D.I.Y. & research

Astronomy can be a really expensive hobby. But it is always good to save money, and have fun when making things yourself.

Here you will find a summary of what I already made, and the results of some experiments.


Camera related:

Thoughts on the new ToUcam Pro II compared with the ToUcam Pro, both from the inside and the outside
ToUcam 352x288 cropped mode
Long exposure modified ToUcam Pro
Semi-long exposure with the Vesta Pro or how to achieve a '1' second exposure
How to identify your CCD chip see the differences without removing the CCD (and possibly by the serial number of the camera)
Pixel size and field of view with different spacing and SCT's
Webcam exposure tests with the normal drivers for the real shutter speeds
CCD-camera
USB-serial converter for the parallel cable
Some side by side tests with the Meade LPI camera and a ToUcam
Inside the Meade LPI camera
Inside the Philips SPC900NC camera and some comparative tests with the ToUcam Pro
ToUcam Pro 740 (and almost 100% sure also the 750 and 840) with Windows Vista by Howard C. Anderson
 

Telescope related:

Motor drive for a Vixen New Polaris mount
Inside the ETX-70
Inside the ETX-90RA
Inside the ETX-125 drive base
LX200 serial cable

Tinkering:

Hartmann mask
Barlow lens
Accessory case
Dewshield
SLR camera lens mount
Power box
Other things