PVC Pipe, 3D Printing and a Raspberry Pi: DIY Smart Telescope with a 114 mm Mirror

A maker known as Makestreme has built a functional digital telescope from a length of PVC pipe, 3D-printed parts, and a Raspberry Pi single-board computer. The project was motivated by the desire to get a decent view of the night sky without spending a fortune on commercial optics.

The core of the telescope is a 114 mm diameter concave mirror purchased from Amazon. It is housed inside a section of five-inch PVC pipe, just under a meter long, matching the 900 mm focal length of the reflector. 3D-printed components hold the mirror in place and allow precise adjustment for focus and collimation.

Instead of building a traditional reflector that uses an eyepiece, Makestreme opted for a "smart" design. A Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 is positioned at the focal point and connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W. The system is powered by a single 18650 lithium-ion cell paired with a 5 V boost converter for portability. The Pi runs a Python script that hosts a lightweight web server, providing access to a live camera feed with controls for brightness, exposure, and gain. To aim the telescope at celestial objects, the maker uses third-party apps like SkyMap and SkEye.

According to the author, building a camera-based telescope simplifies the process compared to traditional designs, as it eliminates the need to install and align an eyepiece. The project offers a practical entry point for anyone interested in amateur astronomy.