Losmandy plate dimensions?

[Garyh]

Hi Everyone,:)
Just after some dimensions for the saddle plate for Losmandy mounts as I have ordered a Gm-8 and want to get a side by side plate made up before arrival. To mount 2 refractors next to each other. Mainly the cross sectional size...The local engineering mob does a rather good job at machining and rather cheap too!!
Also will I have to lift up the crossmember/s to avoid the lock knobs etc?
any info appreciated...
Cheers Gary

[[1ponders]]

Hi Gary, any chance of putting together a bit of a drawing of what you want? Just so there is no confusion.

[gbeal]

What Ponders asked.
Plus, Your GM8 will have a GM8 saddle, or a G-11 saddle (also known as a D series)? Cos this does make a difference.
Having been down the "build it yourself" road I would offer up some advice. My copy of what Losmandy calls a DSBS is HEAVY. I have it away at a weight loss program this weekend as it happens, BUT it is still heavy. Maybe determine what you want with "two refractors next to each other" and we can fine tune the concept. I used mine to allow a scope and a guidescope to be used. This was necessitated as the scope(s) that I wanted to guide didn't lend themselves to any other method. I didn't want to bore a hole to mount a rail etc.
If you have a refractor, with rings, consider mounting the other refractor on the top of the rings, with another rail or similar. Less weight, although the "weight" is further from the pivot.
Make sense??

[Garyh]

Heres two pics of my current setup. I have taken off the vixen style dovetail plate of the bottom as I am using it on the newt I am making. I want to make something similar but instead of the right angle bit the guidescope is on (Saxon) I just want to mount my heavy duty tripod head which I can use both for the guidescope or do widefield shots. That way there is no problems with guide star finding. The tripod head is very solid!! The whole plate can be much narrower as the televue just has the clamshell. Just a quick drawing.
As you can see under the main plate I have a 12mm thick bar as well to lift the whole lot clear of the dovetail locking knob on my eq5. Works well and is not too heavy.
Hope that clears things up a bit.
Mainly just dimensions of the crosssection D plate that fits in the saddle would be great.:thumbsup:
Gary

[JohnG]

Hi Gary

I asume that your GM-8 is new, if so it will come standard with the Losmandy 'D' series saddle. Might I suggest that you think about the idea of turning the saddle 90 degrees and just use a DUP plate, it has a number of holes already drilled and a long 1/4" wide slot. If necessary, drill and tap to suit your clamshell. Will save the extra weight of additional pieces of metal.

Just a thought.

Cheers

JohnG

[[1ponders]]

I was thinking along similar lines JohnG. It would be much less expensive than constructing a sidebyside arrangement using multiple D saddles as I have done (see pictures and story here) (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=3534)

[Garyh]

Thanks guys, good idea John I might go with that one.
Like your setup there Paul, would be a great way to swap scopes quickly etc. I am just looking for the cheapest way out as don`t have much money to spare after getting the mount, thats why I thought of getting the local engineering shop to make the dovetail plates up as I think the Losmandy on would be $140 or so....and they would do it for around $70
Gary

[[1ponders]]

Check out Optcorp (http://www.optcorp.com)in the states. I've just bought a plate for C11 and it was very reasonably priced. Just go to the site and type in Losmandy in the search box. ;)

[JohnG]

Yeh beat me by that much, Paul

http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=439-735-216-217-791

This is the Losmandy DUP

Cheers

JohnG

[[1ponders]]

;)