What is the AAVSO policy towards certifying DIY/homemade equipment so that the results could be accepted by AAVSO? What if someone made their own Newtonian all the way down to the mirror? Or their own photoelectric photometer? This is a general question so it’s not limited to the equipment that was mentioned.
Though I cannot speak for AAVSO, I don’t see any problem at all in using DIY telescope. I doubt anybody can make DIY CMOS or CCD sensor. DIY PEP looks more feasible if one have a good laboratory. In any case, It’s calibration procedure that makes any photometry scientifically valuable.
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Seconding what @dmukhortov said! While I can’t speak for the AAVSO either, I feel confident in saying that they’re only concerned with the accuracy of your observations, not how you arrived at them. For example, many of the observers who submit to AVSpec use homemade spectrographs, and their spectra pass review and are published in AVSpec.
Greetings @CrossoverManiac ,
I’ll chime in with the official AAVSO statement: You’re absolutely welcome to build and use your own equipment. However, in doing so, you also take on the responsibility of understanding how the specific nuances of your setup may affect the data you submit. If those nuances have a significant impact, it’s essential that your data reduction and calibration processes properly account for them.
For example, if you construct your own photoelectric photometer, you’ll need to pay close attention to both the predicted and actual spectral response of the instrument. Many modern photodiodes have spectral characteristics that differ from those of earlier generations. As a result, the combined response of a modern photodiode and a standard filter may not match the established reference standards. This specific discrepancy is probably best addressed by ordering custom filters; however, it may be correctable using standard photometric calibration techniques.
The Instrumentation and Equipment Special Interest Group loves doing things like this and I’m certain they would be willing to provide you with incredibly useful feedback.
Brian Kloppenborg
Executive Director, AAVSO
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