Cabling on scope rather than mount

[AlistairW]

No idea if this is going to work, but as the weather has been so bad I have been taking a look at my cabling. I used to have a load of kit strapped to the HEQ5pro mount, but I have decided that in order to minimise cable snag and to minimise the 'mount' clutter, - then to put all the kit centred on the scope. I have tried to keep 'stuff' central so that the moments around the turning axis are minimised. I have yet to try this out in anger to see what the guiding will be like, but there seems to be no problem balancing. Power and USB distribution are now located on the scope , I do have a separate USB for the CCD, but that is just preference. All comes in a 9kg, but if I have the balance right I am hoping the HEQ5pro will not struggle. Also makes set up easy on my pier, as I only have to connect one power and USB - lots of Anderson Powerpoles too, instead of the cigarette lighters, but will be a pain 'when' a USB fails cable as will have to unpick, but most connections will now be permanently connected.

(The purple bit is a bit of 102 mm silicon hose that I have flocked and put on the end of the WOGT81, so as to add a bit more dew shield. Similar done with the guider). Cork bungs on the end act as lens caps :-)

Thanks

Alistair

 

 

 

[ultranova]

That's what you call well stacked, makes sense to do that if you have to set up every time

you use it, ( don't have an obbsy )  

very interesting

Paul

[graemlourens]

Hi Alistair

I think this is a very good idea. Approximately 1.5 years ago i saw this approach and adapted it to my setup. I had to build kind of of an 'H-Wing' for my scope, and on those bars, everything is mounted. (Focusers, Anderson stuff, USB-Hub etc etc). Only 3 cables are running down through the mount. Power and 2x USB cables (one for the guider, and one for everything else)

It has to be rock solid though, or you'll have flexure problems. In my case this has not happened for 1.5 years now, but to be fair, at our focal lengths its pretty forgiving so i would not do this for 1000 and upwards.

Kind regards, Graem

[AlistairW]

Wow Graem, your Obsy is pristine - i very much like what you have done ?

[graemlourens]

7 hours ago, AlistairW said:

Wow Graem, your Obsy is pristine - i very much like what you have done ?

Thank you! Piggybacking everything except the computer (and there are people also doing that, but with microcomputers) really brought the organization of cables onto a new level. 

As i do unattended and remote imaging i also had to make absolutely sure that there is never a possibilty of cables getting tangled, and if you have 8 cables running down the mount, that group gets pretty stiff and unflexible, something that is not good for the mount movement it requires.

So you are going in the correct direction with piggybacking as much as possible (assuming you can keep it rigid) taking your focal length into consideration.

Kind regards, Graem

[Jessun]

I do the same. It makes for a neat setup I think.

/Jesper