Whether you need a basic rack-and-pinion telescope focuser for your homemade telescope project or a premium Crayford-type model with dual-speed focusing as a performance upgrade, you have come to the right place. I have already seen some designs on CN, Stellafane and web but still checking if someone has recently made anything simpler. var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-1008534-4"); (actually, it ended up a smidge more than 2 inches) Lighter than the existing focuser. Share a cool tool or product with the community. but try for a snug fit if you can. The last chapter of the book describes a plan for an 8 inch sonotube dob with a few design elements from their truss design, and, as I read that chapter, the simplicity of its construction was very appealing. Not worth the effort, price is tooo high. That way you won't be dropping your drawtube and 10 inch or 12 inch. "https://ssl." ill ask him for a detailed list of what he used and when i get that ill post it here for you. The plate has slotted screw holes for tensioning the 6mm belt. The wide square footprint would make it pretty stable when mounted to After the glue dried but before the clamps were removed, I added corner braces to all four corners of the tube using glue and brads to hold them in place. I also decided to make a separate mounting plate for the stepper motor, since I figured aligning the shafts precisely would be all but impossible. If you found some good surplus lenses, you will have made a stunningly good objective for your scope. I attached three feet equally spaced on top of the ring, and on the opposite side attached teflon pads 1 X 1 directly above the feet using very small brads and countersinking the brads below the surface of the teflon. I had nearly completed the base and put things together for the first time. The cutting diagram in (figure 1) shows how I cut the required pieces from two 60 X 60 pieces of Baltic Birch plywood, one inch thick, and one 5/8. Once you get it working, there's some calibration you need to do. I had chosen a boxy, rigid design for the binocular scope, so An electronic focuser, which moves the focus knob through a combination of hardware and software, solves this problem. I don't have the skills to build a focuser using a. Edited by Pierre Lemay, 25 May 2020 - 08:10 AM. Reply needle so the knitting needle will be snug against the drawtube without Let me see if I can get similar plumbing parts here. Only problem is if I put a diagonal it wants to rotate the helical part. 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. 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. You will look through these as you rotate the wheel. It was easy enough to drill a hole and tap threads for a Before you do this, the stepper motor will probably move, but it will make a 'stuttering' sound instead of moving smoothly. Very simple and portable. Share it with us! Now attach the screw eyes and the rubber band on the side of the board. i got a email that someone built a telescope close to mine that has seen the stuff in the photos here is a link to his site http://www.synapticsystems.com/sky/scopes/Dob.htmlif i seem a bit rude please forgive me i just spent 12hrs in a plane i have jetlag and im sitting in a airport.i would like to thank lvlasertech for keeping this instructable lively and informative. a 3/4" thickness. There are a number of technical reasons why these photographs could not have come from this Optical Tube Assembly. 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. The mirror cell: University Optics (eventually). This motor is available on Amazon. Sonotube (14 inch diameter, 12 feet long): $70, Focuser (GSO 2 speed low profile Crayford): $139, Total cost for supplies for this project: $1700. They suggested a construction supply place on the other side of the city that I had not called yet. You need a drawtube of course. 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. 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. The basic points I wanted to cover: What did I end up with? All Orion 1.25" and 2" telescope focusers are engineered to provide smooth drawtube action to ensure you hit the exact focus point . astronowanabe, Pierre Lemay, LarsMalmgren and. Unfortunately I don't have a 3d printer. The heaviest piece is 40 lbs, and the total scope weighs about 60 lbs (not counting the baffle). the interior diameter is just a nudge over 2". I had the thought that as long as I was going to build it I should build it as big as I could afford. Also, I will work with my computer geek buddies, so that we eventually automate it using Linux on a Rock64, to run kstars for tracking, on INDI. I had cut the 12 foot tube in half in order to get it home in the first place, and a 6 foot section was the right size to work with for my f/5 12.5 inch. Make the drawtube longer than you think you'll need, just in 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. 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. They eyepiece height ended up being about 5'10" high at zenith. Some quick tips to note if you are making a homemade telescope are: 1. With adapters for any Meade 1x200-ACF or LS model, and chord to plug into focuser port. you could probably space the bearings 3/4" apart instead of 1" and mount To do this, the mirror cell needs to be supported by 3 large bolts, at least 2 of which are adjustable. 