Alan64

In hunting for my aluminum stock, I ran across this aluminum yardstick that my father had exposed to some sort of solvent which erased about half of the indicators, so I thought, "Why not?"... It just so happens that with the thicknesses of the yardstick and the thinner sheet combined, the two measured out to a total thickness of, believe it or not, 2.5mm or 1/10". Actually, from end to end, an average of 2.7mm, but who's counting... But as fate would have it, the bolts to fasten the assemblage are too short. That means yet another trip to my local hardware at the county seat, but I don't mind as I love the place.

This is the only 120mm "Omni XLT", and with an equatorial mount instead... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/omni-xlt-series/celestron-omni-xlt-120.html Incidentally, that one would exhibit the least amount of false-colour when viewing brighter objects. Perhaps you were referring to this one... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/omni-xlt-series/celestron-omni-xlt-102-az.html That one would exhibit a little more, but not too terribly much. On the other hand, the "Startravel" 120mm would be as a kaleidoscope when viewing brighter objects, yet ideally suited for the dimmer deep-sky-objects and vistas.

There was a rather thick layer of paint on the worm-block's mating substrate as well, and tenacious... I would assume that the horizontal and vertical centers of the worm should mate and mesh with same of the RA-gear, and as precisely as this level of manufacturing will allow... ...a 2.5mm, or 1/10" gap. I didn't realise that the paint was that thick.

Yet again, I had to remove paint, from the worm-block's bottom surface and within all of the threaded and non-threaded holes... The RA-axis now has its clamp-pin... The depth of that hole is 12mm. I made the pin 5mm in height. The DEC clamp-pin; out with the old steel one, in with the new one of brass... That sort of looks like a steam-engine, and a train to the stars. I had second thoughts on using the clamping-knobs from the spare "AstroMaster" CG-2, as they just didn't look like they went with this "PowerSeeker" CG-2. After all, I do want this one to appear as original as possible, and the original thumbscrews, now with the brass-pins, are not difficult at all to batten down or loosen. These thumbscrews are, as a matter of fact, charming, and at the same time, subtle, tasteful. No need for the flashy stainless-steel there. They also match the thumbscrews for what will be the wooden legs for this mount-head...

I decided against a shim for the needle-thrust bearing, as the slop was only .010" all around. Here, the RA bearing and washers are lubed and ready to go... ...and to fit against and into the RA bore with its finalised PTFE shim in place... The bronze lock-nut washer... The mount-head with the axes completed, and with the RA-gear cover installed... The RA bearing and washers all nice 'n' comfy-cozy... Next up, the worm assembly... "Pickering, this is going to be ghastly!"

I have a spare Meade EQ-2 mount-head, and from a warranty claim(a wonky DEC shaft). For the RA-gear of the EQ-2, there's a plastic, protective cover... It just so happens, that with a slight modification, it will integrate with this EQ-1 as well. After chopping off a bit, to clear the worm assembly, I sanded the cover throughout and painted it with the rattle-can of hammered-black... I wanted to add it, not so much for the RA-gear, but to protect the needle-thrust bearing from dirt and dust. I won't know if it will interfere with the motor-drive until the latter's attachment. The cover's permanent inclusion will therefore depend wholly upon that. Whilst waiting, ever waiting, on that paint to cure, I corrected one of three problems remaining before I can complete the RA-axis, and the mount-head itself. The scale of this mount is of such a diminutive size that just as I had abandoned that of the DEC-axis, so for the RA-axis: its 1/16"-thick sintered-bronze washer for the needle-thrust bearing. Yes, I had to make yet another thin, bronze washer, the sixth, and this time round being definitively the last, for the axes anyway. Three for each axis I've had to make in the end... As for that of the DEC, for the RA-axis its bearing is now enveloped between identical bronze washers... Before, and after... I will have more of the flange to insert into the PTFE-lined, stepped bore of the base, and the lock-nut will have more room to seat; win-win. Trial-and-error is the name of the game when renovating these mounts. Now to do something about this slop, and the second to the last issue... Do you see it? Look closely. ? Now, we can't have that.

