Female DIY!!

[Carole]

I hesitate to put this in technical, but couldn't find anywhere else that fitted the description.

After 4 months I finally managed to carry my equipment downstairs and erect it.  (I had been told not to carry anything heavy until about now).  However I do still have limited movement in my right shoulder and arm (which will go on for many months) and so my first priority was to try to find somewhere downstairs where I could keep most of my kit so I don't have to keep lugging it downstairs all the time.  Now my lovely dog is no longer with us, I think I can utilise the corner where her dog flap is but as this is in the conservatory, I can only put certain things in there as it gets rather hot, plus I thought I might construct a weatherproof container on the outside of that area.  

I have also spent some time while I have been incapacitated setting up a website so I can keep my images in order, in one place, using some webspace that Mike kindly gave me.  I have written the text so that non Astronomical people can also understand most of it.
http://carolepope.amateur-astronomy.org/index.html

This evening I spent a few hours improvising a way to attach my webcam to my Polarscope so I don't have to perform contortions trying to align Polaris whilst at the same time holding a torch over the top to light it up.  This is partly due to the fact that my right arm still has restricted and painful movement and also because I am not getting any younger and find all these contortions quite uncomfortable.  

Anyway, I rattle on.  If any-one would like to see my modifications in detail I have put them on my website.  As I said this is a female bit of DIY so don't laugh, the main thing is it works!

Doing the Contortions


Eyepiece to eyepiece (same size), plus webcam is an awkward shape


Tried my other webcam, and removed the "eyepiece" and found the inner piece fits in the polarscope.


Tied some cord around the stand, and then around the Webcam.  Finally I tied the cord around the 3 screws of the Polarscope.  It works!!


AND I can see the Polaris ring on the laptop.


Carole

[JohnP]

Carole - Well done on the webpage - looks very good. Glad to see you are almost back to using your kit...

John

[Carole]

Thanks John.

Be nice to be able to get some more images on it.

Carole

[Mike]

Carole. You need to:-

a) Get a red LED fitted inside the polar scope tube so that it lights up the reticule.
b) Fix a 90 degree prism onto the end of the polar scope to stop you having to bend down.

[RobertM]

I'm glad you're now up to using your kit.  You should definitely follow Mikes advice as the alignments stars aren't particularly bright (polar scope probably only has a 20mm objective lens) and you may have trouble seing them in a webcam.

Now you have a webpage to display your hard work there should be no holding you back

Robert 

[Carole]

you may have trouble seing them in a webcam.

You're right!  I forgot that you can't see stars with a webcam. 
Bugger! and I thought I was being so clever.

Mike,

a) Get a red LED fitted inside the polar scope tube so that it lights up the reticule.
b) Fix a 90 degree prism onto the end of the polar scope to stop you having to bend down.

Perhaps I could pick your brains on how to do this, because I can't use a right angled lens in the eyepiece of the solar scope as it's not designed for inserting anything.

I have come to realise since joining the group and reading many posts that fellas have a different sort of education to girls, as I never learnt the sort of skills needed to do this sort of thing at school.  i.e. very basic electrics, no metal work etc etc.

Thanks

Carole

[Mike]

Carole,

Fitting an LED is relatively easy to do. If you were to drop the mount off with me I could fit one for you. Though it will have to wait till August as i'm busy as **** right now. An IT training centre has just asked me for a huge order of electronic kits from my webshop so will be busy for a little while.

The prism thing will require some more thought. A webcam should be able to see Polaris as that is the only star necessary to see. Either that or a low lux mono security camera. As long as it can see the reticule and polaris you'll be fine. You could even buy a cheapo small LCD screen to fit onto the leg of the tripod to view it on.

[Carole]

Thanks Mike, I thought I had replied to you, but it seems to have disappeared into cyberspace.

Many thanks Mike, can I drop the mount over to you just before I go on holiday (I go 12th August)?
I won't be back until the Sunday of DSC so will miss that unfortunately.

Meanwhile, I'll give viewing Polaris through the webcam a go and see what happens.

Thanks
Carole