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Where can one get a rasonably priced EQ platform?

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#1 Borodog

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 05:00 PM

Greetings. I've been trying to source a reasonably priced equatorial platform for my 10" Dobsonian for months now. I consider "reasonably priced" to be in the $300 range. But I haven't been able to find one. I contacted Ed Jones but he had already shut down orders/production until March. I contacted someone else who is thinking of putting together kits for sale, but after more than a month of waiting, he informed me he probably won't have anything until at least January. I found some really nice heavy duty German made ones, but they are nearly $500 shipped. I'd consider DIY but I'd have to find super detailed plans with part numbers of the motors and wheels and whatnot, and I have not found anything like that yet. All I've found is sort hand-wavy general guidelines, and unfortunately I am not a particularly handy guy when it comes to building things.

 

In short, can anyone point me to where I can get a decent EQ platform in my price range?

 

Thanks.

 

 



#2 Tapio

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 05:08 PM

10" dobsonia is so big and and heavy that you need substantial mount for it.
Only thing that comes to mind is some old used one or DIY.
You are talking about no goto and just visual?

Edited by Tapio, 08 December 2020 - 05:08 PM.

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#3 Jon Isaacs

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 05:36 PM

$500 shipped is a very reasonable price for any tracking mount capable of supporting a 10 inch Dob.

 

$300 is possible used.. put a want ad in the classifieds and include your latitude.

 

Jon


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#4 N3p

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 05:37 PM

I don't think there is one affordable, but some people have nice DIY EQ platforms. In my opinion, you need to be at least intermediate, good crafting skills to be able to design and build a EQ platform along with some CAO skill  on the computer. If you don't mind spending the time.. they it must be worth it.

 

Like you say, finding specialty parts, that's also a bummer. I designed something with easy to find parts but my 3d simulation failed... 

 

So I stick with a smaller telescope (8") and a tracking equatorial mount, for the moment. Designing a EQ made me appreciate my EQ mount a lot and in fact, immunizing me against aperture fever like the upcoming and beautiful vaccine made by great American companies! lol.gif the best vaccine in the world. 


Edited by N3p, 08 December 2020 - 05:37 PM.

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#5 TOMDEY

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 05:58 PM

You can probably build a decent one for around $300 in materials and a hundred hours in the research, design, and fabrication. That would be a fun project and also enjoy the bonus pride in the accomplishment and money saved!    Tom


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#6 Borodog

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 06:22 PM

10" dobsonia is so big and and heavy that you need substantial mount for it.
Only thing that comes to mind is some old used one or DIY.
You are talking about no goto and just visual?

The reason I want it to track is I want to use it for deep sky imaging. It certainly is big and heavy. It's an inexpensive (I think $610 brand new right now) Sky-Watcher Classic 250P. Part of my cheapness is I don't want to spend more on the mount than I spent on the scope! Which was ~$750 last year.

 

$500 shipped is a very reasonable price for any tracking mount capable of supporting a 10 inch Dob.

 

$300 is possible used.. put a want ad in the classifieds and include your latitude.

 

Jon

I will try the classifieds again. As I recall when I first joined a couple of months ago I couldn't post classifieds yet.

 

I don't think there is one affordable, but some people have nice DIY EQ platforms. In my opinion, you need to be at least intermediate, good crafting skills to be able to design and build a EQ platform along with some CAO skill  on the computer. If you don't mind spending the time.. they it must be worth it.

 

Like you say, finding specialty parts, that's also a bummer. I designed something with easy to find parts but my 3d simulation failed... 

 

So I stick with a smaller telescope (8") and a tracking equatorial mount, for the moment. Designing a EQ made me appreciate my EQ mount a lot and in fact, immunizing me against aperture fever like the upcoming and beautiful vaccine made by great American companies! lol.gif the best vaccine in the world. 

Most every time I have ever tried to DIY something it has come out ****, with the exception of building poker tables. I was pretty good at that.

 

You can probably build a decent one for around $300 in materials and a hundred hours in the research, design, and fabrication. That would be a fun project and also enjoy the bonus pride in the accomplishment and money saved!    Tom

If I could find detailed plans with part numbers I would give it a go. As it is, I have no idea how to select a motor to get the right rotation speed, for example. I also don't have a table saw that I can set the angle for my latitude. I have a circ saw that you can set the angle on, but it is not very precise.

