How do you mount an EL Panel?

[Helen]

I've been reading with interest over the last couple of days the threads about taking flats with EL panels. It seems different people have come up with different ways of mounting them. I've got an A3 one just arrived and now need to mount it. I'd like to be able to use it with the C11, C8 and my Megrez 90.

So I was wondering if people would mind posting pictures or descriptions of how they've mounted the panel to get the best amount of even illumination.

Many thanks

Helen

[RobH]

Hello Helen.

I too have an A3 one.

I got a bit of clear perspex from B&Q, cut it to size, then, using a palm sander, I sanded one side of it to make it opaque. This has the effect of making it non-reflective too, which stops any reflection between the lens and the surface of the panel.

I then gaffa taped the EPL panel to this and to use it, I point the scope at the zenith and sit it on top. I find that I also tend to dim it down a bit with a few sheets of cartridge paper.

This is pretty well exactly the design that Steve L uses, and mine was copied from his, which there is a thread relating to somewhere on the site, together with photos.

Cheers

Rob

[Ford Prefect]

Have a look at the link below, mine is as simple as three bits of Perspex (2 front and 1 back to make it a bit more rigid). Then tape the inverter to the back of Perspex as I found out to my cost the wire to the inverter can be easily pulled apart.

Just a note but I don’t believe that A3 sheet will fit the C11, I think its slightly too small, you may also have to add more than one layer of diffusing Perspex to the front if you are going to use it with the hyperstar due to its fast focal ratio.

cheers Jon

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussion/78054-el-sheet-taking-flats.html

[SteveL]

The Earlsmann A3 EL sheet will **JUST** fit the aperture of the C11, the illuminated area is just oversized enough to do that, although it is narrower than the size of the outer tube.

[Ford Prefect]

The Earlsmann A3 EL sheet will **JUST** fit the aperture of the C11, the illuminated area is just oversized enough to do that, although it is narrower than the size of the outer tube.

oops my mistake

[ollypenrice]

I found some translucent perspex for the light side and hardboard for the reverse and gaffa taped them together. The hardboard was added because I feared for the wire. It, too, is taped such that a tug does not pull on its attachment to the sheet.

However... there's more. I found that in fast scopes there could be a gradient arising from light getting in somewhere, I guess between the panel and the dewsheid. I had already made a sky flat thingy using a sheet of insulating polystyrene an inch thick with a dewsheild radius hole in it and translucent perspex fastened to that. I use this with the luminescent sheet and a T shirt between them. That has proved dead reliable.

Beware light getting into your filterwheel, too. It even gets into my closed electric one somehow. I do flats in the dark or semi dark to avoid this but I do live in a place with a staggering amount of sunlight so the ruddy stuff gets in everywhere!

Olly

[Helen]

Thanks everyone Off to B&Q (well, its something to do in the fog!)

but I do live in a place with a staggering amount of sunlight so the ruddy stuff gets in everywhere!

Olly

Oh to have that problem

Helen