Anyone built a DIY flats light box?

[dannybgoode]

I have taken my first flat frames and used the old t-shirt over the scope and point at the sky method and given the results from my first attempt at calibrating my lights using the flats it is clearly something I need to do every session now.  But given the need to have the flats taken at the same rotation as the lights some form of light box seems to be the way forward.  Seen you can buy some pretty nice bespoke astro ones ones but they're quite pricey.

What diy options / non-astro specific solutions are out there?

Cheers all

[tooth_dr]

A tracing pad on Amazon for about £15 is ideal. 

[dannybgoode]

7 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

A tracing pad on Amazon for about £15 is ideal. 

Nice - good shout.  How do you attach it to the scope or do you just balance it / hold it in place.

[tooth_dr]

4 minutes ago, dannybgoode said:

Nice - good shout.  How do you attach it to the scope or do you just balance it / hold it in place.

I cut the box. However my scope despite having a 180mm mirror it has in fact a 250mm tube so it kinda doesn’t work out great, never thought before I ordered A4 size 🤦🏼

Edited January 22, 2020 by tooth_dr

[Fellside]

Danny

If you are thinking of controlling the tracing pad or LED strip from your PC. I and others on here have had success using Arduino

SGP and the software I use Voyager can control the brightness of the light box automagically. Couple of links that may help.

https://github.com/jwellman80/ArduinoLightbox/blob/master/LEDLightBoxAlnitak.ino 

Graham

[Hawksmoor]

Hi Danny

I built one back in 2016 which I have been using with cameras and telescopes effectively for 4 years. There is a picture of the finished box on my blog entry on this forum Blog 19648. (July 2016).

Easy to make and quite inexpensive. Originally I was going to use white plexiglass for the light diffuser but as this was quite expensive to purchase, I used plasticard much favoured by model railway constructors. It works just fine, but in between use I protect it from dust by wrapping the lightbox with cling film. I used 3 ribbons of leds equally spaced  as a light source all powered by a 9volt battery. I made my own frame from softwood but you could use a box picture frame if you can find one in a charity shop that is the right size to suit the aperture of your scope.

Hope helpful best regards George

[Xsubmariner]

 Here is my home made flat box fo my 5” Apos, I also have a similar one for 12” and a 19” unit on the wall for bigger scopes. These all work well and are easily made from ply and old paint tub plastic.