Star Adventurer Polar Scope Webcam Adapter

cults3d

A Frugal Astronomer's Tool Kit. The Star Adventurer's Polar Master accessory comes with a hefty price tag, making it unaffordable for many enthusiasts. However, by combining this adapter with a webcam, you can achieve a similar outcome at a fraction of the cost - just 1/4 of the original price. I initially created this adapter to aid in producing a tutorial on the Star Adventurer. It functions beautifully during the day, facilitating calibration of the polar scope. With the adapter positioned off-center, you can rotate the mount and observe the polar image within the scope moving accordingly. As I pondered whether this setup could be used for nighttime polar alignment, I experimented with the polar illuminator and manually adjusted my webcam settings to maximum sensitivity. To my surprise, it worked seamlessly. The adapter's performance is impressive, enabling precise adjustments to the polar alignment while displaying the results on your laptop screen. Assembly: - Secure the Plate to the Adapter using a 10-32 3/4 Screw with nut. The nut should be positioned inside the hole at the bottom of the adapter and can be slid up or down to various positions. The screw passes through both the plate and adapter, securing it in place. Alternatively, you may use a thumbscrew as depicted in the image; if so, download my Any Screw Thumb Screw from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2551007 - The foam padding and cork on the Plate are optional features. - To attach the adapter to the Star Adventurer, simply bolt it between the mount and dove tail. You might need to hold the dove tail straight or replace the stopper screw in the dove tail with a longer one, as the original stopper screw may no longer reach after attachment. - After attaching the adapter to the Star Adventurer, you can glue the Support piece to the adapter using crazy glue. Press the support tightly against the back of the dove tail for secure attachment. - A sample video demonstrating this setup is available at https://youtu.be/hYXc_URvSyU UPDATE: I've recently acquired a right-angle eyepiece from Neewer, designed specifically for use on my Polar scope. Unfortunately, most right-angle adapters available on Thingiverse exhibited unwanted rotation when the mount was rotated. To address this issue and maintain stability, I created a right-angle adapter that attaches seamlessly to this webcam adapter. The resulting design allows for stationary use of the right angle eyepiece while preserving functionality of the setting circles. This adapter will require tapping a 3/8 thread on the bottom and installing a 3/8-1/4 metal thread adapter. BUILD & USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. I assume no responsibility for any damage to personal property resulting from use of this model. Please respect the CC License. These models are not intended for commercial sale or personal gain, as greed is indeed humanity's greatest weakness.