Go Back   IceInSpace > Equipment > Equipment Discussions
Register FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
  #21  
Old 16-10-2005, 05:39 AM
xrekcor
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Nice setup there Houghy, this must be the project you were working on.
Look forward to seeing some images.

regards,CS
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 16-10-2005, 08:46 AM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by xrekcor
Nice setup there Houghy, this must be the project you were working on.
Look forward to seeing some images.

regards,CS

Yes it is Rob, after or should I say during Qld Astrofest it dawned on me that I needed a equatorial mount that works and is very stable. The meade wedge actually bounces and is a complete pain to set up and i cannot even get to the horizion with it very well if needed. So I thought ai would rationalise it a bit, a smaller scope to use visually and as a guide scope, and somewhere to mount my camera (as well as on the guide scope). I came up with this. It is very "portable', just bring your own forklift . the Eq6 is heavy, very heavy, but is able to be moved better than the 12" LX200.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:07 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Rainy Day = mother of invention

Well today wasn't the best of days weather wise, so I decided to do a make do construction for the EQ6.

I found a bit of aluminium tubing (scrap) , found a few bolts in the shed and a heap of washers. Did a bit of precision drilling with the help of my 4 year old son and marking out with my 8 year old daughter. I attached the little bit of the bar I had to the aluminium tube. So anyway here is the finished product .

It is sort of along the lines I was wanting, a great place to start from to get to what I want. Mick P please turn away now , I know its rough but I needed to work out what i want to achieve. I don't know how I will get the two optical system parallel. or even if they have to be exactly aligned?

I intend to guide with the Intes scope, one day I might get a ST4 or STV to autoguide with (no laptop).
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (PICT2674 (Large).JPG)
91.3 KB46 views
Click for full-size image (PICT2675 (Large).JPG)
76.2 KB119 views
Click for full-size image (PICT2677 (Large).JPG)
82.4 KB35 views
Click for full-size image (PICT2680 (Medium).JPG)
33.0 KB37 views
Click for full-size image (PICT2681 (Large).JPG)
55.8 KB39 views
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:29 PM
beren
Registered User

beren is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,810
Hey nice work there mate, one question why is the bar longish?
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:35 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by beren
Hey nice work there mate, one question why is the bar longish?

Good question Stuart, i don't know. I didn't cut the bar because I wanted to be greedy, i wanted to put in another scope in the middle, maybe larger like a 8" or a 80mm ED or something similar, possibly even another PST.

sound good?
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:38 PM
davidpretorius's Avatar
davidpretorius
lots of eyes on you!

davidpretorius is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Launceston Tasmania
Posts: 7,381
is it spamming to say that i think that this a really good idea!!!

well done!

pssst mick p, can we get round copyright easily???
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:39 PM
beren
Registered User

beren is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,810
Perfect answer mate thats the way i work with little mods -find a dual purpose for everything
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:41 PM
[1ponders]'s Avatar
[1ponders] (Paul)
Retired, damn no pension

[1ponders] is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Obi Obi, Qld
Posts: 18,778
Good ony h0ughy. How's the balance? I find trying to balance in three directions a bit tricky at times. Ie foreward and aft, left to right and top to bottom.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:44 PM
davidpretorius's Avatar
davidpretorius
lots of eyes on you!

davidpretorius is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Launceston Tasmania
Posts: 7,381
hey mate, do you want three little right angle spirit vials to attach and adjust whilst flat.

i could sample some off from work. i am pretty sure they have two vials ie vertical and horizontal.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:52 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by [1ponders]
Good ony h0ughy. How's the balance? I find trying to balance in three directions a bit tricky at times. Ie foreward and aft, left to right and top to bottom.

believe it or not it does balance both sides and the opposite direction. when i take the camera body of it doesn't yes yaw, pitch and roll seem to be OK
Reply With Quote
  #31  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:55 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidpretorius
hey mate, do you want three little right angle spirit vials to attach and adjust whilst flat.

i could sample some off from work. i am pretty sure they have two vials ie vertical and horizontal.

Thanks Dave But I am not sure how I would use them (have taken several thick as a brick tablets ). I won't say no though
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 22-10-2005, 08:57 PM
tornado33
Registered User

tornado33 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Posts: 4,116
The rig looks good, yes we must get together and polar alingn it and try some long exposure imaging
Scott
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:00 PM
davidpretorius's Avatar
davidpretorius
lots of eyes on you!

davidpretorius is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Launceston Tasmania
Posts: 7,381
i thought that you could attach to the bases of scopes and camera bases and then turn eq to 0 degrees and then make sure all three little spirit levels are the same. then turn eq to 90 degrees and then check again. off the top of my head i am hoping that that will simplify allignent of all three scopes / cameras???

someone shoot me if i have taken the same tablets and am leading houghy up the garden path. but i think it will work?
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:06 PM
rumples riot
Who knows

rumples riot is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Blackwood South Australia
Posts: 3,051
Nice Mak, let me know how you go on the imaging of planets with this scope. f10 and bound to be sharp as a tack. This is one option I have considered if and when I replace the lx200. Only purely on the basis of its planetary capacity. Gary tells me they are great for planets and I trust his judgement in this. Would like a 13" though, that would rock.

