JamesF's observatory build

[Rusted]

I am not seeing a picture of this miscreant set-up.

What about a hex-socket head bolt/screw?

[Allen screw in UK colloquial.]

One can obtain socket head grub screws too.

 

[Yawning Angel]

8 hours ago, JamesF said:

I'm pretty sure the hole goes all the way through rather than being blind

You could keep it contained in the adapter by drilling out the underside to take the head of an M10 cap head.

A stainless stud connector on an M10 bolt, for ref:

[JamesF]

That might just be slim enough to do the job.  The ones I have (which are the wrong size internally anyhow) are hexagonal on the outside so they can be gripped with a spanner.

James

[JamesF]

5 hours ago, Rusted said:

I am not seeing a picture of this miscreant set-up.

What about a hex-socket head bolt/screw?

[Allen screw in UK colloquial.]

One can obtain socket head grub screws too.

 

I still don't think this would work.  I don't have a picture of mine, but there's one in Stacey's thread:

James

[Yawning Angel]

17 minutes ago, JamesF said:

That might just be slim enough to do the job

It has an OD of 13mm.  I've one spare if it'll help?

[JamesF]

14 minutes ago, Yawning Angel said:

It has an OD of 13mm.  I've one spare if it'll help?

Thanks for the offer.  I'll see if I can measure the clearance.  Do you know how long it is?

James

[Yawning Angel]

9 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Do you know how long it is?

It's 30mm, stainless

[Stub Mandrel]

19 hours ago, JamesF said:

The adjusters work fine against the pin, but the pin can rock slightly in its threaded hole (not unsurprisingly), which means the mount can still shift position with the adjusters locked up tight.  The obvious solution is to use a locknut as the NEQ6 does, but the HEQ5 adjusters are so close to the body of the mount that a locknut fouls the body.  I even tried filing the corners off the nut (I have some wall-drive spanners so it's not a problem to do it up even without the corners), but there was still insufficient clearance.  I suspect the clearance is only a couple of millimetres, which isn't really enough for a nut of any sort.

You could use an M10 nut off a suitable potentiometer or switch - only a couple of millimeters thick!

Or use an M10m bolt with a plain shank, cut the head off and shorten the threaded part. It will lock when the shank reaches the hole.

Or use stud lock,  or even epoxy on the thread if very loose.

 

Edited May 16, 2019 by Stub Mandrel

[iapa]

On 12/05/2019 at 10:16, JamesF said:

Aha!  A joke that almost no-one under fifty will understand

James

4yo grandson is "properly into"steam trains

keep taking him to exhibitions and such - OK some are engines with pictures of characters from a children's programme narrated, originally, ab a member of a group of musicians establish in the 1960s.

 

BUT - he understands the principles of firebox, feeding the coal and it heating water to create steam to make if go

OK - I cannot help but educate the younger members of the family in earlier technologies

 

[iapa]

On 13/05/2019 at 17:17, Craney said:

Your shadow looks like you are enjoying a fine malt whiskey, as you survey the task ahead....

mmmmm

I wonder which it is, whisky or whiskey?

there's a manufacturing difference apparently - although if it's not at least 20yo scotch......... 

http://www.whiskyforeveryone.com/whisky_basics/whisky_or_whiskey.html

[iapa]

20 hours ago, JamesF said:

The last pier adaptor arrived today (from another SGL member) so I fitted that this evening.  This is for the HEQ5 and it's the same as the one @StaceStar is using.  It doesn't come with an alt-az pin so I was hoping to do the same as StaceStar has done and file some flats on a length of M10 thread for the adjusters to push against.  It's not going well, though

James

damn 

never thought of an alternative when I lost the azimuth pin from my AVX mount - I just went to our friends at FLO for a replacement

 

damn but Celestron must have a massive mark up

[Stub Mandrel]

23 minutes ago, iapa said:

4yo grandson is "properly into"steam trains

keep taking him to exhibitions and such - OK some are engines with pictures of characters from a children's programme narrated, originally, ab a member of a group of musicians establish in the 1960s.

 

BUT - he understands the principles of firebox, feeding the coal and it heating water to create steam to make if go

OK - I cannot help but educate the younger members of the family in earlier technologies

 

Does he know about these?

https://petersrailway.com/

Chris Vine is a great chap and a very skilled modeller.

Edited May 16, 2019 by Stub Mandrel

[iapa]

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Does he know about these?

