OpenAstroTracker: 3D printed, open source star tracker

Not nearly to the level of this project, but if you want to dabble with taking long exposures of the sky: Consider the simple &quot;barn door tracker&quot;[0][1][2] to try astrophotography. After all was said and done my sky was too polluted for anything worthwhile, but the simplicity of it still intrigues me, and may be an intermediate step before going all in on the OAT.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;garyseronik.com&#x2F;build-a-hinge-tracker-for-astrophotography&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;garyseronik.com&#x2F;build-a-hinge-tracker-for-astrophoto...</a><p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.astropix.com&#x2F;bgda&#x2F;sample2&#x2F;sample2.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.astropix.com&#x2F;bgda&#x2F;sample2&#x2F;sample2.html</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;sites.google.com&#x2F;view&#x2F;emvilza&#x2F;proyectos&#x2F;star-tracker&#x2F;eng&#x2F;mechanics-calculations-barndoor-mount" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;sites.google.com&#x2F;view&#x2F;emvilza&#x2F;proyectos&#x2F;star-tracker...</a>

<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;wiki.openastrotech.com&#x2F;en&#x2F;OpenAstroTracker" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;wiki.openastrotech.com&#x2F;en&#x2F;OpenAstroTracker</a> seems like a better starting point. The main web site is frustratingly vague.<p>This wiki start page actually manages to explain what the thing does:<p><i>OpenAstroTracker is an equatorial mount which &quot;compensates for Earth&#x27;s rotation by having one rotational axis parallel to the Earth&#x27;s axis of rotation&quot;. You can mount a camera (mostly a DLSR or DSLM) on top of it and it rotates with the same speed as our earth rotation in order to remove stars movement relatively to the camera and allow longer exposures this way. The mount is being controlled by an Arduino. The Arduino is controlling multiple stepper motors which in turn rotate the camera mount.</i><p><i>The mount provides multiple options for control: LCD Keypad, USB Serial connection, WiFi. Latter two enable remote control with special astrophotography software based either on the LX200 protocol, ASCOM or INDI platforms.</i>

If you have a black plastic object, why would you show it over a black background?<p>It’s very stylish but I just can’t see it.

This is pretty cool. Can the parts also be made with a laser cutter?<p>The astrotracker appears to be a bit bigger than what i&#x27;m looking for: A DIY alternative to the Omegon Mini Track LX2&#x2F;LX3.

The kit costs over 200 bucks. I&#x27;ve been very causally considering whether to get into astrophotography, so don&#x27;t yet know anything about it but I&#x27;m curious: what makes this so expensive? A printed frame is cheap, and the other major component is a way for it to automatically move. Are the motors the expensive part then, because they have to be so precise?

A few fellow astrophotographers have built and used them successfully (forum link in Polish):<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;astropolis.pl&#x2F;topic&#x2F;71039-monta%C5%BC-wirus-2020&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;astropolis.pl&#x2F;topic&#x2F;71039-monta%C5%BC-wirus-2020&#x2F;</a>

To whomever authored the title: it should read “open source; built with 3D printed parts”<p>I’m always on the lookout for neat things to 3D print. The current title is deceiving in that you cannot fully 3D print the whole thing. It looks cool though!

Looks great! I have long wanted something like this.