BobW
sage
Reged: 12/29/06
Posts: 266
Loc: Mebane,North Carolina
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Well I built my push-to today. Had the degree circle laminated. cut a notch in the top board and attached a piece of metal banding so the magnet with a pointer would have adjustment. Put it all back together and guess what? I cut the top base board on the wrong side. I can't believe I could be so stupid:( I will have to recut on the other side and redo the whole thing.
So I will have 2 view windows. You guys can't know how bad I feel. But tomorrows another day and all will be well 
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North Carolina
Z10 Dob
Oberwerk 20x80 Deluxe II
Universal Astronomics Unimount Light
Garrett Gemini 10x50 LW Binocular
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40107
Loc: montana
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BobW: Sorry 
But you know, as "crafty" as we Astronomers are, I'll bet you will come up with a use for the other notch! 
Carol
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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rboe
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 45248
Loc: Phx, AZ
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If I had a nickel for all the mis-cuts I did I could start my own lumberyard.
Or firewood lot.
Just tell everyone your scope was built to be used in the Northern AND Southern hemispheres if they ask about the second notch. Experience does not really let us make fewer mistakes, just better excuses. 
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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Tom Andrews
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/25/07
Posts: 1003
Loc: Homebase - Albuquerque, NM, cu...
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Quote:
Experience does not really let us make fewer mistakes, just better excuses.
Good one!
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Tom
The Secret To Life:
Focus on what you have, not on what you don't;
Focus on what you can do, not on what you can't.
************************************************
2007 Discovery 12.5" PDHQ Split-Tube Dob w/manual setting circles/Telrad/Zhummel 8x50 RACI finder scope (*For Sale*)
Coulter Odessey 8" Dob
Celestron C11-SGT
Garrett Optical 15x70 Gemini Binoculars on homemade Parallelogram w/Setting Circles
The Albuquerque Astronomy Society (TAAS)
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BobW
sage
Reged: 12/29/06
Posts: 266
Loc: Mebane,North Carolina
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Thanks Guys. One good thing is the bottom base is just a round board. It can be replaced with no problem. One of the great things about owning a Dob. 
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North Carolina
Z10 Dob
Oberwerk 20x80 Deluxe II
Universal Astronomics Unimount Light
Garrett Gemini 10x50 LW Binocular
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Gigatron
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/10/05
Posts: 650
Loc: Staten Island, N.Y.
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Find a way to turn it into a cup holder. Nothing makes observing more enjoyable than your favorite beverage within arms reach.
-Fred
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Meade ETX-90 UHTC, AutoStar 497,
Right angle viewfinder
Deluxe field tripod
Zhumell 10" dob
Telrad finder
GSO 8x50 RACI finder
Too many special modifications to list
2" 32mm GSO,
9mm GSO,
26mm,15mm,12.4mm,6mm Meade SP,
5mm,7mm,9mm Burgess/TMB planetary
Meade 2X Barlow
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BobW
sage
Reged: 12/29/06
Posts: 266
Loc: Mebane,North Carolina
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Quote:
Find a way to turn it into a cup holder. Nothing makes observing more enjoyable than your favorite beverage within arms reach.
-Fred
Lol..well the ep holder can be used..tiny little cups 
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North Carolina
Z10 Dob
Oberwerk 20x80 Deluxe II
Universal Astronomics Unimount Light
Garrett Gemini 10x50 LW Binocular
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coopman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/23/06
Posts: 1544
Loc: South Louisiana
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Can someone give me a list of parts and/or a schematic that shows what I need to do to add battery powered LED lights to my alt. & az. gauges? I'm a buffoon when it comes to wiring & electronics related stuff. Thanks.
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Regards,
Clay
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalms 19:1
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Tom Andrews
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/25/07
Posts: 1003
Loc: Homebase - Albuquerque, NM, cu...
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Clay,
Here's what I found at CompUSA. I'm sure they can be found almost anywhere, my wife just happened to spot them near the check out.
These are light as a feather, have 2 LED's, can flex in any direction and use 2 button batteries which are replacable. I used a red permanent marker to color the lens. They have a plastic clip-on base which spreads fairly wide for attaching almost anywhere.
Just another resource to consider...
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Tom
The Secret To Life:
Focus on what you have, not on what you don't;
Focus on what you can do, not on what you can't.
************************************************
2007 Discovery 12.5" PDHQ Split-Tube Dob w/manual setting circles/Telrad/Zhummel 8x50 RACI finder scope (*For Sale*)
Coulter Odessey 8" Dob
Celestron C11-SGT
Garrett Optical 15x70 Gemini Binoculars on homemade Parallelogram w/Setting Circles
The Albuquerque Astronomy Society (TAAS)
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Philip Levine
super member
Reged: 03/22/07
Posts: 156
Loc: near Boston, MA
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Hi Clay,
See my photo on page 15 of this thread, I attached a Cyclopes battery operated light (3 red LEDs) via double stick foam tape. I purchased the Cyclopes for about $12 at Cabelas.com
Phil
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_________________________________________________
Zhumell 10" Dob (modified with degree circle and Wixey inclinometer)
26mm 2" GSO eyepiece
9mm 1.25" GSO eyepiece
13mm Nagler T6
GSO ED Barlow
RACI 8x50 finderscope
Crayford focuser
DewBuster w/homemade heater strips
Nikon 10x50 EX binoculars
University Optics 11x80 binoculars
Surveyor Tripod w Universal Astronomics Parallelogram
member International Dark-Sky Association
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BobW
sage
Reged: 12/29/06
Posts: 266
Loc: Mebane,North Carolina
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Update on my push-to. First I'd like to say thank you to everyone in this tread for all the wonderful ideas. Tonight I got to try it out. I leveled the scope, when the north star came out I lined up with it( sited it between tree branches).
