Dob EQ Platform question.

[Steep]

I've been in touch with TS in Germany about one of their platforms for my GSO, they say the standard platform can be set as high as 55 deg. I'm at 57.4 deg North and they reckon the standard would be ok but can make one specially for 10% more.

My question is does anyone have an idea of how much difference 2.5 degrees will make in terms in keeping a target centered?

[Scooot]

I think 2.5 degrees is quite a big error. It depends how long you want to track something without nudging but I think you'll notice it quite quickly. My advice would be to pay the extra to have it set for your latitude. I think you'll regret it otherwise.

Are the feet adjustable, if so alternatively you could adjust it yourself by raising the north end, (think I've got that the right way round). At the bottom of this link there's an explanation of how to do a precise alignment.

http://www.astrosurf.com/aheijkoop/Equipment/EqPlatfor2.htm

they're a great bit of kit, I use mine all the time

[Steep]

Thanks for that link, it will be very useful when the platform arrives. If the extra height can be achieved by simple means like longer threaded adjusting feet I can do that myself easily enough or even fit wedges underneath. It would be a permanent installation so it would be a one time fix.

[Moonshane]

I agree with the above, although it's the south (thin) end you raise or lower.

[Scooot]

I agree with the above, although it's the south (thin) end you raise or lower.

I wasn't sure if the original feet would have enough of a gap to allow for the lowering the south foot which is why I said raise the north instead.

[Scooot]

Thanks for that link, it will be very useful when the platform arrives. If the extra height can be achieved by simple means like longer threaded adjusting feet I can do that myself easily enough or even fit wedges underneath. It would be a permanent installation so it would be a one time fix.

I've changed my feet to these so you can adjust them from above.

http://www.mossexpress.co.uk/standard-articulating-adjustable-feet-596925

[Steep]

Cheers guys I've decided just to go with the basic 55 deg version and adapt it, I probably won't have to wait so long for delivery. Richard, I love the pricing on those adjustable feet "£3.1337" I wonder if I'd get change from £3.14

[Scooot]

Cheers guys I've decided just to go with the basic 55 deg version and adapt it, I probably won't have to wait so long for delivery. Richard, I love the pricing on those adjustable feet "£3.1337" I wonder if I'd get change from £3.14

They sting you for delivery

[Scooot]

They sting you for delivery

Finger slipped with at smiley

[Moonshane]

ps here's my own build thread

[Mike73]

I had my 16" sat on my EQP the other night, havent used it for quite a while and had forgotten how good to use it is at high powers.

[Steep]

I've read through your thread Shane, I'm pretty good at 'it it wif a 'ammer diy and I get great satisfaction from making things myself but I know my limits. I have a low boredom threshold and will invariably make mistakes in long complicated projects that would mean me spending lots more time and money making corrections. With that in mind £265 delivered for the standard TS platform is very worthwhile I think

[Moonshane]

that's actually a good price - not seen those. on the basis of what you say I agree; for me the long and winding road of mistakes and mods is part of the frustration fun.

[Scooot]

I had my 16" sat on my EQP the other night, havent used it for quite a while and had forgotten how good to use it is at high powers.

Yes I agree, I'm the opposite to you though and very rarely don't use it. Occasionally if I'm just nipping out for a quick look at something I might not bother but usually I do. As my scopes smaller than yours, one not so obvious advantage is it lifts the eyepiece higher to a more comfortable viewing position for me.

As you say it's very good on high powers so it helps you to study things for as long as you want really without the constant nudging.

[Moonshane]

I'd rarely use my 6" f11 without my eqp, it's very spindly and wobbly at high powers and the tracking makes it great to use even at 400x+. my 16" is so smooth and rock solid though that it's very easy to track even at the same sorts of mags.

[Mike73]

Yes I agree, I'm the opposite to you though and very rarely don't use it. Occasionally if I'm just nipping out for a quick look at something I might not bother but usually I do. As my scopes smaller than yours, one not so obvious advantage is it lifts the eyepiece higher to a more comfortable viewing position for me.

As you say it's very good on high powers so it helps you to study things for as long as you want really without the constant nudging.

I used to use it all the time with my old 12" Skywatcher because the Alt/Azi movements were so terrible, that height advantage for you is a disadvantage for my 16" as the EP height is just too high to be practical!

I'd rarely use my 6" f11 without my eqp, it's very spindly and wobbly at high powers and the tracking makes it great to use even at 400x+. my 16" is so smooth and rock solid though that it's very easy to track even at the same sorts of mags.

I agree Shane, bigger scopes just dont really need one as they are alot smoother, I also rarely use high mags for DSO's either but having tracking makes sketching alot easier.

[Scooot]

I used to use it all the time with my old 12" Skywatcher because the Alt/Azi movements were so terrible, that height advantage for you is a disadvantage for my 16" as the EP height is just too high to be practical!

I agree Shane, bigger scopes just dont really need one as they are alot smoother, I also rarely use high mags for DSO's either but having tracking makes sketching alot easier.

Thats interesting Mike, so presumably (apart from sketching) you're less interested in tracking the object because of the smoothness of movements with the larger scopes. I would have thought it was still nicer to study something that's stationary in the FOV rather than have to keep adjusting, but that's what's great about this forum, you pick up new pieces of info about people's experiences that you'd only find out otherwise from trial and error.

[Mike73]

Thats interesting Mike, so presumably (apart from sketching) you're less interested in tracking the object because of the smoothness of movements with the larger scopes. I would have thought it was still nicer to study something that's stationary in the FOV rather than have to keep adjusting, but that's what's great about this forum, you pick up new pieces of info about people's experiences that you'd only find out otherwise from trial and error.

Sketching the moon at high power with a 50˚ EP tracking is very helpful but when sketching faint DSO's at medium to low power with 72˚/82˚ EP's I find it very easy to position the object at one side of the FoV and let it drift across to the other, as long as the scope movements are smooth and accurate enough I find this easy to do even when sketching.

[Steep]

AAAArgh!! frustration!!

I ordered one of TS standard EQ Platforms last week, they said it'll take about a month which was ok but just a week later ( Wednesday ) it's ready and been dispatched! rush rush to get a pier/mount ready in the obs in case it arrives this week while I'm on holiday and now UPS are sitting on it. It got as far as Tamworth by yesterday and it's sat there ever since, doing nothing, getting bored and lonely and I have a weekend of fingers crossed clearish skies where I could be getting it set up. Add to that I'm at work all day Monday and I know I'm going to miss the delivery