150 replies to this topic

[Geo31]

How about heavy duty needle bearings like Criterion used on their deluxe mounts?

A Torrington bearing is basically a trust bearing with needle bearings in it.

 

[clamchip]

I'm not sure what I have in my new DS-16 mount, I see Teflon thrust washers on both axis between the

heavy big thrust surfaces, and I think Teflon bearings on the dec shaft and I've read Sealmaster  ball bearings

on the polar shaft.

My Star-Liner mount has special very precision ball bearings both shafts. These bearings have very little

room between the balls and race. I thought I'd just replace them for the **** of it, usually ball bearings are

cheap, but at over $100 a piece I decided to clean and reuse them!

The Star-Liner mounting is superb in every way. Someday I'll finish the scope.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 27 October 2018 - 08:39 PM.

[CHASLX200]

I'm not sure what I have in my new DS-16 mount, I see Teflon thrust washers on both axis between the

heavy big thrust surfaces, and I think Teflon bearings on the dec shaft and I've read Sealmaster  ball bearings

on the polar shaft.

My Star-Liner mount has special very precision ball bearings both shafts. These bearings have very little

room between the balls and race. I thought I'd just replace them for the **** of it, usually ball bearings are

cheap, but at over $100 a piece I decided to clean and reuse them!

The Star-Liner mounting is superb in every way. Someday I'll finish the scope.

Robert

 

post-50896-0-24310400-1506894314_thumb.jpg

post-50896-0-54442200-1506894330_thumb.jpg

That is odd. My 2" Starliner had ream bores in the RA axis.  I should say DEC axis. It did have bearings in the RA.

Edited by CHASLX200, 28 October 2018 - 05:03 PM.

[starman876]

I have fond memories of my DS16.   Once it tried to kill me when the wheels got stuck and it started to tip over on me.  I know, I have said this before  It was a light bucket that was great for deep space.  Was an amazing star sweeper.    Just did not like needing a ladder to use it.

[rolo]

You may to consider roller needle bearings. You may not need to remove so much meat to insert them. Also, the  Meade mount has a weak point and its down where the dec lock knob it. I've seen a few break off from over tightening the knob.

 

Here's a pic of the Criterion deluxe mount needle rollers.

 

I had Parallax/Zambuto 14.5" f/5 on mine my Meade DS16 mount...

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[starman876]

You may to consider roller needle bearings. You may not need to remove so much meat to insert them. Also, the  Meade mount has a weak point and its down where the dec lock knob it. I've seen a few break off from over tightening the knob.

 

Here's a pic of the Criterion deluxe mount needle rollers.

 

I had Parallax/Zambuto 14.5" f/5 on mine my Meade DS16 mount...

You have had the greatest scopes. congratulations. 

[rolo]

I've been blessed

[PaulEK]

Can anyone tell me the difference(s) between the Meade DS mount and the Meade Research Grade? I have an RG, and it looks very much like the DS mounts I see pictured in this thread, other than that mine is more shiny. Of course, I don't know if there's a difference in size. Is the DS bigger?

 

(This thread, by the way, has been fascinating.)

[tim53]

The DS mount is the same size as the RG, but with a really short pier.

[CHASLX200]

Can anyone tell me the difference(s) between the Meade DS mount and the Meade Research Grade? I have an RG, and it looks very much like the DS mounts I see pictured in this thread, other than that mine is more shiny. Of course, I don't know if there's a difference in size. Is the DS bigger?

 

(This thread, by the way, has been fascinating.)

Color is diff and shorter pier dear.

[PaulEK]

Thanks. I knew the 8-inch f/8 I have on mine was nowhere near its limit, since it's using only one counterweight, and that's way up as high on the shaft as it can get, but wow, it can hold far more than I thought. The 16-inch is a monster!