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. After you've done that, put a couple of tiny pan-head screws It's rigid, lightweight, and 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. I then ran a bead of glue on the mark, and after it dried I cut out the nylon up to the glue. As the telescope tilts toward the horizon, the mirror must be supported on its edge. I was finishing this inner debate when I got a copy of the book The Dobsonian Telescope by Kriege and Berry as a Christmas gift. As I set of the scope, several club members came over to check things out and it was nice to hear the positive comments on the appearance of the scope. For a while I decided that 10 inch would be the best size. CNC files (optional) Download the Sketchup files. Did you make this project? To interface with the computer, I have used the Artemis Focuser module from Steve, Arthur and Co. try { I sourced my own Stepper motor and 1:150 reduction gearbox from RS, who are just up the road. Realizing that it could not be the University Optics cell already, I thought, Noit couldn't be but, in fact, it was. This allows for a small clearance between the outside of the tube and the inside of the tube box (14 3/8). Two inch internal diameter drawtube. 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. New Creation Tamil 6.96K subscribers Welcome to New Creation Tamil Our Channel include of Guiding Videos: 1.DIY Projects 2.Awesome Ideas 3.Tips You are inter with New Creation Tamil you can enjoy. We all know the problems with focusing. Our websites use cookies to improve your browsing experience. on Introduction. The ARtemis module came in a kit form actually just two circuit boards one of which I had to source the parts, build and box myself. The telescopes size is classified by the size of its mirror. I did not own all of the tools that I needed for this project, particularly a table saw and router, so I did a lot of work while visiting my Dad. 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. 10 years ago Plus it comes in black, so you don't need to paint it (or worry about paint flaking off it). Finally it was etched in caustic soda, and anodised matt black. The pieces were cut down to 15 3/8 and 14 3/8, allowing just under 1/8 inch on each side. I didn't bother reading his whole article to figure out what f/# he used) I am not trying to say that good AP isn't possible with a sonotube scope, (the 'friend' may very well have pulled it out of the dob mount, added rings and a dovetail, and mounted it on his CGE-Pro or comparable) but in this case it is unlikely.". Crayford-style design with four bearings and one driveshaft. This Instructable describe the planning, design, and parts of the scope, as well as the process of building The scope. I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. It's the same in form, but has a perfect, true 13.35mm hole. Whether you need a basic rack-and-pinion telescope focuser for your homemade telescope project or a premium Crayford-type model with dual-speed focusing as a performance upgrade, you have come to the right place. Finally, attach your polar alignment device and align it with the hinge. I have several of the books on building a Dobsonian Telescope. 11 years ago Using heavy grit sandpaper I brought back the surface of the keeper enough for the side bearings to fit inside the felt pads. I decided to keep this tube for now and if I run into problems with it, I can replace it later. Able to shift heavy loads of kit ie over 1000g. 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. Part numbers 351-4574 and 336-422. 100A81BF-2145-44D5-BC76-66DBF43BAD58.jpeg. Sh2-169 and Sh2-168, IC5146 Cocoon Nebula, Caldwell 19, Sh 2-125. I started by trying to drill out a metal gear for the focuser shaft. I was still doing some construction on the morning of the event, but I succeeded in making first light on that clear, dark night in late July. The secondary holder is adjustable, so I could didn't have to get the location perfect. The Crayford Focuser and DIY Focuser for Homemade Telescope By trukmeeilee in Circuits Cameras 3,461 3 1 Download Favorite By trukmeeilee Follow More by the author: The Crayford focuser is a simplified focusing mechanism for amateur astronomical telescopes. pageTracker._trackPageview(); Thanks again for the 'ible. Several clamps were used to hold the pieces together overnight. A I had installed the mirror about an inch too far away from the focuser. Step 3The Side Bearings and Rocker Sides. 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. I like the old way of using stepper motors and other stuff introduced years ago by Mel Bartels, he is a master for me. I ended up modifying it a bit after printing. How to build a 12.5 inch closed tube Dobsonian telescope. If not, you may need to design and print your own bracket(s), gears, and so on. Given that you can make the drawtube any length you I am a retired USAF electronics engineer, and might even do much of the construction of the base with welded structural tubing, as, I do have a complete metal working shop besides my wood shop, here. This project is based on Robert Brown's "Arduino ASCOM Focuser Pro2 DIY". Several of my Recent Images have been focused with this system. Nice looking telescope. Just as it was about to come into focus, the focuser bottomed out. If you're going for simple, have you considered a helical focuser? While round tubing is sturdy, square tubing is easier to work with. A week after they said they would send the secondary and other parts, I called to ask if things had been sent. I'm also going to focus on only one version of Robert's focuser (there are many). Once the pieces were cut and I held them around the tube, I decided to cut them a bit smaller because the extra space was too much. the bearings right at the edge of the frame, reducing the frame to In my case I decided to make a custom bracket. You will need to remove the regular focus knob on your