 



#7 doolsduck

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 06:24 PM

You have to realise that eq platforms are low volume bespoke items created by craftspeople who have invested long hours in gaining experience and expertise and skills and are making them to help pay the bills and put food on the table.  I doubt that even at $500 after removing material costs that the hourly labour is much above minimum rate for an unskilled job.  This is typical of course for most craftspeople who are using their under-recognised skill level to create things in this world of cheap high-volume mass products.


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#8 Borodog

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 06:33 PM

You have to realise that eq platforms are low volume bespoke items created by craftspeople who have invested long hours in gaining experience and expertise and skills and are making them to help pay the bills and put food on the table.  I doubt that even at $500 after removing material costs that the hourly labour is much above minimum rate for an unskilled job.  This is typical of course for most craftspeople who are using their under-recognised skill level to create things in this world of cheap high-volume mass products.

That may be true. Still, I have a budget I have to deal with. :O/ If money were no object I would have ordered the $500 one from Germany two months ago.



#9 Jon Isaacs

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 08:23 PM

Something to celebrate consider:

 

An Equatorial platform capable of Astrophotography is a different animal than the ones under discussion. And even then it's not optimal.  

 

This is a 10 inch Dob on a Dual Axis Tom O equatorial platform:

 

6344666-10 inch Dob on EQ platform.jpg
 
Equatorial platforms are best suited for visual and maybe planetary photography.
 
Jon

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#10 Richie2shoes

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 08:28 PM

Try  http://supernorthstars.tripod.com I've never used them, but I was asking the same question in another forum a while ago and they were recommended.


Edited by Richie2shoes, 08 December 2020 - 08:29 PM.

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#11 Tapio

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 08:35 PM

Well, deepsky imaging IS an expensive hobby.
If you had a small refractor you could maybe have a mount suitable for AP for $500 but not with your scope.
Mount is the foundation of AP and you have to invest for it.
I know have mount which cost 3 times that of my imaging scope.
Besides you need camera, you need autoguiding equipment, you need computer etc etc - $$$. AP is not a cheap hobby.
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#12 N3p

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 08:43 PM

"Most every time I have ever tried to DIY something it has come out ****, with the exception of building poker tables. I was pretty good at that."

 

Check out this website to see the kind of crazy tools you need to build in order to cut the sectors..  By looking at these pictures, if you still have some passion then you should try it.

 

http://sawdustfactor...om/eq platform/



#13 TOMDEY

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 09:14 PM

That may be true. Still, I have a budget I have to deal with. :O/ If money were no object I would have ordered the $500 one from Germany two months ago.

Seriously... that's why many of us here have built some, even most of our equipment. Just browse the â†’ ATM, Optics and DIY Forum here and you will discover a cornucopia of detailed threads describing, photodocumenting and discussing some of the most creative and successful equipment builds in the community. It becomes obvious that contributors have happily dedicated scores, hundreds, even thousands of hobby hours to some of their projects. In most cases it's the combination of limited funds and the feeling of accomplishment... that one then "deserves" the superior views and images, having ~earned~ the pay-off from the delightful effort. Delayed Earned Gratification is a wonderfully-expansive and growing experience.

 

Closely related: Do you simply gift your child the telescope she wants, or negotiate autumn leaf-raking and gutter-cleaning for that Christmas Telescope? Which will she appreciate and cherish more?

 

What I'm saying is that limited funds is actually blessing, opportunity to make lemonade, enjoy the fruits of one's sweat-equity. Pity the entitled guys who just buy what they want and yawn after fiddling around with it for a while; constantly complaining how boringly "underwhelmed" they feel.    Tom



#14 MellonLake

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 09:31 PM

Skystopper.ca
Includes guideport

#15 Borodog

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Posted 09 December 2020 - 09:28 PM

 

Something to celebrate consider:

 

An Equatorial platform capable of Astrophotography is a different animal than the ones under discussion. And even then it's not optimal.  

 

This is a 10 inch Dob on a Dual Axis Tom O equatorial platform:

 

 
 
Equatorial platforms are best suited for visual and maybe planetary photography.
 
Jon

 

Can you elaborate on why an eq platform is not good for astrophotography? Is it because of target drift over long exposures? Part of the reason to have a larger aperture telescope is the reduction in exposure time, no? I realize at 1200mm the focal length of even my Dob is too long to be ideal. Are you suggesting money would be better spent on a smaller, shorter focal length scope and computerized mount than on an eq platform for the dob?



