Skywatcher traver scope using exsisting gear easy cheap modification for alt az owners👍👍👍

[Mark Daniels]

Been looking for neat solution to taking small scope abroad using my stuff and not paying out for a dedicated set up. 

Have a skywatcher finder which with a barlow and 90 * gives good results. I was looking at an Orion mini eq tabletop tripod but hard to get hold of. 

Play a bit of music in a band and have a few microphone stands so got to work with a hack saw. 

I used a mic holder as in photo they are about £3 and cut the holder part off and filed flat. Drilled hole through to accept large camera thread (£3 screw bolt)

this allows shortened micstand to fit to the alt az mount. (Mic stand 15 of ebay. )

the dovetail was expensive as i wanted green and got from germany £30 with couier the white finder bracket from tring harrisons £6

so thats £60 but if i went for black dovetail less than £40  seeing i had mic stand already quite a cheap solition

the stand is very stable and provided the telescope is moved clockwise when rotating freehand the threads stay tight  with the fine controls either direction works well

overall wiegt is bit over 3 kg and will fit in a standard aluminium camera case 

hope this if useful 

Mark👍

 

[Stu]

Ingenious

Should be fun Mark, enjoy. It's a shame the 50ED won't focus with a diagonal without the Barlow for wider fields, but will still be very nice I'm sure.

[Mark Daniels]

Yes it is annoying. Any suggestions would be welcomed. That said i was looking at jupiter with a 9.5 wide relief and was supprised at how clear the bands were. Also spotted M13 which was a bit fuzzy but worth a look. Was thinking of taking set up to Headley common which I believe is pretty dark to see how well it works. 

Looking to go to palma canaries for winter break so fingers crossed

[Stu]

I think @DRT managed to find a diagonal that worked but not totally sure.

[Mark Daniels]

Cheers will try to find👍

[Stu]

I found this thread which Derek started, possibly some useful info in there