Don't laugh at me this is serious :(

[[1ponders]]

I've been forced to join the ranks of the ATM and Accessories group. A little behind the scenes story to set the atmosphere.

I decided to upgrade the mounting plate of my GM-8 about about a month ago. This meant getting a new D series mount head. The existing one is the old C series and getting mounting plates and dovetails for this is no longer possible through Losmandy as they are stopping production. So I spoke to an Australian supplier about prices and availability of a new D series mounting head, dovetail to fit my meade and guide rings. None available atm and likely wouldn't be till end of August. NP Ordered them and forgot about it. Then week before last I managed to find everything I needed to do the job cheaper and available for immediate delivery. Sweet so I ordered them.

They turned up Friday last week. :thumbsup: I thought I'd better email the other supplier and cancel the order, assuming they wouldn't be available till the end of the month anyway. Got an email yesterday (while I was sitting at the computer typing the email to him). "When do I want delivery, they are here." :(:(:( At twice the price I got the others for :(:( :sad: :sad: :sad: Needless to say I said a few very choice non-printable words. NP Good quality Losmandy gear will be no trouble to move. Then while drowning my sorrows I had a brainstorm.

I have so much attachment gear now that if I bought a piece of 100 by 12 by 400 flat aluminium then I could make myself a Side by Side mounting plate. Only with a difference. One side will be D series attachment gear and the other side will be C series (of which I have one plate and can get more machined). The bonus of this is that I won't have a C series plate sitting on the shelf collecting dust. I didn't want to sell it as eventually I will upgrade to a G-11 and wanted to keep the D series mount to make, a side by Side mount so my current GM-8 would need its old head back on. :D Funny how this all sort of works out doesn't it :lol: (I can laugh now :P )

So as I make the required items I will post information of my process so that if anyone else is interested in building a side by side mount they can learn from my mistakes. First one. Don't double order things without cancelling the first order first!!!

Oh and I'm also in the process of sourcing material to convert my 60mm tasco objective lense into a 60 mm guidescope. Just having trouble getting the right size tube in PVC or aluminium ATM. So if anyone has a source they can help me with I'd love to hear of it. ID of the lens cell is 60mm (threaded), so the ID of the required pipe needs to be around 58 or so mm, with an OD of around 62-63 mm. I have a number of options available but I'd like to get the finished product to look like a telescope. Not like I've just glued a piece of pipe to the lens cell. I will if I have to but not yet.

Oh and that second set of guidering: I also managed to get them changed from 125mm rings to 100 mm rings so I now have 2 sets of brilliant guide rings one for my Orion 80ED and one for a smaller guidescope. :)

So I guess it sort of worked out in the end. So follow my progress here.

Cheers

[ballaratdragons]

On Sale Now at:

Pauls Astronomy Trading Post

Specialising in Mounts!

[h0ughy]

I'll be interested in the process Paul. One of my project goals

[Iddon]

omg Paul!!!

[[1ponders]]

Ok so I didn't make a telescope yet, but I have modified my mount, sort of :P.

During the past week or so sourced a couple of pieces of Aluminium plate to make the new dovetails. Fortunately a friend has access to a full fitting and turning workshop and milled out the dovetails I needed.

So I've ended up with a redundant GM-8 C-series mount head, a second G-11 D-series mount head, a male to male dovetail plate, and two standard dovetail plates, one with threaded holes in each end. The two mount head were attached to an end each of one of the standard dovetail using the bolts that came with them. This dovetail was then slid into the new G-11 mount head on the GM-8 mount (remember I double ordered the mount heads). The male to male slides into the D-series head and and existing C-series plate slides into the other end.

Oh and with everthing being able to be slid side to side and fore and aft balancing it is a breeze. Just have to do it in 3 axis now instead of 2
I can now bolt my 102 refractor to the C-series (as per normal) to use as a guide scope my orion in guiderings slides onto the D-series at the other end. i know its about face with the imaging scope in the guiderings but I dont think it will make any difference. If it does I think the 102 will fit the guide rings and I'll swap them around.

There are a couple of thing I like about this system:
1. I can slide the side by side out and put my meade with 60 mm guide in under 30 sec without rushing if I want to, and without tools.

2. The center of gravity of the system is much lower hopefully offering greater stability and less lever arm movement when at horizontal.

3. By drilling a few more holes in the existing C-series dovetail plate I can remover the clamping base for the guiderings from either the 80 or 60 and use them to side by side with the meade.

4. When I finally get a G-11 and sell the GM-8 I will have three D-series saddle mounts (the GM-8 will go with the C-series saddle mount) in total and all my OTAs will be totally mix and match with no tools required to alter the set up.

And 5. I now have a platform in the middle to mount dew controllers etc so I wont have a plethora of cables hanging around the mount with the potential to get caught up.

There are a couple of things that I'm not so happy about, only one is a biggy

1. The new side by side is quite heavy. So I haven't really gained much with reducing the center of gravity, as I've made up for it in increased weight. I don't know exactly how much yet but I'll attempt to weight it tonight and include it here.

