After setting up again last night, a local called in and was amazed at all the cables running all over the scope. I have got to a stage where I take it for granted now, but I guess he is right in asking his question: "How many wires does it take to run a telescope?"
I stood back and looked at it all. Wow! I guess it is a mess
Pic 1: I think they are breeding
Pic 2: What controls it all
Pic 3: What happens if you get too close
Still got another goodie to put on there yet, but it is wireless!
I will be putting my miniature low-light security camera on the Finderscope or the ED80 so I can use it as a finder from inside my NASA control cubby. The less I have to go out into the cold the better.
You are going to find out Ken that no matter how carefully you take everything in, the next time you go to assemble it again all the wires are tangled and knotted. I think it has something to do with Entropy.
Looks like you need an extension to mission control.
Ken, go to Bunnings and get a 5 meter roll of double sided velcro. Not the adhesive backed stuff (though some of that is useful as well), but the one with hooks on one side and the felt on the other. It's a dream for cables.
You cut short lengths, about 3 cm long and you just wrap it around a couple of wires. Holds to itself beautifully. And if you have some of the sticky back stuff attached to you mount and scope you can use it to hold the wire holding rollups. Its brilliant stuff. And the best part is if you happen to have a cable attached to the mount too short and you swing the mount around, instead of damaging wires by getting them ripped off the mount, the velcro just pulls away.
And it makes rolling the cabling up much easier, just keep them velcro rolled together. AND if you alternate the 3 cm strip rolls with hooks out, felt out, when you roll them up, if you get the spacing right the velcro holds your cable coils together
Then get two 5 meter packs and cut a couple of straps that will go right the way around the OTA. It's not stuck there and will slide a bit (unless you put a strip of foam under them) but you will be able to keep your cables ordered.
I have sticky velcro everywhere - keeps my hand controller tamed - cables, I stick my red observing light to my eyepiece case with velcro too - magic stuff.....
Cables are a challenge. I wish I could make more wirless, always had intentions of doing that. You can get:
USB -> Bluetooth
Serial -> Bluetooth
Parallel -> Bluetooth
Bluetooth -> Computer
Then all you need is power. And an excuse to spend the money on the above converters
My portable setup is "fully booked" with cables.. the laptop has plugged in 6 USB devices, 1 RS232 and 1 LPT. Makes for a challenge transporting it all in a organised fassion sometimes.
In fact, eyepieces are an afterthought to cables for me. I'm dead if I leave behind a cable, don't really need eyepieces though. The cables take up much more packing space in the car than the few eyepieces too.
How many wires run a telescope?
).
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