I like the idea of the EQ6 as well. This is giving me ideas again. Sorry Rod. Maybe I could get a Mak and EQ6 as a secondary and purely planetary imaging scope.

Really cool looking setup H0ughy, glad you posted the images. Good man.
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:12 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by rumples riot
Nice Mak, let me know how you go on the imaging of planets with this scope. f10 and bound to be sharp as a tack. This is one option I have considered if and when I replace the lx200. Only purely on the basis of its planetary capacity. Gary tells me they are great for planets and I trust his judgement in this. Would like a 13" though, that would rock.

I like the idea of the EQ6 as well. This is giving me ideas again. Sorry Rod. Maybe I could get a Mak and EQ6 as a secondary and purely planetary imaging scope.

Really cool looking setup H0ughy, glad you posted the images. Good man.

Thanks Paul, I was trying to cover all bases, and with a 6.3 focal reducer should help with a wider field of view thorugh the scope if I want later. the threaded back makes it easy for me to use all of the sct stuff I already have
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:27 PM
Ambermile's Avatar
Ambermile
I make stuff...

Ambermile is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South Norfolk, UK
Posts: 229
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy

It is sort of along the lines I was wanting, a great place to start from to get to what I want. Mick P please turn away now , I know its rough but I needed to work out what i want to achieve. I don't know how I will get the two optical system parallel. or even if they have to be exactly aligned?
No - only if you want them to be. I actually manufacture a dualmount system (I'm safe saying that here 'cos there's no way you lot on Oz are going to want one ) with a dovetail for the Synta/GP type dovetail system. However, it became apparent at the design stage that if I just made a copy of the dovetail clamp system then this alignment you are after would not work.

To get around this and allow alignment I use the clamp system on the enc. pic (please, nobody tell anyone about this... it's my living ) and as you can see I do not machine the 15 degree dovetail, rather just a straight slot. The M6 hole is the standard star-spinner bolt to initially hold the bar in place while the four M4 bolts are for fine lateral adjustment and main clamping/locking of the bar. Two of these are then bolted on an aluminium dovetail 330mm long, one at each end. I am assuming though that your dovetail has the adjusting bolts at each end to raise the rings.

Arthur

Last edited by Ambermile; 25-10-2005 at 10:33 PM. Reason: Added mount pic
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:30 PM
[1ponders]'s Avatar
[1ponders] (Paul)
Retired, damn no pension

[1ponders] is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Obi Obi, Qld
Posts: 18,778
h0ughy did you end up seeing the pictures I posted of my semi home made side by side? I can't remember it was a while ago I posted them.
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:33 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by [1ponders]
h0ughy did you end up seeing the pictures I posted of my semi home made side by side? I can't remember it was a while ago I posted them.

I vaguely remember them, although i have to admidt I couldn't get a good look at the way it went together.

Edit: I do, but only a rear view. Paul have you got any closeup, side on and from underneath at the front?
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:36 PM
h0ughy's Avatar
h0ughy (David)
Moderator

h0ughy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: NEWCASTLE NSW Australia
Posts: 33,429
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambermile
No - only if you want them to be. I actually manufacture a dualmount system (I'm safe saying that here 'cos there's no way you lot on Oz are going to want one ) with a dovetail for the Synta/GP type dovetail system. However, it became apparent at the design stage that if I just made a copy of the dovetail clamp system then this alignment you are after would not work.

To get around this and allow alignment I use the clamp system on the enc. pic (please, nobody tell anyone about this... it's my living ) and as you can see I do not machine the 15 degree dovetail, rather just a straight slot. The M6 hole is the standard star-spinner bolt to initially hold the bar in place while the four M4 bolts are for fine lateral adjustment and main clamping/locking of the bar. Two of these are then bolted on an aluminium dovetail 330mm long, one at each end. I am assuming though that your dovetail has the adjusting bolts at each end to raise the rings.

Arthur

Thanks Aurthur,

one question though, I don't have or use tube rings? your mount does allow for lateral adjustment, do you do something to allow for vertical? Or is that what the tube rings do?
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 22-10-2005, 09:40 PM
Ambermile's Avatar
Ambermile
I make stuff...

Ambermile is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South Norfolk, UK
Posts: 229
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
Thanks Aurthur,

one question though, I don't have or use tube rings? your mount does allow for lateral adjustment, do you do something to allow for vertical? Or is that what the tube rings do?
Well, I've found that those scopes that do not use rings are usually pretty level wrt the dec axis - it's actually the use of rings that makes their adjustment necessary. Go figure!

Arthur
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time is now 02:17 AM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 | Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement
Astrophotography Prize
Advertisement
Bintel
Advertisement