Astro270 Camera Mod

DEVLOG 002
Complete CAD and assemblyI completed the CAD models, printed out the second version of the front mount, and assembled the whole camera by disassembling the outer frame, screwing the PCB into the main front case, and then finally using superglue to secure the back cover. I then tested out the camera in SharpCap, where it worked perfectly, but with a few mistakes that could be improved.

I must have accidentally smudged the sensor a little bit, as I can see a pretty large portion of the screen being slightly hazy or with small impurities all over it, so I will have to remove those by taking calibration frames, as it is not possible to clean a sensor easily without damaging it. Another mistake is that I forgot to take off the small green LED light, which might have some small effects on the performance, as it can be slightly seen in full darkness, so I will again have to resort to using calibration frames to eradicate any imaging quality issues.

There will likely be one more DEVLOG, in which I will create the official repository, BOM, and prepare everything for publication, and publish everything. Then I will test the whole setup as well in my final devlog. 

DEVLOG 001
I made the CAD model for the initial front case and got it printed out. It features two screw mounting holes, one hole for the microphone to fit through, one large hole to expose the processing chips to air for cooling, and two side supports to hold the whole PCB in place.

I accidentally made the main tube of the setup with an inner diameter of 1.25 inches rather than an outer diameter of 1.25 inches, so that will be fixed in the V3 model. I also did some minor adjustments to place the screws in the right place, as they were about 1mm off in the first version. Along with the screws, the whole sensor was not centered in the circular hole too, so this change will fix that.

For the V3 design, I will change the 1mm gap, fix the optical tube diameter, and extrude the outer shell further to allow for the back cover to go onto it with a simple push-in lip.

I will also CAD the back cover with proper air vents to allow for more circulation, even though I can’t mount a heatsink onto it easily.

After this, I will test the whole setup in my big dob, as well as the Hadley in daytime, to get everything working, and test the FOV, and then I can try imaging Saturn, or imaging the Moon.