I did find, though, that the 3D printed gear would slip on the shaft, so it needed a set screw. corners of the squares provide nice nooks for the eyepiece and eyepiece This motor is available on Amazon. I gave them a call and they said they had one on the shelf14 inches in diameter and 12 feet long! 4 years ago More commercial crayford focusers are of a more enclosed form, whereas mine is more "open frame" approach. Pierre's Helical Crayford gets my vote hands-down for elegant simplicity. Plus it comes in black, so you don't need to paint it (or worry about paint flaking off it). Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. It stalled when tension on the belt increased. case you need more focuser travel than you thought. When the skies were dark enough for observing I found that the scope moves easily into position and holds that position well. I have no dog in this hunt whatsoever, but if people are impressed by these photographs and vote for it because of them when there's no proof that this scope generated the photos and there IS data to the contrary (see below), then that's certainly not fair to the other contestants. Step 4Attaching the Side Bearings and assembling the Rocker. One of the companies I had considered as a supplier for the primary mirror was Anttler's Optical. The next day, I centered the rocker on the rocker bottom (which had been cut using the same method as the side bearing circles), drawing perpendicular lines through the center of the rocker bottom to use as a guide, and tracing the position on the rocker bottom. I am working on a diy focuser design for my 6" F/8 telescope and asking suggestions for simple focuser. The pieces were cut down to 15 3/8 and 14 3/8, allowing just under 1/8 inch on each side. Line the underside of the rocker box with a ring of ABS plastic to allow it to ride on the base. Today I purchased what is called atank nipple in India. Another thing, the resolution on the Dumbell nebula seems a bit too high for that telescope. It had been described by many as the most important recent volume for anyone planning to build a dob, and I have to agree. Realizing that it could not be the University Optics cell already, I thought, Noit couldn't be but, in fact, it was. I then temporarily installed the secondary mirror so that I could measure the approximate distance to the center of the secondary in order to locate the holes for the focuser. After waiting for the stain to dry for a day, I applied polyurethane in two coats, going over the surface with 0000 steel wool between coats. All that remained was to design and print a bracket, and buy the needed parts. 11 years ago A bit of a monster! The last time I checked, that particular SBIG camera used on TelescopeGeek had an eight month lead time.A 20" scope gathers 2.6 times more light than a 12.5" scope, therefore equivalent exposures on this one would take 200+ minutes, at least. To do this, the mirror cell needs to be supported by 3 large bolts, at least 2 of which are adjustable. The scope including the optics, truss tubes, and eye pieces all stored in a single box making it easy to store and transport by car, but it was a little too big to fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat on most aircraft. on Step 5, After much debit and doubt i have taken the photos down cause i cannot be 100% sure that they were taking from my scope as i was not there to verify them and i do not want my contest entry to be based on photos and not the build process. This motor has a larger shaft diameter (8mm) and is quite a bit heavier overall than the direct drive motor, mainly because of the gearbox. . tube and nut that fits the outside threads. Knitting needles are The original Crayford Focuser is on display there. Also no obvious diffraction spikes in the m31 photo. During assembly, youll attach the trusses to the mirror box, then sit the secondary cage on top and bolt everything in place. (Technically, it should have been 62.5 for a 12.5 inch f/5, but when the mirror came it had a note on the back that the focal length was 61 inches.) Thanks again for the 'ible. The cage should be a hollow cylinder about wider than the mirror, with the focuser mounted directly facing the secondary mirror. The glue should keep the nylon from fraying. You simply glue or screw the 'nut' part to your scope OTA, and thread the tube part in/out to focus. large in diameter (1.6") so that adds to the fine-ness of the focus I called to express my concern and was told that it had all been packaged a few weeks ago and that it should have been sent. Homage to Homemade Crayford Focusers - Cloudy Nights It takes the unknown out of focusing, and is easy to re-focus between filters, or refocus several times during a long exposure