Ship Kit ($146/unit, $3,262 for 20):
- Pi 4B + Pi Camera Module 3 Wide NoIR in IP65 junction box
- 15ft weatherproof USB-C cable + wall adapter
- Universal L-bracket + zip ties for mounting
- Fits in USPS Medium Flat Rate Box ($17.10 shipping)
flash-kit.sh: one-command SD card provisioning
- Writes Pi OS + fajr-watch + station.yaml
- Pre-configures WiFi, station ID, coordinates
- Volunteer just plugs it in, no setup needed
Complete project structure for an automated Fajr/Isha observation appliance:
Hardware:
- BOM for 3 build tiers ($270, $465, $1000)
- 20-unit bulk order spec (~$9,900 for fleet)
- Solar power, weatherproof enclosure, GPS timing
Software:
- Detection engine: multi-channel color analysis + temporal derivative
tracking on horizon ROI, no fixed brightness threshold
- Capture scheduler: computes twilight windows from coordinates,
captures every 10s during window, runs detection, uploads results
- Solar position via PyEphem for depression angle at each frame
- Upload sync: hourly cron to central server + CSV export for offline
Provisioning:
- first-boot.sh: one-shot setup script installs all deps, configures
systemd service, sets up WiFi from station.yaml on boot partition
- Flash SD card, edit station.yaml, plug in, forget
Docs:
- Volunteer host guide: 10-minute installation, plug-and-play
- Hardware BOM with sourcing links
