Dream Setup

I recently started to use some freeware (Sketchup and Kerkythea) for design and CGI. One of my 'learning projects' was this telescope setup. Pure computer simulation but i think it would make a nice rig.

Hope you might enjoy this

Frank

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That's great Frank! Well done! 8)

Nicely done. Does it come in any other colours?

dan

Wow! Spooky real.

Nice work Frank! I like doing this also!

here is one of mine
http://www.pbase.com/mclemens1969/image/93335110
(Undone... they always are!)

Thanks for the nice comments. It is a lot of fun to do this kind of imaging. It also has a practical component. I did this mainly for an observatory design I am working on. Here is the same setup (only the C14 is in original colors, not Takahashi) in the dome.

Enjoy
Frank

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As a matter of practicality I don't think the 5" scope would do too well in the rings with delrin tipped screws that you have put them in. I'm only "marginally OK" with their performance on my four inch. They get to be hard to adjust as the weight of the refractor increases. I think I'd want my FS128 (not shown in pic, that's the four inch) on solid rings where the adjustment takes place with some kind of cradle or better support.

I didn't *draw* this setup afraid I had to put it together the old fashioned (and expensive) way....

regards
Greg N

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Well looking at the design again there does seem to be room for a dew shield; not for the entire OTA, but maybe enough. In days of yore I used to wrap my entire OTA.

The other thought is whether the design allows for the whole affair to be moved far enough "up". With a refractor and XW40 my C14 rides "very high" in the AP saddle. Mounting photographic equipment might push it higher still. Have you done a calculation to make sure that your design allows for the weight to be moved up far enough? Otherwise a counterweight would be needed as an accessory, possibly design a clamp on for the lip of the OTA.

BTW I like the Tak colors on the C14 and the dark colors used by the company are definitely sub optimal.

One interesting design consideration is whether you could have some kind of crank or ratchet system for balancing so one doesn't have to "slip and slide" with all that expensive crap on the mount. I'm not sure it would be worth the manufacturing complexity, but it's an idea.

regards
Greg N