Chris Vine is a great chap and a very skilled modeller.

did you miss a link?

[Stub Mandrel]

15 minutes ago, iapa said:

I wonder which it is, whisky or whiskey? 

there's a manufacturing difference apparently - although if it's not at least 20yo scotch......... 

I am very much a whisky drinker, but I don't have a problem with a decent whiskey. Decent mass produced bourbon (including JD) is generally better than cheap whisky.

[Stub Mandrel]

2 minutes ago, iapa said:

did you miss a link?

>sneak edit<

No.... 😇

[iapa]

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

>sneak edit<

No.... 😇

ah - maybe I've had a dram too many  and missed something

[Stub Mandrel]

1 minute ago, iapa said:

ah - maybe I've had a dram too many  and missed something

I retro-edited it in 🙂

[iapa]

2 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I retro-edited it in 🙂

ok, time for another wee one then LOL

 

PS yeah, i did note the edit

[JamesF]

Not much time to tinker this evening.  Have to do some work

I did manage to complete the varnishing of the floor in the warm room however, which means I can cross "seal the floor" off my list and hopefully get the carpet tiles down this weekend, reducing my dwindling pile of materials even further.  I didn't have time to look at the alt-az peg for the HEQ5 again, but as I don't have to take my daughter swimming tomorrow thanks to a school performance hopefully I can sort it then.

I've also moved a few bits and pieces down from the house.  I'm slightly mystified however that whatever I take to the observatory, the space occupied by the kit in the house doesn't seem to get any smaller.

James

[iapa]

14 hours ago, JamesF said:

 

I've also moved a few bits and pieces down from the house.  I'm slightly mystified however that whatever I take to the observatory, the space occupied by the kit in the house doesn't seem to get any smaller.

James

Could the equipment be expanding to ensure that your results remain consistent with the expansion of the universe?

[iapa]

On 15/05/2019 at 21:58, JamesF said:

The last pier adaptor arrived today (from another SGL member) so I fitted that this evening.  This is for the HEQ5 and it's the same as the one @StaceStar is using.  It doesn't come with an alt-az pin so I was hoping to do the same as StaceStar has done and file some flats on a length of M10 thread for the adjusters to push against.  It's not going well, though

The adjusters work fine against the pin, but the pin can rock slightly in its threaded hole (not unsurprisingly), which means the mount can still shift position with the adjusters locked up tight.  The obvious solution is to use a locknut as the NEQ6 does, but the HEQ5 adjusters are so close to the body of the mount that a locknut fouls the body.  I even tried filing the corners off the nut (I have some wall-drive spanners so it's not a problem to do it up even without the corners), but there was still insufficient clearance.  I suspect the clearance is only a couple of millimetres, which isn't really enough for a nut of any sort.

At the moment the only simple solution that occurs to me is to see if I have any M10 T-nuts and attempt to use a piece of the sleeve of the nut as a locknut, or grind off most of the "T" and do the same.  Perhaps I'll think of something else overnight.

Having decided to leave that whilst waiting for inspiration to strike I varnished most of the warm room floor and hunted down some trailing sockets to use for temporary power.  Now I either need to make sure I have a laptop set up with all the necessary software to control the mount or to find a handset.  I know I have one somewhere...

James

Further to my earlier,

i have just found the azimuth pin from my AVX, which I believe is what you need

 

yours for ....... oh, an email saying you want it 

[JamesF]

That's very kind of you.  I shall drop you a PM.

James

[Yawning Angel]

If it’s out of the AVX’s stock tripod, it’s M8, rather than M10, I think.

[JamesF]

I spent much of this evening laying carpet tiles in the warm room whilst listening to the rain pouring down.  Didn't quite get finished, but I only have a couple around the door and the ones under the desk where the cable ducting comes up through the floor left to do.  I'm half tempted to try using the bandsaw to cut the tiles around the ducting.  Or perhaps I should just box the ducting in and avoid the problem altogether.  I'll think on that.  The easy option does have a fair bit of appeal.

I seem to have quite a bit of stuff to get through this weekend, but I'm hoping I can get the lining on the flap, paint it and fit the (ahem) "drag strap" and some locking bolts.  Not that there appears to be much rush at the moment given that the forecast is currently for near continuous cloud for the next seven days

James

[iapa]

19 hours ago, JamesF said:

That's very kind of you.  I shall drop you a PM.

James

Based on @Yawning Angel‘s comment, I’ll measure tonight to check diameter