I've finally ordered a Mesu 200 MK2 (Mesu e200)

[carballada]

On 03/01/2020 at 09:42, Jonk said:

Counterweights are now WIP...

Really nice metal pieces, nice counterweights and nice plates... I understood that you have access to this tools, that's something very useful for our astro hobby   always we need a very specific metal pieces!! jajaja

 

any new progress so far??

[Xsubmariner]

Jonk,

That is a nice SS billet you have there to work the weights. May I PM a request for your source? I have just taken receipt of 3 Geoptik 10kg CW for my mk 2, but plan to replace with SS weights at some point.

I opted for a wedge to fit to my existing observatory pier and will consider a bent knee pier replacement, once I can be assured the package will fit and operate within my 2.2M dome.

The engineering design and manufacture of your adapters is excellent, you must be a professional engineer.

looking forward to your next update.

[ollypenrice]

I was a very early adopter of the Mesu - or more accurately Yves Van den Broek was, since the one that first came here belonged to him - and right from the start some people have commented on how 'basic' it looked. My own view is that it is 100% graphic designer free. Hooray! It sets out in search of the simplest solution possible to the phenomenal engineering problem of precise sidereal tracking. We live in a ridiculous world in which the simplest things are made to look 'techy.' My bicycle handlebars have a scale on them so that their angle can be set relative the clamp which holds them. What ridiculous nonsense!

I set my handlebars at 32.34 degrees to the horizontal.

You do? You are losing climbing power at 0.00567 Watts per revolution, you nonentity!

...and so on.

No, the Mesu is a machine. It looks like a machine. It should look like a machine. I now have two of them and host three more. They work. That's it. What do they look like? I can't remember. I only ever see them in the dark when I go out and switch them on...

Olly

[Jonk]

4 hours ago, carballada said:

Really nice metal pieces, nice counterweights and nice plates... I understood that you have access to this tools, that's something very useful for our astro hobby   always we need a very specific metal pieces!! jajaja

 

any new progress so far??

Thanks - I figured that I'm in this for the long haul, so why not get it right first time? That way, it should last as long as I do, if not longer!

I've never been one for plug and play, and as I know someone well who enjoys making things in his small workshop, together we can do these things.

No news yet, counter weights are not ready, but hopefully soon I'll be able to take it for a test drive, maybe within the next couple of weeks.

3 hours ago, Xsubmariner said:

That is a nice SS billet you have there to work the weights. May I PM a request for your source? I have just taken receipt of 3 Geoptik 10kg CW for my mk 2, but plan to replace with SS weights at some point.

I opted for a wedge to fit to my existing observatory pier and will consider a bent knee pier replacement, once I can be assured the package will fit and operate within my 2.2M dome.

The engineering design and manufacture of your adapters is excellent, you must be a professional engineer.

looking forward to your next update.

It's marine grade 316 - 'normal' grade s/s is ok, but marine grade is more resitant to salt etc so I figured get the best I could. Pricey yes, and very difficult to machine, but the right techniques were learnt and they're nearly finished.

Given that they're a spare time job and I'm in no rush, I don't know exactly when they'll be ready.

If you were to buy these, I'm guessing you wouldn't get much change from £300 each.

You can PM me of course, and as you have a BMW s1000r? in your avatar then I'm all ears (I have 2 Fireblades).

Thanks for the compliment too - I've been called many things, but a professional engineer?!! There's always a first time!

6 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

It looks like a machine. It should look like a machine

Quite right - substance over style, performance over looks.

I am sorely tempted to take the covers off to see how it works but I daren't!

 

[Jonk]

Actually, there is a bit of an update.

I'm currently drawing my Star 71 so I can design a mounting system for 2 of these, eventually with a TEC140 plus an Evoguide:

There's another thread about dual scopes and flexure that I'm watching, and I want to make sure I moutn everything without the issue to begin with.

I would rather the complete imaging rig to be fixed without removing scopes, so I'll probably get rid of all the scope rings and have 1 solid mounting system, then all I have to fettle is focusers hopefully.

That's the plan anyway!

[Jonk]

Not bad eh?!

[ollypenrice]

11 hours ago, Jonk said:

 

I am sorely tempted to take the covers off to see how it works but I daren't!

 

Don't do that! Cleanliness is everything in a roller drive system. Both of my Mesus are veritable first generation examples with the cases for the drives made in a single piece. How Lucas put the wheels in is a mystery. 🤔

Olly

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by ollypenrice

[Jonk]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

Don't do that!

Don’t worry I won’t of course!

However it is so tempting!

[WanderingEye]

The motors even look so small on those Mesu’s....excellent engineering I have to say... 👍

[Jonk]

I received this photo today...

16.5kg each. This weekend I’ll put one on and get the mount slewing and under control hopefully.

[Skipper Billy]

Oooohhh - that's almost pornographic .....

 

[Jonk]

Oh yes.... they almost look real... wait a minute, they are!

[tooth_dr]

FANTASTIC!  they look so so good.

[Zakalwe]

1 hour ago, Jonk said:

I received this photo today...

16.5kg each. This weekend I’ll put one on and get the mount slewing and under control hopefully.

Lovely work. I could do with one of those!

Got any spare material left over? 😀

[Jonk]

1 hour ago, Zakalwe said:

Got any spare material left over? 😀

Probably, trouble is it’ll need melting back down from swarf spaghetti to solid! 😆

The billet was chosen to avoid as much wastage as possible.

[Zakalwe]

1 hour ago, Jonk said:

Probably, trouble is it’ll need melting back down from swarf spaghetti to solid! 😆

 

😁😁

[Jonk]

@Zakalwe when can you come and get it?!

 

[Jonk]

The weights fit, stay put, and to me look luuuurvely!

[WanderingEye]

Where did you get that nice square metal breadboard from, for mounting Kit.... ? 😀

[Jonk]

I work in higher education and I was lucky enough to receive it from a research group as a donation.

It was slightly warped so no good for real research experiments, so I gladly accepted it, had it cut in 2 and had a hole cut in the middle for the cables.

The idea was to use both pieces to sandwich the scopes if there was any evidence of flexure. 

Plenty of room for all sorts to go on there!

If you want to buy one, or at least look at the specs, they’re manufactured by Thor Labs.

[WanderingEye]

10 minutes ago, Jonk said:

I work in higher education and I was lucky enough to receive it from a research group as a donation.

It was slightly warped so no good for real research experiments, so I gladly accepted it, had it cut in 2 and had a hole cut in the middle for the cables.

The idea was to use both pieces to sandwich the scopes if there was any evidence of flexure. 

Plenty of room for all sorts to go on there!

If you want to buy one, or at least look at the specs, they’re manufactured by Thor Labs.

Great, found them, 300mm x 450mm £150, that is not bad considering how much dovetails are... and with M6 tapped holes too.. 👍😀

[tooth_dr]

Hi Jon. Would you mind checking the difference you allowed between the brass sleeves and the CW shaft diameter?

 

Thanks

Adam  

 

[Jonk]

Using digital callipers I would say best I can measure is 40.4mm internal diameter of the bronze insert.

I gave him the bar and said make them fit please!

If you’re looking for an insert for existing weights, try and find some acetal or maybe nylon.

[Xsubmariner]

Your weights look wonderful, I am not at all envious. 😒

[Jonk]

29 minutes ago, Xsubmariner said:

Your weights look wonderful, I am not at all envious. 😒

Thanks, buy once cry once as they say.