How to make a sun finder (solar finder)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 เม.ย. 2011
- This is my homemade/DIY sun finder for pointing my solar cooker directly at the sun. You can also use it for lining up solar panels, cameras, or whatever, with the sun. This is a simple one made of wood and plastic. I go through a lot of construction details to show anyone who thinks they can't make things that it isn't hard at all and that they can do it too. I also show how to test the alignment of the sun finder.
See also:
rimstar.org/renewnrg/sun_finde...
- rimstar.org - - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Thanks. When I was looking into sun finders, pretty much all I found was them in use for telescopes. Definitely a good fit.
@sharpshooterofky Anything longer than half an inch should be fine. It doesn't have to be the width of the collector. As long as you're confident in its accuracy. For placement, just put it somewhere on one side of the collector, similar to how in this video I've put on the side in one corner of the box. You could even just tape it on with duct tape or something and remove it once the collector is permanently mounted. It's surprised me at how much use I've gotten out of this simple thing.
I can't see how dimensions would matter. Since I made mine I've used it countless times and for many things. Surprisingly useful.
@field16 Done! I've cooked the rice with free power. It took between 1.5 to 2 hours when it was 3C (38F) outside. This was with my new cone solar cooker. Go to my channel to see the video series (only parts 1 and 2 edited and uploaded so far) about it or click on the link I added at the end of this sun finder video.
@field16 The solar cooker is still evolving, so the cooking show will come. I'm hoping to cook rice on Friday, if all goes well. The video would follow by a week or so. I had to build the sun finder before I could build the solar cooker so that I'd have some way of lining up the solar cooker - though there are many ways of lining it up. Maybe I'll do a video on the different ways once I've tried them all.
And you're welcome re the sand paper trick ;-).
@narcovice That would work for some types of solar cookers but not all. But in general you're right. There are all sorts of ways of doing this depending on the thing you are trying to aim: some solar cookers you can just look at their shadow, looking at the shadow of a single stick pointed at the sun, a hollow tube with a board behind it, ... I've found the one in this video to be very versatile and used it many times since making it.
@GWOVMR I knew that about radio waves and light, which is why people can use satellite dishes as solar cookers, but I didn't know it was true for sound too. Thanks!
Thanks for the tip on washing hands with sand paper! ;-)
I like your resourcefulness. Looks like you made this for nearly nothing. I would have liked to see a cooking show, too.
@RimstarOrg Rice is a good choice since it takes awhile to cook (at least 45 minutes for most cooking methods). Will be great to see if you cook the rice with free power.
You make the best videos! Clear, informative, and concise!!!! Keep them coming!
PS-I noticed your comment about ppl watching the solar cooking vids...They're probably preppers or homesteaders ;') So if you do decide to move them, please bunch all the vids that apply to simple/sustainable living together!
Thanks! Yeah, I still haven't moved the videos because I have other non-solar videos that refer to them. If I do move them, I'll keep them together. Thanks for watching them!
@humantorchid Notice how I didn't waste time switching to my superman outfit first. ;-)
Yes, it is. I've also used a short small 1/2" inner diameter tube with a piece of wood about an inch behind it for the sun and shadow to shine onto. Works great.
does the length mean anything? i want to make one for my collector it's 8x8? does its length need to be the width of the collector? what about placement? is it the same for all applications?
Another way if you have the plastic is to just make an all plastic tool an then cut and weld with a magnifying glass. To cut you just burn through the material and to weld you need a flux preferably something that carbonizes like williow leaves, you place the flux on the plastic line the magnifier up with the sun and start burning the flux you will notice that the pices of carbon get stuck in the plastic this is what you will use to melt the plastic parts together then quench in water to set.
not sure if you updated your sun finder but i saw this video today as just decided to play with solar, yours is okay but could be inpractical for say on the walk with weight ect so what i did was 2 hinges single hole either side and riveted to a thin bit metal hinge folds down either end and made sure it lifted the right way works great, was thinking of putting a small hole in middle, so i could stick a pointy stick through, then stick stick in ground as just turn as need to find sun, what you think?
Sounds like a good design. What do you mean by "on the walk with weight"? I later came up with some other approaches, one using a tube and one using the structure of the solar cooker itself -- no video but you can see them on my website here rimstar.org/renewnrg/sun_finders_lining_up_with_sun.htm
@@RimstarOrg micro light packers and such as yours was wood. it be to heavy for them lol. Also it was semi bulky in size and shape so much more so than flat metal with lift up hinges, also i think backpackers just like to complain so they bound to find some reason, with made metal and a small hole for stick you also got a signal mirror, love your newer videos but i just hit like and maybe coment i think left coment about useing preasure cooker in a solar oven not sure, will visit website thanks for link and answer. stay safe
@@RimstarOrg oh looked your site nice but also another thing about mine is just need magnet somewhere and it stick to solar still even cardboard ones, like the tube one that be easy to make on the go, if you decide make solar still from rubbish while camping , or fishing just for survival practice, ummm got me thinking now lol, in survival if you had bamboo and sandwich bag maybe could you make emergancy solar cooker, bamboo is cooked in so it hold heat sandwich back to be the cover over hole, maybe insole of shoe as black back part most white on top but black underneath, yeash it get adicting thinking about solar doasnt it?
Thanks for clarifying. And yup, solar can be addictive, especially when cooking with only clean, free energy.
just use a pray bottle or put your hand close to where it gets hot side or middle
Nice video. I can use this for my telescope.
thats alot work ,just put a nail into ure box and when u see only the top from ure nail as a shadow than you are spot on the sun ........
I'm not sure that dimensions make any difference, would like to kn ow, I know the square should be true, but will be trying this.
omg very strong n fast lol - 1:15
Don't tell anyone, but I get plastic by raiding the recycle bins on my street on trash night. ;)
Like in the video, you only need to bother finding the center-hole on the first piece, then copy it to the rest.
@RimstarOrg lol