10058 replies to this topic

[deSitter]

Made this bar for my Vixen Custom - allows use of standard rings.

 

-drl

Head

 

-drl

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[clamchip]

Today I draw filed the track on my Odyssey focuser.

I noticed it would slip occasionally and tightening the adjustment screws was no longer helping.

I inspected the track and noticed micro grooves, and these are where the focuser shaft would

hang up and slip, and I think over tightening the adjusters aggravates the problem.

I was reluctant to remove any metal but I was faced with no choice, do it or continue fighting it.

Focusing is critical on this scope with it's super fast f/4.5 focal ratio. I almost wish it had a two

speed but this unknown Crayford works really well, extremely well now.

Draw filing is you grasp both ends of the file and pull or push the file sideways perpendicular to

your work. A single cut file is preferred and it leaves a very smooth flat surface. I wanted the

track flat, very flat, and no sandpaper which can embed grit in the soft aluminum.

Robert 

 

Edited by clamchip, 20 October 2024 - 05:37 PM.

[clamchip]

My Odyssey 10 reminds me of a moonshine runner's jalopy.

Looks like a moonshine runner don't it.

Stock '40 Ford on the outside so's not to attract attention to it, and practically a race car on the inside.

 

 

Edited by clamchip, 20 October 2024 - 06:31 PM.

[deSitter]

My Odyssey 10 reminds me of a moonshine runner's jalopy.

Looks like a moonshine runner don't it.

Stock '40 Ford on the outside so's not to attract attention to it, and practically a race car on the inside.

 

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"Not tonight boy - it's Odyssey time!"

 

-drl

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[deSitter]

Today I draw filed the track on my Odyssey focuser.

I noticed it would slip occasionally and tightening the adjustment screws was no longer helping.

I inspected the track and noticed micro grooves, and these are where the focuser shaft would

hang up and slip, and I think over tightening the adjusters aggravates the problem.

I was reluctant to remove any metal but I was faced with no choice, do it or continue fighting it.

Focusing is critical on this scope with it's super fast f/4.5 focal ratio. I almost wish it had a two

speed but this unknown Crayford works really well, extremely well now.

Draw filing is you grasp both ends of the file and pull or push the file sideways perpendicular to

your work. A single cut file is preferred and it leaves a very smooth flat surface. I wanted the

track flat, very flat, and no sandpaper which can embed grit in the soft aluminum.

Robert 

 

IMG_2777.JPG

Is there a rubber roller for contact with the track? Actually a vinyl one might be better. Say, a length of coax insulation. Could even try heat-shrink solder joint covering.

 

-drl

[clamchip]

Is there a rubber roller for contact with the track? Actually a vinyl one might be better. Say, a length of coax insulation. Could even try heat-shrink solder joint covering.

 

-drl

It's metal on metal, and it works great now that the track is smooth. if it gives me anymore trouble I'll 

make it a steel track.

 

Robert

[John Huntley]

I've been busy adapting my 1985 Fullerscopes MkIII equatorial head to fit onto my Berlebach Uni 28 tripod. It will ultimately carry my brass 3 inch F/16 BC&F / Elliott refractor. I'll post pics when the whole setup is assembled, meanwhile the mount / tripod are looking quite business like:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[norvegicus]

Boxed it up and sent it to CO.  (FS-128, sold it to fund my next project).  Bittersweet.

[clamchip]

Recently I've been seeing the effects of winter in the eyepiece of my 6 inch Mak.

I'm surprised I made it this far. I'm sure I got an extra month out of it because it has a ceramic primary

and 10th wave optics, but I can now see it struggling after bring it outside from my cool shop to a chilly

outdoors.

I think what's happening is rapid cooling is causing air movement inside the tube. The top inside of the

sealed tube is shedding it's heat faster and creating the air inside the tube to be in motion.

I thought I would try slowing down this process and making it less violent with Reflectix insulation. It now

looks like a macho burrito, if it works I don't care what it looks like.

I'm not sure what to do about the meniscus, I will let the felt lined plastic dew shield help at that end.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 23 October 2024 - 12:16 PM.

[Cavs56]

I was having the same issues with my Meade 2080. I did the same fix as you. It worked, views were much more stable.

[norvegicus]

I did it with my C9.25 last winter, extending the Reflectix a bit over the dew shield.  Worked great, instant decent views.

[jragsdale]

I just finished building a peltier-powered SCT cooler for use with my closed tube scopes to help keep them cool. I've been using the other fan models to try to cool down my C14 and it would only get it within a few degrees above ambient, as my temperatures here drop fast in our desert climate. So still not ideal for critical planetary viewing.

 

I decided to pump below ambient temp air into the tube to cool down the mirror faster. This peltier unit draws about 5A at 12V and has a 100mm fan and heatsink on the backside blowing the warm air away from the scope, and it has a 40mm fan and heatsink on the cold side, blowing cold air into a channel that goes into the tube about half way between the baffle tube and the secondary with nozzles to direct the airflow towards the primary.

 

The Peltier + fans was off the shelf at Amazon. ¾" aluminum pipe from Ace and the rest was designed and 3D printed here at home. 

 

So far it works well, but I need to add a stronger cold side fan to push more air as the air filter I installed is choking it a bit. But it's still getting cold air into the tube quite effectively.

