Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
#4433133 - 03/07/11 07:07 PM Attachment (102 downloads)
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Man this thing is a beast. Had to install it in several pieces with only a minimum of bodily injury.
It's a Parallax 250 HD Observatory mount. Solid. Solid. Solid. I've finally a mount to do the D&G 11" justice. So far the AP GOTO system seems fine but true to the "curse" , there have been clouds ever since installation last weekend so it's not exactly dialed in yet.
Jeff
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433137 - 03/07/11 07:08 PM Attachment (76 downloads)
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Another view.
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433140 - 03/07/11 07:09 PM Attachment (73 downloads)
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Finally, down low and thru the door.
Jeff
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Don Allen
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/07/05
Loc: Charleston, SC
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433172 - 03/07/11 07:21 PM
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Steve Fisher
Reged: 08/12/06
Loc: Utah
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Don Allen]
#4433186 - 03/07/11 07:27 PM
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Jeff:
Beautiful! 
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richardlowney
member
Reged: 12/04/09
Loc: Wisconsin
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433192 - 03/07/11 07:29 PM
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Now THAT is a telescope. Beautiful!
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dothead
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/13/08
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433223 - 03/07/11 07:43 PM
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Congratulations, Jeff.
Is it f/12 ?
What's the damping time of the set-up ?
Clear skies,
Ralph
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David Pavlich
Transmographied
Reged: 05/18/05
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: dothead]
#4433524 - 03/07/11 09:57 PM
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Now that is a nice looking mount!!
David
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frolinmod
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/06/10
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: David Pavlich]
#4433562 - 03/07/11 10:12 PM
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Now that's a telescope! Drool...
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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/28/03
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433631 - 03/07/11 10:41 PM
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Incredible.
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skybsd
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/01/08
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4433966 - 03/08/11 02:53 AM
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AWESOME!!!!!!!
Congrats on the new mount.,
Regards,
skybsd
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Max Lattanzi
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/27/07
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: dothead]
#4434009 - 03/08/11 04:16 AM
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Quote:
Congratulations, Jeff.
Is it f/12 ?
What's the damping time of the set-up ?
Clear skies,
Ralph
Jeff,
Congrats on this side as well.
Yes, what's the damping time?
And what have you be using before?
Thanks,
-- Max
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TxStars
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/01/05
Loc: Lost In Space
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4434311 - 03/08/11 09:11 AM
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Several years ago I got to use the "field" model of the same mount.
That thing is barely moveable as one piece.
And that scope makes the mount look small.
"WoW"
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Max Lattanzi]
#4436032 - 03/08/11 08:52 PM
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Thanks everyone, it really is a neat looking mount.
Ralph and Max, I really don't know the damping times yet as I've not had time really to use it due to weather. However, by just nudging it, RA seems very well damped, at least as good as the Byers Series II is. There is a bit too much backlash in DEC right now so that when DEC is balanced it can bounce around a bit. I need to snug the worm up against the gear a bit more. Adjustments like that seem easy. I can turn the RA very easily with my finger tips on the spur gears (It always amazes me to be able to move the 370 + pounds of scope, DEC castings, shafts and counter weights with just my finger tips). I'll adjust the worm on the DEC axis so that there is little backlash but still easily moves with the fingers as well and I'll probably leave a small imbalance in DEC to always load the gear train.
Jeff
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Mel M
super member
Reged: 05/04/08
Loc: southern Oregon
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4436308 - 03/08/11 10:47 PM
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How tall is the pier? F/12?
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Mike Clemens
Frozen to Eyepiece
Reged: 11/26/05
Loc: Alaska, USA
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Mel M]
#4436713 - 03/09/11 04:49 AM
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Looks proper. Super!
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Max Lattanzi
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/27/07
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4436744 - 03/09/11 05:43 AM
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Hi Jeff,
Thanks. Pls let us know its behaviour when properly meshed in Dec.
May I ask what have you been previously using to handle that OTA.
Thanks,
-- Max
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Max Lattanzi]
#4437126 - 03/09/11 10:38 AM
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Before was a Byers Series II, which is now sitting on the observatory floor covered. For a moment the Parallax RA unit was sitting next to the Byers mount on the floor prior to me hoisting it up to the pier. I should have taken a picture as the Parallax RA assembly is bigger and weighs more than the entire Byers mounts...and the Byers is NO slouch, just lacks goto capability.
The lens is a D&G 11" F12. The pier is a two piece pier, with the lower, concrete pier 29" tall and the steel, upper pier bolted to it 60" tall. There is now an adapter plate/wedge that goes between the top of the steel pier and the bottom plate of the Parallax mount that lets me adjust the alt/azimuth of the mount. It adds 2" overall.
Jeff
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Max Lattanzi
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/27/07
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4437183 - 03/09/11 11:08 AM
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Mmm, currently I have on the drawing table a 300mm f/10 (to be also stopped-down as a 250 f/12), and I had been considering a mount with 70mm solid steel axes (60mm in Dec) and 270mm wheels in both axes... 4.1 teeth/cm (sorry for the metrics)...
