DIY photo platform and wedge on Meade fork, video platform
One can never have enough scopes and toys, eh!
Here's the first part of a project: a tracking video platform.
Fellow IIS'er Barry Gerdes was kind enough to give me an old Meade LX5 mount on the proviso that "if it don't work don't send it back!" Oh, well, I just had to make it work then, and I did,
My intension here was to make myself a video platform. So with a little tinkering I came up with a simple but really effective one. The pics below show it configured for my 80mm refractor with a 50mm finder-come-guide-scope. The balance is just fine too. I'll look to fit my 114 f/4.4 scope shortly too to the platform (off cause without the other bits ).
Now to make a suitable wedge. I've got a heavy surveying tripod that I'm looking to mount this platform to. Hoping to get it done within two weeks as I've got a public viewing session mid March. I've got plenty of plywood for it, so a bit to do,
My intensions with this rig are threefold. One part of this project is to show how truely accessible astronomy can be, another how you don't need elaborate, sophisticated gear to get going, and the third what is actully in the sky that an eyepiece just can't show our human eyes. Nothing I'm using is expensive. And all the components just required a little bit of tinkering to have them all work together. Some components were ultimately destined for the scrap heap, instead they've been given a new lease on life.
My thing isn't astrophotography . Honestly, I don't care for it. This rig is intended to be used as a tool at urban star parties. It is intended to show kids that to get into astronomy it doesn't require mega bucks to get results. The gear here is all either inexpensive, superceeded or handmade. To make the setup from gear that is ridiculously expensive, sophisticated, and with absurdly "perfect" optics is counter productive to my intensions with it. There's nothing wrong with the fork mount I'm using, other than some people would turn their nose up at it. That's fine as they would never see the purpose of the rig. Good luck to them I say. But for a kid, who relies on mum and dad to finance this hobby, this rig show how they can get started and cut their teeth.
The third part of this rig is the most subtle. When set up, I will have another scope set up beside it into which folks can see what the object actually looks like through an eyepiece. There is no way a novice can actually learn averted vision in a 1min squizz with 30 others behind them. They certainly have no way of seeing a galaxy under urban skies either. Video can, and together with a visual instrument people can better understand the way astronomers do their work. And show how amateur astonomers are making a real contribution to the pool of knowledge through occultation chasing, variable star spectrometry, supernova finding, planetary imaging - all of which doesn't require the most ultra star-test-perfect gear around. And it can all be fun and not ultra competitive.
Very impressive, Alex. I like the fact that you used what was at hand, it's relatively simple and cheap and will now have a very useful tool for yourself and others.
Very interesting, as I have the fork mount I took the C8 off which still works if a little wobbly, I will follow this with interest. I have a GStar-EX video camera, is that the sort of thing you are thinking of using?
Again, just using what I had at hand. All the components are made from two pieces of ply that have been glued and screwed together. The base is made using 15mm ply (30mm total), the sides and scope's mounting plate are made using 12mm ply (24mm total). I used my router to cut the arcs to adjust for latitude.
I actually do need to buy three bolts to attach the scope. The ones I have are too long. Great! Gives me another excuse to go to Bunnings,
I'm going to get the kids to paint the mount before I varnish it. Works just fine. I just need a clear sky to actually see if my contraptions do work! None of the components are new, so I can't see the Sky Gods getting upset with me this time...
I managed first light with my "new" video platform tonight. WOW! What a set up I've made for myself. I am so impressed with it.
The first thing that impressed me was how quickly vibrations died using this timber wedge.
Then there's the capability of my 80mm f/5 refractor. What a great little machine it is. With the GSTAR-EX colour camera, the images it produces are just gorgeous. Omega Centauri is a blaze of resolved stars. Eta Carina has a lovely soft pinkish/orange hue to it with incredible dark nebula definition. I could even make out details in the Keyhole too. M42 was stunning with the Fish Mouth easy to define and the soft extensions of the fanning out nebulosity. I also pinned three galaxies, Sombrero, M83 and Centaurus A. These were faint, but identifiable.
The LX6 mount is just lovely to use. Totally silent and it didn't skip a beat. I didn't do a drift alignment, but I was very pleased with the rough and ready alignment I did with a compass. The objects showed very little drift after an extended preriod of tracking - good enough for video.
Another amazing thing about this project is that it cost me a total of $3 for the three bolts and washers I needed to fasten the mount to the wedge! The mount I was given (many thanks again Barry!), the scopes & tripod I already had, and the plywood was surplus from other jobs. Best three bucks I've spent,
I'm totally stoked with this rig! All that's left to do is set it up with my 114 scope.
I had the kids paint the wedge, and I just love their unabashed liberal use of colour and movement in their work! It didn't take much encouragement from me to get them going, and I just love their work. A little bit of varnishing is all that's left to do.
I hope this little project helps inspire you to have a go too.
I finally got to fitting my 114mm f/4.4 Newtonian onto this fork mounted platform. I kept the old clamshell tube ring that came with the scope originally. I didn't know if or when it would come in handy as I had made a table top dobbie mount for the OTA, but I just couldn't bring myself to chuck it out.
Wouldn't you know it, not only were the mounting holes in the clamshell spaced enough to fit on the platform, but the resulting position of the OTA's COG fell pretty much in line with that of the fork's Dec. pivot point - bloody marvellous!
The last thing I didn't know was if there would be sufficient in-travel in the OTA's focuser to have the image come to focus in the video camera. Well, I fluked it a second time with the focuser totally rucked in had the image nicely focused! WOOHOO!!!
I did a quick tour of some DSO's to give this 114 rig a bit of a run. M42, Eta Carina, Omega Centauri, Centuraus A and the Jewel Box - Just amazing. Eta particularly with the dark pillars easily visible and the whole thing having a warm pinkish hue. Centuraus A really benifitted from the extra aperture over the 80mm. Could make out some detail in the dark band.
I used the crappy red dot finder that this Newt originally came with. I think I'll add an 8X50 right angle finder to it though as the stalk alone of the RDF is just too short too.
Below are a few pics of my new 114 rig. Just a pair of wind nuts do the job of fastening the OTA to the plywood platform. Simplicity itself. I never imagined I'd be spoilt like this for choice with video scopes. This is one nice problem to have,
I need to mention another advantage that this little Newt holds over both an SCT & refractor on a fork mount: the focuser I NEVER located between the tynes, rather it is always swinging in an arc around them. So much easier to locate an object this way when it is close to the south celestial pole.
and I did, 
).
and slowly pan across. Good to see the folks not going to waste 
None of the components are new, so I can't see the Sky Gods getting upset with me this time... 
