So, since I don't have any cool pictures to share, I thought I'd spend a little time this week to share the Lego Boost program that I'm using to control the tracker.
Keep reading to learn how really simple it was to control the Lego Star Tracker with this app.
So imagine my surprise as the second night of shooting with this version ended up being dreadful. I couldn't figure out at the time what was going on. But upon further review, I was able to piece it together and the good news is I know what to fix - or rather undo.
But hey, a test is a test and I was able to learn a lot. My results tell me I'm not quite there yet, but I've made significant progress and despite the challenges I faced this evening I had the most consistent results with the tracker to date.
Here's a quick peek at the next version. Read on to see how I got to this point.
I'll share the gory details momentarily, but needless to say, I've just finished version 5. I don't want to brag, but it looks real slick. I have no idea if it will work or not, but man, it's certainly easy on the eyes.
I'm just about ready to start image testing, but that's not my biggest issue at the moment. The clouds are back so there's nothing for me to do but to sit back and wait.
Hopefully, I'll never repeat that mistake again. And on that note, I think I'll pop my batteries into my charger right now just to be sure. Anyway, I had to wait about 3 days before getting back out again but that gave me a little time to make another little adjustment.
Basically, I added a linear actuator to my base to be able to adjust the angle of the tracker. This way, I should be able to really dial in the polar alignment. Hopefully with this change, I'll get a lot more tracking time tonight. Once again, I'm going to shoot Cygnus and I'll be looking to shoot 60 second exposures.
Well, the down time was at least well spent. I started investigating what I could do to better control my camera while tracking and decided to check out the Astro Photography Tool (APT). Not that I need any additional challenges when I finally do get outside, but this might be able to help as I'll be able to view my images as they're being taken and make adjustments on the fly rather than waiting until I get back inside.
The results from my first tracking session were very encouraging. Of course the results are far from where I want them to be or even need them to be. But despite the images, I learned that the tracker did something. And something is always better than nothing.
I have no illusions that this is going to be a high performance piece of precision equipment. But it's really neat to think about something, build it, and have it work ... kind of. And besides, everything I'm learning right now and in the future with this project is teaching me basic principles that will be extremely useful when I am finally ready and can afford to purchase a commercial tracker.
Time to get cracking on the big reconstruction!
So, I got out, got aligned, got focused, and got started shooting. So was I dancing or crying? Did the tracker sizzle or fizzle?
Where do I even start? OK, I got some results. But at the moment I have a lot more questions than I have answers.
Eh, let me take you through what happened and explain where this leaves me with this project.
I know what I need to do in order to prototype a new design which overcomes the issues I discovered with the last version. But what I hadn't thought about yet is how I'm going to mount and align this device. So I've got some additional challenges to think about as well.
I'm hopeful that with this revision I'll be able to set the design baseline moving forward. Clock's Ticking!
One of the best things about Legos is the ability to tear it all apart and start all over again. While I'm a bit bummed my first version didn't yield as good a result as I would have liked, the experience taught me enough to make a little bit of progress.
Let's look at the modifications and see where we are now.
Right out of the gate, I have two challenges ahead. First, I need to design a system that is stable and precise enough to transfer power from a Lego motor to offset a change in my target's position by 0.25 degrees per minute. Second, I need to construct the device in such a way that it can handle the weight and torque required.
If I can't overcome both of these challenges, I'm dead in the water on this project. But I have a few ideas based on some Lego pieces I fished out of the carpeting and from under beds that I can begin to test.
Anyway, I'm gonna have some time on my hands waiting for my next imaging session. I was definitely a bit smitten with the dark skies we had in Kopalino and what a difference that made for my imaging. No doubt about it, I need to find a way to increase my signal to noise ratio and given my light pollution situation in Krakow, I need to find a way to start tracking.
But you said that's a future investment! Yes, I did - and it is. But with these cloudy skies and time to burn, I'm going to set about building my own tracker. No better way to learn the basics of tracking than to build my own. So it's time to up my fun with tracking.