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My astronomy projects DIY


This is for you that think it's better to spend time then money on your hobbies.

Be careful if you want to do something similar as I do here. I do many mistakes and what's right for me can be wrong for you and your equipment, you can destroy it!

Content:

Twitter @AstrofriendLars

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Mounts:

EQDirect cable

Project: EQDirect cable

First published: 2021

EQDirect cables for EQ6, HEQ5 Mount

AstroEQ for SkyWatcher EQ6 mount ?

Project: AstroEQ

First published: 2021

AstroEQ for EQ6 Mount ?

SkyWatcher EQ6 mount and 300 mm lens setup:

Project: 300 mm lens on EQ6 mount

First published: 2020

EQ6 Mount and 300 mm lens setup

SkyWatcher HEQ5 mount as a portable mount and how I control it with Raspberry / Astroberry:

Project: HEQ5 mount

First published: 2021

HEQ5 as a portable mount

DC hub motors:

Project: DC hub motors

DC hub motors can be used for a lot of things. Maybe a direct driven mount, or ?

First published: 2023

DC hub motors, direct driven mount ?

SkyWatcher EQ6 mount, dismantling / rebuilding:

Project: EQ6 dismantling / rebuilding

My mount has become very heavy to rotate nowadays, time to do something about it.

First published: 2019

EQ6 Mount, dismanling / rebuilding

SkyWatcher EQ6 mount, wedge rebuilding:

Project: EQ6 wedge rebuilding

First published: 2019

EQ6 wedge rebuilding

Making of a concrete pier for a SkyWatcher EQ6 / HEQ5 mount.

Project: Pier mount

First published: 2017

Pier to EQ6 mount

Repair of SkyWatcher's Star Adventurer and looking inside part one

Project: Repair Star Adventurer

First published: 2017

Repair of Star Adventurer

Repair of SkyWatcher's Star Adventurer part two

Project: Repair Star Adventurer part two

First published: 2018

Repair of Star Adventurer part two

SkyWatcher's Star Adventurer wedge modification

Star Adventurer wedge modification

First published: 2018

Star Adventurer wedge modification

SkyWatcher's Star Adventurer L-bracket modification

Star Adventurer L-bracket modification

First published: 2018

Star Adventurer L-bracket modification

Star Adventurer and angled viewfinder

Angled view finder

This angled viewfinder made a revolution for me who live at latitude 60 degrees.

First published: 2018

Star Adventurer and angled viewfinder

Star Adventurer, new modified tripod

New compact tripod

When travel you need the equipment to be small and light.

First published: 2019

Star Adventurer tripod

How to build a equatorial mount that don't need meridian flip?

Project: Equatorial meridian flip less mount

First published: 2017

Equatoriel mount with ni meridian flip

This is not my own project, it's a new astronomy friend who also has the name Lars.

Lars B's corner

Lars B's projects.

First published: 2019

Doing equipment from the basic

One more friend, Jacek and his building tips for astronomy:

Jacek's corner

Jacek's projects.

First published: 2023

CG5 mount head

I just come by this simple EQ2 mount. Have not yet figure out to what use.

Project: EQ2 mount

First published: 2017

project: EQ2 mount

My first digital camera setup.

Project: EQ4 mount and Canon 350D

First published: 2017

EQ4 mount

Focusing:

Implement a stepper motor focus with temperature compensation.

Project: Motor focus

First published: 2019

Stepper motor focus

Ideas for a focuser and camera rotator.

Project: Focus and camera rotator

First published: 2024

Project: Focus and camera rotator

Repair and adjust focus friction slider.

Project: Focus friction

First published: 2018

Repair and adjust focus friction

Development of a 3" focuser with 3D-printed Rack and Pinion gears.

Project: Focus Rack & Pinion

First published: 2021

3D-print 3" focuser with rack and pinion

Development of a 3" focuser with 3D-printed Push Pull design.

Project: Focus Push Pull

First published: 2022

Repair and adjust focus friction

To my new stepper motor focuser I need a driver that works with INDI drivers:

Project: Motor focus driver

First published: 2022

Motor focus driver

Repair of focus' fine adjuster.

Project: Repair of fine adjuster

First published: 2019

Repair finte tune focuser

My first attempt to build a stepper motor focus.

Project: Motor stepper focus

First published: 2017

motor focus

Image processing:

Get higher resolution with Drizzling or Super resolution technique:

Project: Get higher resolution

First published: 2020

M13 3x Drizzling

Cameras:

Nikon D800, a good astro camera ? I investigate how this camera can replace my Canon 6D:

Project: Nikon D800

Updated with how I built adapter to Pentax 645 medium format lens and other devices to my new wide angle system.

First published: 2024

Nikon D800 for astrophotography ?

Old ZWO ASI120mm/mc cameras with USB2 do not always work under Linux system. Here I do upgrades of the camera to fix that:

Project: ASI120mm upgrade

I have also done a simple test of the Ekos internal auto guider vs PHD2 auto guider.

First published: 2023

ZWO ASI120mm USB2 upgrade for Linux
Auto giding, Ekos internal vs PHD2

How to get raw files from a web camera.

Project: Web camera raw

First published: 2017

astro webcam

Optics:

TS130 upgrade, 130 mm f/7 APO telescope:

Project: TS130 upgrade

First published: 2023

Project: TS130 upgrade, 130 mm f/7 APO telescope

Pentax 645 FA* 300 mm ED f/4 lens:

Project: Pentax 645 FA* 300 mm ED f/4 lens

First published: 2023

Project: Pentax 645 FA 300 mm ED f/4 lens

Pentax 645 300 mm ED f/4 lens, can it replace my Canon 300 mm L f/4 as a low vignetting lens ?

