Guidescope mount

[Skipper Billy]

My mission to eradicate all differential flexure between imaging scope and guide scope is (I hope!) at an end - this baby is going nowhere. Just tried it attached across the tops of the imaging scope rings and I can waggle the guidescope focuser and the stars on the PHD2 screen dont move at all !! RESULT !! Home-made (I know - you can tell!) from a lump of aluminium billet and two stainless steel exhaust clamps and a few stainless steel screws.

Its hard to see but where the clamps touch the scope it is wrapped in a very hard - very thin fibreglass tape to protect it and the clamps are just snug - not beasted down !!

[RayD]

Holy cow David, you're not wrong about that going nowhere!

I take it you no longer needed it for launching ships so you could nab it for this? 

[newbie alert]

Isn't the flex from the sag from the focuser rather than the main body..hows the ed glass on these new ones? I' a fan of the 9x50 finder myself

[RayD]

8 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

Isn't the flex from the sag from the focuser rather than the main body..hows the ed glass on these new ones? I' a fan of the 9x50 finder myself

The flex can come from anywhere, including the dovetails and guide rings. That's what can make it so hard to track down 

[alacant]

31 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

differential flexure

Hi. I really do hope this works for you because I failed miserably in my attempt at its eradication at 1200mm. Unfortunately it's rife everywhere. Tube, focuser, angle of mount, heavy secondary, that bit where the dovetail meets the tube rings... Everywhere! In the end, my only way out was an off axis guider. Cheers, good luck and clear skies.

[Craney]

....

[Skipper Billy]

Thanks all - I have so far swapped to a carbon scope which seems stiffer then steel - swapped the puck on the AZ-EQ6-GT for an ADM Losmandy one and the scope is on a Losmandy plate and that made a big difference - my acid test is to move the focuser on the guide scope and watch the stars on the PHD2 screen - if they move its a fail - so far this setup is looking very good - if only it would stop snowing I would know more  !!

41 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

Isn't the flex from the sag from the focuser rather than the main body..hows the ed glass on these new ones? I' a fan of the 9x50 finder myself

The focuser on the EvoGuide is really very good and once its focused and locked there is no discernable play.

17 minutes ago, Craney said:

....

LOL !!!

 

[Skipper Billy]

1 hour ago, RayD said:

Holy cow David, you're not wrong about that going nowhere!

I take it you no longer needed it for launching ships so you could nab it for this? 

Always on the lookout for things that can be 'repurposed'  and or 'liberated' !! The beauty of shipards/marinas is that almost everything is made of aluminium or good quality stainless steel - very handy !!!

[RayD]

2 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

Always on the lookout for things that can be 'repurposed'  and or 'liberated' !! The beauty of shipards/marinas is that almost everything is made of aluminium or good quality stainless steel - very handy !!!

It's perfect, and very substantial.  I like it 

[Rodd]

Here is my setup--please keep in mind that I did try a spacer between the OAG and filter wheel--despite my supplier insisting it was not correct.  It did not solve my problem.  If you are wondering why the Loadstar is off to the side, its because without a spacer, it can't be rotated to be vertical because the shoulder of the lodestar receptacle impinges on the edge of the filter wheel.  This is as far as I can rotate it--Maybe it does not matter where the prism enters the light cone--but I am used to imaging sensors and guide sensors to be oriented the same way (self guiding filter wheel.