[photoracer18]

Back in the 2015 posting there is a guy with a pictured DS-16 that has what he described as a homemade rotating rings with a wooden cradle. That was actually a commercial product. Custom wooden rings and mounting plate and 2 straps that bolt onto the tube with little Teflon wheels on them. Does actually work although I don't know the name of the maker. I have a complete set up of those, painted black by the previous owner, if anyone has an interest in them (see posts #2 and #5). Somebody traded that in to Gary one time and he "stuck" me with it. Since I acquired the DS-16 custom from the late Dr. Greene in about 2012 with its 6" F15 and later a Meade 16" Dob from the widow of a local astronomer I considered putting them together. However the original OTA tube was out of round so I tripped out the optics and sold off the good parts. Later I acquired a never used NightSky 16 kit so the DS-16 mounting was no longer going to get done. Except maybe to mount the Cave 12.5" Cass/Newt after restoring the tube and optics as the Cave mount needs even more work.

[Gil V]

I've been blessed

I’m blessed to have made your acquaintance.

[rolo]

I’m blessed to have made your acquaintance.

Likewise

[clamchip]

I'm looking forward to assembling the DS-16 and taking it for a test spin.

I think that day will come soon, I'm trying to coordinate with my schedule, my wife's schedule, and

the weather.

 

Robert

[Tom Masterson]

Saw the new DS-16 at RTMC in 1981. They weren't for sale right at that time but I ordered one as soon as they became available. Mine had a very good mirror. Best view of Jupiter I've ever had was through that scope. One of the first things I did was to move the metal brackets that held the primary a couple inches back and replaced the focuser with a 2" Sky Micro Giant. I didn't order the drive for it, but did order the Dec tangent arm. A couple years later I purchased a 9" Mathis drive for it. The thing was an absolute beast to pack around and set-up. Over 300lbs as I recall. Eventually used the primary to build a truss Dob.

 

Earlier in this thread there was a comment about the coating looking odd, with a straw/tea colored area and blue area. Mine had the same thing and many years later I talked to someone who did large mirrors and coatings and he said it was from the mirror being coated in a chamber that was probably barely large enough to take the mirror so the overcoat thickness varied from the center to the edge and this made an interference effect causing the different colors. Meade didn't make them with enhanced coatings because the whole scope was designed to cost under $1000 so everything was very basic. The original mounts came with nylon bearings. Later there was an option to have real bearing upgrade. I paid $999 for mine.

 

Somewhere here at home I have a photo of the scope tube mounted on the roof rack of my 1974 Chevy Vega wagon. If I find the photo I'll post it. Took the optics out to transport it and I'll tell you, the looks I got traveling down the freeway to a dark sky sight were priceless. I wanted to make a nose cone and tail fins for it but never did. Since the space shuttle was brand new back then, when people asked what it was I said it was my solid rocket booster, and you don't want to be behind me when I light it off. ;^) 

[clamchip]

Tom, that's interesting about the overcoat being uneven, that certainly does look like what is

going on with mine. It looks awful, but it sounds like it will be okay. 

It sure would be fun to see those photos if you can find them!

I know mine's going to have a great mirror because it hasn't stopped raining since I bought it 

2 weeks ago.

I've had plenty of time to just go out in the shop and look at the pieces and parts, I can't do

anything to it out there there isn't room. I need a good day to assemble outside.

I've abandon the idea of putting the DS-16 OTA on my Star-Liner mount it's too tall. I knew it

was going to be too tall but my Idea was to rotate the tube 180 deg when rolling it in and out

of my shop doorway. The problem with that idea is it puts the primary upside down and bearing

it's full weight on the 6 mirror clips, I don't want the first surface touching the clips even with the

cork between.

I decided the way to do this is put the tube on the DS-16 mount and drop the latitude to roll

through the doorway, then raise it back to 47 deg, I'll try that.

I'm not excited about loosening the latitude bolts with a fully assembled scope, but properly

balanced it should go smoothly.

 

Robert

Edited by clamchip, 02 November 2018 - 08:10 PM.

[apfever]

Tom's comment on Jupiter is interesting.  The best views I've had of Saturn happen to be through my DS-16 mirror, mounted in a truss dob. 