Maybe I am underestimating the torque.
You have there 15" in RA and 11.3" in Dec, right? How many teeth, if I may ask?
And your axes...?!
Thanks,
-- Max
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4437309 - 03/09/11 12:08 PM
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Now *that* is a serious "mad scientist" setup!
That mount is beautiful.
I've been thinking about an off-the-grid observatory with a permanent pier myself, and had been thinking Mathis Instruments because they are local, but that Parallax is a thing of beauty.
Regards,
Jim
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Mike Clemens
Frozen to Eyepiece
Reged: 11/26/05
Loc: Alaska, USA
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: jrbarnett]
#4438994 - 03/10/11 01:56 AM
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11" f12 GOTO refractor... that's obscene! I look forward to your pointing results. I imagine such a setup would benefit from a pointing model. I wonder what errors meridian flip will introduce on such a massive OTA.
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Mike Clemens]
#4440649 - 03/10/11 06:02 PM
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Thanks Jim and excellent questions that have been on my mind Mike.
I fully suspect there is some flex and non-orthogonality in my scope, almost certainly some from the rotating rings alone. I guess I'll see about the pointing accuracy. If anything, I can use the "Tour" mode since everything will be visual but I would like fairly accurate go-to's without having to fiddle around.
I'm prepared, if necessary, to go to third party pointing and modeling software. Any suggestions?
Jeff
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clintwhitman
Caveman
Reged: 01/01/07
Loc: CALI SoEasyACavemanCanSlewIt
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4441710 - 03/11/11 05:53 AM
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Awesome Jeff so is the series II for sale?? 
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: clintwhitman]
#4441853 - 03/11/11 09:02 AM
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Awesome Jeff so is the series II for sale??
Not yet Clint. I'm keeping it in "reserve" until I complete my evaluation of the Parallax mount.
So, have you hoisted your Series II up on to your new pier yet?
Jeff
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frolinmod
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/06/10
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4442243 - 03/11/11 12:24 PM
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I'm prepared, if necessary, to go to third party pointing and modeling software. Any suggestions?
I'd recommend TheSkyX Professional Edition for Mac or Windows plus T-point Add On to TheSkyX. Use the new supermodel feature. It's fantastic.
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Mike Clemens
Frozen to Eyepiece
Reged: 11/26/05
Loc: Alaska, USA
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: frolinmod]
#4442954 - 03/11/11 07:00 PM
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> Any suggestions?
It's an AP goto system right? it will use Ray Gralaks AP ASCOM driver and the upcoming APCC software. If so, a pointing model is being built into that.
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dothead
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/13/08
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Jeff B]
#4443324 - 03/11/11 10:12 PM
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Hey Jeff,
re flexture - what's the wall thickness of the (aluminium?) tube ?
Ralph
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Awesomelenny
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/02/04
Loc: Long: 81.42 W Lat: 41.21 N
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: dothead]
#4443578 - 03/12/11 12:43 AM
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OHHHH MY GOD!!!!! That looks so much like a GRAND UNITRON!!!
DO I LOVE that setup you have! WOW WOW WOW!!!
I really am looking forward to your report on the performance and tracking accuracy of this mount/telescope combination.
(aveman...sorry but this one looks much NICER than your pearlescent 9 inch Unipons!
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Jeff B
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/30/06
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Re: Parallax 250 HD Installed and Working!
[Re: Mike Clemens]
#4450287 - 03/14/11 10:03 PM
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Quote:
> Any suggestions?
It's an AP goto system right? it will use Ray Gralaks AP ASCOM driver and the upcoming APCC software. If so, a pointing model is being built into that.
Well I actually had some good weather in the daylight to spend some time getting used to the operating system. Kept screwing it up for a while but I eventually got a good sync on the moon and did some manual slewing around at 600X to check balance and the adjusted worm-to-gear tweak to reduce backlash. I then go-to'd back to the Moon and it went right back to where I started. So I'm encouraged so far but I need to do a 2 star drift alignment when the weather permits. 
The mount is at least as stable as the Byers Series II. As RA is always drive there is very rapid damping on that axis, ~ one highly damped back-forth cycle after a nudge. Damping in the DEC depends highly on the balance on that axis. Since the worm is not constantly driven, if it's out of balance by much, it will still "bounce" a bit after a tap due to the residual backlash, which is now very small, but you still need some for proper running clearance. If the tube is well balance though, things dampen very quickly as there is no bounce. It's all no worse than the Byers Series II and in some orientations, better, plus it has go-to, something the Byers does and cannot have with the tangent arm DEC.
BTW, talked to AP today and their hoping to get the new chip out which contains the modeling in 2-3 months. But I know how things work in Beta testing so go-figure go-to in 3-4 months.
Jeff
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