My DIY solution to easily aim my SkyGuider Pro at a selected target

[soundwave]

 

Hello everybody,

I have a SkyGuider Pro (which I really enjoy), and I wanted to have a very quick way to find my selected target, since I noticed that sometimes it takes me a while to locate it.

 

Quick overview:

1. I made a semi-circle with degree markings for the RA axis.
2. I have a panning head with degree markings for the DEC axis.
3. I made a JavaScript calculator that takes my selection from Stellarium and tells me to which degrees I need to set each axis.

If anyone is interested in the calculator, or in any of the STL files, I can upload them somewhere.

 

Here is a breakdown of my DIY "SkyGuider Pro EZ Aim" project 

 

The "Hardware":

1. DIY 180 degrees semi-circle with degree marking (90° to -90°).
   In my case, I 3D printed a semi-circle that I made in Fusion 360, and stuck numbers onto it.
    
2. DIY "needle" (also 3D printed) that is mounted/clipped onto one of the Skyguider's RA block ribs (movable).
   I noticed that it's much easier to get a good look at what degrees I am pointed at when the needle is mounted on one of the side ribs instead of on the middle one (where the camera gets in the way of the view).
    
3. Panning head with 360 degree markings.

 

 

The Software:

Stellarium: 

1. I select the target (in this example, the North America Nebula)

 

My homemade RA/DEC calculator (JavaScript):
Initial Settings

These settings don't change unless I either unscrew the panning head or/and unstick the semi-circle.

The background the the current NASA APOD.

1. RA Offset
   When the SkyGuider RA axis is pointing at 0°, I move the needle to one of the ribs to the side, and see where it's pointing at (in this case, a 72 degrees offset).
    
2. DEC Base Degrees
   Simply the degrees that the panning head is set to when the camera is pointed straight forward (in my case, 132°).
    
3. Stellarium Server
   An option to enter the Stellarium server address (using the Remote Control plugin) so that the calculator can automatically take the needed coordinates (HA/DEC Apparent) from Stellarium and perform a calculation.

 

Main Calculator

This is the view I'm usually seeing, since my setup doesn't often get completely disassembled/reassembled in regards to unscrewing the panning head, so the settings don't change often.

1. Load from Stellarium
   This button will take the active selection from Stellarium and feed it into the calculator and run a calculation.
   It's also possible to manually enter the coordinates and click "Calculate RA/DEC".
    
2. Results Area
   At the bottom, the calculator shows the DEC degrees that my panning head should be set to,
   the RA degrees that the Skyguider should be rotated to, and those same degrees but when putting the needle on the correct rib (offset).

Pointing at The Target

1. I rotate the panning head to point at the correct degrees (86.4 in this case).
2. I rotate the RA axis so that the needle (which is on the left rib) is pointing to the correct degrees (21 in this case).

At 200mm, the object will most probably already be in frame, with just very minor adjustments to frame it perfectly.

At 400mm (I tried with a 2x teleconverter), although the DEC axis is usually accurate enough, the RA axis sometimes need a quick push of the button to bring the target into frame,
but that's still far quicker than manually searching for it.

 

Thanks for viewing my project

Hopefully I managed to explain it clearly.
If there are any question, or interest in the files - leave a comment below.

Have a good day!

 

[Denis7400]

Hey! Cool solution. I am also the owner of SGP. I am also currently looking for a way to solve the star navigation issue. Could you share your calculator and 3D printing files? Thank you in advance.

[gazza25]

Excellent work, solutions to make life easier