[CHASLX200]

Them mirrors were hit and miss. I think more were better in the early years of Meade.

[starman876]

The DS16 had to be the largest scope I have owned.  I will always miss that scope.  Great star sweeper. 

[Bill Griffith]

I have never added a center spot to any of my mirrors.  Once or twice, the coater did, and some of the meade's I've owned had them.  I've never found them all that useful.

 

-Tim.

I wish I had that skill set! 

Spiral notebook doughnut thingies to reference center of a primary gives me a reference and saves a huge amount of time.

With a coaxial aligned laser I check a Newtonian before every use. Most of the time on all of the Newts in the herd the secondary can use a little tweaking and the bulls eye on the primary is the only way I would have detected the slight movement off center.

  I then check the primary which seems to never need adjusting with a Cheshire and your done.

I purposely have not done a pre flight and after few times of setup & takedowns at high powers on lunar and planets I notice the difference in performance.

 

Takes the guess work out of the equation.

 

"Badges we don't need no stinking badges"!

 

That doesn't apply to the Newtonians in the herd at this ranch.  

 

Bill   

Edited by Bill Griffith, 03 November 2018 - 11:46 AM.

[CHASLX200]

You gotta spot the main mirror in my book.

[precaud]

The best views I've had of Saturn happen to be through my DS-16 mirror, mounted in a truss dob. 

 

Same here. It was after Mike Spooner had refigured the mirror. Before that, it was a 1/2-wave light bucket with the ugliest DPAC you've ever seen. One night just before teardown, I muscled it toward Jupiter for one last look before calling it a night. Tweaked the collimation, had a Paracorr and N7T1 in the focuser, and WoW! Only 300X but the realism, colors, and detail were breathtaking.

[KentTolley]

It definitely scares me.

I would think it nearly impossible to get the bolts in the saddle holes and the wing nuts on.

The guy I bought it from would do it himself by placing a dog leash around the tube to give

himself a hand hold, and placing the other hand on the bottom edge of the tube. Install the

mirror after the tube is attached to the saddle.

I'm too chicken to do it, and I'm thinking of doing what I've seen amateurs do with C-14's.

You place the OTA on something, a small table etc., vertical or horizontal, and then you

bring the mount saddle up to the telescope tube and 'dock' with it. Seems like a good idea.

 

Robert

I learned from Chuck Hards to use 3 saw horses.   One under the mirror end of the tube; one under the ep end and the third one under the CW and Dec axis.  I'll set it up and take a picture.

 

You can mount and dismount the tube without having to lift it.  

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Edited by KentTolley, 04 November 2018 - 09:07 AM.

[apfever]

Dock it without the counterweights, then install them. 

Docking has always been the easiest thing to set up for over bulky OTAs. I'm surprised about the amount of discussion that is still griped about on mounting a two man OTA with one man or woman, or robot, or....

A custom approach with an OTA stand is easy to do, like the mentioned Chuck saw horse thing.  A stand to hold the OTA can be quite simple and light, and then double as something else in your observing session like a table maybe. Easy to adapt and compound the use.  The insane weight and size of the DS-16 is still going to be EASY to lay over on a well considered stand, with the mirror left in, one end at a time.  In the case of the DS-16, maybe even EASIER since the mount in fairly low.  You could probably prop the OTA up to mount on just ONE end by doing a 180 flip of the RA to upside down. The mount is notoriously squat. Leave the mirror end on the ground, pick the light end up to where it engages the saddle, and just block up the light end with your easy peasy thought out holder. I'm thinking a 2X4 or crowbar or tire iron.....since the OTA might 'nest' in the saddle for stability.  Counter weights are off (big YAY), and the shaft is now up in your face for easy standing slide on down to the mount with no need to hold and clamp. 

 

Just a mind thought. YMMV. I don't have mine any more so I'm not positive on the specifics. The worst would be moving that mount around and the weights. I remember I had three weights and I finally got tired of carrying the two lightest ones at the same time.  Maybe pick up the light end of the OTA and roll it around into position over a leg.