Wanna make a scope? Or better still, grind a mirror yourself. Or, you have some good tips in making a really useful accessory? This is the place to show what your hands can do...
The total cost of the parts was around $150 so the total would be $350 + shipping... it comes perilously close to the price of a new Celestron CG5-ASGT so I'm not so sure if the whole darn exercise was worth it...
Personally I think any DIY no matter what the cost is always a worthwhile investment. Even if it fails, though you loose out in monetary terms, the whole exercise was still a great leap forward in more to come. Guess we have to always find means to keep cost low with the astronomical cost of equipment. Considering much of it can actually be made. Heck! Even a commercial item specifically made doesn't work as planned when there are so many variables. With DIY, any improvements, modifications and add ons are easier to commit than something already custom made to supposedly fit!
Looking at your Robo....I find it great! You've been busy!! Those counterweights look just like mine...haha! And if it tracks well...that is great! I wouldn't worry to much with the Goto capability. Even the best still get a little off,...unless everything works and is aligned 100% perfect. As long as it's in the EP,...it works!
What about the DIY cable you made for guiding?? Any details? I'm still waiting for a good night when I'm free to test my Finder/Guide Scope!! grrrr darn clouds!
All in all, the DIY projects you've done, Pier, focuser and now this,...is a great step in improving your set up. I find it worthwhile. Of course if we had better tools and available material it would be perfectly wonderful, but it's not like that here...we need to savage!
Keep it up bro! As long as it works!!!.....It's GOOD
My wife never complained about how much time, effort & money I spent on my Astronomy hobby!................suddenly I met her!!!
thanks. the DIY cable is just an RS-232 DB-9 to RJ22 (4P4C) cross cable. Had to buy a special crimper for the 4P4C to fabricate the cable...
the Meade Autostar handboxes don't allow German Equatorial mode unless they detect LXD55 or LXD75 motors. Since the commonly-available motors are Meade DS, you're basically stuck with Alt-Az mode, or Fork Equatorial mode (on the ETX125 and friends).
so it's an absolute necessity to upload a hacked firmware so that German mode is unlocked even with DS motors... a side-effect is that the "Meade LX200 Classic and Autostar #494, #495, and #497" ASCOM driver can also control the Autostar via the serial cable used to upgrade the firmware.
Autostar doesn't have an ST-4 compatible guide port, so the ASCOM driver is needed. This guy makes a kit that clones the Meade 909 -- which converts the serial port on the handbox, to an ST-4 compatible. But without this kit, it's still possible to guide, you just can't use a stand-alone guider (need a PC with the ASCOM driver).
an additional wrinkle which may make my DIY focuser useless... the Meade patch panel has an extra motor port (labeled "AUX") to which you can connect... an electric focuser. So you can focus from a PC. But an extra dongle (909 APM) is required.. which is no longer sold, so would have to make one from a kit.
Hmmm,...then it is looking good thus far! Gotta love these 'hackers'..haha! Thats the thing with Meade...Fork people...hehe! But at least there's ASCOM which works....with some fiddling. I am considering a small netbook for Astro usage and lugging around. My current laptop is more a Desktop!!!
But I gotta admire these guys who create possibilities for everyone to enjoy the hobby with mods that are not far reached! Just like what your doing,...all the elbow grease shows it's possible! Laziness isn't an option..lol!
Bugger on the dongle!! which kit issit? I may need one now that you mentioned it!
Keep us posted!!
My wife never complained about how much time, effort & money I spent on my Astronomy hobby!................suddenly I met her!!!
Yup I'm also thinking of a cheap-as-possible netbook for PHD and friends... same boat, I have a couple notebooks but they are not as light as I'd like..
Guess thats where an Autoguider that connects directly into a mount, with a DSLR makes lugging things around less troublesome then a laptop, CCD cams, etc etc. Then again,...drift alignment reduces alot of extra equipment with just one good camera. Been thinking of just using an RA motor since it's all one needs...lol!
Also looking into finalizing a set up so I can stuff all needed cables into a flexi tube, roll it up for easy carry. That way everything is in one tube,..just connect.
My wife never complained about how much time, effort & money I spent on my Astronomy hobby!................suddenly I met her!!!
I finally got everything together for a 30-minute session looking at Jupiter.
Conditions aren't the best, due to clouds and the fact I'm peeking through window bars (so the diffraction pattern is really not pretty...)
I can't figure out why I can't get those Damian Peach type eye popper images... must be my completely useless Registax skills.
Had to jury-rig my electric focuser because my earlier belt-drive design failed miserably. So had to do a "direct drive" using masking tape to couple the motor to the focuser shaft...
eye-poppingly bad, but it works (the C9.25 is under-mounted on the GP, and the slightest touch leads to jiggles... so the electric focuser is pretty much mandatory).