Don't get an eyepiece/accessory kit. In the long run it may very well end up in the closet. Besides, it doesn't include a 32mm, and you'll want that. Acquire your eyepieces no more than one or two at a time, and after careful research. Choosing eyepieces is somewhat akin to acquiring prescription-eyeglasses, at the eye-doctor. What sort of diagonal will you use at night? Perhaps a 2" star-diagonal, and in tandem with the "1.25" to 2" plus T thread adapter"? You can then choose just one 2" eyepiece; a 32mm, or a 38mm, and for your lowest power and widest field-of-view; to get your bearings there in the night sky, to find your way round. In so far as using a telescope during the day, and at night, a focal-length at, the very least, 600mm, to 900mm, would be ideal. Maksutovs, and Schmidts, are a bit lengthy(>1000mm); with the 72mm ED refractor at the other extreme(420mm), and intended primarily for imaging, for taking pictures. Incidentally, I have this 70mm f/13 achromat, and with a focal-length of 900mm... It was thrown in with the mount I had wanted at the time. I can get a respectably low power of 28x out of it, with a 32mm eyepiece, but it doesn't gather much light from an object; and no, I'm not suggesting that particular telescope, not at all. However, it does demonstrate an ideal focal-length, at or near maximum, which would play quite well with the 4mm-to-40mm range of eyepieces, but the aperture is too dim for my liking. This one has a focal-length of 600mm... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/pro-series/skywatcher-evostar-80ed-ds-pro-ota.html An 80mm aperture is as small as I would choose, for my first refractor, but that's just me.

The current "long" achromats are not that long. This is a long-focus achromat, and with a focal-length similar to that of a Maksutov... https://stargazerslounge.com/uploads/monthly_11_2014/post-33902-0-80153000-1415559339.jpg The current, longish achromats are actually of a medium length, rather. With a 90mm f/10, there would be minimal false-colour, but only when viewing the brighter and brightest objects in the sky. You might see some during the day as well. Given its moderate focal-length, respectably low powers with widish fields-of-view are quite possible; moreso than with a Maksutov, although a Maksutov is a worthy contender nonetheless. If at all possible, if you go with a Maksutov, get a 127mm, as that's the "sweet spot" among the design's varying apertures... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-127-ota.html ...although the focal-length does increase as one goes up in aperture, per the design. You would perhaps not need that much aperture during the day, as the Sun's out, albeit behind the clouds on occasion, but at night, the more aperture the better.

Oh, I had forgotten... Where the DEC clamp-ring fits over its corresponding flange, slop... You can see the gap there trailing around. It's not a lot, but slop nonetheless. It's not that crucial to do anything about it, but that is where most of the action takes place as the telescope is swung to and fro, hence, more bronze to the rescue... At that point, there certainly wasn't any more slop, but it was too tight for my preference. I then thought, "Well, it'll get smoother over time", but in the next moment I had visions of it getting all mucked up in the process, and where I'd have to take it all apart in future and clean it. I didn't want to reduce the I.D. of the aluminum clamp-ring, so I ground, sanded, and polished down the steel flange all around instead. My only other alternative was the use of a thinner brass for the shim, an easier although inferior solution.

Continuing on with the mount-head, the DEC-axis still... I had gone ahead and altered this thicker, sintered-bronze washer, and for the needle-thrust bearing to rest upon... ...but all for naught, as that extra thickness would've created problems at the clamp-ring and the axis' lock-nut. So instead of a total of two thinner washers of phosphor-bronze to craft for the DEC, three instead. So, I made the second one, not knowing that the thicker one wasn't going to pan out... After the revelation, I made the third, and the very last one to make for this entire mount-head... Both the second and third are identical, to sandwich the needle-thrust bearing, and isolating same from the aluminum above and below it... There they are, a total of three I had to make. Do note how the bearing juts out at the side all around, but then how could you not notice. Nonetheless, the bronze washers overlap at least half of the length of the rollers within the bearing, on both sides, and good enough. I might make a protective cover for the bearing in future, depending, and to keep dirt and dust off and out of it. Next, I adjusted and polished a smaller, sintered-bronze washer for the lock-nut... The DEC-axis is completed. Incidentally, I'm using Super Lube throughout this mount... How's the motion?

Oxblood is more traditional, than the "Merlot" I had used for my larger wooden tripod; old-school, like a wooden stake.

There's much less drag, resistance, with that washer in place; smooth as butter 'tis.

