On 10/18/11, Hutchings, Mat (H USA) <mat.hutchings@siemens.com> wrote:
Hi Chuck;
I have had too many problems with getting an artificial star to work well.
Yeah, the Christmas ornament has it's limitations, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Epoxy a large-diameter ball bearing to any convenient structure or tree. It won't swing in the wind. It also helps to stick a square of black plastic such as ABS behind it, to increase contrast. It doesn't have to be really high up, but the higher it is, the less ground currents you have to deal with. You can also mount it on a stick or tripod and just take it to a nearby schoolyard or football field. Also, I've used the specular reflections off of glass or ceramic insulators, but that was a long time ago. I don't know if they still use shiny insulators on poles anymore. Richard Berry described how to make a battery-powered artificial star a couple of decades ago, that he just toted out to a nearby field. I prefer shop work in the daytime, and star-testing in winter outdoors at night has it's own set of problems.