200p dob mods

[texaspete1973]

Thanks to Lennylovit,I now have a couple more mods done to the Skyliner. Adjustable legs are now fitted to the base,Lazy susan is now installed,upgraded alli centre bush,new secondary thumb scews fitted(thanks to Mr Fibble),a carrying strap fitted,new primary s/s thumb screws and my setting circle pointer is now all complete :smiley:

[atmenterprises]

I was just eyeing the lazy Susan today. I think that's going to be my next project.

How'd you do the carrying strap?

[texaspete1973]

Its more of a carrying aid than a strap,its a lifting strap that velcro's around the ota just under the focuser.It then has a small handle built into the material so you grab the handle but you must grab the base of the ota aswell so you have full controll over holding it without worrying about it slipping out of your hands,simple but very effective.Lennylovit got it for me.Its the beauty of this group,if somebody see's something that could be handy,they dont just get one, they get a few to share with other members . You should do the lazy susan mod,it really makes a difference but you do have to upgrade to teflon pads to give the whole setup a bit of resistance or it will be too free

Edited October 28, 2012 by texaspete1973

[stevetynant]

+1 Pete that carrying handle is really simple and cheap but it's a great asset in transporting your dob. Yet to add the bush but doesn't look like we're getting any viewing in for a while so plenty of time.

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[texaspete1973]

I totally agree Steve,it feels secure now wnen you are carrying it.I couldnt fault Lenny yesterday,I was with him for 4 hours and we got a lot done . Nothings too much trouble for anyone in this group which in my opinion makes it the best group

[L8-Nite]

Even though I get very little use out of the scopes I have, after following this thread

I'm starting to get an itch for a Dob.

[atmenterprises]

Even though I get very little use out of the scopes I have, after following this thread

I'm starting to get an itch for a Dob.

Half of the fun is tricking out your scope then telling everyone what you did. Dob owners seem to be a pretty cool group of people.

[atmenterprises]

you do have to upgrade to teflon pads to give the whole setup a bit of resistance or it will be too free

You have a name or part number for these Teflon pads? Did you do your altitude ones too?

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Just throwing this out there incase anyone wants to try it, but i spotted some non stick teflon sheets in the supermarket earlier. They come in a4 size and are for putting on baking trays etc. i wonder if a couple of those stuck between base boards would give a good movement... Not so much for a 200p because there is a gap between boards from the washer and existing teflon pads, but maybe a couple of strips on the alt bearing would work out.

I wont try it personally since i already did a lazy susan and did teflon mouse tape for the alt... But maybe of use to someone...

[texaspete1973]

I'm unsure on a part number but Lennylovit would know as he got them,they are the ones on page 1 of this thread 3rd photo along

[atmenterprises]

hi all a few of us got 200p wot mods have you done ?,

my list so far

flocked

centred focuser + center spot on tube (for lazer)

lazy susan + pads

adj legs (£1.50 each focus bargin bin)

ali center bush + ali washer

wot next ???

how tight are the spider nuts done up ????

Hey Lenny - where'd you get the Teflon pads?

[texaspete1973]

On my scope i dont have pads on the altitude, that happens by tightening the handles either side which secure the ota to the base

[lennylovit]

teflon draw runners we used on both scopes

[Lenny147]

Hi all, bought a Wixey and it works well, what do people use to illuminate the Wixey?

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[valleyman]

Head torch

[Lenny147]

Yeah was thinking that but was also thinking some kind of magnetic red led close to the Wixey

[sparkyjon]

Oi Oi lads n lasses going to be purchasing skyliner 200p very soon. Seems to be a popular choice for us Welsh.

Two mods Im interested in is fitting a cooling fan for quicker cooling.

And possibly if it can be done a slewing motor to keep track doesn't need to be home made i just can't seem to find anything suitable for the dob Online.

Any help would be appreciated.

[stevetynant]

Hi Jon - I don't have either of those mods unfortunately - a cooling fan on a 200p might be a little bit of overkill as they tend to cool down withing 20 minutes with out too much problem really although theres obviously nothing stopping you if you want even faster cool down. As for the slewing motor - not sure on a Dob base that would work although I stand to be corrected. What some Dob owners have is a base plate that the Dob sits upon which is motorised to give the tracking action I think you are referring to. I'm pretty sure David (Mr Flibble) uses one with his Dob perhaps if he's about he can give you some help.

Two other mods that have been a really big help to me with the 200p are the Setting Circle and Wixey Mod which gives you push to capability and just a carrying strap which goes around the circumference of the OTA with a handle - makes moving your scope about so much easier and only cost a couple of quid from Lidls I think.

Plenty of advice on modding Dobs on the forums but these two together with the Telrad have been the biggest successes for me I think.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

The fan is easy enough to do, i used the bottom of a bucket that slots over the bottom of my tube, the fan is an old pc fan which i cannibalised and stuck a usb adapter on it. I use an "emergency phone charger" with 2xAA to power it.

Whether you need it will depend on where you keep your scope. I keep mine in my house (which is always blooming cold, about 16degrees with the heating on due to no insulation), and it still took an hour or so to cool naturally. With the fan it's closer to 20mins.

As for tracking, some companies sell tracking platforms but they cost as much as the scope. Tracking isnt easy to home brew on a dob since it's an alt-az mount, you need to drive both axis'.

Might be worth looking at a barn door tracker and trying to make a large one, though tbh i'd just save more pennies for a manufactured tracking setup.

[sparkyjon]

sound advice , i thought a pc fan would be the one, used to build pc's so thats not an issue, i'm assuming you just pin it underneath behind the main mirror ...

as for slewing i think it might be an idea for me to buy another scope for my imaging with a goto system, in all fairness i'll be happy with solar system images for now, time to start saving the pennies..

[stevetynant]

If imaging is your goal Jon you might want to rethink the Dob option. I think webcam planetary imaging is possible but deep sky work will pretty much be off the option list.

The whole thing with the 200p for me is its simplicity - stick it in the boot of the car - off you go set up in a few minutes, cup of coffee while it cools down and away to go. The more electronics you start attaching / utilizing with it the more time you take before you get going. Its not a race I know and everyone has different objectives with this but the sheer ease of use with the 200p is its main plus point to me.

Edited January 8, 2013 by stevetynant

[sparkyjon]

its not so much my goal to be honest steve, i would like to view dso and solar system objects, and i dont mind taking just camera shots with my lenses on my sony alpha which i do now i have a tripod some beefy lenses and a remote for it,, its a long term thing for me i dont mind waiting and saving my money for a second scope dedicated to imaging.. and if my wife gets into it i can use her as an excuse to buy one lol..

i think the 200p dob is the best all rounder for the price to start , and i'm sure i can get some nice images of planets and the moon with my webcam and registax, the dslr stuff can wait.

[stevetynant]

Sounds like a good plan - I had a very similar one last year when the wife was all enthusastic until it came to getting cold and she realised that the images of the Eagle Nebula were only ever going to be in Black and white through the scope lol

I think my realistic plan after the 200p (which I'll probably keep as I think its great) will be a 12 or 16 Inch Dob in the garden and something half way decent to image when I retire - 10yrs + away.

I think aswel Jon your ankle recovery may be a blessing this weekend from what I'm reading - weather is set for a dramatic turn in fortunes and you wouldn't want bare feet out in Blaenavon this weekend for sure.

[sparkyjon]

Yes i think your right bud. Im not in any major rush so ill be better off waiting i know from fishing a long night in the cold with anything uncomfortable can ruin a night so i don't want cold pains spoiling my first light..