Whilst waiting on the dye to arrive for my "sticks", as a relative refers to them, the first of two of the .008"-thick phosphor-bronze washers for the DEC-axis has been scribed onto the sheet of same... The I.D. is perfect, but I'll have to trim the O.D. just a little after cutting it out of the sheet. You don't have to drill a perfect hole all the way through the I.D., just as long as it's fairly centered and with enough room to insert the tips of those scissors, then you snip out the bulk of the I.D.... With the washer still within the sheet, you grind and sculpt out the I.D., checking the fit frequently over whichever flange it might be. You want it to just fit over the flange, and with no binding as the sheet is rotated... You then cut the washer from the sheet, trim it close to the O.D.'s scribed line, and there it is in its rough and unpolished state... Next, the edge of the O.D. is ground down to its final diameter, then the edges of the I.D. and O.D. are evened-up and smoothed with 100-grit or finer sandpaper. Lastly, you take #0000 steel-wool with a few drops of lemon-oil and polish the washer, edges and surfaces, throughout... With the DEC-control, and the washer sandwiched between it and the body of the saddle... It's a bit overkill for that area, as only minute movements will be made at that juncture, but nonetheless the washer isolates aluminum from aluminum.

I decided against the burgundy dye, as it has just a bit too much yellow, making it brownish. My late father was a luthier of sorts, in his retirement. He would use leather-dyes for his woods, like this one... He added some black, to where it's a dark purple when I added some denatured alcohol, and the bottle had long since been emptied. It is still sold, but I ordered two bottles of this brand instead... I've seen that particular brand of oxblood dye tested on a neutral piece of wood... Come heck or high-water, it's going to be that, as I'll have two bottles of the stuff. It can be diluted, for a lighter shade if desired, and with denatured-alcohol.

I had been looking at the various dyes online, rather than stain, and for these tripod-legs. Some were water-based, but I didn't want that. And there in my own backyard, in a cupboard actually, a bottle of alcohol-based burgundy, and practically full... ...and tested there on a scrap of maple. Incidentally, I still don't know the species of wood of which these legs were made. I'm thinking luan, meranti or "Philippine mahogany"; all the same I think. In any event, it's rather dense, inflexible... ...and quite strong for such small stock.

I don't use a 45° Amici for stargazing. That's simply the diagonal that came with the C90. But upon studying the images more closely, perhaps a RACI would be best, particularly when the telescope is pointed at or near the zenith; my apologies.

An obsessed amateur does what an obsessed amateur must... "Gruelling" was not the word, rather "exhausting", "excruciating", and in stripping those legs. It was absolutely, positively, no fun, and to the point where I don't feel any sense of reward after having done so. But, they are pretty nonetheless. I've decided not to worry it to death in getting every last speck of the old stain out of the pores. The colour to be chosen will be medium-dark, after all. I want this colour...

A Maksutov requires a "seeing-eye-dog", or a seeing-eye owl, when attempting to navigate the sky with the Maksutov's rather long, drinking-straw-like focal-length; in manual mode, on the fly... If a finderscope, get a straight-through 50mm... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/skywatcher-9x50-finderscope.html The RACIs were developed for Newtonians.

Ah, but you lose the grain of the wood in that. These legs are going to get something special, colour-wise.

Welly well, that worked a charm, a treat... The bulk of the old finish is gone, but traces remain. I may give them a second coat, but outdoors, as this stuff is not particularly nose-friendly, even with a ventilation-fan running, although that did help, and from turning me into a vegetable.

Yes, the legs are practically identical... The tripod-hub of my own has the same split-yokes, but not much of a base for a mount head... Yes, all of these off-shore equatorials, particularly the entry-level, must be loosened throughout, and before even thinking of adding a motor-drive. The greater the level of attention, the better for the drive... https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/319273-meade-large-equatorialeq-2-hyper-tuning/ I still have some more to do to it, however.

Thank you. Yes, as I had suspected, many do.

That's kind of, sort of, the colour of..."circus peanuts"... ...a pinkish-orange, like a Padparadscha sapphire as well...

Whatever the nature of this finish, it's not particularly lovely... If I had to guess the colour, I'd say "peat".

The other two will need to be adjusted like that. The sawn surfaces will be faced with brass sheet, epoxied. That's the old hardware from the Tanzutsu, the butterfly-nut specifically, and all of zinc-plated steel. In so far as the integration, that experimentation with the spreader is just that, and nothing more.