A slightly different split ring mount.

[Starkler]

I'm sure some of you have seen this kind of set up (http://home.att.net/~dale.keller/atm/newtonians/keller10/keller10b.htm) before, but also bet that a lot like myself have not ;)

I have seen a number of split ring scopes that usually look very large and cumbersome due to the size of the ring needed to balance an OTA mounted at the centre of it.

I hope this design inspires someone as it looks quite 'do-able' ;)

[Orion]

It's certainly do-able but it looks cumbersome.

[Starkler]

This is the more commonly seen design. (http://www.saao.ac.za/~wpk/scope/rbox.html)

This design requires a truss construction to bring the C.O.G. of the OTA low enough to mount inside a ring without it being ridiculously huge.

The ring is large and the ota isnt rotatable for a comfortable eyepiece position. Certainly its possible to engineer around this, but its definately easier to achieve a rotatable ota without comprimising collimation with the other design.

[netwolf]

Saw this on cloudynights
http://perso.orange.fr/reto/telescope/imagepages/image2.html
Fully converted
http://perso.orange.fr/reto/telescope/imagepages/image4.html
See cloudynight thread for other links.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=atm&Number=1149062&Forum=f67&Words=%22split%20ring%22&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=1146640&Search=true&where=sub&Name=&daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=y&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post1149062


Regards

[rmcpb]

The top mount is actually a horseshoe mount. Quite common it large scopes.

[martin kew]

I am looking to make a split ring mount. These images are most interesting. The best commercal example of a split ring mount that I have seen to-date is the JMI Next Generation Telescope (NGT) series.

To reduce the size of the "ring", most designs place a counterweight behind the mirror cell to lower the balance point of the OTA and thereby reduce the distance from the balance point to the lower end of the OTA.

[netwolf]

Some Google Sketchup drawings posted by a user on a similar thread at CN.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1415913/page/1/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/2/vc/1
Regards
Fahim