SpookyKatt

Many thanks for this thread, its interesting and the video is useful in explaining the final proposed operation. I'd have thought the first step in removing the backlash would still have been to do a belt mod, are you going to do one as well to the mount as there is still a source for backlash between the gears between the motor and worm ? Kathleen

Well someone else might have another suggestion, I used a ballhead as it means you can move the guidescope independently to the rest of the star adventurer.

I did this with 50mm guidescope by taking the dovetail off the gudiescope rings and attaching a longish arc swiss plate and then screwing a camera ball head onto the 3/8 screw your indicating. Then the gudiescope sits on the ballhead if that makes sense. Kathleen

Ah ok, thanks for that. Well you still have a bit of time to think through the logistics of it all hehe, I guess this thread might give an idea of what kind of interest there would be for it which is good.

Sound like an intersting idea, what size would the tent sized areas be ? Me and three friends were in the US to see the 2017 eclipse but it clouded out just before totality and cleared just as totality was ending, always up for seeing another though. Kathleen

Good news, here's hoping he can resolve the issue.

Perhaps the retaining ring on the front of the cell would provide enough pressure to keep the lens in place. Personally as frustrating as it is I'm not sure its a good idea to remove the grub screws, I think you should send an email to APM and ask their advice.

Sorry Adam maybe I judged the pictures wrongly, for the last pictures attached to the original post I thought 1 & 3 looked like what I would expect but I'll bow to your knowledge. Things certainly don't quite look correct.

Ok thanks for that, hmm well your artifical star images don't look right and I can see an issue in the images but I am confused why the star images look fine if its always the same setup. I must admit when I looked at it I wondered it if was a tilt issue as well but I see Adam's comment implies the distorion remains fixed and doesn't rotate if the camera is rotated, could there be anything loose or offset alignment wise with the focuser ?

Hi PadrePeace, There's alot more well informed people than me on the forum but can I just ask re the last 4 images was there any difference in the equipment being used between shooting the star and shooting the artifical star ? Kathleen