AE Luton Type B mount

[dark star]

Hi, I finally got to try out my new (to me!) mount last night.

The mount holds my 10 inch f/4.8 reflector with ease.

I pushed the telescope around by hand to point it, there is no slow motion control on the RA axis. This works well.

The only problem is, when the telescope is pointing lower down the tension in the RA axis is not enough and it tends to swing up and down slightly.

Does anyone know how to go about tightening something to fix this? Some of the gears/ motor are in a transparent plastic box.

I don't want to touch anything until I have some idea of what I am doing!

I used it manually as the grass was really wet and I haven't got any waterproof/ armoured cable for the 240v mains supply yet.

I have a RCD and waterproof box for the electric plugs, but I want to feel totally safe!

I bought a hand truck from Screwfix to make getting the equatorial head from the shed to my observing point in the garden easier. It weighs at least 30KG. Lifting it on to the pedestal mount is hard work, but possible!

If I ever (in a few years!) buy a 12 inch or 14 inch telescope (not a reflector!) I am sure the mount will handle it find. It is very heavy duty.

It is not ideal if not in an observatory or fixed location, but I couldn't resist it! All in all I am very pleased with the mount.

I will leave the pedestal out and put the equatorial head away in the shed.

David

[kev]

FWIW, When I had a mains driven sync motor mount, I put a screw fixed earth wire directly onto the main pillar, so that should it get too damp and anything start to break down the RCD would cut out the power before it cut out when it tried earthing through me!

(this was in the days of a BCF Mk3 mount, which I fried myself on one christmas eve).

[AndyH]

Sure would love to see some pics.

Sounds magnificent. Old school, quality engineering.

Keep us updated. Love reading about this kind of stuff.

Cheers,

Andy.

[dark star]

My understanding (from reading a previous post) was that as the pedestal and equatorial head are almost totally metal it is anyway earthed, because it is metal? However, my understanding of electricity is extremely limited!

The mount is great! I will try to post some pictures the next cloudless night on a weekend, this may be in a while! It is too much hassle to get out of the shed unless I am going to observe.

I want to set up the mount in daylight, or at least twilight next time.

As trying to align the holes on the pedestal and mount for the bolts (there are three) is possible but not easy with a torch in the dark!

I will post some pictures of the pedestal and a mod I am planning in the longer term in the DIY section.

Regards

David

[AndyH]

My understanding (from reading a previous post) was that as the pedestal and equatorial head are almost totally metal it is anyway earthed, because it is metal? However, my understanding of electricity is extremely limited!

The mount is great! I will try to post some pictures the next cloudless night on a weekend, this may be in a while! It is too much hassle to get out of the shed unless I am going to observe.

I want to set up the mount in daylight, or at least twilight next time.

As trying to align the holes on the pedestal and mount for the bolts (there are three) is possible but not easy with a torch in the dark!

I will post some pictures of the pedestal and a mod I am planning in the longer term in the DIY section.

Regards

David

[dark star]

I just realised that the mod involves fixing large industrial castors with rubber wheels to the pedestal, this means it will be rubber touching the ground, not metal!

I may have to figure out a way of earthing the mount after all, not sure how to do this if I want to move the mount around occasionally.

David

[AndyH]

Metal stake/rod(like a h/duty tent peg?), that can be put into the ground, attached to earthing wire, attached to mount ??

So wheel the mount to the required area and prod the peg into the ground??

I'm hopeless with leccie, so don't know if it'll work?

Andy.

[dark star]

Thanks Andy. I am trying to teach myself about electricity and will try to make a very simple electric circuit today, using a battery. I am just learning about resistors at the moment, and how to figure out the Ohms (whatever that is!) of the resistor by the colour code on the resistor. Electricity is complicated!

Eventually I want to make an electric focuser, using Maplin's gears (as seen on this website, if I remember correctly.)

David