With the pandemic forcing everyone to quarantine at home, people have gotten antsy and bored. This caused most to look into new hobbies they could enjoy from home, including activities like making signs and starting an Etsy shop, learning to play the guitar, and even astronomy – astrophotography to be more specific.
The already jammed-up-at-the-ports supply chain has made astrophotography gear harder and harder to come by. The moment something hits the store, they’re already sold out before you could even take out your credit card. If you were fortunate enough to find that fancy go-to mount in stock, the price of these things is astronomical – no pun intended.
Go-to mounts have always been expensive, there’s no doubt about it. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to 3D print your own go-to mount that has most of the capabilities of larger more expensive mounts? Say no more!
I present to you the OpenAstroTech telescope. With 3D printing more and more available these days, this guider-style telescope can be yours for a fraction of the price of a small go-to mount. All you need is access to a 3D printer, some hardware/software, a simple DSLR and lens, and you’re off to the races. Don’t have access to a printer? No problem, you can simply purchase a full kit to assemble yourself!
With the OpenAstroTech (OAT), this device has a full 180° in every direction, fully-functioning goto features, and even an auto polar alignment feature. There’s even a 50mm guide scope you can 3D print and build yourself that is compatible with this device. Oh, and if you have a larger and heavier telescope – there’s one for you too.
I love to tinker, and so this scratches my proverbial DIY itch. I am about 1/2 way through printing the required parts for this project. I’ve been bouncing back and forth between other projects I need 3D printed parts for, and the OAT. I already have a DSLR and a 135mm lens.
As a result of the full kits being sold out, I have been diligently working on a spreadsheet for every required bit of hardware this kit needs and where to buy them from. Currently, for all the hardware for the tracker and the autoPA, the total price comes to about $300 + shipping. That’s still a small fraction of what it would cost for small goto mount. Printing times range from about 100-120 hours.
More to come as I print more parts and await for hardware!