gian

Hi i actually got that focuser, but the version with the thread instead of the flange. it is a 2 " focuser so pretty large for a 130p. i have designed and built a completely new support system for the focuser but it is a bit small for this 2" one. will need to modify it slightly in order to make space for the thread. then i need to shorten the focuser as it is too long. however i dont want to remove the stock focuser so i will need to do a little more designing for the new support that will be in parallel with the original focuser. lots of projects currently on my bench, and workshop is bloody cold... but it is slowly progressing. we had some clear nights and had a chance to take a look at Venus finally. not so exciting, as expected, and the atmosphere is really moving! if anyone would like to comment, what do you think of the EQ3-1 vs the EQ3-2? i had the chance to look closely at a EQ3-2 and seems a very nice piece of hw. i am still not sure about that TS 150/700 mounted on top of a EQ3-1, price is pretty good but is a 2hrs drive to go pick ut up gm

i have located a used TS optics 150/750 with a EQ3-1 mount and tripod, with all the bits and pieces, for the equivalent of 120 euro might just get it, sell the 150/750 and keep the rest for the 130p

i have located a EQ-3 with tripod but the seller says he is fixing it because of a small defect, so waiting i also found this from the usual suspects would it be ok for a 130p? https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php?products_id=4949#cs

Hi Alan thanks for the info, i think i will order one. shortening is not a big deal. i could actually design and build a focuser but modifying an existing one can be cheaper and quicker. together with my extra trusses should work fine, and the support bracket will be lower than the stock one. my only doubt is the funny angle of the stock 130p focuser. ill take more measurements but it doesnt look 90 degs with the main tube" "used EQ-2 mount(about 60 eur), although EQ3 would be much better, this one has a bit of whiplash" thanks, will keep eyes open for a EQ3 gm

Hi Sub Dwarf, i might have located one of those eq mounts, if they ship to Switzerland i have seen that on ebay there are rack and pinion focusers for sale cheap, around 35 dollars, are those any good (better than the stock 130P focuser) or no point in wasting time and money? im almost done reinforcing the focuser support and i could easily replace the standard focuser with something better

the difference is here: it is safe to assume there is a washermachine in every house. so yes, occasionally they burn, but is a very rare event considering the installed base. plus washermachines have to go through testings and certifications. on average, they are built very very well, i have opened/fixed a few and the amount of engineering behind a washermachine is enormous. literally decades of evolution and millions/billions units built. on the other side, there might be one 3d printer every 1,000 houses or probably less, still you can find several cases of 3d printers burning. plus, a 3d printer will have up to over a kg of fuel sitting in close vicinity: the filament. i am far from being paranoid about fires, but i am aware of the limitations of 3d printers, the amount of engineering in them (pretty low, expecially the homebuilt ones...) and the quality of the components used so i will leave a washermachine running unattended, but i will not do that with my 3d printer just yet... power supplies: yes i know most PSU are chinese built nowadays but there are huge differences in build quality, materials used, design. some are pretty good, some are just outright dangerous. plenty videos on YT of people taking apart chinese electronics and finding abysmal stuff. i have usually trusted them, until one PSU i fitted to a CNC router i built went in flames right in front of my eyes. amazingly, the PSU kept working until i switched everything off. a bad cap is enough to ruin your day, and chinese are not famous for using good quality caps and transformers, which are what stands between you and a fire or an electrocution in a switching power supply. i work in software industry, pretty big and expensive stuff. trusting my life on firmware? nnnope.... gmr

PLA mechanical qualities are too poor for prodicing parts that will see real world use. PLA parts will shrink and warp just esposing them to the summer sun if of dark color thing is, i have not found any reason to use PLA. where i buy filament from, PLa and PETG cost the same, so why bother.

