banjaxed

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Glad you found a satisfactory solution, the old saying “where there is a will there is a way comes to mind”

Yes it is obvious now that you have removed the bracket, there is no practical way to fit the focuser any other way. I have built a few of my own design motor focusers but they all use the focuser cover screws for attaching. I understand your reluctance to drill holes in a £1200 scope but it doesn’t look like you have much choice if you want a firmly fixed motor.

I have never seen a bracket fitted with only one screw before as they are meant to be fitted with two of the focuser plate cover screws. The Skywatcher usually comes with two brackets to enable it to be attached with two screws. Your scope looks like it has a different plate but without taking the focuser bracket off it is not possible to see.

Hi Ricky, welcome to SGL.

Welcome to SGL.

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Glad you got it sorted 👍

Not familiar with the scope but that back cover looks like a protective cover to me. I would suggest you remove it carefully and see if it reveals the collimation screws.

Hi and welcome back to SGL.

Welcome to SGL.

After putting it off for ages I finally decided to have the long awaited clear out in the garage when I came across an AZ3 tripod that I had forgotten about. It was consigned to the back of the garage when I bought a stainless steel tripod which is much more stable. Just placed an order with FLO for the mounting plate so it has worked out for the better as the AZ3 is not brilliant for a heavier scope but it should be fine for my ST80.

Thank you John are Heather, your suggestion looks like a perfect solution.

The dovetail on the ST80 is not standard, it doesn’t look familiar and has only one screw hole at one end. Looks like a standard dovetail plate will solve my problem.

Hi John, I am wanting to attach the OTA to the camera tripod.

I recently bought a 80 mm travel scope for portability and was wondering if there is an adapter available for mounting it to a camera tripod. My searches have drawn a blank so any suggestions would be gratefully received

Welcome to SGL Claudio.

I don’t believe it, the skies were clear last night and I actually had some great views of Saturn and Jupiter. 👍

Optimism is essential for this hobby 😀

Just set your gear up to cool down and by the time you go out to start your session it WILL be cloudy 🙄

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Hi and welcome to SGL.

You probably already have a power adapter that will do the job, just make sure it is 12volt DC. The plug might be different but you can buy the correct plug for very little money.

Have a look at this, easy to make with much more speed control and you can make the power lead as long as you want it.

I have used the Skywatcher focuser and they are quite easy to fit with the supplied brackets. My only negative view is that they are very slow with little difference between fast and slow speed.