Got my little table and set up the laptop on it with hnsky and went to town. I saw more objects in 2 hours then since I had my scope. Clusters and more clusters..lol I spent over 2 hours alone in and around the teapot. I couldn't believe how easy it was. The seeing was good but the skys were hazy and I'm not in the darkest area, so alot of the m ojects were just fuzzy patches but I saw them all.
I got a good shot east-south-and south west, but trees block the north. So tomorrow night I will set up on the north side on the trees and go at it again.
I did find one problem with my scope. I shakes for a long time when touching or moving. I think its the 2 " magic sliders I got on the base. I might go to smaller ones or back to teflon. I packed it up when the lapto battery started to get low. Almost 3 hours of viewing. I cant wait for fall and winter or aleast a non-hazy summer night.
Again thank you all:)
Bob
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North Carolina
Z10 Dob
Oberwerk 20x80 Deluxe II
Universal Astronomics Unimount Light
Garrett Gemini 10x50 LW Binocular
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40107
Loc: montana
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Bob: Thanks for posting your success story with the Degree Circles! I hope this will encourage yet more, to take a few minutes to put this "system" on their dobs.
Carol
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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HockeyRulesX4
member
Reged: 01/16/06
Posts: 72
Loc: Batavia, IL
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Glad to hear it worked so well for you, Bob.
Keep in mind that you don't have to align on Polaris. You can align the scope on any known object. Lately, I've been aligning on Venus since it is so easy to find. If Stellarium or whatever program says Venus is at AZ 270, I turn my base until it reads 270 and make sure Venus is as close to the center of the FOV as possible.
If you're base is wobbling, it sounds like something is uneven with the sliders or the center bolt isn't tight enough.
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Dave
Zhumell Z10 Dob
Meade 70mm Refractor
Peck Farm Park, Geneva, IL
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BobW
sage
Reged: 12/29/06
Posts: 266
Loc: Mebane,North Carolina
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Dave
Could be the center bolt needs to be a little tighter, but I have noticed that the 2" sliders are like little pillows.
Bob
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North Carolina
Z10 Dob
Oberwerk 20x80 Deluxe II
Universal Astronomics Unimount Light
Garrett Gemini 10x50 LW Binocular
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Tom Andrews
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/25/07
Posts: 1003
Loc: Homebase - Albuquerque, NM, cu...
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Bob,
Congratulations on your success. It's so amazing how easy it is to find objects. I've been keeping a log so I can know when I find all the Messier and Caldwell objects.
The center bolt on my 8" had reamed out the ground plate wood somewhat over the years (it's a vintage 1988 model). I used that expanding foam insulation stuff around the bolt and it's rock solid.
I used the same Magic Sliders as you and it's working great. However, I used 4 because 3 was wobbling. I've never had such smooth movement with that scope since I bought it used in 1995.
I also replaced the teflon alt bearings with the tiny Magic Sliders and the movement there is better than ever also.
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justabob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/05/07
Posts: 1672
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Got a new etx90 pe, had both the z10 with the home brew push-to and the meade with autostar side by side. The push to was overall by far more accurate.
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http://www.pbase.com/rkn/astro&page=all
Vixen Sphinx SXW
Meade sn6
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Hutech 1000d
Self modded 350d
ST8300c on order
DSI PRO II
Bob
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40107
Loc: montana
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Wow! That's a great endorsement! Thanks.
Carol
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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justabob
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/05/07
Posts: 1672
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You are most welcome Carol. I think the auto star is quite a capable goto system. However it requires a much more involved initial set up. With the push-to, I just level the base, find polaris and turn on the wixey and spin her around!
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http://www.pbase.com/rkn/astro&page=all
Vixen Sphinx SXW
Meade sn6
Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Hutech 1000d
Self modded 350d
ST8300c on order
DSI PRO II
Bob
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40107
Loc: montana
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 Simplicity rules!
Carol
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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astrasouth
member
Reged: 07/11/07
Posts: 17
Loc: NC
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Hi,
I'm new to this forum and to this project, but not to astronomy.
I would like to clarify a few things as I work on this project:
First I'm not intending to put the circle between the base and rocker box-- either on top or along the side of the base with a strip...
1) Digital compasses are not accurate and a manual circle is the way to go. Am I correct?
2) A manual circle. If the circle moves with the scope and the pointer is stationary, am I correct to say that the numbers should be counter-clockwise?
3) If the circle is stationary and the pointer moves then am I correct to say that the circle numbers should be clock-wise?
***
I'm clarifying with points #2 and #3 because I have 2 scopes where I'm modifying two different ways. My first scope has a huge rocker box (15" mirror) so the circle will be a strip along the base. It will remain stationary as the pointer moves across (assume numbers should be clockwise).
My other scope is an Orion XT and I'm putting a circle on the top of the base so it will move along with the motion of the scope and the pointer will remain stationary (the pointer will be movable for calibration only for fine-tuning).
Any help will be great. I'm getting mine made with Oregon Rule Co. They have a very helpful engineer to help design the circle there.
http://www.oregonruleco.com/dials.htm
Thanks!
Mark
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15" Discovery Truss Dobsonian (f/5)
6" Orion Skyquest XT (f/8)
8" Meade LX6 SCT (f/6)
****
Chapel Hill Astronomical & Observation Society
Raleigh Astronomy Club
Edited by astrasouth (07/11/07 11:05 AM)
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