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Edited by jragsdale, 24 October 2024 - 07:59 AM.

[clamchip]

My Mak is ready to go with it's new Reflectix insulation.

It'll probably light the place up like a disco studio if I'm not careful with the lights.

Robert 

 

Edited by clamchip, 26 October 2024 - 07:10 PM.

[Roger Belveal]

My old Universal Astonomics tripod was in need of a paint job. So I figured I'd go Celestron orange. Now I'm trying to decide wether the mount needs to be black or just leave it white. I'm leaning for black...

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[Roger Belveal]

My old Universal Astonomics tripod was in need of a paint job. So I figured I'd go Celestron orange. Now I'm trying to decide wether the mount needs to be black or just leave it white. I'm leaning for black...

Decided to do the mount as well! I like it!

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[deSitter]

Decided to do the mount as well! I like it!

Sure! That's a complete scope. Trick or treat! Awesome!

 

-drl

[clamchip]

During a brief intermission from my clam chipped telescope junk yard I took on a Russian center focus 8 x 40 binocular

I bought at a swap meet for 8 dollars some time ago. Can you believe it $8, the asking price. I have a feeling it's

because this binocular is a bit crude looking and could be mistaken for a cheap one. Don't let that fool you, buy it.

Cleaning and a stiff focuser, good as new, built like a vintage American Standard 5 gallon flush toilet.

I just wanted to mention this because it is superb, just like the Russian telescopes I've enjoyed very much.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 29 October 2024 - 11:05 AM.

[MGAR]

Not mine anymore but Clamchip now has two pumpkins...

 

[CCD-Freak]

Clamchip made me do it !!!!  (^8

 

 

 

[Terra Nova]

Happy Halloween to all of you from Falls City!

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[scout]

I disassembled my Meade ETX-60 to get to the tarnished diagonal flip mirror that needs replacement. It's crazy how the entire assembly has to be taken apart just to reach the mirror. I might as well clean off the gobs of thick slime from the gears and re-grease them while I have it open.

 

It was actually kind of fun figuring out how to take it apart without consulting a video or guide. 

 

Edited by scout, 30 October 2024 - 06:06 PM.

[clamchip]

Today I cleaned my favorite star diagonal, the first time I've done this to it I reckon.

I like this one because it's dead nuts 90, and the ports and prism are as large as possible. Also the colors

presented through it are very natural, it doesn't change colors like some of my modern multi-coated and dielectric 

star diagonals. 

I decided on disassembly vs Q-tips or other means, less risk of a scratch. Removing the prism enabled me to

clean it under a flood of tap water with cotton balls, like I like to do with optics.

You remove the prism cover and push the prism out of the body with a protected finger. The prism is

sandwiched between cardstock shims on both sides of it. You install the prism by pushing it home against

the ports and if the body is nice and square like this one is you're done.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 31 October 2024 - 12:21 AM.

[deSitter]

Today I cleaned my favorite star diagonal, the first time I've done this to it I reckon.

I like this one because it's dead nuts 90, and the ports and prism are as large as possible. Also the colors

presented through it are very natural, it doesn't change colors like some of my modern multi-coated and dielectric 

star diagonals. 

I decided on disassembly vs Q-tips or other means, less risk of a scratch. Removing the prism enabled me to

clean it under a flood of tap water with cotton balls, like I like to do with optics.

You remove the prism cover and push the prism out of the body with a protected finger. The prism is

sandwiched between cardstock shims on both sides of it. You install the prism by pushing it home against

the ports and if the body is nice and square like this one is you're done.

Robert

 

post-50896-0-44628500-1621108827.jpg

R.F.A.?

 

I have a Celestron/Japan 45 deg Amici prism erector. It has a plastic body, but the plastic is the modern sort that is so hard and perfect you could machine it. In fact the screws that keep it together are machine screws. Same thing, push in the prism between the shims unit it seats and you're done. It is the sort of plastic you don't mind dealing with.

 

-drl

[clamchip]

R. F. A. is Rich Field Adapter. It came with a focal reducer I'm pretty sure.

It's a nice plastic, Bakelite. And yes machine threads as if it were made of metal.

Some even have brass inserts for the screw threads if you go back far enough.

As time went on the product was cheapened by removing the cast-in brass inserts

and the set screws to center and hold the prism in the housing.

A very good star diagonal that came with the Celestron SCT telescopes, plenty

of them out there for sale.

 

Robert

Edited by clamchip, 31 October 2024 - 10:01 AM.

[Cavs56]

I couldn’t find a 2 inch adapter for my Meade 826 so I made one. I bought a piece of 2 inch I.D. 2.5 inch O.D. Aluminum pipe. It was a little over 3 inches long. It was about .005 too small I.D. Which is better than too big. I reamed it until it was close then wet sanded until the 2 inch eyepiece and the 1.25 adapter fit. I drilled and tapped the hole for the screw that holds the eyepiece. I filed a notch for the 1.25 adapter. I have read that these came with a two inch extension. My 40mm and Galoc eyepieces I had to pull out of the factory adapter to achieve focus. I had the machine shop cut it 1.25 inches longer than the 1.25 adapter it came with. The also cut the threads. Lastly I wet sanded with 350,500, and 1000 grit sandpaper then used a polishing compound. I may eventually paint it black.

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