2. I haven't saved anything by doing it myself. To buy a new side by side and male to male from OPT and get them mailed here would have cost in the order of $560 Aus. To get the mount heads, buy the aluminium flat plate and get it milled (paying for it rather than having a friend do it) would have cost in excess of $800 Aus. there was almost two days work milling the three dovetail plates. Only about $400 for material and parts but around that again to get the raw material machined.

Would I do something like this again? Possibly. One other benefit to come from all this is I now know my mount tolerances, balances etc a lot more intimately.

I'll put together some images of the side by side without equipment on later. Tese are just to show how it looks, and what happens when I change over to piggyback on the meade.

[asimov]

Nice looking setup/s there Paul.

[slice of heaven]

Cool Paul :thumbsup:
The side saddle mounting looks great for the similar style scopes.
Cant wait to have mine fitted up.

[h0ughy]

I like what you have done Paul. I have the EQ6 on the way so all I have to do is something simmilar to what you have done! great stuff!

[Exfso]

Thanks people, much appreciated. Paul (RR) seems to think I might have balance problems with the weight of the TOA130 and the relatively light ED80 on the same sideplate. Any ideas on this possible problem.

Thanks again for the input

[[1ponders]]

It can take some careful maneuvering at times, but I'm able to balance my 8" meade sct with either my 80ED or 60mm Carton refractor. Instead of balancing in the normal 2 direction, you have a 3rd direction now to take into consideration (ie, counterweight distance down the shaft, forward and aft placement of otas (there's a bit of a trick to this now using two otas) and sideway placement) . You just need to make sure you have plenty of plate length on both the sbs base plate and the "carrying" plates to allow plenty of latitude in where your going to position each scope. The standard losmandy plates are plenty long enough.

[gbeal]

Man, how you make such a simple task so completely complicated intruiges me, well done Paul.
I have the homebrew DSBS so know what you have been through, although I only have the ONE set. It is weighty though, but gives me virtually unlimited flexibility when viewing with two scopes, or imaging and guiding.
Peter should look at something like this, and it would help if his scope/guider is out of balance.

[[1ponders]]

:D It's a talent Gary :lol:

Peter, I actually prefer to use the side by side set up to the standard over/under setup, primarily for the lower center of gravity and the increased stability that provides.

[Exfso]

Ok guys, I think I am slowly getting the hang of the requirements. What I need is the Losmandy Double sided saddle plate. One saddle should take my Tak and the other the Losmandy 14" universal dovetail, which I will attach to the ED80 rings. This double sided plate can fit straight into the G11 saddle and move laterally for balancing, as well as the tak ota being able to move forward or backward within its clamshell for balancing. Same scenario goes for the ED80 enabling the whole ota assemble to move forward or backward via the long 14" losmandy universal dovetail within the other saddle. I know it sounds very longwinded, but I want to make sure it is right 1st time.

Thanks for the input people.

[[1ponders]]

Peter do you have guiderings for the 80ED and if so what sort. Losmandy?

[gbeal]

Paul,
a talent huh? Maybe, but whatever it is, you have perfected it.
Peter,
I have sent you an e mail. In re-reading your post though another idea has sprung.
If you have a spare Losmandy rail, you could clamp the Tak clamshell to one side. You could then affix a set of guidescope rings to the other, both scopes fitting athwartships.
Lateral balance of the whole setup is acheived by sliding the new rail back and forth in the mount saddle. Separate scope balance is acheived by sliding each scope within its own ring (or clamshell) system.
In the DSBS system you have the rail as above, and also two new saddles, both attached across the rail. To use this new system you would need a rail on the lower of your Tak, and while this isn't a biggie, the clamshell already does what the saddle does, and is lighter, so maybe stick with that.
You will need a decent set of guidescoipe rings, and in my opinion the Losmandy are right up there. In my case I use the rings to find a suitable guidestar for the ToUcam to track on. Not cheap, but well worth it.
Gary

[Exfso]

Paul, I dont have any guide rings as yet, I am just tossing ideas around and have sent OPT an email for possible costing etc.
Thanks Gary, have replied to your email.

Peter

[[1ponders]]

I it learnt from you Gary.....athwartships ???? :P

I'd have to agree with Gary re the Losmandy guiderings. They truely are excellent guide rings.

If you were to go with Gary's idea of using the Tak Clam to adjust forward/aft location of the Tak then bolting a mounting saddle to the other end of the rail, getting a male/male dovetail will allow you to slide the 80 forward/aft without loosening the guide ring adjustment screws.

[gbeal]

We're working on it right now.
Initially I thought the DSBS, but given a clamshell already why not just bolt that to a rail, across-ways, and then on the other side mount the guidescope rings. They could be via another saddle, or a rail. This keeps the weight and cost down.

[RAJAH235]

FWIW, athwartships = straight down the i diddle diddle... er middle. :P :P :P :D L.
ps. Do you sail Gary?

[gbeal]

Rajah,
not now, I kept going round in circles.
Seriously though, I used to. Good pastime.