Home made EQ with tracking for big reflectors

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #1 05-06-2005, 10:00 PM

My next door neighbour (retired physics/science professor) has designed a simple EQ mount with tracking for my 12" Dobbie! The chap across the road is an Engineer!! Looks like I might be stepping up in the near future.

If all goes well and the set-up works I will share the plans with all of you.

More news as I progress.

iceman (Mike) · #2 06-06-2005, 06:29 AM

I'll be jealous, you know that don't you!?

So will Anthony (frogman)

Can't wait to see how it pans out!

[1ponders] (Paul) · #3 06-06-2005, 08:58 AM

HeeHeeHee, another one into the fold.

Call Tony in a couple of months. He'll probably have a digital camera or two for sale by then.

Good luck with it Ken. You won't know yourself if you manage to get tracking on it.

ving (David) · #4 06-06-2005, 09:10 AM

sounds great ken

show us stuff when you get it hey!

atalas · #5 07-06-2005, 01:03 PM

Yes Ken, I want a full detailed report on this project! this is very interesting.

Louie

Swane · #6 07-06-2005, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

My next door neighbour (retired physics/science professor) has designed a simple EQ mount with tracking for my 12" Dobbie! The chap across the road is an Engineer!! Looks like I might be stepping up in the near future.

If all goes well and the set-up works I will share the plans with all of you.

More news as I progress.

G'day Ken will be very interested to see how it works with the view of making one
Derek

asimov (John) · #7 11-06-2005, 10:17 PM

Yes indeed! I want to see how it's driven!

acropolite (Phil) · #8 11-06-2005, 10:27 PM

Just as I always suspected, inside every dobber there's a wannabee gotoer. Come over to the dark side Ken....

mick pinner · #9 12-06-2005, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Just as I always suspected, inside every dobber there's a wannabee gotoer. Come over to the dark side Ken....

l agree 100% but we do have technology to contend with.

Starkler (Geoff) · #10 12-06-2005, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acropolite

Just as I always suspected, inside every dobber there's a wannabee gotoer. Come over to the dark side Ken....

Not me ! Push-to does fine for me thanks .
I suspect a lot of gotoers miss a lot of interesting objects just outside the field of view of the object they have punched into their keypad, which you could discover just by panning around.

beren · #11 12-06-2005, 01:35 PM

To true , hopefully the meade gotoers relize theres a spiral search function , hit the Goto buttton after arriving at the destination again and the scope goes into a slewing pattern surrounding the desired location......looking forward to developments Ken

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #12 15-06-2005, 08:41 PM

UPDATE!

I caught up with my neighbour today.
Now, I know my next door neighbour is an old fella, and a retired Professor but I didn't realise just how old he is (and getting senile unfortunately).

Here is his plan for a home-made GEM with tracking (i saw the drawings),

Are you ready for it???

1. To start with you make a simple GEM out of 1.25" Galvanised water pipe and point it towards the Polar alignment, and set it in a block of concrete.

2. Then you get one of those 'modern Record Players' that has 33 1/3 RPM and mount it about 15 feet from the GEM mount.

3. Make a spindle out of wood and attach it to the place where the records turn around.

4. Make an arc of metal to attach to the GEM. (there was stacks of Mathematics attached to this part)

5. Connect string to the Arc and tie the other end to the spindle via a 1:2 reduction gear.

6. Make sure the string is long enough to track for about 1 hour.

And there you have it. My next door neighbours Professorship under question!!! Needless to say I won't be taking his plans across the road to the Engineer.

Funny thing is, in theory it will work. Practically, i doubt it.

What a let-down. As you can imagine I didn't know whether to laugh at his joke or cry at his seriousness. I was really looking forward this project. Looks like I will still be Dobbing into the next century.

Bummer, bummer, bummer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Orion · #13 15-06-2005, 08:58 PM

Ken it's some times people like that

that come up with geat ideas.(you never know)

RAJAH235 · #14 15-06-2005, 09:07 PM

Sounds very workable, Ken. Why not give it a go?

L.
I've got a bit of butcher's string here somewhere!

asimov (John) · #15 15-06-2005, 09:14 PM

I'm with you! [dunno weather to laugh or cry] Your in luck though! I just finished playing with a turn-table today actually! I'ts a VERY modern one too....only 26 yrs old! AND it's a 2 speed! Also I got high quality string...none of that cheap twine!

.....

On a more serious note though...that's a BUMMER MAN! Sorry to hear it. I've made 2 EQ mounts now, for 8 & 12.5" OTAs. I could give you some specs. if you want?

Regards...

Orion · #16 15-06-2005, 09:15 PM

Yeh, Ken give it a go!!!!!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #17 15-06-2005, 09:16 PM

I know Ed, but I was expecting something a bit more realistic than this.

He is a very nice, friendly and extremely intelligent man (this is the one who refuses to connect to the electricity supply or register his cars in case the government finds out where he lives).

I really thought he was going to come up with something great. A 'Modern' record player???? I am laughing about it but also feel like I got kicked in the stomach. I have so many mixed emotions.

I don't want to hurt his feelings either, so I will tell him I am thinking about his second option. His 2nd option was buy an old Grandfather clock, pull out the mechanism, remove the spring and replace it with a heavy weight on a rope. This one does work, as we have a scope at our Observatory which has this system and it is brilliant.

I won't be building that one either unless I can find a very big Grandfather clock very, very cheap! But to be even more realistic, It has to drive a 12" reflector!!!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #18 15-06-2005, 09:20 PM

John (Asimov),

I would appreciate some specs for an EQ to take a 12". (proper ones LOL) The one I made a thousand years ago was only for a 4.25" reflector and it wobbled horribly.

Gee I feel like a goose!

Orion · #19 15-06-2005, 09:24 PM

Oh well, at least he was willing to make it for you and like you say he must be a nice guy. By the way with a "modern" record player can you still play the old LP's some where on the mount?

asimov (John) · #20 15-06-2005, 09:26 PM

Ummm. [seriously] Have a look at my pics of the mount, to see if this is the way your thinking of going. I think I have some in the for-sale section "wanted, 1RPM motor. Come back & tell me what your thought are..