I remember stumbling across a rather large telescope assembly which had the eyepiece mounted directly to the EQ mount. Optically, the light was redirected to this point so that no matter where the scope was pointed the eyepiece was stationary in its spot. Does anyone remember the name of this?

Help me recall a telescope...
#1
Posted 19 February 2021 - 07:17 PM
#2
Posted 19 February 2021 - 07:20 PM
Coudé design I believe.
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#3
Posted 19 February 2021 - 07:22 PM
Coudé design I believe.
That is it. Our club is considering crafting one for handicap viewers. Thank you!
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#4
Posted 19 February 2021 - 07:24 PM
There's also the Springfield:
https://www.cloudyni...ingfield tim53
https://www.cloudyni...nt#entry8705235
Robert
Edited by clamchip, 19 February 2021 - 07:27 PM.
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#5
Posted 19 February 2021 - 07:26 PM
You may be referring to a porter or Springfield mount. http://www.astrosurf...sell_porter.pdf
There are several threads about this on cloudy nights.
#6
Posted 19 February 2021 - 08:14 PM
Have you considered video astronomy? great thing is it will reveal details the naked eye just can’t see, it may be a great compliment to the scope build, especially for deep sky.
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#7
Posted 19 February 2021 - 08:49 PM
That is it. Our club is considering crafting one for handicap viewers. Thank you!
In planning the Giovle Open Deck Observatory at Lowell Observatory, we opted to mount some of the telescopes on Pier-Tech elevating piers to bring the eyepiece down to seated height when desired. This works brilliantly and is as effective with a small refractor as it is with a really big SCT. After this experience I'd highly recommend looking at an elevating pier option.
Bill
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#8
Posted 19 February 2021 - 09:15 PM
There are a number of different variations of the Coude mount. Some also pass the light up through the polar axis to the eyepiece and others that pass the light through the decimation axis (semi-fixed). Check the internet for the Ranyard mount, Pasadena mount, Springfield mount, Manent's mount, and the Pickering's mount. Some are better suited for refractors and others for reflectors and cassigrain scopes.
Personally, I would bypass the Coude mounts since they need very large flat mirrors to shift the light up the polar axis. If you are looking for a more cost effective design which is easier to build ... consider the Springfield mount
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#9
Posted 20 February 2021 - 10:25 AM
This definitely sounds like a "Naysmith" focus system, Where as the coude style will always keep the eyepiece in the same spot, the Naysmith focus will make a 360-degree circle if you keep following an object.
Clear skies!
RalphMeisterTigerMan
#10
Posted 20 February 2021 - 10:33 AM
Addendum to above,
If you look at some of the old Celestron Pacific fromthe 1960's, you see that they actually sold a 20-inch SCT with a Naysmith focus.
Clear skies!
RalphMeisterTigerMan
#11
Posted 20 February 2021 - 10:52 AM
It sounds like a Springfield mount. This type of mount had a following during the first half of the 20th century. This thread is dedicated to the Springfield mounted telescope belonging to Clarence P Custer MD.
https://www.cloudyni...12-in-telscope/