Posts Made By: Tom Nicolaides

Hello All,

I'm using an older Konus 200 reflector that I recently bought used. It seems to be of the older variety with large focuser and very narrow spider vanes. As one might expect, it's in need of collimation. I was able to give it a "rough" collimation by adjusting the phillps head screws on the rear of the mirror cell. Hoever, to lock it in the new position requires turning the set screws that are adjacent to the adjustment screws. It's not evident to me how to turn these - The screw looks like it may be an allen hex head type, but the hole is smaller than the smallest allen wrench I have, which is 1.5mm. Does anyone know how these set screws are used?

Thanks,

Tom

Konus 200 on a Meade LXD500B mount, DH motors and Autostar 497
Orion Astroview 120 on EQ3 mount with Meade DS motors and Autostar 494 Starfinder

I'd rather take a beating than fly on a commercial airliner these days. You think that's bad. I have a titanium plate in my shoulder. Can't get through a metal detector. Now I must "assume the position" every time I travel. Humilating.

Tom

Hi,

Does anyone know how the action in a JMI DX3 manual focuser might be tightened a bit? Rated to lift 6 lbs, mine collapses under the weight of a 1 lb camera.

Was just on the verge of getting my auto-guider working, the Digital Rebel set up when the clouds rolled in. arrgghhhhh

And a near full moon on top of all that.

Gonna go out in an hour. CS clock sez clear skies after midnight. Who needs to go to work tomorrow?

Tom

egads, what a mistake I made. After trying for two days to figure out how to back out that set screw, I finally am able to back it out using a jewler's screwdriver. And what do I see? A big old 2mm hex head on it. Couldn't see it because of the black screw against the black mirror cell and it was recessed .15 inches. Soooo.. there is no problem - it works just like it should.

But thanks for all the help and suggestions! Wish me luck on my collimation - never done a newtonian before - or any other scope for that matter.

Tom

Meade DS and DH motors can easily be coupled into the worm shafts of the Atlas mount. Those motors can be controled with Meade's 497 Autostar. All you need to do is selct polar mount and input the gear ratios for the motor/worm gear combination you end up with. The DS motor will result in faster slewing. The DH motor slews slower, has more torque and will be a bit more accurate. The nice thing about this approach is that it's very inexpensive. The DS motors cost about 12 dollars each on ebay; the 497 Autostar handbox runs 150 retail; around 100 used. The 495 will work as well, but requires an easily available firmware upgrade. Shaft couplers and mounting brackets might run another 20 or 30.

The most popular conversion is the CG5/EQ4. But the EQ 5 has been done as well, along with other custom mounts. The DS motors have successfully driven up to 12.5 in newtonians. Mine is an Orion Astroview 120mm refractor (EQ3 mount)using DS motors - very accurate Go-Tos; Almost always in the FOV of a 15mm EP. I also have a MEade LSD-500B mount carrying an 8 inch Newtonian - Using DH motors for that. Go-Tos are even more accurate, but it slews slower.

See the Roboscope group on Yahoo for lots of messages, files and photographs:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RoboScope/

Clear Skies,

Tom

Konus 200mm F5 Reflector on a MEade LXd-500B mount using DH motors
Orion AStroview 120mm refractor on an EQ3 mount using MEade DS motors
Both Autostar 497 controlled

Short answer: Yes, easily.

Slightly longer answer: I have an 8 inch newtonian on an LXD55. It slings it around the sky with ease. It can even be quite a lot out of balance and it still handles it well.

Meade sold this mount with a 10 inch Schmidt-Newtonian, weighing in at 30 lbs. THAT was a bit too much, but an 8 inch SCT should work fine.

Yes, approximately 1.7 inches, the dovetails are interchangeable.

Tom

Try the Paul Rini 30mm Modified Plossl. 60 degree FOV, which is about all you can get in a 1.25 EP at 30mm. Good eye relief and contrast. And the price cannot be beat (around 30 bucks, shipped). He uses Edmund surplus optics and it's first rate. If there's any down side I'd say it could use a rubber eyecup - helps keep my eye positioned easier. I was using it last night with my UHC filter for an incredible view of the Veil with the same scope you have.

http://proptics2.com/125a_eps.html

CS,

Tom

Sure wish they'd say how much the little beastie weighs. Makes a difference if I'm to mount it piggyback on my mount.