run as the world cools down. Attach the eye piece to another cardboard piece and pass it through the hole from the inside of the tube. It is named after the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society, Crayford, London, England where it was invented by John Wall, a member of the astronomical society which meets there. The length of the Rocker Front also had to be changed so that the outside edge of the Side Bearings matched the outside edge of the Rocker Sides precisely. Connect the Arduino USB cable and upload some test sketches. Stellafane The Focuser I also have an extended photographic build diary of this telescope posted on Imgur. The version number "312" here may change if Robert posts new firmware. When I looked at the costs, I seriously considered buying an Orion telescope instead of building my own. After cutting the circles for the side bearings, I set up the jig to cut the curved edges of the rocker sides. You need some purple bits That's pretty much the focuser. The dimensions of the Tube Box Sides are based on the outer diameter of my tube14 3/16. Using heavy grit sandpaper I brought back the surface of the keeper enough for the side bearings to fit inside the felt pads. We use cookies to continuously improve our websites for you and optimize its design and customization. The company has a reputation for excellent optics, and it was neither the most expensive, nor the least. Sh2-169 and Sh2-168, IC5146 Cocoon Nebula, Caldwell 19, Sh 2-125. Best Wishes, Reply Save over 40% off the annual cover price for a full year (4 issues) of Make. Once its cut to length, drill a hole through each end of the tubing with a drill press. try { These have slop as you change direction, you can't do fine adjustments, they weigh a ton, and can flex alarmingly over time. OK, no, I do not have a homemade Crayford focuser but am planning to build a 3 incher for next years 17" reflector telescope project and to hold my new 30mm ES 100 degree EP. I set things up in daylight and collimated the scope. The arc at the top of the sides needed to have a radius 1/8 inch larger than that of the side bearings to account for the thickness of the teflon pads that would fit between. If you want a Crayford focuser with a knob instead of turning the draw tube, then Jerry Oltion's designhttp://www.jerryoltixycrayfords.htm using box frames and knitting needle drive shafts is also a fairly easy build. My concern turned to alarm when my wife told me that Discovery had charged the balance due on all items to my account a few weeks earlier. My telescope is the Orion ED80T-CF. The bigger upvc nut will be attached to focuser plate and longer threaded side will be used on it for the focusing. The Dob is really a great design. Did you make this project? the bearings right at the edge of the frame, reducing the frame to love to hear from people who are interested in this focuser design. DIY Craford Focuser. A The Artemis module works extremely well, and is to be strongly recommended. When you figure out But by this time I had thought about building my own scope for several weeks, and getting one off the shelf seemed pretty boring by comparison! Motorise Your Own Telescope (updated 10-19-2017). - Instructables DIY focuser design - ATM, Optics and DIY Forum - Cloudy Nights Funny how the bigger they are the better for dobs. A few months later I ordered some other things from Scopestuff, including strips of Ebony Star laminate for the side bearings, a ring of Ebony Star for the rocker bottom, a strip of teflon to cut pieces for the ground board and side bearings, and a new base for my Telrad finder. on Introduction. the bearings, totally eliminating any flex. Pioneered by John Dobson in the 1960s, the instrument combines a Newtonian reflector telescope with a unique two-axis movable base. We all know the problems with focusing. Homemade astronomy. It features 2 semicircular arms, and mounting points for the trusses (T-nuts are fine), as well as a lid to keep the mirror safe when the telescope is not in use. I ordered the focuser, received an immediate email confirming the order, and it arrived two days later. I'll use an aluminum tube for the finished draw tube but for now the plastic tube . exactly 2" with adhesive labels placed one at a time inside the tube My guess is that photo was taken with a refractor. With Simple, Homemade Telescopes, You Can Explore the Stars (Op-Ed) I had considered using a clear finish alone, but decided to use a dark red finish on the base and a clear finish on the tube, just because I like the look. With adapters for any Meade 1x200-ACF or LS model, and chord to plug into focuser port. on my binocular scope for quite a while now and really like them. I Secondary mirror with spider holder Search on eBay for a matched set. Perfect for visual observations with very heavy mirrors. I only use the OTA. The only thing on the list that was a bit difficult to find was baltic birch plywood, which had to be special ordered from the lumber yard. The extra force will also See captioned photos 22-25 here:https://www.cloudyniractor-focuser/ for more detail on building a flush valve focuser, as Bob mentions. Or rather, I hated it. Topics such as on Step 5. It was May 12th. I've been using the above pair Motion is very smooth. A project collaboration and documentation platform. I am using scrap upvc pipe material. 