GPS timed power switch for Callisto

by blair 

The solar powered Callisto project that is used to monitor radio outbursts from the Sun at our remote radio site was suffering from insufficient battery storage capacity during winter to run everything overnight.

I built this neat circuit to turn the power to the receivers and low noise amplifiers on during sun up and off after the sun goes down. Currently the on and off times are hard coded, that will get changed.

I used an Arduino (lower LHS), uBolx NEO M6 gps receiver (upper LHS), GPS antenna (the silvery thing in the middle), relay (upper RHS) and  a 12 volt to 5 volt power supply (lower RHS) to achieve an accurately timed power on and off switch.

The Arduino code is here.

Parts list (Altronics)

GPS module Z6333 (uBlox Neo 6m)

Arduino Nano

Relay module Z6325

Voltage Buck module Z6334 (switch mode 12 volt to 5 volt regulator)

Vero board

Header socket strip PS384 (to allow the Arduino to be removed without soldering)