Home made azimuth adjustment mechanism

[John K]

Hi guys,

I have a 12.5" f/5 reflector in the form of a JMI NGT12 telescope. It's a horse shoe style equatorial mounted telescope.

IMAGE SHOWING AZIMUTH FEET
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkazanas/176154966/in/set-72157594183210993/

TELESCOPE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkazanas/178867620/in/set-72157594183210993/

One of the things I would like to improve is the azimuth adjustment. Although it has a fine azimuth adjuster on the base board of the mount, I am looking to improve this.

Does anyone have any images of something they have built as an easy to make ground board of any type that can be used for really accurate azimuth adjustments?

The photos I have seen in the past have push/pull style threaded rods that can move the feet of a telescope in azimuth and sit under the tripod/base board.

John K.

[Kokatha man]

Hi John - I'm wrestling with the same situation; I've progressed, but it's still on scraps of paper and in my mind: I'm designing/constructing an azimuth (ie rotatable by screw thread) baseboard for my recently acquired Round Table Platform from Brian in the US.

One of my main parameters is to keep the whole unit very low in profile to minimize height increase in the stacking of this with the RTP and dob on top: I need levelling feet, or rather I thought I did, but posting this I'm wondering whether that would be superfluous with the RTP's levellers. (I'm not sure, I intend taking the whole she-bang out bush where level ground may be at a premium and 2 sets of levellers may be essential!)

Will follow this thread with extra interest, and post my own drawings possibly next week; if they are of any value.

Cheers, Darryl.

[John K]

Found what I was looking for:

http://www.robertbrunck.com/Bob-Web-Pages/azimuth-adj.html

However likely to make it sit one one long priece rather than 2 seperate bits so that both south feet sit and slide onto once rail piece and adjusted with the steering rod - I think you can also get even wider ones for east hand adjustment.

[Dennis]

You can get these turnbuckles in stainless steel which might be better than the galvanised ones?

Cheers

Dennis