11–20 of 52 posts
This is pretty cool. Can the parts also be made with a laser cutter? The astrotracker appears to be a bit bigger than what i'm looking for: A DIY alternative to the Omegon Mini Track LX2/LX3.
The kit costs over 200 bucks. I've been very causally considering whether to get into astrophotography, so don't yet know anything about it but I'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?
You have to source all the parts, make sure they work together properly and assemble the kit.
I mean $200 isn't a lot of money for something you'd potentially get years and years of use out off.
The kit costs over 200 bucks. I've been very causally considering whether to get into astrophotography, so don't yet know anything about it but I'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?
If you have a 3D printer and live in a country with decent hardware suppliers (not the case for me in Australia), then sure go ahead, DIY and save money. But for people who want an almost ready to go solution it's very well priced, considering commercial alternatives are well into 500+ for the feature set that this mount offers (GoTo, optional guiding down to 1" accuracy).
To whomever authored the title: it should read “open source; built with 3D printed parts” 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!
Hmm while I see your point, I was going for conciseness and I think it's reasonable to assume that extra parts are required - we can't quite print stepper motors at home yet! The rest of the basic requirements is nuts/bolts (standard kit stuff), and a $5 microcontroller[1]. (Things like the aluminium base can also be 3D printed, but it's not recommended for stability. There are lots of optional components that greatl…
I say this as someone who uses "computerized" and EQ mounts, but I also assumed from the title that this was a completely 3D printable project (sans mirrors, I can print my own washers and bolts), which is way more exciting a prospect than having to buy or put together a fairly complex kit, just not all of it if you have a 3D printer.
I just 3D printed a custom IR CCD mount for my CST, but I'm very interested in adapting this to some of my designs, so thank you for sharing!
The kit costs over 200 bucks. I've been very causally considering whether to get into astrophotography, so don't yet know anything about it but I'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 couple of hundred bucks seems pretty reasonable. You have to source all the parts, make sure they work together properly and assemble the kit. I mean $200 isn't a lot of money for something you'd potentially get years and years of use out off.
So if I understand your comment correctly, it's the R&D (making sure all parts work together correctly) that decides the majority of the price here, not one of the actual components?
The kit costs over 200 bucks. I've been very causally considering whether to get into astrophotography, so don't yet know anything about it but I'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?
I personally DIYed mine and it took a lot of tinkering to get a reliable setup. The kit is very well polished and uses the new NEMA steppers. As for pricing, I think it includes 20% VAT, which I assume is removed if you are not in the EU. I personally have spoken to the creator and they have tried very hard to make it as low cost as possible. If you have a 3D printer and live in a country with decent hardware supplie…
Not saying that's bad, just that my question is what makes this cost what it does. If it weren't justified, there'd be competitors doing it way cheaper (the field is accessible and large enough for that), so it's just a question out of curiosity.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I personally DIYed mine and it took a lot of tinkering to get a reliable setup. The kit is very well polished and uses the new NEMA steppers. As for pricing, I think it includes 20% VAT, which I assume is removed if you are not in the EU. I personally have spoken to the creator and they have tried very hard to make it as low cost as possible. If you have a 3D printer and live in a country with decent hardware supplie…
So if I understand you correctly, it's the R&D that makes up the majority of the price, not the components? Not saying that's bad, just that my question is what makes this cost what it does. If it weren't justified, there'd be competitors doing it way cheaper (the field is accessible and large enough for that), so it's just a question out of curiosity.
The kit costs over 200 bucks. I've been very causally considering whether to get into astrophotography, so don't yet know anything about it but I'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?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hmm while I see your point, I was going for conciseness and I think it's reasonable to assume that extra parts are required - we can't quite print stepper motors at home yet! The rest of the basic requirements is nuts/bolts (standard kit stuff), and a $5 microcontroller[1]. (Things like the aluminium base can also be 3D printed, but it's not recommended for stability. There are lots of optional components that greatl…
I think GP's point isn't off the mark here, but also that the title doesn't need to be altered. There's no need for any additional electronics to construct a Dobsonian and mount capable of manually tracking DSOs, for instance. I say this as someone who uses "computerized" and EQ mounts, but I also assumed from the title that this was a completely 3D printable project (sans mirrors, I can print my own washers and bolt…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A couple of hundred bucks seems pretty reasonable. You have to source all the parts, make sure they work together properly and assemble the kit. I mean $200 isn't a lot of money for something you'd potentially get years and years of use out off.
Sure, but my question is why it carries this price tag, not whether I'll get years of use out of it. So if I understand your comment correctly, it's the R&D (making sure all parts work together correctly) that decides the majority of the price here, not one of the actual components?
I wouldn't do this for random internet people for less.