Mozhoven
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 884
Loc: Middletown, CT
|
|
Hello all,
I think the tag line really says it all. The easiest solution is to get some tube rings and rotate the scope. But, with all the weight of the binos, I don't feel comfortable hinging everything on 1/2" worth of threads. Then again, I don't really know.
Anybody figured out a solution? My binos are on the way as is the tripod, so I haven't tried it yet. I am following others assertion that the PST on an EQ mount can be problematic. Is this the case? 
--------------------
Jeremy Davis
Sculptor & Certified Binoviewer Addict (CBA)
Orion XT12i - 12" f/4.9 "Alfred E. Newtonian"
Wyorock Custom Crayford
Denk Standards w/Dual PxS
PST (w/the "Good" Gold Objective)
12x60 Oberwerk Binos
www.jdavisgallery.com
|
marktownley
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/19/08
Posts: 2272
Loc: West Midlands, UK
|
|
Are you going to be running the PST side by side with the bino's so they can be used for white light views?
|
Mozhoven
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 884
Loc: Middletown, CT
|
|
I'm sorry, by binos, I meant binoviewers. I will have a Denkmeier binoviewer with PST corrector and two 17mm Hyperions. The tripod is a Celestron CG-2 from their AstroMaster Series (76mm newt version).
There is a chance I'll leave the 76mm Newt mounted for white light, and then mount the PST/bino setup on that.
--------------------
Jeremy Davis
Sculptor & Certified Binoviewer Addict (CBA)
Orion XT12i - 12" f/4.9 "Alfred E. Newtonian"
Wyorock Custom Crayford
Denk Standards w/Dual PxS
PST (w/the "Good" Gold Objective)
12x60 Oberwerk Binos
www.jdavisgallery.com
|
marktownley
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/19/08
Posts: 2272
Loc: West Midlands, UK
|
|
Ahhhh, I see. I reckon tube rings are the way to go to be honest. It's how my CaK pst is mounted when on the equatorial so i can rotate the eyepiece round to comfortable viewing angles.
|
Mozhoven
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 884
Loc: Middletown, CT
|
|
You don't think that all the weight that comes with my binos (5-6 lbs) will be a problem for the threads that go into the prism housing?
I'm wondering if it were possible to make a ring (out of PVC) that is slight larger than the prism housing. Pseudo-permanently attach the ring with 4 set screws (instead of the normal 3) in front of the sun viewfinder, but before the etalon tuning ring.
Then, make another ring, but about 2" larger in diameter. Drill and thread 3 holes for normal set screws. This ring will hold in the new "round" prism body.
Finally, on the front of the tube, mount the same size ring as the last, this time with only 3 set screws (albeit much longer). I suppose I could also groove the inner ring with a channel for the set screws to travel with slippage, and perhaps even line it with teflon to reduce the friction.
What do you think? Anybody do anything like this before?
Does this sound feasible?
--------------------
Jeremy Davis
Sculptor & Certified Binoviewer Addict (CBA)
Orion XT12i - 12" f/4.9 "Alfred E. Newtonian"
Wyorock Custom Crayford
Denk Standards w/Dual PxS
PST (w/the "Good" Gold Objective)
12x60 Oberwerk Binos
www.jdavisgallery.com
|
marktownley
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/19/08
Posts: 2272
Loc: West Midlands, UK
|
|
Personally I think you'll be ok with the weight.
Another option could be to mount your pst to a ball and socket head and then mount this to the eq mount, advantage is ease of pointing at various places in the sky at comfortable angle, but I do think with all that weight and just a 1/4 20 holding the pst to the ball and socket you could get slippage.
Do you have a buddy who lives close by with tube rings you could try? Or how about popping into your local astro dealer and trying it out?
|
Mozhoven
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 884
Loc: Middletown, CT
|
|
No, I'm afraid that whatever I do will have to be fabricated or ordered. I think I'll probably set up the tripod in the most convenient orientation relative to the sun (with the scope attached firmly via the screw) and just use the slow-mo knobs to microadjust as the sun leaves the FOV. We'll go from there. I might be making more out of this than it will end up being in reality. Such is the anticipation of new equipment....
Thanks for the advice!
