Celestron C14 on Ioptron HAE43 home build pier

[Chrb1985]

So I guess I went against everyone's advice again here.

I bought an old orange tube c14 ans decided to too everything to it.

I disassembled it. Paintet the whole thing. I drilled out thre holes In the rear cell and installed three fans. I used a jack plug in the side of the cell for power. I also drilled out 2 smaller holes in the front of the tube. I bought the C14 dewheater ring. I bought a new Zwo Asi 678mm this is perfect pixel size for the C14.

here is some pictures for now.

[JeremyS]

That is an Amazing project 👍🏻

[Chrb1985]

Here is a few more pictures. It 90% finishes now. Sadly I managed to scratch the new paint job🤦 but anyway now the primary is in and the corrector plate on. I also bought a.new thermometer wich measures right in on the primary mirror and I installed filters and Bars for each fan.

What's remaining is: attached the thermometer with velcrove. Solder the jack cable to one of the Eagle 12v power plugs. And the dreadfull job of aligning the Schmidt plate to the primary mirror and place cork spacers around the Schmidt plate ND of course collimation. 

[Chrb1985]

A few more pictures of the progress.

The primary mirror is as far as i can tell perfectly aligned/senterd. I bought cork today to shim up and center the SCT plate. When thats done ill clean the primary, secondary and sct plate, put it all back together and than its just one more cable I need to cut to lengte and solder. Its the cable for the dewheater ring. Then its first testing too see if the fans acctually do help on the cool down time. I think that the Carbon filters i used might block to much air Flow. I got a tip from a guy in my local astronomy club that vaccum cleaner filters are much better to get goof airflow. So I might just use some right size o-rings and cut to size the filters and glue them on each o-ring and just slip them in behind the grills. Hope that works 🤞

Id would be Great to have som respons here. If you think I do something wrong or something can be done different.

If someone here have done anything like this before, both the fan and went holes job and the centering of primary and sct plate, please let me Know. Not too much info on Those matters around.

[geoflewis]

What an amazing project. I would never have the skills or confidence to try any of this, so I hopw it all works very well for you.

[Chrb1985]

1 hour ago, geoflewis said:

What an amazing project. I would never have the skills or confidence to try any of this, so I hopw it all works very well for you.

Thanks! And i really hope so to 🫡