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Old 11-09-2020, 10:30 AM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Best way to mount Orion 60mm guide scope

Hi, I am hoping someone here might be able to give me some advice on the best way to mount my guide scope.

What i have is the Orion 60mm guide scope.
https://www.bintel.com.au/product/or...v=322b26af01d5

The telescope is the Skywatcher Evostar 150ED
https://skywatcheraustralia.com.au/p...refractor-ota/

So what i am trying to do is, find the best way to mount this guide scope to this telescope.

I have been given the run around i guess you could say from where i got the guide scope from ( not the link listed )
I have asked multiple suppliers about what brackets / mounts i need to get this to fit and when i ask if that part will be compatible with that part i get no replies, so thought it would be best to ask here as i am sure many here have gone through this process before.

So I am not 100% up to speed with the technical names or the components, so please bear with me with that.

I got this guide scope as i i am planing to do some AP work a little latter on.

So after all that,
The guide scope has what i believe is the standard dovetail that fits into the standard finder scope bracket that you get with most scopes.

I was advised that it is not best to mount the guide scope in a finder bracket as it won't be sturdy enough for the telescope that i have.
Is this statement correct?

I am thinking i am best to mount the guide scope on top of my telescopes rings, the total distance between them is 13 inches.

I do have a Sirius Vixen dovetail clamp 68 mm,
http://www.sirius-optics.com.au/siri...lamp-63mm.html

i can bolt this dove tail clamp to the dovetail that is already on the guide scope, But then i need to figure out what sort of dovetail i need to fit this clamp, the supplier still won't advise me on this yet for some reason.

So after all that, is it possible that someone could please advise me on the best option to mount this guide scope to my Evostar 150ED, i still want to keep mounted my red dot finder as well.

Any advise with a link to the parts needed would be appreciated,
Thanks.
Peter.
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Old 11-09-2020, 10:52 AM
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Merlin66 (Ken)
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Peter,
I use a "very similar" (but cheaper!!!) 60 mm finder as an eFinder on my C11.
In my case I added a ADM mini-rail to the scope then removed the finder rings from the dovetail and remounted them on ADM clamps.
This allows me to move the finder around for balancing.


For your set-up that's probably over kill.
On my smaller scopes with rings I've used a short length of 25 x 12 x 3 mm aluminium U channel mounted on top of the rings and then remounted the finder rings onto the channel. Hope that makes sense.
(I probably have a spare bit of the channel in the "box", let me know if I can help)
https://www.actionaluminium.com.au/w...logue-2018.pdf (page 14 CU25123)

Something like this would probably work OK.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/metal-ma...annel_p1079323
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Old 11-09-2020, 11:09 AM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Thanks for the reply,
Yes i can see what you are saying.
I should of mentioned this also, a tad late sorry.
But i want to be able to side or . remove the guide scope after each nights viewing, Ideally i don't want to be unbolting screws.
Sort of like to be able to slide it on and off, just tighten up the thumb screw when it is on if that makes sense.

I do like that idea you have come up with though, if i can make that into a slide on / off setup it would work well.
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Old 11-09-2020, 12:31 PM
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Max Vondel (Peter)
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3 finderscope bracket

Hi, unsure if this helps but I bought a triple bracket on Ebay that holds
3 finders in the place of one.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Fixed-Sl...72.m2749.l2649

With this, my scope carries a right angle 7x50 finder, all metal straight through finder with led circle and an Orion 70mm F4 finder with 21mm Hyperion for 13X. A bit of extra weight but fine on my Dob. Bintel sells a double bracket (no stock) at nearly 4X the ebay price.
It's an excellent item that will morph on to any scope with a standard finder bracket
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Old 11-09-2020, 12:37 PM
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Even cheaper here
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Old 11-09-2020, 01:07 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Thanks for the links.
Yes, I had been looking at them and wondering about them.
Figured i would put an order in for one just to see how it goes, cheap enough if it doesn't work.
Might take a while out of China, but no rush for it.
Appreciated.
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Old 11-09-2020, 01:19 PM
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Merlin66 (Ken)
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Peter,
Isn't this the same as mounting the finder in the standard finder scope clamp??
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Old 11-09-2020, 03:04 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Here’s my 6” newt set up in Sydney with a 60mm Orion guide scope with helical focuser
I used a 14” Losmandy bar bolted to my tube rings and the guide scope was then bolted into the Losmandy bar from underneath
All bolts were Allen head metric I think M8 and M10 stainless )
Solid as a battle ship
See attached photos
Hope it gives you some idea !!
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Old 11-09-2020, 03:11 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Sorry correction it was an 11” Losmandy bar my 8” newt has the same set up but with a 14” Losmandy bar
Not the cheapest set up but solid as a rock for guiding ( which at the end of the day is what you need )
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Old 12-09-2020, 08:26 AM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Startrek View Post
Sorry correction it was an 11” Losmandy bar my 8” newt has the same set up but with a 14” Losmandy bar
Not the cheapest set up but solid as a rock for guiding ( which at the end of the day is what you need )
Thanks for those photos,
Just looking at them, and please correct me if i am wrong here.
But is that guide scope mounted permanently, and by that i mean, it has to be unbolted every time you want to remove it, rather than just loosen of a few screws and it slides off?

I might have to go to this option.
The bar i would need will have to be 14 inches long.
So i would need something like this maybe?
https://www.bintel.com.au/product/lo...v=322b26af01d5
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Old 12-09-2020, 10:48 AM
Startrek (Martin)
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My rig is not permanent, I set it up for a week or two at a time during the dark ( new moon )
It’s best to leave your guide scope bolted to your main scope ( even if you have to pack your main scope away ) as removing it may require refocusing on the guide star each time ( painful and time consuming) plus the threads on the tube rings are alloy and will eventually strip by bolting and unbolting with metal threads
Does that make sense ?
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Old 12-09-2020, 04:22 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Makes perfect sense.
And all advise is appreciated.
Just will look at a different method of storing the main scope.
Easy enough done, just been overthinking things yet again i think.
Appreciate the advice.
Cheers.
Peter.
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Old 13-09-2020, 07:53 PM
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Astronut07 (Ben)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesilver View Post
Makes perfect sense.
And all advise is appreciated.
Just will look at a different method of storing the main scope.
Easy enough done, just been overthinking things yet again i think.
Appreciate the advice.
Cheers.
Peter.
Hi Peter

I have similar guide scope
I use the Losmandy DVA dovetail adapter
I have permanently attached to bottom of guidescope, which then allows me to slide guidescope on & off when needed

Pic attached

Cheers
Ben
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