ST80 Mounting and general rant

[Marky1973]

Having just got an ST80 and some additional Skywatcher tube rings for my scope, I thought it would be easy to mount as a guidescope. Reading a lot of posts on here, then it isn't as straight forward as I thought it would be but, and the main reason for this post, just to vent spleen, is why on God's green Earth do the screw/screw holes on the top of the rings have a different thread from those on the bottom? Surely making them universal would make life a lot easier?

Right, I'm off to look at dovetails...

I'm probably a little angry after spending ages last night playing with my new NEQ6, trying to level the tripod and then the mount (following some astronomy shed videos) only to finally work out, after about an hour, that my spirit level wasn't square. Level one way and completely out the other... hair-tearingly annoying. I'm just glad the weather is so bad at the moment...

[RikM]

I know what you mean about about piggybacking scopes. It is a pain to get sorted.

Re levelling the tripod. It isn't necessary. You are aligning a single axis with the celestial pole, the tripod angle is irrelevant other than for stability.

[xtreemchaos]

i agree with you on the thread issue, some times we just go round in circles but we get there in the end thats what matters.all the best .charl.

[Marky1973]

Yeah, just thought I'd follow the tutorials from start to finish so I was sure I was heading in the right direction...the tutorial said so much. Although I suspect, with a level that works, it will probably only take 5 minutes!

[Thalestris24]

Hiya

How level your mount is isn't that critical - just as long as it's 'reasonable'. If you happen to be well north, you may have to raise the north-facing side in order to adjust latitude (I'm going by the heq5 and assuming the neq6 is the same). Yeah, the ST80 isn't the best design... But it's straightforward to attach a dovetail bar to the bottom. I think I had to drill a extra hole in mine. The top screws are intended for mounting a dslr, I think.

Good luck!

Louise

[Marky1973]

Definitely Charl, I'll figure it out eventually, I just can't help expecting things to 'just work' more than I probably have a right to!

[Marky1973]

Thanks Louise, I'll probably end up going by the bubble level as I get more familiar with the mount.

I was presuming I could fit a dovetail to the bottom of the ST80 rings and then that dovetail to the top of the main scope ring... just going to need to have a good search through my collection of nuts and bolts!

[ollypenrice]

Yes, the top threads are the ones they still put in the bottoms of cameras. 1/4 Whitworth or Unified National Coarse. We really need all this, don't we!

You can just put a strip of stiff alloy (such as a dovetail) across the tube rings by drilling/bolting it to them then drill it again for the ST80 tubes.

An alternative is to use a Baader or Altair Astro mini saddle plate, someting like this.

This makes Dec balance easy by sliding the guide scope. It also makes it quick release.

(Note, I thought it would be fun to try guiding with a solar scope...   )

 lly

[Marky1973]

Thanks Olly, think I'm just going to have to get creative!

[carastro]

Threads drive me mad too, try adding spacers to cameras, filterwheels and reducers, some are T2, some are m42, some are M48, some have C threads, I am sure I heard of M64 somewhere.  why can't they standardise them all.  

I did what Olly suggested, put an aluminium plate under the ST80.  

Carole 

[ollypenrice]

Threads drive me mad too, try adding spacers to cameras, filterwheels and reducers, some are T2, some are m42, some are M48, some have C threads, I am sure I heard of M64 somewhere.  why can't they standardise them all.  

I did what Olly suggested, put an aluminium plate under the ST80.  

Carole 

And then there's Takahashi, Carole!    They make everything different on principle and change it regularly just for fun.

Olly

[Marky1973]

If it gets too confusing Carole, I might just Araldite the buggers together.

[xtreemchaos]

ive rethreaded mine on 200p stock rings now the camera thingy wont thread,"swings and rounderabouts " no loss i never use it.

[Davey-T]

As others recommend I knocked up this from a bit of ally' I had laying around, various holes for different scopes one of them the ST80.

Dave

Incidentally I have two sets of the black tube rings which are identical, obviously made in the same factory, one set has metric threads and the other UNC ?

[carastro]

I have done pretty much the same as Dave.  Used an Aluminium plate to mount the ST80.  

 I might just Araldite the buggers together. 

I wouldn't advise doing that, you might want to change scopes, and use the rings for another set up later on.  Like I have.

I also used the Aluminium plate to mount my ED80 in a dual rig:

It's seen here quite clearly:

I then decided to mount the finderguider on a plate as I was concerned whether my finder foot was stable enough, so I got some mini guide rings and mounted it thus:

My box of spacers, flatteners and threaded connectors (more has been added since this photo !! )

And then there's Takahashi, Carole!     They make everything different on principle and change it regularly just for fun.

OMG!!!

Carole 

[damnut]

Welcome to the madhouse

[Marky1973]

Thanks damnut!

[carastro]

 I use No More Nails.

 

[Macavity]

Hmmm... I do tend to drill out threads to M6 holes fairly immediately.

But I have also discovered the joy of half-height ("lock" nuts) which

keep countersunk M6 bolts captive, and STILL fit under the curved

side of standard Skywatcher dovetail bars... There are many ways?

Creativity? "Be Bold, be BOLD!" (As Kenneth Williams would say?)

[DaveS]

I posted a rant about the ST80 threads and dovetail last year. I had to drill and tap the skywatcher dovetail I had hanging around. Eventually all the replies reached the ears of FLO.

This was the result:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dovetail-bars/skywatcher-st80-dovetail.html.

Add a dual mounting bar and you're away.

[Marky1973]

Hmmm... I do tend to drill out threads to M6 holes fairly immediately.

But I have also discovered the joy of half-height ("lock" nuts) which

keep countersunk M6 bolts captive, and STILL fit under the curved

side of standard Skywatcher dovetail bars... There are many ways?

Creativity? "Be Bold, be BOLD!" (As Kenneth Williams would say?)

Ha! Yes, will definitely be getting creative this week!

[Marky1973]

I posted a rant about the ST80 threads and dovetail last year. I had to drill and tap the skywatcher dovetail I had hanging around. Eventually all the replies reached the ears of FLO.

This was the result:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dovetail-bars/skywatcher-st80-dovetail.html.

Add a dual mounting bar and you're away.

Yeah, I saw some of those discussions Dave! I am thinking of piggy-backing and using the Vixen shoe on the main scope to fix to the mount (for now - and it is all fairly light and secure) and then use a metal bar to connect the tube rings on the main and guide scope. I was probably a little naive thinking it would all go together nicely! Should be fun trying!