Camera adapter help

[Astroscot2]

I've started installing my Esprit In the observatory today in preparation for the darker evenings, Ive come across an issue with my imaging train, the M62 female to M48 male adapter that attaches the Esprit flattener to my OAG adds to much to the back focus, I've searched on line but can find no other M62 adapter options.  I could remove the OAG and guide via a guidescope but I'd rather stick with the OAG.

Anyone know where I can source such adaptors?  The skywatcher manual mentions a custom ring to suit your imaging train so I suspect a few other esprit imagers may have had the same issue?

 

Thanks

Mark

Edited August 4, 2018 by Astroscot2
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[Oddsocks]

Depends how much you are willing to pay and what length of focal path you have to play with Mark.

The shortest length that I found possible uses 8.8mm of focal path and that would be a custom adaptor from Precise Parts in the USA.

I have used them in the past and they are well made and fairly quick to ship, usually three to five weeks from order to delivery.

A suitable custom adaptor would be ~$112, plus shipping, plus VAT, and plus duty when it lands in the UK.

If you use their 'Build-an-Adaptor' service on their web site you will see a 3d representation of the part and it's cost.

I don't know the make of OAG you have so in the 'Build-an-Adaptor' I used Skywatcher Esprit 120/150ED flattener for the M62 Female side and Hotech 2" M48 Field flattener for the male side to give the m48 male thread (obviously you wouldn't be connecting two flatteners together but this generates an adaptor with the right threads and minimum focal path).

If you know the make and model of OAG you have you might find it is already listed in the Precise Parts 'Build-an-Adaptor" database, if not, there are many other possibilities to try that have 2" M48 threads.

https://www.preciseparts.com/ppmain/adapter.html

Otherwise, I think FLO have, or did have, an engineer that could make adaptors and other engineering parts to order.

William.

[Oddsocks]

A European alternative to Precise Parts is TS in Germany, they offer a range of adaptors to your specification, Sonder65 to Sonder125 ~65 EUR to 125 EUR (Sonder in German = Special in English).

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/cat/c123_Adapter-to-other-Threads.html

Less expensive than the Precise Parts equivalent as there are no import duties though you would probably have to finish the TS adaptor by hand painting internally, the Precise Parts adaptors are both black anodised and painted internally with anti-reflective matt-black paint, the TS adaptors are only black anodised and therefore remain quite reflective to certain wavelengths of light.

If you email a sketch drawing of the adaptor you want built, including thread diameters, length of thread and thread pitch to TS they will quote you a price.

 

[Astroscot2]

Thanks William for the information, I've dealt with TS quite a bit in the past so will contact them,  I thought M48 adaptors were expensive but it looks like I need to spend quite a bit for a solution. 

The SW adapter which comes with the scope has 2 parts, there is an M62 female ring that I wonder if I could have 5 mm machined off, not sure if that would leave enough thread to securely hold the imaging train.  I need to have a think about this.

 

Mark

Edited August 5, 2018 by Astroscot2

[nocturnalguy]

Hello Mark

I got exactly the same problem.

Where did you get the adapter?

[Jkulin]

On 04/08/2018 at 18:32, Astroscot2 said:

I could remove the OAG and guide via a guidescope but I'd rather stick with the OAG.

For that very reason I have reverted to using a separate guide scope.

I can achieve back focus using the Moravian OAG/FW and Camera, but the Moravian OAG is not very good in my opinion instead I am using the Celestron, but it is very long. For my RC's then I will use an OAG but there again I don't have a back focus issue.

Please make sure that when you make your measurements with the Esprit that you take the distance from the CCD to the shoulder of the flattener which must not exceed 55mm, however when you add a a 3mm filter then you need to add 1mm and a 2mm filter you need to add 0.6mm.

The 62mm is only if you choose not to use the field flattener flange adapter. It's not very clear in the manual, but essentially its 55mm CCD to the Flange and 62mm CCD to the back of the flattener with no adapter fitted.

I am not aware of any narrow OAG that you could use instead.

[Astroscot2]

16 hours ago, nocturnalguy said:

Hello Mark

I got exactly the same problem.

Where did you get the adapter?

Hello,

 

I had a custom adapter made by JTech Designs in the UK,  they were very helpful and not expensive either.

Mark

 

[UKAstroBill]

JTech have Also been recommended to me, by FLO. It’s a bit frustrating that Sky-Watcher have picked such an idiosyncratic thread size for the camera side of the reducer. I’m trying to attach a Nikon Z using Baader UFC system and am hung up on this link and how much Backfocus is going to be eaten up. Anybody found any new good solutions to attach to then M62 male flattener camera side?

[UKAstroBill]

Mark what exactly did JTech make for you in the end? M62 female on flattener side I guess but what did you have camera side? And what was the optical length of what you got from them?

ta

william

[Astroscot2]

Hello William.    M62 F 1x on the flattner side and M48 on the camera end.   For my set up I needed and adapter 15.5 mm, Jtech made me one for 14mm and I made up the rest with spacers so I could make small adjustments as I needed to.

 

Kind regards

Mark

[UKAstroBill]

8 hours ago, Astroscot2 said: M62 F 1x on the flattner side and M48 on the camera end.   For my set up I needed and adapter 15.5 mm, Jtech made me one for 14mm and I made up the rest with spacers so I could make small adjustments as I needed to.

very useful to know these details thanks. I am trying to link to a Nikon Z with Baader UFC so will do my sums now. Baader confirmed they do not have M62 F adapter.