Astro Photography

[bones615]

My latest project. I built a barn door tracker and it seems to work, follows the stars with the power of my index finger. Started off mounted on my tripod but too much movement so its now on an adjustable stand and clamped to my workmate once lined up. Got these last night ISO 1600, f8, 190mm one was 20 shots at 15 secs & 10 shots at 30 secs.

I know nothing about the night sky so learning as i go. Use google star maps on my tablet then point the camera, this time it was andromeda.

[bones615]

The tool.

[Graham]

Its people like you who go into the garage and produce something like that make me proud to be human.

[Hinfrance]

Amazing.

[Oldboy]

Its people like you who go into the garage and produce something like that make me proud to be human.

It might have been easier to buy the Azimuthal mount motorised astro tripods, but so much more fun to build your own. Well done. 

[bones615]

Thankyou for the kind comments, and yes buying one would be easier but wheres the fun in that. I find the challenge of building it and making it work properly more stimulating and once perfected may never look at it again unless it perks an interest in star gazing. I can motorize it with a stepper motor and micro controller but it will then owe me £25 so i will wait and see if an interest develops.

[Reinardina]

The images are amazing, and the fact that you built the whole set up yourself, is even more amazing. (At least to someone like me.)

[bones615]

Thanks Reinardina, I cant take all the credit though, found these build plans and modified them to suit the materials i had to hand.

http://barn-door-tracker.co.uk/

[Paul Montgomery]

Brilliant...