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Old 21-01-2020, 04:23 PM
JohnF (John)
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my EQ5

Purchased a clock drive mount via gumtree without the mount base, Tripod or GOTO box. It has a 40mm by 150 mm counterweight -- think that may be 5kg. It appears it is a Skyview Pro EQ5.

But this mount was only $40, hence I am not complaining at having to chase up missing bits and knobs.

Plan on purchasing these for it, so it can be used manually at first:--

http://www.sirius-optics.com.au/saxo...SABEgI2qfD_BwE
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  #2  
Old 21-01-2020, 04:28 PM
JohnF (John)
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One Gentleman from the Markets, has a heavy duty Movie Camera Tripod and he said h will swap this for some Scrap Brass and coloured glass. He does lad light glass.

Hoping that Tripod will be a good one that I do need.
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Old 21-01-2020, 05:32 PM
Saturnine (Jeff)
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I think you'll find that you will need a tripod designed for the EQ head. The tripod head that the mount sits on should look like this.
The slow motion cables will help with tracking objects, as long as the tripod and EQ are polar aligned. Doesn't have to be perfect alignment for visual though.
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Old 22-01-2020, 10:41 AM
JohnF (John)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Saturnine View Post
I think you'll find that you will need a tripod designed for the EQ head. The tripod head that the mount sits on should look like this.
The slow motion cables will help with tracking objects, as long as the tripod and EQ are polar aligned. Doesn't have to be perfect alignment for visual though.
ha a 76mm 910 focal Length Tasco Refactor on an EQ mount back in the 1970s, so ha used an EQ mount. Think I will be more precise now, as back then it was just guessing.

I also got a compass, 6X30 spotting Scope, photoeyepiece -- wrong T-mount, see my swap ad; with that mount for that $40 price. Will set up from setting circles our attitude.

Yes knew I may have to sort out that tripod head.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:23 PM
JohnF (John)
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my EQ6 now

Saw a Mount that looked like my EQ5 on E-bay, but with no clock drive. His Buy Now Price was $176-- but I only had $100, and offered him $70, in order to get that tripod and knobs for my EQ5. But he told me that it was sold.

Showed that picture to the Technician at Bintel while down in Sydney telling him it looks like my EQ5. He told me that it is a “Skyview Pro EQ5” and told me that these were not sold in Australia.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:25 PM
JohnF (John)
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Eq6

But last week, purchased an Skywatcher EQ6 Heavy duty, black mount with a built in polar scope. Hand controller says that this controller is for a HEQ5/NEQ6, so that I may have purchased an NEQ6 – will research this.

Have an Argo Navis Wildcard that came with it – guess that is an added GOTO computer. And had a Dick Smith power supply thrown in with it, plus it came with a battery pack for 8 dry cells, plu some cords. The EQ6 came in a trolley suitcase that is unlikely to be original.

Got it WITHOUT a counterweight, and NO tripod and NO dovetail for only $200-- plus gave them a train set that I had previously advertised on Gumtree for $290--. Would have sold that train set cheaper, perhaps for $200--. [still have another Train Set to sell to raise money for this Astronomy Program, or swap for an OTA.]

But do have a counterweight of around 5 kg that came with that EQ5, and that will fit the EQ6, though is the wrong one, bigger diameter hole in that EQ5 counterweight, but will use it, rather than buy a new counterweight. Do have two weightlifting weights that I could put on that EQ5.

No Dovetail that fits the top of the mount came with that EQ6, and the EQ5 dovetail does not fit it. The 2 thumb screws that does hold the dovtail in this mount is missing, but that is nothing. Pinched one of these from out of that EQ5.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:26 PM
JohnF (John)
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Hitchhiked down to Melbourne in order to pick this EQ6 mount up [was advertised on Gumtree and he said it is too heavy to post], and then hitchhiked home to far north NSW with it on a trolley – Left Sunday night around 8.00 in order to hitchhike down to Melbourne, starting from the BP Truck stop at Chindera, and got back home at 3.00 pm Friday, having hitchhiked in the rain [hitchhiked from near overpass which would have provided a roof over my head if it had rained while chasing that lift, and from truck stops, and from a Rest Area with toilets & picnic shelters, etc., hence kept almost dry.]

This EQ6 has some non-fitted new or used gears [these look new], roughly 3 inches in diameter with large hole in the middle of its ring with it, plus has an optical encoder, with a geared wheel in that encoder in it. So it may have been upgraded, or else these bits may have been to do a future upgrade.

Man who sold it had purchased it second hand, but never purchased the telescope for it, so never has used this mount.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:28 PM
JohnF (John)
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So now almost out of money, around $60 left in my funds, but now do have these mounts and now have that donated a $1200 of a Waterproof Case of 8 Plossl 1 ¼ Eyepieces, ranging from 4 mm to 32 mm [two 10 mm Plossl eyepieces], plus a wide field 15mm 4 element GSO, plus a Williams Optical 7 mm 82 degree Eyepiece, a Collimating Eyepiece, 2 Barlow lenses, plus 4 filters – one Nebulae Filter, one moon filter, plus two color filters, along with a red torch and a puffer. These were all donated from complete strangers that I had met online, three of them, as was $195 of that $200 for that EQ6, plus that Train Set that was swapped as a part of that EQ6 was given to me by my son when he left home.



