Observatory Tweaks

Anything that doesn't fit into any of the other forums
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nexusjeep
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:01 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Observatory Tweaks

#1

Post by nexusjeep »

Hi,
As the weather is awful and I can't actually look at the stars at the moment thought I would do some mods to the observatory as I could not use it for anything else. First off I have created a new park position for the scope so that it can be parked under the hatches as I normally park in the usual home position and then remove the scope and close the hatches. Now I can close the hatches with the scope still mounted plus if we ever get multiple good nights I can leave the whole thing setup.

I have added a battery backup bottom left in the image that runs the power supply and gigabit hub, as I run from a laptop it means that is we get a power cut I can still get everything back in without losing the mount alignment. I have also pushed the boat out and fitted a night vision camera bottom right so that I can check that the telescope is not in danger of hitting the pier if imaging overhead or crossing the meridian.

As I usually park to the home position then remove the scope I also made a holder for the end of the weight bar so that I can support it in the new park position to allow removal of the scope with the weights still attached.

The pier is an Altair Astro one that I used to have in the garden but have built it into steel lifting frame that we made so that the whole thing can be lifted 600mm from the retracted position in the image so that it is above the roof and gives me 360 degree sky access the lift is very hi tech as it involves a battery drill and screw jack from a Vauxhall Frontera and modified motor cycle lift :D .

The actual hatched open on industrial 750mm travel sliding draw rails they can support 45 kg per pair and give me a 1.4 x 1.5m aperture to lift the telescope through.

Don't know if this might give anyone any ideas thanks for looking, the dew shield on the scope is retracted in the photo but fits with it extended, but after hitting my head on it a number of times I retracted it whilst working to avoid the swearing.

Cheers
Nick
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telescope 2_proc.jpg
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Telescope 1_proc.jpg
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Jolasa
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2019 3:00 am

Re: Observatory Tweaks

#2

Post by Jolasa »

Is that a flattener in front of the filter wheel that I see?

Could it be used without a filter wheel, in from of the cameram as long as one can figure out a way to attach it?

JonS
nexusjeep
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:01 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Observatory Tweaks

#3

Post by nexusjeep »

Hi,
No it is not a flattener it is a set of M48 spacers + adjustable M48 spacer to get the correct back focus from the camera Cell to the M82 Flattener Reducer that directly screws into the end of the focuser draw tube. I have labelled them in the image below for clarity.

Cheers
Nick
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Extension Flattener.png
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