--------------------
Jeremy Davis
Sculptor & Certified Binoviewer Addict (CBA)
Orion XT12i - 12" f/4.9 "Alfred E. Newtonian"
Wyorock Custom Crayford
Denk Standards w/Dual PxS
PST (w/the "Good" Gold Objective)
12x60 Oberwerk Binos
www.jdavisgallery.com
|
GlennM
super member
Reged: 09/29/08
Posts: 115
Loc: Grimsby, ON, Canada
|
|
You might find it simpler and more cost effective to just pick up a sturdy yet inexpensive alt-az mount with slow-mo controls and dedicate that to your PST/Binoviewer set-up - the added benefit is that you would then have a grab 'n go scope for quick views.
I leave mine conveniently set up in a closet and just step outside the back door with it - great for those short winter sessions.
--------------------
The GEM 'N I Dobservatory
http://home.primus.ca/~gmuller/
|
Mozhoven
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 884
Loc: Middletown, CT
|
|
Actually, that is my entire goal. I've got a Celestron AstroMaster CG-2 Mount that I currently have the PST hard attached to - no rings. As I use it now, I just orient the mount to whichever direction is most convenient to the sun in regards to the eyepiece angle. It seems to work ok, but in the future I would like to set the tripod up as intended (pointed north) and figure out a way to rotate the PST as needed. I don't have my Denk binos in yet, so I don't know how well my current setup will work out.
I do love the the quick grab 'n go aspect of the PST. I leave it set up in my outdoor studio and run outside for a quick peek. Of course, once my Denks come in, I'm not sure how I will feel about leaving them attached to enable quick solar binoviewing. Perhaps I'll just pull them out if there is actually something good going on and leave a mono ep in the PST for quick checks.
I like my new mount, at least size-wise. The only problem is the center plate where the three legs attach. It is made of cheap plastic and torques very easily. It's a perfect "wobble" setup. I think I will try to make a new plate out of steel and see if that helps.
--------------------
Jeremy Davis
Sculptor & Certified Binoviewer Addict (CBA)
Orion XT12i - 12" f/4.9 "Alfred E. Newtonian"
Wyorock Custom Crayford
Denk Standards w/Dual PxS
PST (w/the "Good" Gold Objective)
12x60 Oberwerk Binos
www.jdavisgallery.com
|
Wes James
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 3460
|
|
I recently picked up an older Mizar EQ mount from a friend here locally/on C/N... it has both slo-mo cables, tripod, etc. with it. I took the rings off and am making an aluminum block to replace the ring assembly- which will have a dovetail block on it so I can use it with my 60mm Lunt if I choose... it's not too hard to find smaller eq mounts on the used market here and perhaps adapt to your needs.
|
GlennM
super member
Reged: 09/29/08
Posts: 115
Loc: Grimsby, ON, Canada
|
|
Quote:
I do love the the quick grab 'n go aspect of the PST. I leave it set up in my outdoor studio and run outside for a quick peek. Of course, once my Denks come in, I'm not sure how I will feel about leaving them attached to enable quick solar binoviewing. Perhaps I'll just pull them out if there is actually something good going on and leave a mono ep in the PST for quick checks.
Yeah, it all depends on your particular viewing habits - I find I use the bino's for solar viewing way more than night sessions so I just leave them attached to the PST in the closet with my "viewing shroud" draped over as a dust cover.
--------------------
The GEM 'N I Dobservatory
http://home.primus.ca/~gmuller/
|
BobH1357
super member
Reged: 01/15/05
Posts: 161
Loc: San Jose, CA
|
|
Better be careful about all this discussion about installing telescopes on mounts that might not be designed specifically for them exactly. This is a "family" site, and there might be children reading this who might try to mount an oversized telescope on an undersized tripod!
Telescopes are heavy metal pieces of equipment, that have the potential of causing great harm or personal injury to someone if they ever fell off the mount and hit your foot. An undersized mount could be unstable and then fall over, potentially causing injury or liability to those moderating this site.
Please, please, please don't put us all at risk of losing this site because some child somewhere is put in harm's way by misunderstanding the basics of manipulating mechanical devices. Even though thousands of children die every day from malaria and malnutrition, we can't have even ONE here in the US risk anything while learning by doing.
Just my opinion. Where's my bicycle helmet? I think the sky is falling!
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 