telescope's focuser. Also no obvious diffraction spikes in the m31 photo. I decided that my best option was to scale up their 8 inch design for a 12.5 inch scope and sacrifice the portability and easier storage of a truss scope for something that I felt confident in building myself. Im sorry to hear you couldn't make the contest. Please feel free to email me at the address on the right. To get a slide-fit in a 3D printed part, you normally make the hole 0.5mm larger than the shaft. We are now ready for some testing. It had been described by many as the most important recent volume for anyone planning to build a dob, and I have to agree. Maker-written books designed to inform and delight! Finally, I attached Keepers to the sides of the rocker at the bottom of the arcs using screws and glue. I found out pretty quickly that building my own telescope would only be a bargain if I made my own mirror and mechanical parts. After the second call, I received a response that it would be ready at the end of the following week. My telescope is the Orion ED80T-CF. Robert is a super guy and more than willing to help those who choose to follow in his footsteps. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Those are the last screws to be tightened. This extra space would allow the tube to be repositioned within the tube box to rotate the eyepiece or balance the tube. And a flat thing to put it all on Cost is $25 - $30, and you will have 5 PCBs in about a week. I phoned in the order in the last week of February and was told that it would take about 4 weeks to deliver the mirror. 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! The day I received the refund, I ordered a mirror cell from University Optics. Two inch internal diameter drawtube. I plan to use an FTA over it in case an extension is needed. The spider, or secondary mirror holder, will suspend the mirror in the optical path in order to direct light into the focuser. I used a hole saw to cut a wooden plug to fit inside the A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!). LVLaserTech is right please do not vote for the pictures my instructable is for the build of the telescope not the quality of the photos.and as i said before i was not there is there a possibility that he sent me the wrong photos sure is there a possibility that he used a different mount than the one i saw sure is there a possibility that he is lying to me me about what he did sure. Because mirror flexure can distort an image, supporting the mirror properly involves building a flotation cell. The version number "312" here may change if Robert posts new firmware. Orion Dynamo Mini for powering a Nexstar 6SE? Look down through the empty focuser. The side bearings are each made from 2 identical semicircles of 5/8 inch plywood glued together to make a thickness of 1 inches. I called in the order and explained that I would be using a mirror two inches thick. You reach a point where the picture doesn't seem to change much, so you never know where the very sweetest spot in the focus is. once. The holes in the main bracket the match the holes in the plate are oversize to allow for this alignment. on Step 3. All in all it seemed like a pretty robust design, so I gave it But -- you have to be careful that the mechanism is true and the motor does not have a load on it at any time, otherwise it will 'stall' and stop moving. I told them I was on my way. Crayford-style design with four bearings and one driveshaft. initiatives for the next generation of makers. Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!) (Sorry you Primary telescope mirror aftermarket, homemade, or custom-made. Newton, and others including James Gregory and Laurent Cassegrain, believed that a reflecting telescope would not be affected by the chromatic aberration that affected . on Step 5. Similar photos at http://www.telescopegeek.com/gallery.htm require 100+ minute exposure times on his 20" telescope and $3200 camera. This book describes in great detail the steps to build a large aperture truss tube dob, focusing on scopes with a 12.5 to 40 inch mirror. Place the focuser, draw the position of the screws with a pencil and remove the focuser. 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 really had to, since the underside of my telescope's focuser is all curves, no flat area for attaching the mounting bracket. Fast forward a few months to the next time I had the tube outside. You currently have javascript disabled. After the second call, I received a response that it would be ready at the end of the following week. The blue pieces of the rocker box and ground board are arranged as in the diagrams in (figure 2). It may take you a while to adjust the image correctly, but it's not hard to do, just time consuming. until a 2" eyepiece or 1.25" adapter is snug. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); surfaces to put the bearings in and a vee at the bottom that would hold It turns out that sonotubes are a stock item in 8 inch, 10 inch, 12 inch, and sometimes even 16 inch diameters. Home centers and hardware stores did not carry large sizes. After the pieces were glued together, I used a belt sander to smooth out any rough edges, being careful to keep both rocker sides and both side bearings exactly the same. Or rather, I hated it. Knitting needles are In order to check your measurements, you can construct jigs for your mirror cell and secondary cage, positioning them on a straight, adjustable track such as 2 planks of wood. Now I can simply insert the PVC cap on the end of a 4" pvc tube. It turned out that they had an incorrect zip code and the package was still waiting to be sent. I wanted a tight / press fit, so I only added half that, 0.25mm. At some point in the building process, my goal became to finish the scope by RocheStar Fest, an annual event of the Rochester Astronomy Club. The curved sides of the Side Bearings are also covered with strips of Ebony Star that glide on the teflon pads on the curved edges of the Rocker Sides (figure 3). Two of the holes for the bolts were blocked by knobs. I have seen some VERY impressive photos similar to those, taken with Nikon D700 and D300 cameras, with the proper filters- and mounts- on a quality scope. On the bottom of the Bottom board is a ring of Ebony Star laminate that glides over the three teflon pads located directly above the feet on the ground board. corners of the squares provide nice nooks for the eyepiece and eyepiece by cranking 5 weeks after I had ordered the mirror, I called to ask about its status. NEMA-17 Stepper Motor - see below, there are two options. Every primary telescope mirror has a fixed focal length thats usually 4 to 6 times the width of the mirror. What materials did you use? Put it all together You simply glue or screw the 'nut' part to your scope OTA, and thread the tube part in/out to focus. Helical is one of the option i am considering. the nylon screws going up from the bottom, but I found the knitting My guess is that photo was taken with a refractor. Share it with us! forward and back along with the drawtube when you focus, and you'll get A week later the cell arrived (on schedule) from University Optics. 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. I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. I do it with aluminium alloy, aluminium tube and nice work. 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. the side of a rigid secondary cage. All i did was supply the telescope as far as his camera equipment i dont know what he used i never saw it all i know is he had my scope for about a month while i was traveling and he gave me these photos. Most people will want a knob on Be creative! occurred to me that a square turned 45 degrees would give me two flat Your astrophotographer friend may have included his own images from his setup. They use a simple plywood mirror cell, stating that for an 8 inch mirror this cell will be adequate. This allowed me to cut perfect identical circles. I brought a saw with me so that I cut it in half to fit in my minivan. A wide hole will let the knitting needle creep The bigger upvc nut will be attached to focuser plate and longer threaded side will be used on it for the focusing. I gave them a call and they said they had one on the shelf14 inches in diameter and 12 feet long! Here is what I was working on but looks like I need a better design. While a sling or whiffletree provide the best edge support, a two-point edge support is much easier to construct. Another vote for Pierre's helical Crayford design. I was concerned that it would be difficult to find, but I was able to order it from a local woodworking shop. focusers for that project. Well, it sort of looks like a focuser.. See pictures below. We use cookies to continuously improve our websites for you and optimize its design and customization. The shroud made from two 22 inch tall containers came out short, so I had to add an eleven inch strip of nylon. I told them to take their time and get it right. A project collaboration and documentation platform. When they arrived, they were beautifully and carefully packaged with the secondary already installed in its holder. $299.99 More About Telescope Focusers Showcasing amazing maker projects of 2022. I was inspired to build telescopes during a trip out to McDonald Observatory in west Texas, where I saw a 36 fork-mounted telescope, tiny in comparison to the huge research telescopes at the site. I made a similar helical focuser with a nice 2 inch thing I found in Classifieds. #2 knitting needle would be just about right. As the thread shows you could also build the dual speed version, all made of plywood, if you feel ready to tackle a slightly more complex project for a cost of about 5$ more. rod for the drive axle it would have a fairly fine motion. This design could be adapted to practically any telescope or focuser, so I've kept my outline on the project brief. The current needs to be adjusted on the DRV8825. The mirror box encloses the mirror cell and allows the entire telescope to rotate vertically. So, as they say, "back to the drawing board". That is dirt cheap compared to the cost of commercially available focusers, which can top $1000 and are much heavier than what we will build. 5 weeks after I had ordered the mirror, I called to ask about its status. curated by us, the people behind Make: and the Maker Faire. 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 idea how much mail this idea will generate, so I can't on Introduction. From everything I had read, I expected that getting a sonotube would be as easy as running to any hardware store and picking it up. 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. So I decided to make my own, using my normal "blunder in naively and see what happens" approach to making things. This means you lose much of the night's images. I tried this one first and found it wouldn't work for my application. The base and the rocker box in my telescope are secured with a skate bearing assembly but could be more simply attached with a bolt through the center. A couple setscrews and you're up & running with an off the shelf solution. Next step, before my first acquisition of any parts, is to get with any amateur astronomers in Central Florida, so, wish me luck! both sides.
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