Redirecting the Sun

[BradNaylor]

Our back garden faces east, which means that we get the sun in the morning but not in the evening, when I would like to be able to sit out with a beer after a day's work.

I'm thinking of buying one of these and fitting it high up in a tree at the bottom of the garden so that I can reflect the sunlight from over the house back onto our terrace.

http://www.trafficmirrors.co.uk/traffic-mirrors.html

Has anyone got any ideas on how I could motorise it so that I can follow the sun using a remote control from my chair? I'm thinking of something like motorised car wing mirrors.

Cheers
Dan

 

[wizer]

A satellite dish controller?

 

[RogerS]

Nice ideas. Perhaps Tony could use it as project for his students and make it automatic?

Of course, you'll get a jobsworth from the council complaining about it. The French have the right idea. Their use of CCTV cameras is dramatically curtailed compared to here as their privacy laws don't allow the possibility that a CCTV camera can view a person through their own windows.

 

[BradNaylor]

A satellite dish controller?

Thanks Wizer!

Never having owned a satellite dish I didn't know that you could get a remote controller for them. I've found loads on Google but I'm doing a job next month for a bloke who installs dishes for a living so I'll tap his brains.

As for the privacy issue Roger, you make a good point. I'll have to consider my next door neighbour.

I wonder if there's a way of automatically locking it onto the sun as it moves across the sky.

Tony?

Cheers
Dan

 

[StevieB]

How sure are you that this will reflect sunlight in a nice warm glow and not produce a mega death ray? OK, perhaps a little excessive, but I would have doubts about you sitting in a pool of sunshine rather than having a focused beam pointed at your patio. Try it with a standard mirror first and see what effect you get before buying expensive movement controllers to enable your death ray to sweep the surrounding houses :wink:

Steve.

 

[RogerM]

Dan - ingenious as this at first appears, I think the effect will be negligible, and will be no more than sunlight reflected off a window on a house the other side of the road. The sunlight reflected will only be that light which falls on your mirror - maybe a couple of sq ft at best, and the extra light and warmth will be absolutely minimal. Why not take out a large mirror (hall mirror or the one over SWMBO's dressing table) and try it first. I think you will be disappointed with the result - but it will cost you nothing.

 

[Russell]

You will be able to track the sun you need and equatorial mount and a motor used for a telescope.

 

[Anonymous]

Reminded me of this:

http://www.solardeathray.com/

Dave

 

[NickWelford]

I would have thought that a convex mirror would take a few square feet of sunlight and refelect it to a larger, but weaker footprint. Conversely, a concave mirror would be something of a 'death ray'........ (assuming you are at the focus point).

 

[Dave Bamber]

I have to say we have a similar issue where with the location of our house, and having read this thread it strikes me that when you start adding up the costs of giant mirrors (and the ongoing maintenance thereof), satellite controller dishes, solar death rays and all the rest, it's looking more and more like the best and cheapest solution might be to bite the bullet and take a lesson from the video posted here recently about standing stones... Build a gert big see-saw to just move our house to the other side of the plot using nothing more than grit, determination and some concrete-filled paint pots... :wink:

 

[Harbo]

At first I thought this was a wind up but having read the other comments....?

A convex mirror will not work at all but will allow others to see what you are up to? :lol:
A concave mirror will concentrate the sun rays and could cause servere damage and fires!
A flat mirror will be the best option - but sunlight (UV) is dangerous stuff - keep in the shade!

Rod

 

[Anonymous]

At first I thought this was a wind up but having read the other comments....?

ARod

Just hold that thought :wink:

 

[Jake]

Why don't you turn your garden around so it faces the sun?

 

[Rich]

Would'nt it be easier to sit at the other end of the garden?
Rich.

 

[Big Fat Pig]

If you worked nights then you could have a beer in the morning before you went to bed. It`s nice in the summer, i`ve tried it !!

 

[RogerS]

Brainwave... :idea:

Get a sheet of Kingspan with the foil on it. I've got a load in the garden at the moment and the heat and light being reflected from it has to be felt to be believed.