10 replies to this topic

[cloudycloudy]

A Celestron motor-driven equatorial mount will be available after deforking the 8" SCT.

 

Is there a way to mount a DSLR on this equipment for tracking with telephoto lens?

 

With fork attached?

 

With fork removed?

 

The mount is Celestron Powerstar PEC-8. Here is an example shown here:
https://www.cloudyni...owerstar-8-pec/

 

Thanks

[BlueMoon]

Fabricate a shallow U shaped bracket from aluminum or light steel bar to connect between the arms. Add a Vixen or Arca-Swiss saddle to the center of the bracket and a corresponding dovetail or Arca-Swiss plate to the bottom of the camera. Simplicity.

 

The link will give you some idea of the general shape. You'll need to measure, etc for your application: https://www.amazon.c...a/dp/B07R6N38GY

 

Clear skies.

Edited by BlueMoon, 19 September 2023 - 12:43 PM.

[Glenn Graham]

Did similar for the solar eclipse. Just put an aluminum bar across the forks. I fashoined a pair of wood blocks to match the shape of the scope tube they were replacing and then connected a flat bar across them. I’ve mounted the DSLR directly with telephoto or attached to small refractor. Tracked great throughout totality so I had quite a few exposures to integrate. Still use it for solar viewing/imaging.

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Edited by Glenn Graham, 19 September 2023 - 12:48 PM.

[lee14]

Did similar for the solar eclipse. Just put an aluminum bar across the forks. I fashoined a pair of wood blocks to match the shape of the scope tube they were replacing and then connected a flat bar across them. I’ve mounted the DSLR directly with telephoto or attached to small refractor. Tracked great throughout totality so I had quite a few exposures to integrate. Still use it for solar viewing/imaging.

Nice solar work!

 

Lee

[Traveler]

Did similar for the solar eclipse. Just put an aluminum bar across the forks. I fashoined a pair of wood blocks to match the shape of the scope tube they were replacing and then connected a flat bar across them. I’ve mounted the DSLR directly with telephoto or attached to small refractor. Tracked great throughout totality so I had quite a few exposures to integrate. Still use it for solar viewing/imaging.

Made something like that with an ETX mount after deforking the ETX telescope.

 

And yes, beautiful solar pics !

[cloudycloudy]

Nice eclipse photos!  Can you share the setup and technique to get the corona picture?

 

Thanks for suggestions... fabricating a bracket seems to be the way to go. Is it possible to do without any special tools and limited expertise?

[BruceJ]

My older 8" Meade SCT has a camera/lens mount on top. I just screw the camera/lens there and let it ride on the scope. Weight doesn't seem to be an issue, at least with the 70-200 or so. A 500mm f/4 might be an issue....

[cloudycloudy]

Mounting camera on SCT is an option I plan to try... but I will also have the old mount which I would like to repurpose and use. 

 

If aluminum stock can be found in the right size and pre-cut, perhaps I could make something if it only required drilling and maybe tapping screw threads.

 

Ideally, it would be possible to make something that can be adjusted to fit properly.

 

As yet, I have not done the deforking, so I don't know what fitting will be involved.

 

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions and sharing the examples to see.

 

As always, more suggestions and info is certainly welcome, also.

 

The help with this is much appreciated.

 

Thanks! 

[Glenn Graham]

Nice eclipse photos!  Can you share the setup and technique to get the corona picture?

 

Here is an earlier discussion for the 2017 eclipse that includes a description of my setup:

https://www.cloudyni...2017/?p=7692335

 

Ended up with a large number of exposures with wide range of exposure times. Aligned, merged, and did some radial sharpening which brought out the structure of the corona without washing out the inner details.

Here is the “contact sheet” of exposures.

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Edited by Glenn Graham, 27 September 2023 - 06:16 PM.

[Glenn Graham]

You are on a track similar to what I did. I bought an aluminum bar precut to 9”. I fashioned a pair of end blocks and drilled to match the previous tube so they would attach at the dec mounting points. Drilled the bar so I could attach either camera with lens or scope clamshell with appropriate screws.

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[Glenn Graham]

One more from different angle.

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