Guide Scope - 9x50 Conversion

[Freff]

This is something I have been meaning to do for a while but have been diverted by one thing or another.

I have been using my SW102 as a guide scope for some time, but at 6lbs I have suspected that it has caused flex in my setup.

So as a result I have cracked on and made an adapter to convert my MN190's 9x50 finder scope to a guide scope.

A quick test last night confirmed easy focus by just moving in or out the QHY6 camera by a few grub screws.

At 1½lbs including the mount I'm happy with the results. Later I hope to make or buy some adjusting rings for it if needed.

[BigBlueOne]

Hi Tony,

Very neat job indeed, Did you you turn the alluminium section

yourself. Only I have the same finder and cam with an adapter

purchased from Bernard at modern astronomy.

I miss having like you a solid connection between the guidescope

and camera I think I may set my adapter into the body of mine

permanantly.

BigBlueOne.

[Freff]

Thanks BigBlueOne.

Yes I have a lathe and was able to turn the part myself. The adapter makes the whole thing very rigid and simple to focus.

The scope can also be easily returned to it's original purpose, with only 3 x 1mm holes in the body adjuster grove which would be unseen.

I haven't seen Bernard's, but would be interested if you have an image of it.

[steelfixer]

Tony I did the same thing to my finder.

It worked ok but I found I had a problem with the actual mount.

I don't know it they are different on your scope it looks the same as mine.

The problem I have found is keeping the finder scope rigid in the dovetail holder.

Mine keeps moving no matter how tight I do the screw up.

Did you do anything to your mount or is mine just a sloppy fit.

thanks

Graham

[Freff]

Hi Graham, no I haven't done anything to the dovetail holder. It fits snug in all my SW scopes. What scope are you attaching it to.

[steelfixer]

Hi again.

It is on my Helios which is the forerunner to the skywatcher 200.

When I tried to use mine for guiding it would start off great but as the scope rotates round gravity takes over and the guide scopes moves in the mount.

I just wondered if there was a simple fix for this so I donot have to end up changing the mount itself.

[Freff]

It's actually moving in the dovetail on the scope, is that correct. If so have you tried to pack it a bit just to make it a bit tighter.

Is the finder scope the original that came with the scope.

If it can't be solved you may have to revert to scope rings.

[malc-c]

Hi again.

It is on my Helios which is the forerunner to the skywatcher 200.

When I tried to use mine for guiding it would start off great but as the scope rotates round gravity takes over and the guide scopes moves in the mount.

I just wondered if there was a simple fix for this so I donot have to end up changing the mount itself.

Can you upload a picture of how you have attached your guidescope... much better than trying to describe it

[steelfixer]

Hi Malcolm

My guide scope is exactly as Freff's last picture.

The original finderscope with a camera inserted into the end to replace the EP.

It is mounted in the dovetail holder that is the original finderscope mount.

Tony - got it in one. the fit in the original mount is next to useless.

How you can have lateral movement in a wedge is beyond me but it is there.

I am in the middle of trying something different at the moment.

I have attached the spc900 to a vary focal camera lens.

This I have mounted to the camera point on the scope's tube rings.

Things look promising but it seems to be a cloud magnet, every time I try to test it out the clouds roll in. lol

If this fails I will return to the original idea of using the finder scope but this time I am going to attach it to a central bar fitted between the tube rings on a locking swivel plate.

Graham

[astrovirus]

The standard finderscope bracket that comes with the Skywatcher scope is rubish for guiding as the finder scope has a sloppy fit. I use an ajustable finderscope bracket from Baader which makes aligning the finderguider to the main scope very simple, just as with standard guider rings. I mount it directly on top of my front telescope ring of the 200P (see attached image), this way it has absolute no movement except within the guider rings. I have remove the mounting foot from the bracket to be able to mount it directly on my telescope rings by the camera thread.

Hope this helps,

Regards Tim

[steelfixer]

Thanks Tim that looks the perfect answer to my problems.

Appolagies to Tony I seem to have hijacked your thread.

[Freff]

Thanks Tim that looks the perfect answer to my problems.

Appolagies to Tony I seem to have hijacked your thread.

Tim

Looks just the job, but I'm not sure if it's a good price or not. I have not seen one before

Graham

Not at all, it's all the same topic.

I might source some aluminium tube next week and start

thinking about making some scope rings. I need the dovetail on my scope back to use a finder as it was intended.