How to balance a direct driven mount

[Corpze]

I have read a couple of threads when it comes to direct driven mounts, and one of the most frequent questions asked is how to balace a direct driven mount, in my case a ASA DDM85.
- So i made one where i show the basics and how sensitive it is, but a breeze to do when using the software provided.
 

/Daniel 

You can find the video here:
 

 

[PhotoGav]

Nice video, thanks for posting! That looks ultra easy with the ASA mount. I have a Mesu 200 and the software doesn’t have that balance feature. I have balanced as well as I could manually. Any ideas about a software solution for direct drive mounts other than the ASA?

[CraigT82]

Nicely produced video. I think it should be called "how to balance an ASA DDM mount" though, as the technique doesn't apply any other mounts (unless Autoslew is compatible with other mounts??) Nice rig BTW! 

[Corpze]

21 hours ago, CraigT82 said:

Nicely produced video. I think it should be called "how to balance an ASA DDM mount" though, as the technique doesn't apply any other mounts (unless Autoslew is compatible with other mounts??) Nice rig BTW! 

Yea, probably should have done that, but the first minutes, I am just quickly covering how to do it on "regular" mounts, but the main part is about the DDM, for sure. 
I do not think that the Autoslew software is compatible with other mounts than ASA though.

/Daniel 

[ollypenrice]

On 19/12/2020 at 09:04, PhotoGav said:

Nice video, thanks for posting! That looks ultra easy with the ASA mount. I have a Mesu 200 and the software doesn’t have that balance feature. I have balanced as well as I could manually. Any ideas about a software solution for direct drive mounts other than the ASA?

There are now five Mesus based at my place, three of them carrying complex multiple scope payloads, and all have been balanced simply by 'feel' as I guess you did yours. None of them shows the slightest sign of a problem. I wouldn't worry about it.

Olly

[PhotoGav]

Just now, ollypenrice said:

There are now five Mesus based at my place, three of them carrying complex multiple scope payloads, and all have been balanced simply by 'feel' as I guess you did yours. None of them shows the slightest sign of a problem. I wouldn't worry about it.

Olly

Thank you for this Olly. I wasn’t worrying about it until I watched this video and developed ‘balance envy’!! I will stop worrying again now.

[ollypenrice]

2 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

Thank you for this Olly. I wasn’t worrying about it until I watched this video and developed ‘balance envy’!! I will stop worrying again now.

There is another option for Dec, by the way. You can put the full payload on the kitchen table with a length of thin tubing (or a pencil...) under the dovetail and find the point of balance. Just be sure the pivot is square to the dovetail. Mark this mid point and put it at the centre point of the saddle plate.

I've never bothered but I did use this method on a review mount I once had.

Olly

[tooth_dr]

13 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

There is another option for Dec, by the way. You can put the full payload on the kitchen table with a length of thin tubing (or a pencil...) under the dovetail and find the point of balance. Just be sure the pivot is square to the dovetail. Mark this mid point and put it at the centre point of the saddle plate.

I've never bothered but I did use this method on a review mount I once had.

Olly

I do something similar, except I hang it upside down by the dovetail and balance it across my index fingers 🤪

[Laurin Dave]

8 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

There is another option for Dec, by the way. You can put the full payload on the kitchen table with a length of thin tubing (or a pencil...) under the dovetail and find the point of balance. Just be sure the pivot is square to the dovetail. Mark this mid point and put it at the centre point of the saddle plate.

I've never bothered but I did use this method on a review mount I once had.

Olly

I did that in both directions for my side by side by side rig... I used a workmate though and some masking tape to mark the balance points ... it worked a treat..  Mesu's seem very tolerant of balance

[skybadger]

To balance my dual rig I use an extra long hand clamp against one end of the dovetail on the scope and the other end on the far end of the dovetail clamp to slowly push the dovetails through their clamps, retighten, and iterate  until it balanced with axis clamps undone. The hand clamp addresses the high friction and weight on each dovetail, even when released enough to move. Otherwise I can't move them easily and smoothly by hand anymore. 

Measurement is possible by comparing motor current either side of the axis of interest. I haven't tried that yet though.

[Jonk]

11 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

There is another option for Dec, by the way. You can put the full payload on the kitchen table with a length of thin tubing (or a pencil...) under the dovetail and find the point of balance. Just be sure the pivot is square to the dovetail. Mark this mid point and put it at the centre point of the saddle plate.

Exactly! But do it in all directions.