Focuser Mod on my 5" Newt

[multiweb (Marc)]

Hi guys, this is a pic of what I've been working on to sort out the balance problems with the QHY8 on my small 5" newt. I still need to get between 1 to 1.5kg of counter weight opposite the focuser but with this set-up I can image with a barlowx2 and be balanced in DEC while increasing my image scale to approx 1.2arcsec / pixel .

The main plate is 12.7x90x500mm T6 aluminium plate bolted into the Losmandy universal plate. The bracket is 12mm plastic heat-bent at 90% and threaded into the alu plate. There's a 2" hole that fits the GSO extension tubes. The Barlow is threaded inside the extenstion tube and I also have the MPCC and filters at the end of the camera. So everything's in there inside the first tube.

The arrangement is rock solid and hopefully I won't have any flexure problems.

[DavidU (Dave)]

That looks great ! That should fix flexure

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Hi Mark,

If you need counter weights, Barry G can make you up a series of plates that can be stacked together with different mounting offset holes to allow more balance control.

We did this for my etx and I got about 100g increments out of 3 plates from 200g to 900g of counter balance.