So that my planned Astronomy Outreach is coming together.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:30 PM
JohnF (John)
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Do not yet have a telescope to suit that EQ6 mount, BUT met a stranger on the XPT train on my prvious trip, who said that he will donate a large deceased Estate Telescope, do not know what it is, but am praying.

Would love a Celestron 6 inch F5 doublet Refractor that is for sale elsewhere, for on one of these mounts [most likely for the EQ6, unless I am given a bigger scope without a mount], currently this Refractor is advertised for $600 second hand, with rings and Dovetail, and upgraded focuser, but do not yet have the money needed to buy this Refractor. A better more expensive telescope, say a Triplet, or an Apo ED, or a Fluorite Refractor would probably be more Scope than I actually do need for my program, though if donated would be accepted. These scopes would not be affordable for me, but so far never know what people will donate to this program. Have had lots donated already.

I did read on Cloudy Nights of a person who rescued a old C14 from his local Tip for $80, so that what I do need may be out there unwanted.

That six inch F5 would be portable, much more portable than my EQ6 mount. And is probably all that I do need as far an OTA goes, as long as I do buy a diagonal for it – from the ad appears that no diagonal is coming with it.
It does not have a spotter, but do have a Celestron 6X30 with cross hairs that did come with that EQ5, so hopefully can put that on it.

That doublet 6 inch Refractor according to the reviews should do for my program, as a couple of its reviews say that it showed good views of M42 and the Pleiades, which are the main Stella objects that I do want to show to the outreach attendees.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:33 PM
JohnF (John)
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Not planning on doing any serious Astrophotography, but will keep my Photographic Eyepiece, only needing a Nikon adaptor for my 6.1 megapixel Nikon D70 [see my Iceinspace swap ad] so that that six inch doublet should be all the Glass that I do need.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:36 PM
JohnF (John)
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Would like a C11 plus that doublet Refractor eventually, but will see what is donated. If I get these will sell my LT70 [cost $2--] and also sell that very rough homemade 10 inch Newtonian [owes me $160-- so far].
Had originally wanted a C14, but do now suspect that that a C14 may be way be too big for me to handle, hence now do think that I need a C11 instead. God does know what I do need to get for this program.

Any money raised from selling these scopes will be put back into this Astronomy outreach. The outreach is likely to be run at four locations so far, and hopefully at more locations down the track.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:41 PM
JohnF (John)
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Do have to go and see an heavy duty movie Camera Tripod less than 10 km from me, which a man will swap for some scrap brass & a little bit of colored Glass that I do have. Met him at his stall at the local markets, where he sells things that he makes, and asked about a tripod that he had, but that is not really suitable fo me and was not for sale. But he told me that he has seven heavy duty movie camera tripods at home, that he is willing to swap.

Do not know if that offered tripod will suit one of the mounts, but will find out when I do visit his place.
t
Also found one man with a Surveyors Tripod [Theodolite] for $25 if these other tripods do not suit that EQ6 mount.
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Old 16-02-2020, 01:44 PM
JohnF (John)
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One Semi trailer B-Double driver who gave m a lift from the truck stop 61 km out of Melbourne to Sydney, had suggested I put a “Go Fund Me” on the Internet, BUT as all these have been donated, I believe that the rest that I need will come in without me ever doing that – though two strangers donated a total of 8 eyepieces and a Barlow in response to my Gumtree wanted ad. Two from one man, rest from the other. Later one other Agnostic man donated all those other bits, round $750 worth in its new replacement value, – met him through an Astronomy Forum.

Total strangers have given me money towards this Astronomy Outreach, and I have not asked anyone to give me any money. Only $20 of what was donated came from some one that I do know, the rest coming from complete strangers that I met.

Also donated was a 10 inch around F8 Mirror and its mirror mount [Mirror needs re-coating], and two six inch blanks were donated in response to my Gumtree wanted ad [this is not what I wanted and had advertised for, but accepted these anyway]. Will not use these, so am advertising these as a swap for other needed gear if any one wants to do a swap. Am keeping the diagonal mirror that was also donated by him.

These to be Swapped are to be advertised in the Iceinspace ads.

So now do have 3 ten inch Mirrors. Selling the F8 one.
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Old 12-03-2020, 03:48 PM
JohnF (John)
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My EQ6 did not have counterweights. But I did join the Men's Shed. And one man is teaching me to use the Metal work Lathe. So have just made up some aluminium adaptors so that I can use Weightlifting Weights on my EQ6. And these Weights were free.
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