JMI Motor Drive for Lightbridge Telescopes

[netwolf]

Wow this is great finally an off the shelf solution for dobbers. Makes me want my dob back. Deano where is that dob of mine these days?? Nice for the visits to dark skies no messing with polar alignment.

http://www.jimsmobile.com/images/tnt_prototype.jpg

Regards
Fahim

[davewaldo]

ooo looks interesting... Just imagine if it hooks up to an argo navis... that would be brilliant!

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

Be very interesting to see how much these will be, and yes if they'll interface with an AN or similar

[netwolf]

I think this is for Alt/az tracking only. But you can use AN to still find the object and then track with this. So it will be push to and track. A simple system keeping in line with what John Dob envisaged. And hopefully not a budget breaker.


If you want Goto then look at the Siderealtechnolgy system or Servocat both will work with AN. I am going to adapt the Sitech system from siderealtechnology to my G-11 mount and once the budget recovers i will probably add the AN as the brain to this.

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

Yes, you're probably right Fahim.

Good to see this idea coming as an alternative to an eq platform though, much less bulk involved

[h0ughy (David)]

hey that looks promising

[Dennis G]

Your reply of one word. Here and the address, did not produce the article. I'm interested. Where is the details, pictures, etc. that you posted for the drive?I cannot find it.
Dennis G

[sejanus (Gavin)]

gosh i want it. the lack of tracking is the only thing that annoys me about my lightbridge

[netwolf]

Dennis, there is not article on it yet it has not come out yet. You can go here to the vendors main page http://www.jimsmobile.com/ and you will see the "Comming soon" ad for this product. If you click on that you will get the image i have linked in my original post. My thread's intention was to merely point out to LB owners on the forums to a new accessory for there scope.

[gary]

Originally Posted by sejanus

gosh i want it. the lack of tracking is the only thing that annoys me about my lightbridge

Hi,

This thread, which discusses the ServoCAT slew and track system now being
available for the LightBridge 16, may be of interest to you -
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=31952

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

[davidpretorius]

once $$ allow it, i am going to through the 10" mirror on a eq6 with synscan and then get a 16" LB or16" GSO and move the dob driver across to it

[sejanus (Gavin)]

JMI emailed me and said it will be $399 usd

[White Rabbit]

Thats not bad, any idea of when it's release date is?

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by sejanus

JMI emailed me and said it will be $399 usd

will that do a 16" LB as well?

[sejanus (Gavin)]

yep i specifically asked for the price on the 16"

no ETA though.

[Dennis G]

Thank You Netwolf.
I've viewed the JMI article and I shake my head. I made a drive that only provided right ascension and it was U/S .Have a look at the Platform and drive on my new GS Light Bucket scope. It works and I have to accept that it is bulky. I've given much thought to reducing its size and I cannot find ways of doing it, the reason for my interest in viewing the JMI article.

Dennis G

[Orion]

Originally Posted by sejanus

JMI emailed me and said it will be $399 usd

Is that price for the whole kit?
If so I wonder what the quality and longevity of this product will be.

[netwolf]

Well i just spotted this on Optcorp A used AN with kit to fit LB16..
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?...-919-950-11645
That is a bargain.

[Satchmo]

Heres a better link to the JMI TNT system.

http://www.jimsmobile.com/buy_tnt.htm

Its basically `train n' track' without the 'brain' the DobDriver system has.

You press the speed control until it learns the required speed to follow the object in each axis, but does not do any calculation beyond that, so the rates are only going to be good for 10 minutes or so, depending on where in the sky you are pointed. The Tech 2000 Dobdriver goes beyond that in continuously recalculating new tracking rates as time goes on.

For $399 USD however , its going to be a step up than nothing for high power observation anyhow

[proudy]

Thanks for alerting LB owners to this product. I am going to order it right away. I use the BBox and encoders which work perfectly, plus their wheelley bars are fantastic.

10 minutes of tracking is great even for video imaging. I'm sure that with 2 motors and some creative inventiveness down the line, the 10 mins of tracking could be extended.