Small things make life easier...

[bojan]

To fit the Orion (Bintel) dovetail base to my Canon 400mm F2.8L lens, I came up with this little gadget.

Adapter is made of two identical parts, glued together with acetone (so 3D printing is possible without supports).
Also, couple of weeks ago I made dovetail->red dot finder adapter...

If someone is interested I will post stl files here.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

That is really cool Bo , I like it .
Brian.

[bojan]

Another gadget: magnifier to help focusing with live view when my "new" FSM 450D camera is pointing upwards.

The spare diagonal mirror (from National Geographic small dobson) helped a lot...
The lens was taken from Coilcraft SMD inductors set.

[bojan]

... with articulate eyepiece.

[bojan]

I did not have either shade tube nor cap for my Canon FD 400mm f2.8L, so I made one from 150mm stormpipe and 3D-printed cap... and added bahtinov mask.

Then I did the same form Rubinar 10/1000... and for all my other lenses.
Now I have them always at hand.

[bojan]

Another gadget...
This one could be useful when stetting circles are not at hand, and when you need to accurately place the scope in home position.

(apologies for blurred image, I will replace it with better one asap... but I am sure you guys will guess what that gadget does).

The printed dovetail bar (made from 3 pieces to avoid supports) goes into finder adapter.
It is designed for Melbourne and surroundings (37°) and it can be adjusted for other latitudes.

[Wavytone]

Hmm the level for home position is good idea, though I'd rather use the bubble level app in my iPhone, a lot easier to see in the dark ! You've just given me an excellent reason to add some brackets to my Santel OTA.

Bojan make those masks and endcaps in cast iron and you could do a nice sideline in korean tabletop BBQ. It would need an insulated tile or brick underneath.

[JA]

Nice job Bojan. Very clever

Best
JA

[skysurfer]

Nice DIY gadgets ! But the 400 f/2.8L, amazing ! This A$12000 lens is my dream portable scope for not only AP but also visual use ! More versatile than a Tak FSQ-106 and the same quality.

I have done something similarly, here what I have made from simple aluminum strips and $2 PVC plumbing sockets.

The photo of my DIY gadgets, clockwise from 12 o'clock:

* Eyepiece adapter for Canon Powershot S100 (can be made for any compact camera) for which I have adapter rings for three EPs. Useful for planetary photography by filming the eyepiece image and then using 'Autostakkert'.
* Same for GoPro, with a rectangular hole in it where the lens fits in.
* Latitude wedge + bubble (at 7 o'clock) to adjust the mount to the correct latitude, now set for 52 degrees, but can easily be adjusted to any latitude.
* Yoghurt pack cap which fits exactly on a 1.25" eyepiece
* PVC 32mm socket + rear lens cap eyepiece adapter for using telephoto lenses visually. Renders upside-down image, but can be fixed by putting a diagonal + barlow (the latter required because backfocus is too short) between EP and adapter.
* PVC adapter for putting angle finder over eyepiece of polar scope. Much more comfortable polar adjustment.

[bigjoe (JOSEPH)]

Originally Posted by skysurfer

Nice DIY gadgets ! But the 400 f/2.8L, amazing ! This A$12000 lens is my dream portable scope for not only AP but also visual use ! More versatile than a Tak FSQ-106 and the same quality.

I have done something similarly, here what I have made from simple aluminum strips and $2 PVC plumbing sockets.

The photo of my DIY gadgets, clockwise from 12 o'clock:

* Eyepiece adapter for Canon Powershot S100 (can be made for any compact camera) for which I have adapter rings for three EPs. Useful for planetary photography by filming the eyepiece image and then using 'Autostakkert'.
* Same for GoPro, with a rectangular hole in it where the lens fits in.
* Latitude wedge + bubble (at 7 o'clock) to adjust the mount to the correct latitude, now set for 52 degrees, but can easily be adjusted to any latitude.
* Yoghurt pack cap which fits exactly on a 1.25" eyepiece
* PVC 32mm socket + rear lens cap eyepiece adapter for using telephoto lenses visually. Renders upside-down image, but can be fixed by putting a diagonal + barlow (the latter required because backfocus is too short) between EP and adapter.
* PVC adapter for putting angle finder over eyhepiece of polar scope. Much more comfortable polar adjustment.

Who needs a Tak with a lens like that bravo...though Taks use Canon lenses.
bigjoe

[bigjoe (JOSEPH)]

Very clever indeed Bojan.
bigjoe.

[bojan]

Thank you guys for your kind words...

Yes, this lens is pretty good, but not perfect - without external aperture (f/3.5 ~ f/4) there is too much of CA (I haven't tried narrow band yet).
But for the price I paid for it (and with help from Stefan), it is OK.
Also, I am using 680nM UVIR cut off filter (otherwise some stars are bloated (due to IR).

[Ukastronomer (Jeremy)]

Originally Posted by bojan

... with articulate eyepiece.

Good idea but still means you have to be "behind the screen of the camera, at annoying angles, crouching and peering through a tube, watching a monitor is a lot easier

[bojan]

Originally Posted by Ukastronomer

Good idea but still means you have to be "behind the screen of the camera, at annoying angles, crouching and peering through a tube, watching a monitor is a lot easier

Well, sort of yes, but it is much, much easier than without this articulate magnifier :-)
I don't like too much stuff, cables etc. around me in the dark when I am in the field somewhere.