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Planning to build a barn door for astrophotography

Started Oct 22, 2017 | Questions thread
WillemB
WillemB Senior Member • Posts: 1,189
Re: Planning to build a barn door for astrophotography

Hello,

D.i.y.-short: have a sturdy short tripod, (home-made from 2x2" is good). Make a sufficient big (wooden) wedge, according to your latitude (90 degrees minus...). Fix its underside level on the tripod and turn the combination in such a way that when you slide and turn the body of a green laser across the wedge, somewhere the beam would cross the Polar star (underside of the wedge still level?). Fix the position of the combination because now finally you can point the hinge of the (mounted-on-the-wedge)-barndoor to the Polar star... Mark the exact places where the tripod touch the ground: three slabs of concrete in your garden if you have more permanent plans. On the moving part of the barndoor you may now set the position of your camera in any wanted direction. For mobility plans you must have an in-built compass and a bubble level in the tripod's base, to position the tripod on another observing site. Remember: The Polar star differs a bit in position from the Polar axis , but for an exposure of ten minutes it is exact enough...

Succes!

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