Star test is the most recommended method to test and collimate telescopes . To do a " star test " we need to aim and track telescope with real star and most of the times this is quite difficult to do because of the fast movement of stars and bad sky conditions. Another problem with the real star is air turbulence and some times this effect may lead to false conclusions. However artificial star is an excellent alternative for " real star test " and in this post, we introduce easy to build "artificial star unit" to test and collimate telescopes. This unit is based on commonly available electronic components and it can operate with a 9V battery. At the time of writing this unit can build around LKR 1000.00 (Approximately 7.00 - 8.00 USD). In this given design, we use NE555 timer IC to generate PWM output to LED and this allows us to control the intensity of the artificial star. In our prototype we use high-bright 3mm white LED as our light source. Apa...
This blog contains electronic, amateur radio, and embedded system projects, which I did during my free time. Unless otherwise noted, all the articles and projects described on this blog are based on my original designs.