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arpruss
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/23/08
Posts: 858
Loc: Waco, TX
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Is there any consensus on what is the easiest equatorial platform to build, mainly for visual use (but perhaps with some short exposures like 15 seconds for stacking)?
This would be for my 13", which has a COG about 25"-30" up and weighs about 100lbs, and for a latitude around 30 degrees. (Ideally, the platform would also work with one of my smaller scopes, too, but if it doesn't, that's OK.)
There are lots of plans on the net, but I don't know which are better.
My budget would be $50-100. I have lying around some electric motors, both analog and stepper, but I don't know anything about building stepper controllers. Toolwise, I have a jigsaw, drill with guide, soldering iron, and can borrow a small router.
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Coulter Odyssey 13.1" split-tube
Coulter Odyssey 8"
Home-made 7.8" F/4 dobsonian travel scope
Home-made 68mm F/5.3 achro (typically used as finder on 13.1")
Skymaster 15x70
BPTs4 8x30
32mm Plossl, 30mm Rini, 27mm Kellner, 13mm Hyperion, 6mm TMB/BO Planetary, Owl 2X Barlow
Palm TX with AstroInfo and RescoViewer
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RedIrocZ-28
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/18/05
Posts: 1187
Loc: Grand Rapids, Michigan
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Hey buddy, me and you are in the same boat right now.  I just built my platform last weekend because I found a DC motor in the garage and said, well, I have the parts now... So....
I also found a website that has rather cheap premade controller circuits. Since I am using a Gear Reduction motor, I won't be much help, but I am sure the website will be of great help to you. http://store.qkits.com/category.cfm/STEP
The platform I built is a rather simple design. I used Warren Peters plans. They are very difficult to find though as the old original links from the 90's are dead, BUT, I found this one that still works. http://www.geocities.com/reaganjj/axialsouth.xls Its for a dual radius table, meaning that you will cut 2 chord sections of a circle, attach them to the underside of a "table top" and then build a base with wheels so the upper can rotate on the bottom.
Hope this helps.
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Ed Jones
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/06/04
Posts: 1415
Loc: Sin-sin-atti
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Here is a post that's about as simple as it gets.
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Ed Jones
Edited by Ed Jones (09/25/09 11:17 AM)
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arpruss
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/23/08
Posts: 858
Loc: Waco, TX
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Quote:
Here is a post that's about as simple as it gets.
Yeah, that's a nice one, and very simple if one can cut beveled sectors. But I don't think I'd be able to do a good job of that. Can it be avoided, for instance by tilting the SS rods?
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Coulter Odyssey 13.1" split-tube
Coulter Odyssey 8"
Home-made 7.8" F/4 dobsonian travel scope
Home-made 68mm F/5.3 achro (typically used as finder on 13.1")
Skymaster 15x70
BPTs4 8x30
32mm Plossl, 30mm Rini, 27mm Kellner, 13mm Hyperion, 6mm TMB/BO Planetary, Owl 2X Barlow
Palm TX with AstroInfo and RescoViewer
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Jim Romanski
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/05
Posts: 844
Loc: Guilford, Connecticut
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Stellafane has some great links for equatorial platforms:
http://stellafane.org/misc/links.html#Platforms
I've had my eye on the TL Systems kit:
http://pw1.netcom.com/~tlsystem/cablet4.htm
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Jim
17.5" Dob "Project"
13.1" Coulter
8” Cave
NP 101 on a CG-5
25x100 binos
Naglers, Ethos, etc.
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sixela
Postmaster
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 10874
Loc: Boechout, Belgium
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Quote:
Yeah, that's a nice one, and very simple if one can cut beveled sectors. But I don't think I'd be able to do a good job of that. Can it be avoided, for instance by tilting the SS rods?
It can, but e.g. Brian Reed changed from a setup like that (drive axis angled parallel to the polar axis) to one with a beveled bearing surface. It's easier to support the drive axis when it's close to horizontal (and to avoid loads that cause vibrations from the drive to be propagated through the system).
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400mm f/4.46 self made Dobsonian on Tom Osypowski equatorial platform
Orion Starblast (114mm f/4 reflector, Alt/Az)
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Vincent Becker
super member
Reged: 09/16/08
Posts: 198
Loc: France
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The sectors can be cut into shape with a drill on a press:
Note the vertical south sectors. The platform is made for 45° north latitude.
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Vincent Becker
10" dobsonian on EQ platform (home-made by my father)
8" string newtonian as travelscope (home-made by myself )
Orion 80ED and GSO 200/1000 on Atlas EQ-G for astro-imaging
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