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock, http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=4721255. Step 3The Side Bearings and Rocker Sides. I wasn't there so i can be 100% but i do not think my friend was lying to me and i believe the pictures are from my telescope my kids use it for stargazing a lot i have seen some deepspace but i use it mainly for sketching the moon and i like to view solar flares. Building the mirror box is tricky, because the entire optical assembly (mirror cell, mirror box, trusses, secondary cage) must balance at the center of rotation of the arms. It would cost less and they have a very good reputation. "); But, especially on cold evenings, the focus may go out in the middle of the night. I had already made a lightweight focuser for My homemade motorized telescope focuser for Celestron C8. } catch(err) {}, SH-232 Sharpless sh-232, sh-231, sh-233, sh-235, NGC2174 Monkey Head Nebula, Sharpless 252, Sh2-252, HDW3 Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3 PN G149.4-09.2, SH-198 Sharpless 198, Soul Nebula, IC1848, NGC281 IC11, Sharpless Sh2-184, Pacman Nebula, SH2-173 SH2-173 Phantom of the Opera LBN 593, SH2-168 Sharpless HII regions. Im quite happy with the result, and the view in its large mirror is phenomenal. Lining up this center point with the center of the top of the side bearing, I brought the corner of the side bearing up to the edge of the tube box and attached it with screws. There was the expense, for one, but also the A smart collection of books, magazines, electronics kits, robots, microcontrollers, tools, supplies, and more Easy DIY motorized battery free telescope focuser - YouTube Inside the OTA is a ring of tightly fitting flocking paper that prevents any light getting in around the drawtube. Membership connects and supports the people and projects that shape our future and supports the learning I am well versed in technology, have all the tools necessary to build my own! Thicker walls also required thicker side bearings so that the outside of the bearings would line up with the outside of the rocker sides. Maker-written books designed to inform and delight! Ask Question Step 5: Stepper Motor Choice #2 - NEMA-17 Geared Stepper Motor If your optical train is heavy and the focuser has to bear it (see above) then this motor may be a better choice. Since my plan called for purchasing the mirrors and mechanical parts there were several decisions to be made and several vendors to contact. See the images how I plan to assemble it. With an outer diameter of 14 3/16, I cut the Tube Box sides 15 5/8 and 14 5/8slightly less than my extra inch extra on each side. I used one of the top scraps from the rocker sides to mark an angle of 70 degrees from the center of the arc to the curved cut in order to properly space 1 X 7/8 teflon pads on the arcs. It has a 6mm shaft. the tube is cardboard as well, you can also get a quality mirror at telescope.com for much cheaper. An electronic focuser, which moves the focus knob through a combination of hardware and software, solves this problem. To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig in by 1/8 inch. Some of these are essential for the basic functionalities of our websites. When you're ready to go on to testing with the windows driver, you want "myFP2_DRV8825_312-1", open that folder. I decided to order an aluminum mirror cell from University Optics instead so that the mirror could be supported at 9 different points. 