StarSync Tracker Barn Door-Style Wide-Field Tracker

StarSync Tracker Kansas-based Gary Hug’s StarSync Tracker is a modified barn door-style wide-field tracker with controller and stepper driver. Built by Gary in the USA, the StarSync Tracker utilizes all aluminum and stainless-steel construction, with a solid hinge and bronze bushings.

Perfect for DSLR astro imagers on the go, the tracker is compact and lightweight, considering its capability. It fits easily into a backpack and can be powered by an optional LiPO battery or any other common 12-volt DC power supply.

It includes a polar-alignment laser cradle and even accepts an optional polar scope. The tracker can be used on most camera tripods or mounted on an optional table-top adjustable-altitude stand, also sold by Gary. The stand is fabricated from steel and is exceptionally solid.

The StarSync Tracker features a “camera swivel lock” with two-axis movement, which locks the supported camera firmly in alignment with the desired target. This unique system is far more stable than the typical camera ball head.

The Tracker provides more than two and a half hours of tracking motion and features a fast reset. Says Gary, “The controller and stepper driver compensate for the tangential difference in drive rate between a straight rod and curved segment. I’ve used the StarSync Tracker to take an image of M31 for four minutes at 290-mm focal length with pinpoint star images.”

An Arduino-compatible board and stepper driver are included with firmware available on GitHub. The StarSync Tracker is available for $239.95US, along with a line of optional accessories.

For a short overview of the tracker, check out the video below.

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