opticalpath

I read the same sad news.  I've had an excellent G42+ mount for many years and benefitted from Andras's friendly, expert advice on several occasions.
I think his company is a small operation, perhaps depending pretty much on him personally, so I'm not sure if there will be anyone ready to take over.

I'll be watching the GTD web site to see if there is any news.

Adrian

I haven't tried it, but you might be able to do it with two adapters:  a c-mount female to T-thread male, plus a T-thread female to 1.25" male.  For example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-T2-T-Mount-Male-to-C-Mount-Female-camera-adapter-/251175321713?hash=item3a7b374071:m:mfQNmf33aeyt0wne7jgl1oA

http://agenaastro.com/blue-fireball-t-t2-female-m28-5-male-thread-adapter-t-03.html

A cheap DIY alternative could be to buy an inexpensive c-mount lens to DSLR/ Micro 4/3 camera adapter and Araldite on to this an old 1.25" threaded filter cell with the glass removed 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-mount-movie-16mm-1-2-Lens-To-Micro-M-4-3-43-M43-Adapter-for-Olympus-Panasonic-/322016427684?hash=item4af9acbea4:g:gLkAAOSwGvhT9CWZ

Adrian

We can only stare and marvel at your efforts and the result - simply breath-taking!

Adrian     

If weather permits, I'd test it through the scope, looking at a distant object (or star) at high power (or better, image it with crosswires view).  Set speed to low guide rate (say 0.1 x sidereal : 1.5 arcsec per sec) and move the joystick in one direction.  Count how long it takes before the object starts moving in the FOV, then try in reverse direction. 

Adrian

Dave, sorry to ask the obvious:

1. Have you checked that the RA and Dec locks are snug so the scope is not slipping.

2. Have you confirmed that the scope is actually moving at all?   Check this by setting it running then point it at a distant terrestrial object to find out if it's moving.  Or just note the scope's position and leave it running for an hour or two then look again to see if it moved.  If you confirm it's moving but just not tracking correctly, bring up the display on the handset that shows the scope's RA and Dec position (i.e. where the scope thinks it's pointing).   If it was tracking correctly, RA and Dec should hardly change.  Since your scope is not tracking correctly, they will change.  HOW they change (rate/ direction of drift) in each axis may tell you something about what is going on.

Adrian

Dave, try the scope on hard ground, or if on soft terrain, put a piece of paving slab or wood offcut under each leg to spread the load and prevent the feet from sinking in.

It's a long while since I used my Meade scope, but don't you get some confirmation message or beep to confirm that it has acquired the GPS signal?

Did you say if your scope is mounted alt-az, or on a wedge? 

Adrian

Maybe I can claim the oldest-technology DSO image here. I took this image of M45 whilst I was at Glasgow University in 1975. We had access to a Grubb-Parkins 20" telescope (on a poor site) which had a piggy-backed wide field camera that took old-style scientific photographic glass plates!

I took this, my very first DSO image, with this camera. It's a manually-guided 40 minute exposure on a Kodak 0.800 pan. 'super-speed' (ISO 25, I think!) plate .... which I still have: here's a picture of it. Amazing to think where technology has taken us since then.

Adrian