Orion Intelliscope picture on Google images

[Ripcurl]

I was sent a picture of an Orion skyquest intelliscope that has some sort of grey cone extention on the top with two straps near the rear and what looks like lagging pipe on the front of the stand, plus the scope seems to be on an addition base. Can some one please help me with what the bit at the top is and the use of the straps would be and what the addition platform is made from and is it just to raise the scope to a non back breaking level. Please help as its driving me mad. I am unable to attach the picture due to system problems can some one please help.

[ZOG]

Can you post a link to the pic ?

[Helen]

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/1650/finishedscopemods002wr8.jpg

I assume this is the picture.. if so, the grey bit on the top is a dew shield and the bottom platform appears to be a servocat drive system (which will allow the dob to track the stars). The picture came from a cloudynights thread http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2703319/Main/2702955

where you can read more...

Helen

[calibos]

LMFAO!! :mrgreen: I started reading this thread and thought to myself....nah.....couldn't be!!

Thats my scope!! :mrgreen:

Yep, Helen is correct in that the grey bit at the top is an astrozap dewshield designed for a Meade 12" SCT's. I used it more as a Lightshield. My secondary certainly never dewed up before I fitted it. The foam pipe insulation was just to cushion the OTA if it dropped before I fitted my counterweight or something. The straps are Scope Totes which made lifting the OTA onto the base easier. The platform is a Brian Reed Roundtable Equatorial platform for tracking.

Heres a pic of the collapsible hand trolley for moving the scope out of the shed with the fold up Eyepiece case table I made that sits on top in the second pic.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

I am not finished modding it even though I am selling it after purchasing an LB16. IN this current economic climate one needs to make ones scope stand out from the crowd to sell it quickly so I am about to fit antiflexure bracing, new teflon pads to go with the ebonystar and a dew heater system. ie. the scope will be truely plug and play with every needed mod done and all the nice to have mods done too!

Heres the old and the new side by side:

I

[Helen]

That's an amazing scope and trolley Have you got any more details and pictures? I'm just about to start modding an 8inch lightbridge so that my friend can handle it more easily, and it looks like you've got some great ideas there!!

Helen

[beamish]

Can I ask, did you make your observing chair ??

Karlo

[calibos]

Hi Helen,

Some more pics and detail in this CloudyNights thread

http://tinyurl.com/cy32vj

My DIY skills aren't that good? The Eyepiece table is a lot rougher than it looks. I think the matt black paint hides my DIY imperfections/ So I wouldn't have had a clue how to put together that chair myself. No, I bought it from Teleskop-Service in Germany.

[Ripcurl]

Thank you Calibos, I only have a humble 8" Skyquest but still my pride and joy and I am looking to modify so combined with your pictures and information this is just what I have been looking for to make the whole experience easier and more enjoyable. One small question I have is if you have to put a price tag on the modifications what would you guess it would be? if you are not happy to say I will supply my email.

I am just so glad I registerd with this site I have seen so much in the last few weeks from everyones guidance than I have in years.

Ripcurl

[Sfarndell]

I really like your Intelliscope mod on the LB16. How did you manage to do it? Did you have to purchase 2 handsets to get the 2 encoders? I have been trying to get a spare encoder, but Orion doesn't sell individual encoders, only sets consisting of 1 encoder + 1 handset.

[calibos]

Hiya mate,

The LB16 intelliscope mod cost me $50/80 euros. Orion made in Intelliscope kit for their Skyview Pro line of German Equatorial mounts. It used the same handset as their dobs. It was a simple enough to figure a way to mount the GEM encoders on the dob and the only other thing I had to do was buy an RJ11 6 pin phone connector and a 7 quid crimping tool to rearrange the wiring in the handset cable to reconfigure the RA/DEC encoder signals to suit my encoder placement on the ALT/AZ dob.

I priced the SVP kit in Europe and everyone wanted 300 euros for it!! Orion US were selling them off at 80 dollars but the only problem was they wouldn't ship outside the US so as not to undercut their international dealers. I got an American buddy from Cloudynights forum to order one on my behalf and forward it on to me in Ireland.

UNfortunately these were withdrawn from sale by Orion US 1 week after I got mine.

If you can get your hands on one on ebay for instance you should look for a PDF in the files section called intelliscope.PDF by a guy called Yaroslav Yaros IIRC, on the Meade Lightbridge Yahoo group. My install was a variation on his.