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UV sensor? — Parallax Forums

UV sensor?

brichardson4brichardson4 Posts: 1
edited 2010-09-07 12:54 in Accessories
Are there any UV sensors or applications that I could use on an near space balloon. I have temp, humidity, and compass sensors. We will be purchasing the GPS sensor and board for logging, but the science dept. wants something with measuring rays. Any ideas?
Bill R.
N5VEI

Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-08-26 13:49
    LEDs can be used as sensors at their characteristic wavelength. DigiKey carries three different ones, ranging from 385 to 415 nm. At around $10-$12 each, they're a bit pricey, but way less so than actual UV sensors.

    Also, the TSL230 that Parallax sells has some sensitivity between 300 and 400 nm. It could be used in conjunction with a UV bandpass optical filter. Or you could use two of them, one with a UV blocking filter, and compare their outputs.

    -Phil
  • TinkersALotTinkersALot Posts: 535
    edited 2010-09-04 07:56
    have you seen this site:

    http://www.hobby-boards.com/catalog/main_page.php
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-09-04 12:15
    brichardson4 wrote: »
    Are there any UV sensors or applications that I could use on an near space balloon....

    If I remember correctly, LED outputs can sometimes be somewhat temperature sensitive, so I suppose if they are used as input measurement devices, you might see some temperature dependencies, too, especially at near-space conditions. Keep that in mind so that you can get a meaningful calibration curve for the device. You should probably have a thermal sensor near the UV detector in case sunlight warms it up or it gets really cold in a shadow.

    My 2 cents worth.

    :)
  • oscarkorneroscarkorner Posts: 2
    edited 2010-09-06 02:23
    In my experience not a UV sensor but you can do a solar in a jar sensor which will give you sunshine hours and watts. It will also double as a night time cloud sensor if you get the design right. There are a number of threads covering these topics. I used a small glass laboratory beaker, glued a darkened disk of very thin aluminum to a body of insulated foam, screwed the temp probe to the disk and inserted the whole thing (close fitting) into the beaker with minimum air clearance at the top.
  • languerlanguer Posts: 6
    edited 2010-09-06 23:39
    Nuts & Volts had a good article on using LEDs for NearSpace sensing by Paul Verhage.

    Parallax has some chapters of a book of his with some useful info; http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/cusapps/NearSpaceCh8-v1.1.pdf

    N&V column; http://www.nutsvolts.com/index.php?/magazine/article/led_based_photometer
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-09-07 06:04
    languer wrote: »
    ....
    Parallax has some chapters of a book of his with some useful info; http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/cusapps/NearSpaceCh8-v1.1.pdf

    ...

    That looks like an interesting book. What was its title?
    thanks,
    Mark
  • languerlanguer Posts: 6
    edited 2010-09-07 12:54
    Check under the Parallax Resources (http://www.parallax.com/tabid/567/Default.aspx). It never ceases to amaze me, all the stuff (product, information, or otherqise) they have.
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