hi all, im looking to make up a head adaptor for a losmundy D saddle type set up. i was wondering if anybody that has this setup would be able to take off some demensions for me so i roughly know what to machine up.
hi all, im looking to make up a head adaptor for a losmundy D saddle type set up. i was wondering if anybody that has this setup would be able to take off some demensions for me so i roughly know what to machine up.
Regards
brendan
Happy to do what I can for you tomorrow. Tell me which dimensions you want.
I have an ADM EQ6-A Losmandy 'Hockey puck' head on an EQ6, with an LSBS side by side plate.
Please be aware my measurement tools consist of a digital camera, yellow-coloured rule and a pencil plus poor eyesight
thats what im going to make without the 500 dollar price tag! though i need the head to mount to the EQ6.
i guess i would like to find out the overall diameter of the Losmundy D saddle head mount. the rest i can work with from the measurements off the site.
Thats the one! hehehe, ive already turned the bottom puck up. its just that affording 140 bucks for me is not dooable when you work 8 hours a week at woolies and do full time uni. so supplying my own labor and access to free materials means i do it for nothing
All parts are made with Billit Aluminum so its strong enough the old vixen dovetail is just too small and the spacing of the locking screws on the dovetail are too close 1.2 meters of leaver arm @ 23kgs, its very easy to move the OTA with a small puff of wind!
Brendan.. Considering you can make these sort of things easily enough, perhaps you should consider subsidising your 8hr a week income by doing things like this and other small engineering jobs for the astro community.. Im sure there are a lot of other people in the same boat as you, wanting things like this but just cant justify the price.. If you under cut ADM on products like these by around $50~$80 AUD, you'd have people knocking down your door to get a hold of them...
Another thing you might want to consider if you're looking to increase stability of your setup with all that weight, design and build yourself a new, bigger tripod.. something with support braces etc... big flat feet instead of the little knob looking feet on the EQ6 tripod... There would be a market for that sort of thing too I'd imagine...
CONVERT YOUR MOUNT TO LOSMANDY TYPE "D" DOVETAILS
Convert your SkyWatcher, Celestron, Vixen etc. Mount to Losmandy style "D" Dovetail Plates. This conversion improves the rigidity of the Dovetails used from the narrow "V" Tails to the extra sturdy "D" Tails. Particularly good for Astrophotography. The conversion uses a new Replacement Head for the Mount, and the new Female "D" Dovetail. The Female Dovetail can accomodate Losmandy, CGE and William Optics Dovetail Plates.
i guess then i should make up a bit of a "parts" list for EQ 6 users with their realitive prices.
Who wants what; I should start with?
Currently I am working on the upgraded EQ 6 Mounting adaptor plate, with the puck machined out of billit ally that is slightly bigger and hence better fitting than the original, and utilizing ally plate with an overall depth of 24mm and a 12 x 70-80 x 200-300 mm dovetail for people who run big newts and or weights i have found this will make a substantial difference!
think of it this way. your holding a bench press bar, hold it close together with say 40kgs of weight either side get somebody to try and move the bar around at the end. do the same but hold your hands alot wider apart... thats the concept.
How about taping a few holes in the side of your new EQ 6 Mounting adaptor plate that could be used to add accessories, such as a laser pointer holder. That would be easy and good!
though i have done another crafty for that!, i mate a laser pointer holder that sits on the underside of the SW Finderscope. you can use it to sight down the length of your scope, it acts as an illuminator for your main finderscope, and a rectical in your EP... the laser i use isnt a high mW, but a good quality 1mW version spot on and the best thing that i have ever done!
