DayStar Solar Scout SS60-DS Motorised Focuser

[johninderby]

DayStar Solar Scout SS60-DS Motorised Focuser

Decided to motorise the focuser on the SS60-DS which should make it a lot easier to image the sun. 

The Skywatcher Autofocuser was used with toothed drive belts and pulley. As I had fitted a Orion finder shoe decided to mount the motor and bracket on the shoe. Printed out a finder dovetail twice the length and height as standard then bolted the Skywatcher bracket to it after flattening the base of the bracket in a vice first. It comes with a bit of a curve that needed removing.

A 40 tooth GT2 drive pulley was fitted to the motor. Then fitted a 232mm drive belt turned inside out to the knurled part of the OTA focuser to give the drive belt something to grip. Was a very tight fit but that’s what I wanted. Then fitted the motor to the finder shoe usung a 320mm drive belt and adjusted the tension. 

Tested it and it worked very smoothly. The belt would slip when the focuser reached the end of it’s travel so a built in safety feature. 

[johninderby]

Quick vid.

 

[Craney]

Thats a very neat use of the finder bracket.  👍

 

[johninderby]

Oh...............bother 😩

Was all set to test out the new camera and motorised focuser this morning only to find the Solarquest mount has died. Won’t turn on no matter if batteries or external power supply used. Hopefully just the power switch.

So being packed up to await collection by FLO.

 

Bother may not have been the actual word used at the time. 😁

 

Edited July 25, 2019 by johninderby

[johninderby]

This is the Thingverse file to use to print the finder dovetail. Just increase the height and length to 200% when printing.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:972117/files

[assouptro]

Nice!

Its an old thread but I have just found it whilst searching for some kind of solution for my focus issues with my solar scout.

A quick question for anyone with a solar scout, do you experience image shift when rotating the focuser? If I am usinf a 26mm eyepiece and viewing the whole disk the sun moves from one side of my view to the other when focusing. its more pronounced when close up with a camera.

Is this normal with these units?

Cheers 

Bryan

 

[Geoff Lister]

14 hours ago, assouptro said:

A quick question for anyone with a solar scout, do you experience image shift when rotating the focuser?

The image in mine remains rock steady as I rotate the focuser.

Geoff

[simmo39]

On 13/07/2019 at 15:29, johninderby said:

DayStar Solar Scout SS60-DS Motorised Focuser

Decided to motorise the focuser on the SS60-DS which should make it a lot easier to image the sun. 

The Skywatcher Autofocuser was used with toothed drive belts and pulley. As I had fitted a Orion finder shoe decided to mount the motor and bracket on the shoe. Printed out a finder dovetail twice the length and height as standard then bolted the Skywatcher bracket to it after flattening the base of the bracket in a vice first. It comes with a bit of a curve that needed removing.

A 40 tooth GT2 drive pulley was fitted to the motor. Then fitted a 232mm drive belt turned inside out to the knurled part of the OTA focuser to give the drive belt something to grip. Was a very tight fit but that’s what I wanted. Then fitted the motor to the finder shoe usung a 320mm drive belt and adjusted the tension. 

Tested it and it worked very smoothly. The belt would slip when the focuser reached the end of it’s travel so a built in safety feature. 

Thank you for the pointers, I have got mine working with a SW motor and a few odd bits. Not as neat as yours above but it does the job,  just need some sun to look at!

[simmo39]

On 19/06/2020 at 18:01, simmo39 said:

Thank you for the pointers, I have got mine working with a SW motor and a few odd bits. Not as neat as yours above but it does the job,  just need some sun to look at!

Hi got the print from Steve today and all fitted and working. Thanks for the help and advice.

Now can we have some clear skies?