hi all i have no experience with 3d printers other than the prusa I3 mk3s. at the time i did some research and ended up deciding to pay some more and get something that would work, and work out of the box, without spending weeks tweaking the 10000 paramenters of slicer and printer. bed leveling is extremely important. if leveling is not correct filament will not stick to the bed, or will be dragged by the nozzle. the difference between these two is really small, less than .1 mm . also, first layer is what will makes a difference between a printed part or a mess. id suggest designing a 2x2cm rectangle half mm thick, place several on the bed, slice and print, looking at the quality of the first layer on the different areas of the bed. when filament is changed, run this print to be sure first layer is ok. if the first layer is not good, all the rest will fail. first layer must be spot on, and reliable. slower first layer (10-14mm/sec) always improves quality of the prints, filament: i get always the same filament from the same supplier. no time to spend hours experimenting with different filaments to theoretically save a few cents. and believe it or not, same filament of different color will require Z axis adjustment. i only print with PETG, PLA is only good for toys or prototyping, not for stuff that will be used for anything practical. bed preparation: spring steel bed with PEI surface. i use a thin layer of glue stick, put a few dabs here and there and spread it with a slightly wet sponge. tried lots of other methods. but this works. glue has to be fresh, or at least sponged up a little to make it wet before printing. i always print from sd card. it will work reliably, even though my computers run on linux and dont reboot by themselves. i NEVER print at night, with printer unattended. even though the prusa is very reliable, i live in a wooden house... gmr

Hi all as there is already this thread on the 130p i post here i am reinforcing the focuser assembly with two more alu trusses and 3d printed brackets. i opened a thread in the DIY section but the best would be to replace this focuser with a rack and pinion type. i have seen metal rack and pinion focusers on ebay around 30/35 dollars, does anyone have experience with those? are they any good? gmr

struggled a bit with the links...

Hi all following a discussion on the beginner section re beginner's astrophotography with this entry level telescope, and the shortcomings of the 130p focuser assembly, i have put together a support. it still allows the telescope to be collapsed for transport and storage with this support, the assembly is a lot more rigid and will not flex, also stabilizing the secondary mirror (the secondary mirror will move a lot when the focuser assembly is moved even by a small amount this would allow the use of a heavier camera (a DSLR perhaps) mounted on the standard eyepiece. this might also permit the installation of a better focuser, i havent checked whats available, or if one can be easily homemade i have however noticed that the focuser assy does not point straight at 90% towards the secondary mirror, but is canted slightly towards the bottom of the scope. not sure whether it is a defect of the plastic part or a design feature at this stage, i could glue/screw the support to the focuser assembly as it is, or bend it to straighten it up. i think my preference would be to glue the support to the assy as it is. opinions? all parts are 3d printed, the aluminium is a standard anodized alu tube 15mm OD that can be found in the usual DIY shops

Hi Kat the focuser will not fail, as the plastic part is quite substantial but it flexes a lot. and when flexing it carries with it the secondary mirror, amplifying the flex by at least an order of magnitude. so much for carefully aligning the mirrors lol i have quickly taken some measures and designed this part. the ring can be plasma cut from steel and thats quite cheap process, or cut on a decent router. the focuser assembly tab is 8mm steel and is welded to the ring. the ring can be screwed to the existing plastic ring, or even glued. probably enough zip ties would even do and eliminate most of the flex this can be installed so that the original focuser support remains in place and the mod can be rolled back with minor impact on the telescope two extra 6 or 8 mm trusses can be easily added, with two 3d printed guides that then get glued to the main tube. a better focuser assembly can then be fitted to this ring. i dont have any idea what sort of focusers are available on the market at a decent price and what sort of attachment they have so my design stops there. this part in steel would weight 640m grams, so not light, but i have designed it very massive and thats a worst case scenario. this can also be done in alu, but i dont have an AC tig welder . alu is also much easier to cut but less strong Sub-Dwarf, i think i have seen that mod before. pretty cool.

i share your feelings about the focuser assembly. but the D40 is rather light at more or less 500 grams. my D3300 is even lighter and has liveview mode so i can use the lcd i can also design and install some sort of support. im planning to beef up the focuser assembly anyway as it is really flimsy. the focuser assembly is probably by far the crappiest component of this telescope. im surprised, considering how many have been probably built, that there is no metal (or at least more rigid) retrofit

i also found this thing https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3334364 is an adapter to fit a nikon body directly over an eyepiece. i thought this would not be possible? well, this is easy and might try it. filament is cheap. also found adapter to fit a nikon camera body to a 1.25 focusser. might also try that. weather sucks, and the 3d printer sits idle

Hi i had a look at that stuff. will sure consider it for the future. my doubt is how long it takes to set these up for observation. i dont have a fixed observatory so i need a rig that i can set up quickly. i saw things like this https://www.instructables.com/id/Control-Your-Telescope-Using-Stellarium-Arduino/ or the OnStep however for the time being i think ill go for an equatorial platform on a different note, i found a tip on a YT video about a thing to accurate focus, is basically a front cover with two holes something like this pretty quick to make or 3d print,