Project: Pentax 645 300 mm ED f/4 lens

First published: 2020

Project: Pentax 645 300 mm ED f/4 lens

Why don't design your own Newton telescope?

Project: Design a Newton telescope

First published: 2017

Design tool Newt Web

My full frame camera needs a bigger flattener to reduce the vignetting. This time I built my flattener system from a 3" x1 Altair Planostar Flattener.

Project: Three Inch Flattener

First published: 2017

Three Inch Flattener

DIY/3D Flat Field Calibrator project. When processing astro images it's important to have good quality MasterFlats.

Project: DIY/3D Flat Field Calibrator

First published: 2022

DIY/3D project: Flat Calibrator

To my new transportable mount I need some shorter focal length lens. A Sigma APO 150mm f2.8 maybe. I did some simple test how the vignetting looks.

Project: Sigma APO 150mm f2.8 lens

First published: 2017

Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 lens test

Analyses of vignetting of my lenses and telescopes:

Project: Analyze of vignetting

First published: 2019

Vignetting of lenses and telescopes

Astrophotography test of medium format Pentax SMC 67 165 mm f/2.8 lens:

Project: Test Pentax 67 lens

Can I have any use of an old medium format lens?

First published: 2018

Astrophotography test of medium format Pentax SMC 67 165 mm f/2.8 lensting

Sigma APO 150 mm f/2.8
vs
Pentax SMC 67 165 mm f/2.8:

Project: Test of vignetting

Can I have any use of an old medium format lens?

First published: 2018

Sigma APO vs Pentax 67 lense test of vignetting

Ideas about a high efficient narrow band camera system.

Project: High efficient narrow band camera system

First published: 2017

High efficient narrow band camera

Big binocular, 25x100mm.

Project: Big binocular

First published: 2019

Big binocular, 25x100mm

Making a heating band or dew heater for anti dew.

Project: Heating band

First published: 2017

Heating band

Computers, Windows:

Wireless control of SkyWatcher EQ6, HEQ5 mounts

Project: EQ6, HEQ5 wireless control

First published: 2024

Wireless control of SkyWatcher EQ6, HEQ5 mounts

Making of battery box and Windows astroserver

Project: Battery box and astro server

Now including both version 1 and version 2.

First published: 2017

Batterybox and astroserver

Make a database of stars to use in CdC for color calibration

Project: Star database for CdC

First published: 2017

Color calibrate stars

Computers, Linux (KStars):

KStars, Raspberry power:

A Raspberry and its peripherals needs power, different volt and current needs.

Raspberry power systems

First published: 2024

KStars ans Raspberry power systems

KStars setup WIFI, hotspot etc:

KStars setup WIFI

First published: 2022

KStars setup WIFI

KStars and Linux, good to know commands, udev rules:

KStars and Linux

First published: 2021

KStars and Linux

KStars and GPS clock:

Project: KStars and GPS

First published: 2021

KStars and GPS clock

Setup astroserver with Raspberry Pi5. My third astroserver, OS and KStars 64-bit:

Project: Raspberry Pi5 for Astronomy

First published: 2024

Raspberry Pi5 for Astronomy

Setup astroserver with Raspberry Pi4. This is my second attempt to build an astroserver with a Raspberry. Astroberry 32-bit is used. Now I use the much faster Raspberry Pi4:

Project: Raspberry Pi4 for Astronomy

First published: 2020

Raspberry Pi4 for Astronomy

Setup astroserver with Raspberry Pi3. I'm sure many as I have thought about those small Raspberry computers and if they can be used as an astroserver. Can an old Windows guy like me learn how to build and use one?

Project: Raspberry Pi3 for Astronomy

This project didn't perform very well, mostly because of the slow computer, a Raspberry Pi3+.

First published: 2017

Raspberry for Astronomy

INDI driver project:
In Linux most devices have INDI drivers. When you find something wrong with it you sometimes have to solve it by your self:

Project: INDI driver

First published: 2023

Project: INDI drivers

Other Projects:

Small practical knobs and brackets. There is always a need for this and now it can be design in 3D CAD and then 3D-printed:

Project: 3D printer accessories

First published: 2022

3D printer accsessroies

3D printer assembling and setup:

Project: 3D printer assembling

It's time for me to learn something new, 3D printing technology.

First published: 2019

3D printer assembling and setup

Rebuilding the telescope box to a telescope Carriage.

Project: Telescope Carriage

First published: 2017

Telescope Carriage

An observatory is something that I have dreamed about for many years. This is how I build mine.

Project: Building an Observatory

First published: 2017

DIY Observatory

Fight Light pollution with synchronized streetlamps

Project: Light Pollution Fight

First published: 2017

Light pollution

I have some thoughts about a monochrome camera. With that I must have some filters and a filter wheel. Here I'm playing around with the CAD and design that, maybe it can be done.

Project: 3D-printed, Filter Wheel

First published: 2023

CAD design for a 3D-printed filter wheel

After some years with my 3D-printer I got some experience how to do it. Now I want to test if I can design an off-axis adapter. A special one, medium format and two filter drawers.

Project: Medium format off-axis adapter

First published: 2022

Medium format off-axis adapter 3D CAD

Full frame adapter modification for Riccardi 2.5" field flattener to TS130 APO refractor and off-axis adapter implementation.

Project: Modify adapters

First published: 2019

Adapter APO refractor

GoPro Camera for meteor shower photographing.

Project: GoPro Timelapse

First published: 2020

GoPro for time lapse meteor soher photographing

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