[tempestwizz (Brian)]

As part of the re collimation of my TOA recently, I needed a fixed star in a convenient location. After looking at some you tube offerings I decided to make my own.
Fibre optic cable has a pipe size of about 64 microns. I used a spare fibre cable I had lying around with ST connectors. The ST neatly push into a 2.5mm hole.
In an off cut of rectangular aluminium I had lying around also, I drilled a 2.5 mm hole in one side, and a 5 mm hole in the facing side. I pulled a white LED out of a defunct Aldi torch and stick it in the 5mm hole.
For power I was going to use a 12 volt battery I also had laying around. Given about a 2 volt drop across the LED, I needed a resistor to absorb the other 10 volts (ish). For an anticipated current of about 10 mA that would need a 1k ohm resistor. I found a 1.2k ohm, close enough.
With power connected to the LED via the resistor (and the correct way round so that the LED lights) I plugged one end of my fibre into the other side.
At the far end of the fibre, I had a bright pinpoint light source.
I drilled a 2.5 mm hole in some timber which I made fit inside some plastic pipe and put it on a spare tripod. Plugged my lit fibre into the hole, and voila, an artificial Star.
For a 130mm aperture system, It seeds to be at least 10 metres away to fall under the Raleigh limit for Star size.
Thought I’d share, and see if I can post pics.

Brian