Re fitting a finder to my Refractor.

[JohnF (John)]

I did purchase a Skywatcher 150mm F5 refractor without a finder scope. Earlier purchased Sky Veiw Pro EQ5 with a finder from a Celestron C8 thrown in [cost me $70 after buying control cables.]

kay the Celestron Finder is a different diameter curved base. But how could it be adapted to that Refractor.

The refractor has no fittings for a finder.

[Saturnine (Jeff)]

There should be a finder shoe built in to the Skywatcher focuser, if it is the standard focuser. The finder holder would need to be swapped for an Skywatcher one with the matching base to fit the shoe.
There are other ways but they would involve making your own finder rings or buying after market rings and mounting foot. Also the Celestron finder seems to have a slightly larger diameter body to the Skywatcher finders, only by a millimetre but enough to be a tight fit in the holder, as I've found out.

[JohnF (John)]

My 150mm F5 was upgraded to a Crayford 10:1 foccusser. NO FINDER SHOE AT ALL ON IT. Have also two 120mm scopes one a skywatcher F5. It has the finder shoe. And so does the unbranded F8.3. But not my 150mm. The F8.3 was a donation to my outreach. It was donated after I purchased the 150mm and 120mm F5, from ISS ads.

[JohnF (John)]

Wondering if my Skywatcher Black EQ6 is an “EQ6 Pro” – will get details this weekend, it is not currently at my home. Have photos of my EQ5 non-GOTO, with added motors. But have no photos of the EQ6. Will get some.

[JohnF (John)]

Down the track thinking that I would like to buy a Used SKYSCAN Hand Controller for the EQ6, then hopefully could run the EQ5 from my Argo Navis and the DUAL AXIS hand controller. But have no idea how to power it.

I plugged the dual axis hand controller into one of those motors, but of course had no power to the Motor. So realised that I am missing something. And of course do not know if those Motors do actually work. But the EQ5 was a Deceased Estate, so the motors probably would work.

[JohnF (John)]

After reading an instruction book on EQ3 & EQ5, apparently motors like those added on a EQ3 would run on just 4 D-cells. BUT perhaps if I can get the correct cables to power it and allow the Dual Axis controller, perhaps I could put the Argo Navis in the Drawer, and then just use that Dual Axis controller with those motors on the EQ5.

If the motors do not feed back there positions to my Argo Navis that may become my only choice for that EQ5.

Would Motors provide Feedback to the Argo Narvis ??

[JohnF (John)]

The Argo Navis has a power in port on it, but think that may just power the Argo Navis, and not provide power to the motors. Had previously downloaded the Argo Navis instruction manual, but latop was stolen, replacement used Macbook Pro laptop had hard drive apparently fail [it as actually the SATA cable] so replaced the Hard drive, then SATA cable, then the charging circuit had failed. So bit he Bullet and purchased a 13inch Used Macbook Air.

So totally lost the Argo Navis downloaded instruction book.

Will down load it again today.

But do not remember nothing about the Argo Navis power supply being able to power those external motors.

[JohnF (John)]

Was funding everything by collecting cans & bottles from out of Garbage Bins, at ten cents each. Received several Donations from Total strangers also. But this funded the mounts, a near new C925 [$2600 with needed accessories, which included adaptor for its Losmandy to a Vixen wedge for my mount, and a 2 inch diagonal, etc.,] a 150mm F5 refractor, a 120mm F5 refactor, a 2 inch UHC filter, another 1 1/4 inch filter, etc. Was saving for an used HEQ5 to replace my EQ3. Did not leave me money to service the mount, as I thought it will be okay.

But now will sell my 90mm Saxon Refractor on its Azimuth mount, as I now have the bigger scopes, and will sell the EQ3 with the LT70 on it, and hopefully will get an HEQ5 or similar GOTO mount to replace that EQ3. Want to do this by August when I do want to run a Second outreach – Show people Saturn, Jupiter moon craters, and centre of Galaxy at that time.

[JohnF (John)]

Also may sell my unused, old Nexstar 80mm refractor to raise money for a wanted mount.

[Tinderboxsky (Steve)]

The power socket on the Argo Navis only powers the unit and not the encoders.

Originally Posted by JohnF

The Argo Navis has a power in port on it, but think that may just power the Argo Navis, and not provide power to the motors. Had previously downloaded the Argo Navis instruction manual, but latop was stolen, replacement used Macbook Pro laptop had hard drive apparently fail [it as actually the SATA cable] so replaced the Hard drive, then SATA cable, then the charging circuit had failed. So bit he Bullet and purchased a 13inch Used Macbook Air.

So totally lost the Argo Navis downloaded instruction book.

Will down load it again today.

But do not remember nothing about the Argo Navis power supply being able to power those external motors.