I will insist.

Thanks for the captions. they help a lot. Now I can understand your proposal. I think it is a little complex. My design uses equatorial mount with a steady grid (it doesn't move anyway) where I put the foods to cook. The image is from an older assembling, but it serves as example.

Apr 20, 2010. 3:36 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

Hi, rimar2000, I thought of something today and thought of your photo again too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-bj0guW0k0 is an attempt to solve a center of gravity problem with parabolic reflectors as the sun path goes up and down with the seasons. But maybe your idea of the counterweight above the reflector dish would work with this also. So In my video, the dish would still be attached at the sides with the seasonal adjustment made in the same way. But a counterweight would be attached above (like yours) to bring the center of gravity of the dish onto the focus. Once it is on the focus, you mount your dish and you never have to adjust the mirrors (or anything else) again! The seasonal movement and daily movement will still have to be done by rotating as directed of course.
Or is that totally wrong?
Brian

Apr 20, 2010. 6:13 PM

rimar2000 says:

Your thinking is correct, but I think not worth the hassle to take into account the seasonal movement of the sun, at least for a solar cooker, because either way, to begin cooking is needed be sure that the focus beat the food.

My mirrors arrange is very heavy, the glass only, it weight 6 Kg. The support plat must be consequently strong, and consequently heavy... My counterweigth is a little light, but I don't want to do a VLM (very large machine) ;)

Mar 9, 2010. 8:33 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

I think you will have to adjust your mirrors sometimes for the seasons and your pot is not on the axis so it will work but not for the whole day without readjustment.
We will just have to wait and see if anyone is interested, I guess.
Brian

Mar 10, 2010. 5:07 AM

rimar2000 says:

Yes, I will have to adjust the arrange of mirrors (as a whole) sometimes for the seasons.

The pot is exactly on the axis, so it will work for the whole day without readjustment, only to seek (refocus with the crank) the sun each 10-15 minutes.

Look, the thick tilted bar under the pot is the axis. My design is 90 degrees of yours. But it functions too, I cooked in winter meat, sausages, spaghetti, compote, etc. Successfully.

Mar 10, 2010. 9:04 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

Ok, sorry, now I get it. (I was looking at the wrong axis!).
Something between my solar accumulating barbecue idea (but done much better that what I did) and the Scheffler designs.
and you have a much better counterweight than I had too.
(I guess the thing on the right up high is a counterweight?)
Mirrors give a lot more certainty than home made dishes.
(You told me that 2 years ago and you are still right today!)
Perhaps you should do an instructable with more pictures.
Thank You
Brian

Mar 11, 2010. 8:12 AM

rimar2000 says:

Yes, that soda bottle is concrete full, it weights approx 5 Kg.

Y will do an instructable maybe this year. My project is stagnant by many domestic matters.

Mar 11, 2010. 9:26 AMgaiatechnician (author) says:

You could put a picture on my ning group. they stay full size there.
http://solardesign.ning.com/
or on solarcooking http://solarcooking.wikia.com
where it can get lots of views
I can put it in either site if you email me the photo.
with your name and details.
Brian

Mar 11, 2010. 4:02 PM

rimar2000 says:

Yes, when my actual design be operative, I will do. That picture I sent you is almost two years old.

Mar 5, 2010. 8:08 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

Auto captioning failed. Probably my accent, etc.
Ok, I guess I should do it, (for english speakers too). It will take a while.
Brian

Apr 18, 2010. 7:45 PMgaiatechnician (author) says:

http://artandsciencefair.ca/ has accepted a project based on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-bj0guW0k0 which is the latest video about the tracking solar accumulator
To be held May 8th in Toronto, Canada

Mar 5, 2010. 6:59 PM

rimar2000 says:

Please read this: http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/04/youtube-launches-auto-captions-for-all-videos/