|
Just looking around today and trying to determine what progress have I made since the last post...
Well the old EQ6 Is now really truely fixed and has a place but I removed the eight inch to do some work on it but the testing of the old mount shows it is like a fine wine aged to perfection..but remember I have pulled this mount down countless times trying to blue print it...I have actually polished the gear teeth with a tooth brush and tooth paste in an effort to make them better and real smooth..anyways this time I did not have to pull it all the way down and adjusted the gears externally...I was going to have the eight inch on it for visual but not so sure now.
Other things?
Well the biggest job since last posting is that I drilled 2 inch holes in the floor close to each mount ( although not near the old as 6 yet) enabling me to bring extention leads up from under the floor to a five place power point for each mount set up so things are rather neat now around each mount ( three of them have their own power for mount, camera, heaters and lap top power. It was a big job for me and at one point I managed to get stuck under the observatory but could not figure how to get out..I could not back out but finally realised just to crawl to the other side but my walking frame was on the side I came in so getting onto my feet was fun ..but I like being put to the test keeps me active...all these leads go back to the power shed and each lead has it's own power point...everything runs from the batteriesvia an inverter so everything around a mount is 240 volt running thru whatever to get back to 12 volt...240 makes it easier to get power around from here to there... but of late I run the genny while I am imaging because the weather has not given much Sunlight and my policy is not to run down the batteries..a few dollars regularly in petrol is still better than destroying $2k of batteries by being too thrifty.
I now have the eq5 carrying the 80 mm triplet with zwo OSC 2600 and it works well although perhaps could do with some attention in the back focus department.
It will run unguided and I have been doing some casual sessions..being so wet and misty I have yet to get serious with this scope and rig..or any of them really, ..just as well as I still have things to sort out...like the light pad for flats..no ideas for it yet.
The 115 mm with zwo 1600 mono and filter wheel ( 8 pos) is now working well on the eq6 on its permanent pier and I have done sessions where I run both the 115 mm and the 80mm...seems easy but like most things it is busy... I have yet to run auto guide on this set up because I took it off to run on the eq5 with the Nikon but for what ever reason the mount played up .. it is just a matter of putting it on it's bracket...I have an old asiair to fit at some point mainly to release a lap top.
The RASA now has the electric focuser working and zwo 2600 mono with fikter drawer but I am waiting on a guide camera for it..not that will stop me..also a new ring type dew heater coming..the RASA requires so much after market playing around it is tiresome....I have back focus sorted ( only took some work with my angle grinder) but that spacer is between the camera and the filter draw which must be changed but at ,least it works...but probably a relocation will be benificial pariculary at 2.2 fr....I have ordered a asiair plus for it but when it will arrive is a great unknown.... I relocated the solar panel that provide power to the 120 amp battery dedicated to the two winch motors thinking having the motors separate could be a good idea but one night they failed ..why not sure but I cut into their wires to add a charger that I can access from inside.
Better to find out now.
I took the wheel chair out but hope to put it back in when things settle a bit more..I now have two little lap top desks and two big desks one of which I hope to remove as things get tidied up more.
But although it feels like it's all done one finds days go on just little things..fixing cables for example...however I am rather happy with all that I have achieved so far and even though the imaging has been in wet conditions and made short every night by cloud I find it thourerly enjoyable just "mucking about"..
AND a tip folks..get yourself heat pads..usually at the chemist..they make all the difference stuck on your shirt and handy if you find you don't have a dew heater for a scope..I need many more dew heaters but the pads have saved me both on the Nikon and on the 80mm ..And I bet they will be used on the guide scope very soon..
Thanks for listening.
Alex
|