100A81BF-2145-44D5-BC76-66DBF43BAD58.jpeg. Reply The balance point determines the height of the rocker sides, so I had to get this far before I cut the wood for the base. I wanted the long focal length for good contrast. I suppose that one could complete this project without these two tools, but it would be difficult to cut the pieces accurately enough for a good fit. I used my router to "mill" a flat area for better contact with the focus adjustment rod. My DIY Motorized Telescope Focuser - YouTube For a while I decided that 10 inch would be the best size. Since there is no drill bit that exactly matches the 13.1mm of the shaft, I had to do some rough enlargement of the hole. Make the drawtube longer than you think you'll need, just in There are sub-folders for the different versions. And you can tell it's not a mosaic because the stars at the corners show coma/field curvature artifacts. the interior diameter is just a nudge over 2". Easy DIY motorized battery free telescope focuser - YouTube They suggested a construction supply place on the other side of the city that I had not called yet. needle so the knitting needle will be snug against the drawtube without 11 years ago (actually, it ended up a smidge more than 2 inches). Until I see photos of this scope setup for these pictures and an explanation of the exact equipment used, I cannot believe that these pictures were taken with this OTA. I wanted a tight / press fit, so I only added half that, 0.25mm. Plus it comes in black, so Two of the holes for the bolts were blocked by knobs. The focuser 'knob' on the Celestron is just a rubber sleeve that usually pulls off easily. Drill a hole and attach the ball head using a shorter 1/4" 20 bolt. In amateur astrophotography, we run our telescopes overnight. In my case I decided to make a custom bracket. NEMA-17 Stepper Motor - see below, there are two options. Put it all together It has reminded me of one of my long term aims to make a telescope that has been buried by the demands of the rest of my life! While I applaud your building of a homemade Dob, (giving you the FULL benefit of the doubt here) your "friend" has provided photographs that make it look like you're trying to win by cheating. After you've done that, put a couple of tiny pan-head screws When you want to focus, you just open the program and press focus. This extra space would allow the tube to be repositioned within the tube box to rotate the eyepiece or balance the tube. Once I had my design set, I was ready to buy the parts. it sticks into your light path. They said they would make the brackets extra long to accommodate the mirror and it would take about a week. Using a compass I drew circles on the top and bottom of the ground board to mark the inside and outside of the teflon ring on the bottom of the rocker bottom. As I continued to read, however, I was struck by the many complications of the design and, frankly, how many ways I could screw it up. The mirror itself must also be able to tilt in three dimensions in order to aim its light at the secondary mirror (a process called collimation). You need a drawtube of course. Several clamps were used to hold the pieces together overnight. I attached keepers 1 inches wide by 5 inches long, extending above the bottom of the arcs by about 1 inches. I waited until dark and pointed the scope at the sky. I had initially allowed for more of a gap, but realized once I cut the pieces and held the tube inside them that my gap was too large. Start with the small components first. The pivot bolt consists of a 1 1/8 inch brass spacer with an 11/16 inch outer diameter, a 3/8 inch bolt 2 inches long, a stop nut, and two large washers. And a couple of upright bearing blocks. a 3/4" thickness. To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig, At some point in the building process, my goal became to finish the scope by RocheStar Fest, an annual event of the. Coupler for NEMA-17 Stepper Motor (also two choices, see below), LM7808 Voltage Regulator with TO-220 package -, Mini On/Off 3-pin 2-position slide switch -, Headers and wire (miscellaneous sizes and gauges), these are important so you can replace the component if it is damaged, LM7808 voltage regulator w/TO-220 heat sink package, 2-pin headers for 12V power and on/off switch. That way you won't be dropping your drawtube and The wide square footprint would make it pretty stable when mounted to More Homemade Refractor Telescope DIY Erecting Prism Binoviewer Focuser here: Did you make this project? Given any mirror measurements, PLOP will provide the ideal support layout and how much distortion to expect for any number of flotation points. For my project I needed a 14 inch diameter, and I had a tough time finding one. the nylon screws going up from the bottom, but I found the knitting Please feel free to email me at the address on the right. If you're going for simple, have you considered a helical focuser? The Focuser and other items: (Scope Stuff). To cut the circles, I started with a depth of about 1/8 inch, then lowered the bit and cut a little more with each pass until I was through the board. I will get good 30-40 mm focusing range. needle to be just a little too flexible for the weight of a diagonal and Two different construction supply companies told me that sonotubes were not available with a 14 inch diameter, even by special order. During on-site assembly, attach