Return to the Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews home pageAstronomics discounts for Cloudy Nights members
· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User
You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> Mounts
Previous thread Previous   Index   Next thread Next   Threaded Mode Threaded  

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | (show all)
gmussman
super member
*****

Reged: 09/21/12

Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: gmussman]
      #5571197 - 12/14/12 05:24 PM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Forgot the link: http://orlygoingthirty.blogspot.com/2010/06/telescope-mount-hacking.html

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
ohioalfa64
member


Reged: 08/16/12

Loc: Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: gmussman]
      #5573101 - 12/15/12 08:02 PM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

All I need now is someone smart enough to follow that microprocessor replacement detailed above.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
gmussman
super member
*****

Reged: 09/21/12

Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: ohioalfa64]
      #5573727 - 12/16/12 08:23 AM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Ha! It's not that bad -- just take it apart and swap the crystal (the skinny silver thing). I'm not great at soldering, so I got a TV repair guy to do it for 5 bucks. Took him maybe 5 minutes.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
gmussman
super member
*****

Reged: 09/21/12

Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: gmussman]
      #5573733 - 12/16/12 08:30 AM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

You can PM me if you want to talk it through.

-Grant

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
orlyandico
Carpal Tunnel
*****

Reged: 08/10/09

Loc: Singapore
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: gmussman]
      #5573766 - 12/16/12 09:07 AM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

took me longer to take the pictures and make the web page

although finding the exact right crystal was pretty hard..

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
gmussman
super member
*****

Reged: 09/21/12

Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: orlyandico]
      #5574054 - 12/16/12 12:00 PM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Hi, Orlyandico!

Thanks for putting up that web page -- great results with my Polaris! Great pictures, too. A great guide, for sure.

Edited to add: the 4mhz was much easier to find! A shop down the street had one in stock.

Edited by gmussman (12/16/12 12:02 PM)

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
SteveG
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 09/27/06

Loc: Seattle, WA
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: gmussman]
      #5575796 - 12/17/12 02:21 PM Attachment (20 downloads)
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

A $30 Celestron drive (93511) will bolt on and run the Polaris just fine. Due to the length of the RA slow-motion shaft, I had to mount the motor on the other side of the mount (why it looks upside-down). I simply drilled and tapped a thread right into the side of the housing. The down-side is there's no clutch, so I just loosen the RA axis and move it manually to adjust. This drive has a speed control, and as the 9V battery gets weak, you can adjust it to track properly.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
SteveG
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 09/27/06

Loc: Seattle, WA
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: SteveG]
      #5575798 - 12/17/12 02:23 PM Attachment (18 downloads)
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Here - showing the mounting:

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
SteveG
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 09/27/06

Loc: Seattle, WA
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: SteveG]
      #5575800 - 12/17/12 02:23 PM Attachment (18 downloads)
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Another view:

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
ohioalfa64
member


Reged: 08/16/12

Loc: Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: SteveG]
      #5575883 - 12/17/12 03:21 PM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Very nice, and very simple--even better.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
gmussman
super member
*****

Reged: 09/21/12

Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: ohioalfa64]
      #5578038 - 12/18/12 10:30 PM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Aw, come on! You just bolt it on and it works? No chance of ruining everything with a shaky hand while doing delicate work in the five free minutes before the kids wake up? No worry your math was wrong? You don't have to take it apart or learn a circuit diagram or do soldering or NOTHIN'? And its CHEAP?

I don't get it.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
SteveG
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 09/27/06

Loc: Seattle, WA
Re: Vixen Polaris load capacity new [Re: gmussman]
      #5579090 - 12/19/12 02:54 PM
Edit post Edit   Reply to this post Reply   Reply to this post Quote Quick Reply: Quick Reply  

Quote:

Aw, come on! You just bolt it on and it works? No chance of ruining everything with a shaky hand while doing delicate work in the five free minutes before the kids wake up? No worry your math was wrong? You don't have to take it apart or learn a circuit diagram or do soldering or NOTHIN'? And its CHEAP?

I don't get it.



You get five minutes? Lucky you!
No worries - my math is always wrong!
Unfortunately you do have to take it apart - to install the 9v battery :-)

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | (show all)

Previous thread Previous   Index   Next thread Next   Threaded Mode Threaded  

Extra information
26 registered and 43 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator:  Bowmoreman, bilgebay, iceblaze 

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled


Thread views: 5608

Jump to

CN Forums Home


Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics