EQ platforms for dobs?

[iceman]

Hi guys..

Anyone made or bought one of these?

Making one seems like a lot of tinkering, but the effort would definitely be worth it.. Not having to nudge the dob every 10 seconds would be like heaven.

I think I've seen them for like $300-$400 US dollars.. which is like AU$600.. not cheap. I'm sure it would be cheaper to make.

Starkler made his own push-to system with the dob.. I wonder if he's thinking of making an EQ platform..

I can't afford a good EQ mount for the 10" newt, so an EQ platform might be my next best step to get some tracking.

[mch62]

Hi Iceman , You have seen my scope in the equipment forum well I have been going through all the figures and designs for a while and am going to build a fork mount for my 12.5".
I was going to use worm gears , but there far to expensive to import into OZ , so have decided to may be go with the Mel Bartel new "Servo drive system" and make it a friction drive fork mount . http://www.siderealtechnology.com/

The system with motors big enough to do up to a 30" the electronics a cabling and software is $600us.

To this you modify " your existing DOB " by replacing Teflon pads with rollers and fitting the drives .
Most probably a little bit more involved than that but it seams like a very versatile system aimed at the financially challenged of us .
You can then have a "push and track" scope with digital readout via a lap top or a fully GoTo scope , it just depends how involved you get with the options available.
This sure beats the hell out of spending a couple of thousand $ for worm gears alone with out electronics or even worse buying a commercialy made unit that will cost as much as a small car .

Hope this may be of help to you.
Mark Hodson

[Starkler]

I was working on building one for the same reason you quoted, but after buying a few suitable widefield eyepieces and working on smoothing out the dobs motions, planetary observation wasnt so much a problem anymore.
It makes a big difference having a bigger 'viewing port' instead of feeling like one is looking through a drinking straw.

What you wont get with an EQ platform is accuracy suitable for long exposure photography

[iceman]

hmm yeh..

I'm not planning on using one for deepspace photography.. My camera only has max 30s exposures, and i'm not planning on modding my upcoming ToUcam in the near future.

It would however be useful for planetary and lunar work with the ToUcam, and also just being able to keep the object in the field-of-view when showing people objects through your scope..

Not having to step in in-between each persons view to re-align/re-focus the object on the edge of the FOV so it drifts across while they're looking.. I mean you get like 10 seconds of a planet at high magnification.. what a pain.

So I think an EQ platform would definitely be my cheap way out of getting some tracking.

How far into the building process did you get? Do you remember how much it was going to cost you?

[iceman]

Has anyone heard about the "DobDriver II"? Apparently it's a bit cheaper than the EQ platforms (if you buy it and not make it), at around US$700.

I really want tracking on my dob and this could provide it, but still, it's about $1000 aussie dollars and it's going to be really tough convincing the wife, especially when I want a laptop too :)

[ving]

someone over at the other forum uses a "johnstonian" tracking base... at least i think that was the name...:cool:

[iceman]

yeh i've seen those, they're called "johnsonians" (http://www.johnsonian.com/). But they are quite expensive, like over US$1000.

If I was gonna spend that much it'd be better to just go for a good EQ mount or something.

[iceman]

Reviving this old thread because a new member, Rob, has joined up who has built his own EQ platform.

Can you give details about your EQ platform that you built?

How much did it cost you, how much work is involved, and can you make me one? :D :poke: :lol:

I'm sure i'll eventually get a DSLR for long-exposure deepspace photography, in which case I'll want an EQ6 with goto/tracking to put my 10" OTA on, but $3000 for that mount plus $1500+ for the camera, is a long way off..

So I'm thinking that an EQ platform would help me for both visual stuff and my lunar/planetary imaging, for much less cost and would last me the years it took me to get the EQ6.

[ballaratdragons]

Mike,

It would probably be cheaper and easier for you in the long run to buy an 8" GoTo Reflector for $1749 or a 10" GoTo Reflector for $2399.

[rmcpb]

Making a platform is not too hard as long as you do your homework beforehand.

I am working on an overview of mine, the logic, the mistakes, where to get other info, etc and will post it when I have it ready.

If you make your own and are a good scrounger it doesn't cost much at all.