The Experimount has landed!

[steppenwolf]

Fault-finding image defects in deep sky astrophotography can be an onerous task and to help track down these issues, it really helps to have the mount and camera all set up so that you can visualise exactly what is going on. Let's be honest, equatorial mounts are not exactly intuitive in their movements especially where meridian flips and the attendant image rotation of 180 degrees are concerned!

So a simple expedient is to have a small EQ mount to play with in the comfort of your home which is why I 'developed' the Experimount. This fiendishly sophisticated mount simulator allows me to point the 'telescope' to any position on the sky with the camera at any angle of rotation, carry out meridian flips, determine how the light from the celestial object falls on the sensor and how this relates to any issues like sensor tilt and so on.

Patent Pending.

The All New Experimount (motor drives extra, no batteries required, use with discretion)

 

[hughgilhespie]

Gosh,

That is plumbing the depths!

Regards, Hugh

[steppenwolf]

3 minutes ago, hughgilhespie said:

Gosh,

That is plumbing the depths!

Regards, Hugh

Oh well, another idea down the plug-hole then .....

[Psychobilly]

How do you adjust the poolar alignment?

[steppenwolf]

Quote

How do you adjust the poolar alignment?

I just give it a gentle tap .......

[themos]

Hey Steve, there's prior art:

 

 

 

[Paul M]

Whilst I'm overflowing with ideas I wouldn't waste my time....:)

Actually, never mind the plumbing jokes, it's 20mm conduit isn't it?

[hughgilhespie]

Hmmm  - Britain's great engineering tradition - it's the drain brain!

[steppenwolf]

Quote

Actually, never mind the plumbing jokes, it's 20mm conduit isn't it?

According to my vernier gauge (yeah, I know ...) it is 22.1mm but it is simply waste overflow pipe, elbows and 'T' joints - in another life, I used these to make dog agility equipment but my son now runs that business so I raided his 'parts' bin!

[johnrt]

Some of those joins look like they may need a tighten before you mount a scope on there, but be careful you don't want to faucet.

[Davey-T]

Bit of a pipe dream

Dave

[steppenwolf]

Quote

but be careful you don't want to faucet.

Aaaarrrggghhhh - that's the worst and the best so far ........ Keep 'em 'flowing' ......

[StevieDvd]

Arrgh,

 

These jokes on SGL are driving me around the bend. I'm only jealous I tried to plump the depths of my brain for a quip but I must have a blockage, time to call dyno-rod!

[astromerlin]

Dont be fooled folks, he was trying to plumb the dishwasher in!

Nice idea, can't wait to see the motorised version.

[Paul M]

Actually, right at this moment I'm supposed to be plumbing the new bath in as part of my big new bathroom project. Plainly I not actually doing that right now!

This got me thinking. If plumbing bits can be used for planning astro equipment could I not bring my EQ6 into the house and play about with it claiming I'm modeling the new pipework for the bath?

Sounds reasonable enough to me!

[Gina]

Don't think that will wash...

[BinocularSky]

4 hours ago, themos said:

Hey Steve, there's prior art:

Indeed there is :

[Ajohn]

Talk about plumbing the depths

 

Not sure what of though

John

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[themos]

This is superb! From 1915:

[steppenwolf]

Right, 'nuff of the jokes and Meccano (although I have to admit that those Meccano designs are wonderful!) this seemingly crazy diagnostic tool has proved to be extremely useful as I discovered last night while analysing some data.

Thanks for your comments and the laughs too!

[happy-kat]

I recall reading a member's post where they had got rid of the flimsy mount that broke and built a new head for the tripod that gave an equatorial motion from plumbing pipes.

[Psychobilly]

Prof Plumb in the observatory with the plastic waste pipe...