My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

#1

Post by SkyHiker »


I had made 2 camera barndoors before on flimsy Kmart tripods and wished that I had a more solid one that fits on my Tiltall. It did not happen before I went to Stellafane - oh well. I had some time today so I moved the last barndoor electronics over to a more solid construction.

This one has a nice ball head and a fairly long arm length for better accuracy. I can align a Telrad to the piano hinge sliver that stick out for polar alignment. The ball head sits on an angled platform such that the base will be approximately level at my latitude. The 6-rechargeable-battery holder is held down by a rubber band that also helps press the door down and prevents dangerous accidental flip-overs of expensive camera gear.

The screw is not curved circularly for constant angular motion but it's OK since I compensate for the lack of curvature in the Arduino code, starting the screw level from a predetermined position that the code knows about. As a result the design is as simple as it gets.
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... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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SparWeb Canada
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

#2

Post by SparWeb »


Hey,
I have all the bits in my junk bin to build one just like that!
I just never thought of using them that way.
Thank you!

Would a simple tube be sufficient for polar alignment?
Steven Fahey
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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SparWeb wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 2:16 am Hey,
I have all the bits in my junk bin to build one just like that!
I just never thought of using them that way.
Thank you!

Would a simple tube be sufficient for polar alignment?
That depends on your focal length. Barndoors typically work up to 200 mm, above that everything needs to be good. Below 100 mm you should be fine. With my earlier ones I just eyeballed aling the hinge.
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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With the moon still out I have a 5 minute sub at 75 mm with no darks or flats, red because the DSLR was modified. But the stars are round, that's what matters even when fully zoomed in. I added an edited version but I really need some flats and darks to fix the gradients. Anyway, it works quite well when properly polar aligned. The Telrad works great for that.
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... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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Post by Star Dad »


I built one and I just use the hinges to sight Polaris. It works like a charm and I got a great Milky Way image with one hour of 60 second images stacked. I haven't used the barn door as much as I would like - but then we haven't been traveling due to COVID.
"To be good is not enough when you dream of being great"

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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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Star Dad wrote: Thu Aug 26, 2021 4:02 pm I built one and I just use the hinges to sight Polaris. It works like a charm and I got a great Milky Way image with one hour of 60 second images stacked. I haven't used the barn door as much as I would like - but then we haven't been traveling due to COVID.
60 seconds and short focal length make it easy. I started out testing with 2 minutes at 150 mm and noticed three wiggles in the stars when zooming in. As it turned out, the cavity for the motor axle in the epoxy-blob head of the threaded rod that I was using, was off center by about 1 mm. It matters! I replaced it with a new threaded rod with a nut on top where it was easier to make a well centered cavity in some metal epoxy for the axle. No more wiggles now. I have also tried 5 minutes at 300 mm with some success but not quite good enough to show off. I will get there, it is a matter of getting the polar alignment perfect.

This is a nice low-stress break from working on the big gun, my 12" Newt on the G11S with OnStep. Something that will work for sure!
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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Tonight was a better night. Here is a stack of 4x280s lights, 2 darks and 4 flats of the Sadr region. Taken at 75 mm with a modified Fuji X-a1.
sadr_dss.jpg
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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Post by BABOafrica »


Just wanted to chime in here and say, HEY that looks great!

Very nice stars. Good tracking.

BABO
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Scopes: Stellarvue SV80 Raptor Carbon Fiber ED Doublet / Celestron SCT C8
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Re: My 3rd camera barndoor, a sturdy one this time

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Post by OzEclipse »


Nice job Henk. Looks great.
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Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
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