each truss to its mounting T-nut using a bolt with a thumbscrew knob. Your design is simple and nice. Using a compass, I drew lines for the inside and outside of the Ebony Star ring on the top and bottom of the rocker bottom. SDO/HMI Continuum Image on 2023.03.04 at 1259 UT, Remote computer working with no extra networking. They even offered to send the spider, secondary holder, and secondary mirror immediately so that I could begin working on the tube while I waited for the primary. I took the whole tube assembly outside. Our websites use cookies to improve your browsing experience. On that noteWARNING:do not look directly into the sun and never point a telescope into the sun without proper filtration you can damage your telescope and burn your retinas and possibly go blind i am not a astrophotographer so i cant comment on the quality of the pictures since there is so much doubt on the photos i will gladly take them down. The shroud made from two 22 inch tall containers came out short, so I had to add an eleven inch strip of nylon. Orient this assembly to allow you to view an object on the far horizon. (Sorry you Your astrophotographer friend may have included his own images from his setup. I was certain not to move the jig at all before cutting the second circle. Orion Telescope Focusers | Buy Direct and Save! All Dobsonian telescope projects are unique buildshere are the notes from my latest version to help get you familiar with the process and determine how youll design yours. Homemade Electric Telescope Focuser - Stargazers Lounge I have one on my 12" f/5 truss dob and the focuser knob is on the top surface of the UTA. I used the "LEDandBuzzer" and "TestStepsDRV8825" tests. Many sources point out that 10 inches is a kind of sweet spot in the balance between power and portability. It Carve out a hole on the top part of the sonotube first. His passion is using CAD design and his homemade CNC router to bring large wood projects to life. You will look through these as you rotate the wheel. I marked the expected position of the secondary by measuring 61 inches down from the end of the tube. Because mirror flexure can distort an image, supporting the mirror properly involves building a flotation cell. Rock Paper Scissors Using Tinkercad Circuits and Arduino, Punchy the MECH & the Autonomous Fight Club, PCB (printed circuit board) - download the, DRV8825 - stepper motor driver chip/board - again, clones available on. Edited by sunrag, 28 May 2020 - 10:44 PM. I wanted to finish that instructable before the contest ended but was too late :-). Crayford-style design with four bearings and one driveshaft. I ground and figured the mirror with little troubles, making my focault tester, etc. Not sure if it is available in the USA. We were careful to press out any bubbles as we went, but when the job was done we found that there were multiple bubbles in the veneer. It turns out the the extra 1/16 allowed far too much side to side movement between the rocker and ground board. I began building it in the spring of 2008, but the bulk of the work was done in July of 2008 with first light occurring on July 25. I do have another tube that can be used around the drawtube, but it doesn't really add anything. The cell from Anttler's, for which I had received a refund, had arrived. The base of the telescope should be a wide, sturdy square or circle of wood with teflon bearing pads matched to the ABS plastic ring of the rocker box. A free program that lights childrens creative fires and allows them to explore projects in areas such as arts & The motor is much lighter than the geared motor. This cost around $100 to build and all of the components came from. I first tried my 32mm plossl eyepiece. I had talked with their owner about mirrors and mirror cells once, and I was very impressed by his knowledge of telescope building. The focuser is the part of the telescope that holds the eyepiece or camera, and by moving in or out, closer or farther from the . I had nearly completed the base and put things together for the first time. It's the same in form, but has a perfect, true 13.35mm hole. drneilmb, thanks for sharing the focuser design. Among amateur telescopes, the most common are focusers with landing diameters of 1.25 ", 2", rarely 0.965 ", and even less often - 3". How To Build A Dobsonian Telescope [Guide 2022] - DopeGuides In order for the Rocker Box to pivot on the Ground Board, a center pin is placed in a hole at the exact center of the Ground Board and Rocker Bottom. Share a cool tool or product with the community.

Mike Mancias Salary, Itchy Bug Bites That Look Like Hickeys, Zendaya Siblings Ages, Claudia Heffner Young, Knights Of Pen And Paper 2 Best Team, Articles H

homemade telescope focuser