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Old 09-04-2009, 09:20 PM
gary
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gary is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mt. Kuring-Gai
Posts: 5,999
Equatorial platform

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dingo View Post
I would like to know if it's
1) Possible to attach a tracking device to a 8 inch Dob. and how difficult is it
2) What brands are there
C) things to look out for
4) Price Range ??

Thanks for reading
Dingo
Hi Karl,

Equatorial platforms transform your Alt/Az mount to a true equatorial mount. One way they do
this is to tilt the mount over so that the Az axis of the mount can then be aligned to coincide with the
Earth's Polar axis. This angle of tilt is a function of your latitude on Earth, so most platforms are
designed for a use at a specific latitude on Earth. Most will allow you to adjust a few degrees
either side of this.

One of the better platforms on the market comes out of the U.S. from Equatorial Platforms.
See http://www.equatorialplatforms.com/
Designed by Tom Osypowski, they are a popular choice.

Here is another out of Chicago by a gentleman named Brian Reed called the "Round Table Platform" that some have recommended -
See http://www.roundtableplatforms.com/
recommendation here -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ead.php?t=1752

Some people make their own, for example, see -
http://www.biophysik.uni-freiburg.de...attform_e.html

Hope this helps.

Best Regards

Gary
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