Hardware

What Pi and camera do i need?

Minimum recommended spec is Pi4b with 2GB memory. More memory is better. Current camera recommendations are the barebones IMX291 or IMX307 IP cameras, with a 4mm lens.

How do i build and configure a camera?

Follow these instructions on the GMN Wiki.

Can i use the Pi HQ Camera?

No. Testing has shown that the camera isn't sensitive enough. Meteor detection requires a camera that can be set in a fixed framerate of at least 25fps in extremely low light conditions. The camera must also be capable of being set at a fixed gain and brightness otherwise magnitude calculations won't be possible, with no on-camera noise reduction or stacking which will 'optimise out' meteors.

Can i use an astronomical camera?

No. Astronomical cameras are optimised for long-exposure and generally can't be set to a fixed-frame rate.

Can I use a USB version of the IMX291 or IMX307?

Generally no. The USB versions of lack the fine control that the IP versions have.

What about {camera X i found on eBay} ?

Maybe. Can you set the camera in fixed-frame-rate of at least 25fps, H.264 or H.265 video mode, manual gain, manual brightness, disable noise reduction? Is the camera able to pick up mag 6 stars at 25 fps?

Does it need an internet Connection?

Yes. The system connects to the GMN and UKMON servers every morning to upload the previous night's data. It also connects to the GMN servers every 30 minutes to check if there are any requests for fireball data, and during the night, images are sent in near-realtime to the UKMON livestream.

How much network Bandwidth?

The system generally uploads 10-300MB of data per night. Though this can rise to 1GB during the peak of the Perseids or Geminids, its rare for more than 500MB to be uploaded.