Here is one website that describes the process.
http://www.builditsolar.com/SiteSurvey/site_survey.htm
Now, I wonder, is it possible to duplicate the Solar Pathfinder out
of common items? I found one website the describes the unit and shows
a picture of it.
http://store.altenergystore.com/Met...lysis-Tools/Solar-Pathfinder-with-Case/p4723/
: The Solar Pathfinder™ uses a highly polished, transparent, convex
: plastic dome to give a panoramic view of the entire site. All the
: trees, buildings or other obstacles to the sun are plainly visible as
: reflections on the surface of the dome. The sunpath diagram can be
: seen through the transparent dome at the same time.
...
: The Pathfinder has an integral bubble level and magnetic compass to
: facilitate quick instrument set-up.
...
: the user traces the outline of the horizon’s reflection seen on the
: dome onto the underlying diagram by inserting a white marking pen
: (included) through the slots on the side of the unit.
So, the unit consists of a reflective plastic dome mounted somewhat
elevated over a platform, a calibrated sun path chart, a bubble level,
magnetic compass and white marking pen. I imagine that the compass,
bubble level and appropriately curved clear plastic or glass bowl
are not either hard to find or very expensive and a platform can
be made out of a clipboard or scrap wood. Black paper and white pens
can be had at any craft store.
No doubt that to get an accurate tracing you need to line up a dot
or dimple in the center of the plastic dome with a center point on
the paper chart and close one eye.
The trick seems to be the calibrated sun chart. I would propose that
three or four points could be plotted using the inclinometer method.
A blank sheet a paper could be traced using the uncalibrated home
made version of the Solar Pathfinder and the two compared. A sun
chart for the location from the University of Oregon could be then
transposed on to the tracing to create a calibrated sun chart.
http://solardat.uoregon.edu/SunChartProgram.html