#16 Borodog

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Posted 09 December 2020 - 10:32 PM

Try  http://supernorthstars.tripod.com I've never used them, but I was asking the same question in another forum a while ago and they were recommended.

This looks like exactly the ticket! Thank you!


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#17 Tangerman

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Posted 03 April 2021 - 09:26 PM

This looks like exactly the ticket! Thank you!

Did you end up purchasing one? How'd it go? I'd like to get an equatorial platform one day, and it would be good to be able to compare a few sources.


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#18 RobertMaples

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Posted 04 April 2021 - 08:58 AM

...Are you suggesting money would be better spent on a smaller, shorter focal length scope and computerized mount than on an eq platform for the dob?

For deep sky imaging, yes!  I realize this question was asked a few months ago, but since no one answered and the thread has been brought up again I figured I would.


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#19 Jon Isaacs

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Posted 04 April 2021 - 10:02 AM

Can you elaborate on why an eq platform is not good for astrophotography? Is it because of target drift over long exposures? Part of the reason to have a larger aperture telescope is the reduction in exposure time, no? I realize at 1200mm the focal length of even my Dob is too long to be ideal. Are you suggesting money would be better spent on a smaller, shorter focal length scope and computerized mount than on an eq platform for the dob?

 

To add to what Robert wrote:

 

Dual Axis equatorial platforms are available but the second axis is not a true declination axis and only approximates one near the meridian.  According to one thread, a guiding model can be built using available software but it must be redone each time the mount is reset.

 

Jon



#20 Tiago Ferreira

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Posted 04 April 2021 - 01:11 PM

This picture below i took 3 days ago with my 12" f/5 GSO DOBSONIAN, a ZWO and a Eq Platform single axis, no guiding. And took me only 8 minutes to get this.

So that myth that it's not possible with a dobsonian is "fake news".

With just "300$" and "i want DSO" you cutted the hole thing. They advise you well, or you made your own with those 300$ or you have to spend and buy a good platform. You have there in USA great Tom O platforms or here in Europe too but with shipping costs.

Anything below that my opinion is that will be like a poor solution because of your will for DSO's and the telescope weight.

At first i also went that way, a middle price one, in the same night i tried it i made the package to return it and was an excellent decision.

You have a 10" DOBSONIAN, an astronomical beast, give it the platform it deserves, get money for a good one and you'll have a smile in your face every night.

 

CN.jpg


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#21 Borodog

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Posted 04 April 2021 - 01:16 PM

Did you end up purchasing one? How'd it go? I'd like to get an equatorial platform one day, and it would be good to be able to compare a few sources.

I did not end up going with one of those. I purchased an Ed O'Brien platform from another member. It is absolutely fantastic. Tracks like a bloodhound.


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#22 Borodog

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Posted 04 April 2021 - 01:21 PM

For deep sky imaging, yes!  I realize this question was asked a few months ago, but since no one answered and the thread has been brought up again I figured I would.

For what it's worth the only thing I use it for is lunar imaging. It's absolutely fantastic for it. I align it by compass and the inclinometer in my phone and there is very little drift. If I get lucky there is literally none at all that I can see.

 

If the planets will be high enough to be over my trees this year I plan on shooting Jupiter and Saturn with it and I expect it will perform just as well. 

 

Which is to say, yes, I have given up the idea of imaging DSOs with the Dob. Just too long of a focal length.


Edited by Borodog, 04 April 2021 - 01:23 PM.


#23 RobertMaples

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Posted 04 April 2021 - 09:29 PM

...So that myth that it's not possible with a dobsonian is "fake news"...

I don't believe anyone said it is not possible, just that it would be cheaper and easier for better results.


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#24 spaceoddity

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Posted 27 April 2021 - 07:28 PM

Try  http://supernorthstars.tripod.com I've never used them, but I was asking the same question in another forum a while ago and they were recommended.

Anybody have experience with these? They look good but I've never heard of them and the price seems too good to be true.



#25 spaceoddity

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Posted 28 April 2021 - 03:39 PM

I did not end up going with one of those. I purchased an Ed O'Brien platform from another member. It is absolutely fantastic. Tracks like a bloodhound.

Do you mean Ed Jones? 


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