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software | 24 comments (24 topical, editorial)

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by TomW on Thu Jun 5th, 2008 at 01:29:36 PM MST
(User Info)

Yeah, anyone who can translate this to a shell or perl script or other unix tool[s] that would allow me to locate the solar position based on my day/time and timezone would be cool beans. I can track horizon to horizon [treetops really] with a resolution of 515 steps. Roughly 3 degree steps.

Tom

Speaking of solar, I just read and measured 56 inches multiple times then promptly laid it out as 59 while upgrading my trackers rack. Bolts are at least easy to change.

"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned."--Mark Twain
[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by david williams on Sat Jun 7th, 2008 at 11:08:49 AM MST
(User Info)

If you, or anyone else, want to translate my Sunalign program into a perl script or anything else, I'd be happy to help however I can. I do undertand the calculation. I could do it with a pocket calculator if I had to. I coded it into BASIC because that's the only programming language I'm any good at. If anyone wants to re-code it into any other language (providing, of course, that it has provision for floating-point math and trig functions), and doesn't understand it from the BASIC, just contact me and I'll try to explain how it works. Contact me here or, probably better, send me an e-mail:

david.williams@bayman.org

Later...
dow

[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by DamonHD (d@hd.org) on Sat Jun 7th, 2008 at 11:20:33 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.earth.org.uk/

It's potentially the sort of thing that might be coded up as JavaScript on pages hosted here at FL/OP...

Easy free service which costs FL nothing (except in TomW et al handling newbie impotent rage when it doesn't give the desired answer...)

Rgds

Damon

[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by david williams on Tue Jun 10th, 2008 at 12:16:51 PM MST
(User Info)

Translating Sunalign to JavaScript sounds like a good idea. Making it so it doesn't work doesn't! There are already other programs out there that are claimed to do the same thing, but they aren't always reliable. Some, for example, don't work correctly for locations in the southern hemisphere. I am very confident that Sunalign always works correctly, with accuracy that is more than sufficient for solar-energy purposes. Let's keep it that way. Please don't post any version that doesn't work reliably.

dow

[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by DamonHD (d@hd.org) on Tue Jun 10th, 2008 at 02:28:12 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.earth.org.uk/

Your point is well made, though I was referring in part to the kind of rage incurred when the program gives the mathematically correct answer, but not the answer hoped for by the innumerate and physics-detesting user who wanted to stick it to the (power) man...

Rgds

Damon

[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by david williams on Wed Jun 11th, 2008 at 02:56:11 PM MST
(User Info)

In the middle of a Canadian winter, I'd love the sun to be high in the sky. I could easily write a program to tell me that this is so, but I don't think it would help much!

dow

[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#15)
by david williams on Fri Aug 15th, 2008 at 02:24:55 PM MST
(User Info)

I know of someone who has translated my BASIC Sunalign program into Perl. He says it seems to work fine, but he wants to give it a very thorough testing and polishing before releasing it into the big wide world.

When he feels it's ready, I'll ask him to post it here.

[ Parent ]

Re: software (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by bills on Wed Aug 20th, 2008 at 07:20:01 AM MST
(User Info)

Tom,

I have ported David Williams' SunAlign to a Perl program although I haven't completed the comprehensive testing on it yet. If you would like a copy drop me an email and I will send it on. Maybe you could try it and let me know what you think? I use gmail. [First initial][middle initial][last name]

William K Stewart (Bill)

[ Parent ]

software | 24 comments (24 topical, 0 editorial)

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