New Focusing Aid

[George]

This looks very promising http://tinyurl.com/6r8cub

The only downside is it looks overly complicated to make if doing by hand.

Now if anyone as access to a laser cutter/etcher I'd like one for the ED80 and the 250PX please :mrgreen:

[algol]

what the hell is that? and where do i stick it?

[George]

what the hell is that? and where do i stick it?

Its a 21st century hartmann mask and if you know where a hartmann mask goes you don't need to ask :mrgreen:

The article explains everything.....worth a read.

[MikeP]

It could double as a drain hole cover for the current weather :)

Mike

[SteveL]

That looks mighty impressive!

[rawhead]

Now if anyone as access to a laser cutter/etcher I'd like one for the ED80

Me too...

Thanks for that George

[legion48]

One of the guys on that Cloudy Nights thread is making and selling them:

http://www.spike-a.com/

[algol]

looks like a psychodellic pacman. hmm i've heard of hartmans but being about as new as new can be i have no idea where thy go, but i would guess on t'other end of scope

[George]

One of the guys on that Cloudy Nights thread is making and selling them:

http://www.spike-a.com/

And have you seen the price he's charging?

[mightymonoped]

This looks the biz. If anyone's thinking of making them domestically, I'd be interested in one for an ED80.

Tony

[mightymonoped]

One of the guys on that Cloudy Nights thread is making and selling them:

http://www.spike-a.com/

And have you seen the price he's charging?

Indeed! And what's with the TM (Spike-A)?

Tony

[legion48]

One of the guys on that Cloudy Nights thread is making and selling them:

http://www.spike-a.com/

And have you seen the price he's charging?

Yeah, I'm tempted though. Imagine....perfect focus every time.

[Reggie]

Pricing is horrendous, it's not even his idea, if it were the original guy (Pavel) who was selling them at that price I'd be tempted because he's a small man with a great idea trying to scratch a living, but I'll be damned if I'm lining someone elses over stuffed pockets on this one. I believe all of the data is open source according to spike-a's legal team, If I make my own I'll definitely make a donation to pavel directly if at all possible.

[saturn5]

Dont think the price is too bad for something which is not exactly straight forward to manufacture

There are some pretty basic adapters etc on the market which cost a bomb and take little time or skill to make.

[Psychobilly]

Actually with the right (but very expensive) equipment its very straight forward to make and I know a man who can...

[George]

Actually with the right (but very expensive) equipment its very straight forward to make and I know a man who can...

Well if your taking orders........

1 for the ED80

1 for the SW 250PX

[Psychobilly]

Until I know the "legal" aspects of the design I'm not thinking of "taking" orders...

I will probably "cad" up the design over the weekend ready for my contacts to have a look at and get some prototypes made for me to have a play with...

I ready have quite a selection of laser cut stainless steel hartman masks and diffraction spike generators etc...

(click to enlarge)

Billy...

[saturn5]

Actually with the right (but very expensive) equipment its very straight forward to make and I know a man who can...

Well i got a use of £250 000 Maho cnc milling machine at work,will that do?

[Psychobilly]

If you dont mind the tool rads in the corners then I suppose it might

I'll just let the laser cutter sort it out ....

Billy...

[saturn5]

Well pardon me for asking (kicks milling machine for having tool rads)

[Psychobilly]

:laughing3: :laughing3: :laughing3:

I'm sure it will do a damn fine job as well

[saturn5]

Trouble is it only does what i programme it to do and lately the MACHINE has been making a lot of mistakes.

Garbage in = Garbage out, or something like that.

[beamish]

keep us posted on your efforts guys There's a queue building up !

[Psychobilly]

I have just converted the CDR files into autocad dwg's so that they can be imported into RADAN and sent to the laser cutter...I normally get my masks cut in 1mm stainless and don't "black" them stainless gives very good edge definition much better than aluminium and even 1mm thick stainless is quite "robust".

I will try and get them e-mailed off to the "man who can" on Monday...

Any thought of the best way of mounting these on the scope...my hartmann masks for the SCT's just fit into the front cell - I had thought have having some return tabs (lined with felt) on the refractor ones so they can be "clipped" onto the fixed dew shield of the "66" and held in place with tape or a rubber band..

Billy...

[George]

Think felt lined tabs and laccy band will do the job nicely, these will only be in place for minutes while focus is achived so to keep costs down the simpler the better .