MN190 and Twin ED80 Triple Imaging Rig

[Gina]

My latest project   MN190 and two ED80s mounted on the EQ8 and maybe the widefield triple imaging rig on top of the MN190.

Firstly then the MN190 + 2 ED80s.  I'm planning to buy an aluminium plate 500mm x 250mm x 10mm to fasten on top of the 15" Losmandy style dovetail bar that has the MN190 on.  Hopefully this will provide a sufficiently rigid connection between the MN190 with OAG guiding and the ED80s.  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Flat-Bar-Plate-width-from-120mm-to-250mm-many-thicknesses-and-lengths-/151080276666?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&var=450190730512&hash=item232d1612ba

Here is an aerial view of the arrangement.  The MN190 camera will actually be below the scope rather than above it.

[SnakeyJ]

It's going to be a beast of a setup Gina and looking forward to seeing some of the resulting images very soon.   Are you only using the focal reducer on one ED80, or will you be sourcing another to balance things up?   Also wondering what you will be using to control the 460 and the two 314's, can you run multiple instances of Artemis on one workstation and multihead this to 2 or 3 monitors/displays?

I struggle to cope with Nebulosity, CDC, EQMod, PHD and AT on my laptop screen, so will be adding another wall mounted display in the obs - and this is just with the guide and image camera.

[Gina]

It's going to be a beast of a setup Gina and looking forward to seeing some of the resulting images very soon.   Are you only using the focal reducer on one ED80, or will you be sourcing another to balance things up?   Also wondering what you will be using to control the 460 and the two 314's, can you run multiple instances of Artemis on one workstation and multihead this to 2 or 3 monitors/displays?

I struggle to cope with Nebulosity, CDC, EQMod, PHD and AT on my laptop screen, so will be adding another wall mounted display in the obs - and this is just with the guide and image camera.

Well spotted   The reducer on one scope is the result of a setup I had started but never finished - I was going to use one with 460EX and the other with 314L+ as a twin imaging rig.  Now with the EQ8 I can bung it all on the one mount   I'm planning to use the ED80s without reducers giving 600mm FL being closer to the 700mm that would be ideal to match the images produced by the 460EX and the 314L+.  The focal ratio at F7.5 is a bit of a nuisance but better than nothing.  As these will most likely be used for the OIII and SII subs I shall probably need exposures of something like 30-60m.  The MN190 with 460 would be taking the Ha, probably several times as many subs in the time as the 314s on the ED80s.

[Gina]

Now have the aluminium plate 250mm x 500mm x 10mm for mounting the two Evostar ED80s on the dovetail and hoping to drill and tap holes and assemble everything today.  I'll post photos later.

[Gina]

I have now drilled and tapped all required holes and fitted the big ali plate to the dovetail and the 4 ED80 tube rings to the plate.  Two of the holes are large to allow alignment of the ED80s by slackening the bolts.  The second photo shows the 2" wide plate that I plan to mount the Esprit 80ED on - this needs cutting to length yet and then bolting to the MN190 tube rings.

[SnakeyJ]

Looking very nice - robust, elegant and somewhat space age with the core surrounded by three strap on boosters

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