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Custom 3D printed adapers... (1 Viewer)

wllmspd

Well-known member
Someone bought me a universal digiscope adapter and I previously tried to to make one with a cheap phone case and plastic cup. Both however needed me to remove my phone case which is not easy or desirable. I have a pair of binoculars, a microscope and a scope I want to fit my phone to. I decided the easiest option was to make my own using a 3D printer, using OpenSCAD to enable easy customisation, make a different adapter for each device, as adjustability can introduce weakness . The tricky bit was working out the camera position accurately, seems to work fine apart from at maximum zoom when the exit pupil gets very small and I slight vignetting. I even included recesses for the phone buttons. To make different ones I need the length and diameter of the eyepiece and the focal plane distance. I made it slightly oversize to enable me to get a snug fit by adding a bit of gorilla/duct tape. Nice and snug and robust. I ran them off on a polymer extrusion machine, but you could get them laser sintered if you wanted.

PeterW
 

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Hi Peter,

Both however needed me to remove my phone case which is not easy or desirable. I have a pair of binoculars, a microscope and a scope I want to fit my phone to. I decided the easiest option was to make my own using a 3D printer, using OpenSCAD to enable easy customisation, make a different adapter for each device, as adjustability can introduce weakness .

Good point about the phone case ... that does in fact impact ease of use quite a bit.

With regard to different adapters, I printed my adapter too big sort-of-accidentally and then came up with adjustment ring inserts like this one:

Ring Insert.jpg

You could make a different adapter ring for each of the eyepieces to avoid printing a separate adapter for each.

(The rings have to be printed accurately so that they hold by friction once pushed into position.)

However, seeing that your adapter is a rather light and simple part, printing a new for for every eyepiece seems like a good solution with its own advantages, too.

Regards,

Henning
 
There is quite a difference in the focal plane of the devices, so you’d need additional depth to the adapter, but this could be part of the adapter. It hold the phone on well enough not to worry it’ll fall off the back. Of course if I update my phone I will have to reprint them, but I’ll get as much use of them in the meantime. I think the laser sintered nylon is probably moremrobust, but printing with black plastic could help with blocking stray light.

Peter
 
Hi Peter,

There is quite a difference in the focal plane of the devices, so you’d need additional depth to the adapter, but this could be part of the adapter.

You're right, the original adapter would have to be deep enough to allow very short eye reliefs, as the inserts can only be made for longer eye relief distances.

In the picture above, you can see the ring has a "step" ... this sits on the top of the eyepiece and ensures the correct eye relief distance is achieved.

To use the adapter with different optics, you'd create ring inserts with the steps in a different position, and of different inner diameter.

Is it the gorilla tape that holds the phone, or the elasticity of the material? I once dropped a phone into a lake accidentally, and have been a bit nervious about losing another since then.

My printed adapter has a loop so it can be attached to the scope by means of a lanyard, and of course the long "tail" of the adapter is meant to hold in the phone securely:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2800241

Regards,

Henning
 
Hi Peter,

I think the laser sintered nylon is probably moremrobust, but printing with black plastic could help with blocking stray light.

I believe "naturally" the laster-sintered stuff is white, but some printing services offer spay-painting as an option. I've ordered a lot of black parts, but also some coloured ones, just for the visual effect.

Your comment on stray light made me change my adjustable adapter design a bit ... the upper clamp is now wide enough to block the incoming light:

Parametric Digiscoping Adapter Ring Adjustable 2 V0.2.jpg

I've uploaded the updated design here:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2836677

Regards,

Henning
 
I print my parts in PLA with thick walls and high infill, essentially solid. Walls were about 3.5mm, so very stiff. I have to pry the phone out by rotating upwards. I am using a rubbery otter box phone case so friction fit with the rubber and gorilla tape, takes a bit to push in too. I made sure thenwalls were high enough to hold the case sides. The length down the phone was random, could have been made longer, but seems fine as it is. Good to know you can get black sprayed parts, gives some extra benefit.
Be good to see your adapter on a scope.

Cheers

Peter
 
Hi Peter,

I am using a rubbery otter box phone case so friction fit with the rubber and gorilla tape, takes a bit to push in too.

Sounds very good, no fear of losing it then! :)

Here's a picture of my adapter on the scope:

Adapter on Scope bs.jpg

It's in the initial configuration with the self-adhesive felt, no ring insert yet. Seems I have misplaced the adapter somehwere, I'll provide a current picture as soon as I find it again.

Regards,

Henning
 
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