I recently dis-assembled my old astrophoto platform, a 25-year-old hodgepodge based on a light-duty Asian-manufactured mount of the era. A precursor to the EQ-2, with home-made dec slow motion. I returned it to it's original condition and just for kicks one day stuck the PST on there. I customarily use the TeleTrack mount for the PST- but I may not anymore. The little equatorial was a breeze to set-up. Latitude is pre-set, adjust it fairly level, get it within ten degrees of north, and it tracks the sun as well as the little GoTo, at the low powers used on the PST. In about two minutes I was set up and observing. No more punching of keys to initialize a GoTo computer. It was a breath of fresh-air. The mount has a good synchronous RA drive, and I put the manual dec knob on there. Perfect adjustment control with an old drive corrector, but honestly it tracks great at the sidereal rate on just house current or an inverter. I may be just using the TeleTrack at night only from now on. Pics: http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/PSTEQU01.jpg http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/PSTEQU02.jpg
Neat, Chuck! ________________________________ From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 8:15 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Solar set-up I recently dis-assembled my old astrophoto platform, a 25-year-old hodgepodge based on a light-duty Asian-manufactured mount of the era. A precursor to the EQ-2, with home-made dec slow motion. I returned it to it's original condition and just for kicks one day stuck the PST on there. I customarily use the TeleTrack mount for the PST- but I may not anymore. The little equatorial was a breeze to set-up. Latitude is pre-set, adjust it fairly level, get it within ten degrees of north, and it tracks the sun as well as the little GoTo, at the low powers used on the PST. In about two minutes I was set up and observing. No more punching of keys to initialize a GoTo computer. It was a breath of fresh-air. The mount has a good synchronous RA drive, and I put the manual dec knob on there. Perfect adjustment control with an old drive corrector, but honestly it tracks great at the sidereal rate on just house current or an inverter. I may be just using the TeleTrack at night only from now on. Pics: http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/PSTEQU01.jpg http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/PSTEQU02.jpg _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php
Those new to this list may be interested to know that in addition to being U-A's Curmudgeon-in-Chief (now that Chuck's back I had to relinquish that title), Chuck is also quite the ATMer having build many scopes over the years including making by hand (no power tools) the large white finder on SPOC's Ealing. And, if memory serves, he rebuilt and fixed up the Ealing to the point that if it's owner ever comes looking for it (technically it's on loan to SPOC) they'd never recognize it. patrick On 24 Jul 2011, at 22:15, Joe Bauman wrote:
Neat, Chuck! ________________________________ From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 8:15 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Solar set-up
I recently dis-assembled my old astrophoto platform, a 25-year-old hodgepodge based on a light-duty Asian-manufactured mount of the era. A precursor to the EQ-2, with home-made dec slow motion.
I returned it to it's original condition and just for kicks one day stuck the PST on there.
I customarily use the TeleTrack mount for the PST- but I may not anymore.
The little equatorial was a breeze to set-up. Latitude is pre-set, adjust it fairly level, get it within ten degrees of north, and it tracks the sun as well as the little GoTo, at the low powers used on the PST. In about two minutes I was set up and observing. No more punching of keys to initialize a GoTo computer. It was a breath of fresh-air.
The mount has a good synchronous RA drive, and I put the manual dec knob on there. Perfect adjustment control with an old drive corrector, but honestly it tracks great at the sidereal rate on just house current or an inverter.
I may be just using the TeleTrack at night only from now on.
Pics:
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/PSTEQU01.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/JethroTull1958/PSTEQU02.jpg
On 7/24/11, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
And, if memory serves, he rebuilt and fixed up the Ealing to the point that if it's owner ever comes looking for it (technically it's on loan to SPOC) they'd never recognize it.
Hey, it was just a paint job and serial-number removal, no big deal... ;o)
If they ask for it back we should ask for a storage fee.
On 7/24/11, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote:
And, if memory serves, he rebuilt and fixed up the Ealing to the point that if it's owner ever comes looking for it (technically it's on loan to SPOC) they'd never recognize it.
Hey, it was just a paint job and serial-number removal, no big deal... ;o)
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php
Thanks Joe. The message here is that a lot of folks don't need a Milapse, Teletrack, or other GoTo mount for visual solar observing- a simple equatorial poses no difficulties for daytime use without precise polar alignment. They can get a small driven equatorial for about the same or less money, and avoid the setup perambulations. Be observing while the GoTo guy is still futzing. And the equatorial has imaging possibilities that a straight alt-az doesn't offer. Die-hard nerds and geeks won't be dissuaded. If you actually like playing with buttons and displays, stick with the GoTo. That said, I own both. They both have their strong points and weaknesses. On 7/24/11, Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com> wrote:
Neat, Chuck!
Price comparison on EQ vs GoTo mounts for the PST, from the same dealer: An excellent entry-level, driven, equatorial with nightime imaging capability: http://www.telescope.com/Orion-Adventures-in-Astrophotography-Bundle/p/27154... $159.00 The alt-az GoTo equivalent, with shaky tripod (I own one): http://www.telescope.com/Mounts-Tripods/GoTo-Mounts-Tripods/Orion-TeleTrack-... $299.00
participants (4)
-
Chuck Hards -
erikhansen＠thebluezone.net -
Joe Bauman -
Patrick Wiggins