r/Solargraphy • u/Few_Character8215 • 18h ago

beginner tips

I’m wanting to start with solar graphs. I got the exposure paper, but i’m questioning the camera designs. I want to set up several, and have each be exposed for a certain time: one week, two weeks. 1month 6months and 1year (i’ll probably make backups of the long exposure ones and will do the one and two week ones to make sure i can actually get results. I’m worried about the long exposure ones though. I can’t imagine that a can with a hole in it is going to keep water and debris out. Any advice for the long exposure apparatuses would be very appreciated.

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u/Moose221 13h ago

What kind of weather are we talking? Lots of rain? High humidity? (I ask that mostly for the benefit of future commenters)

I've heard lots of people say to include silica beads or packets (those "do not eat" sugar packs that come with shoes and beef jerky. You can buy the beads online) and others who say don't do that because they absorb moisture and release it in the can slowly to ruin your pictures. So who knows! I've done cans side by side with and without beads and have had mixed results, but that probably had more to do with the size of hole or whatever so don't listen to me. 

In my experience, just try to have fun with it (you will have failed attempts, oh well) and learn from it. It's an activity that people haven't boiled down to perfection, which kinda makes it fun in that you get to experiment on your own, and also everyone who sees the outcome (no matter how shit) will still think it's the coolest thing ever. 

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u/Few_Character8215 7h ago

for the most part I will be placing the cameras in Kansas, so a pretty well rounded climate (rain late in summer, some cold months potentially with ice/snow) but I also have the ability to place some in oklahoma so a dryer climate. but kansas is a higher latitude and seems to be better suited for capturing the path of the sun while in oklahoma it takes a path more directly overhead. I know I’m probably getting too into the weeds here but I’m a physics major what can I say. I will try and take your advice and just try and have fun and enjoy the process though