Meade Vibration Isolation pads

[Nick P]

Has anyone used these on an LX55 / LXD75 mount and standard tripod with a large refractor and did they help with suppressing any vibrations?

My AR6 is pretty wobbly with this set up and am trying to find ways of curing the problem!

Thanks

Nick

Oops think this should be in equipment help - Mods can you move please?

[blinkity-blonk]

I have this problem with my EQ5 on my semi hollow patio. I've looked at the Celestron vibration suppression pads as well as the Meade V.I.Ps.

From the look of it there's not much to choose between the two, but as far as how well they work I'm afraid I'm in the same boat as you.

you might find this thread helpful:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-help/105602-vibration-suppression-pads-any-good.html

[BinocularSky]

I used to have some Celestron ones when I used to do imaging. Very good; they damp the vibrations really quickly. There are cheaper ways, though -- e.g. hang 18-24" of chain off the front of the scope :-)

[Nick P]

you might find this thread helpful:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-help/105602-vibration-suppression-pads-any-good.html

Thanks for the link, seems they do make a difference then! although whether its £45 worth is still debateable - sadly solutions involving breeze blocks or paving slabs are out as the answer needs to be portable around the set up area!

There are cheaper ways, though -- e.g. hang 18-24" of chain off the front of the scope :-)

I think the mount (LXD55) is at the limit of its capacity with the scope so putting anymore weight on it may just push it over the edge (quite literally too - right over the edge of the balcony I view from )

Would putting more weight on the centre of the tripod help much i.e. on the eyepiece tray?

[BinocularSky]

Would putting more weight on the centre of the tripod help much i.e. on the eyepiece tray?

You could hang a gallon container of water from the tripod head:

[Darren B]

I would not be without VSP's. When I first got my Portamount, it suttered from chronic vibration whenever I tried to view above 100x magnification. Even though I had a telescope with a two speed focuser which was very smooth, it took 5+ seconds for it to settle down.

When I purchased the VSP's and started to use them, the telescope would settle in around 1 second after I hit the tripod leg and focusing was no problem at all.

For me they are an essential bit of kit and worth the money I'd paid for them.

[John]

I have some of the Meade ones. I did a little review a while ago:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/106853-meade-vibration-supression-pads.html

[Nick P]

You could hang a gallon container of water from the tripod head:

Thats a great idea, simple and easy to set up too!

[Nick P]

I have some of the Meade ones. I did a little review a while ago:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/106853-meade-vibration-supression-pads.html

Great review John, I am ordering some now!

And combined with Tetenterre's idea too, I think we have a solution (famous last words...................)

[BinocularSky]

Great review John, I am ordering some now!

And combined with Tetenterre's idea too, I think we have a solution (famous last words...................)

Two different things, though. The vibration suppression pads don't stop vibration, the sorbothane in the sandwich just damps it down so it dies much quicker (the chain does the same thing, as long as it has an oscillation frequency that is not a harmonic of the rest of the kit). The water container adds stability to the mount, not least because it adds to the mass and lowers the centre of mass (essential on the cruddy tripod in the picture).

[John]

Two different things, though. The vibration suppression pads don't stop vibration, the sorbothane in the sandwich just damps it down so it dies much quicker....

I agree, but this is a significant benefit when viewing at high power IMHO.

[Nick P]

Two different things, though. The vibration suppression pads don't stop vibration, the sorbothane in the sandwich just damps it down so it dies much quicker (the chain does the same thing, as long as it has an oscillation frequency that is not a harmonic of the rest of the kit). The water container adds stability to the mount, not least because it adds to the mass and lowers the centre of mass (essential on the cruddy tripod in the picture).

Hence the combination of the two, which should:

a) improve the mounts stability by lowering its centre of gravity- although it wont eliminate the wobble completely

and

reduce the time it takes for the scope to stop moving with the VIP's

Thats the plan anyway!

This scope and mount combination has always been notoriously unstable so I am under no illusion that the problem can be totally cured, however any improvement would be a great thing so I can get full use out of the refractor at high mags.

The mount itself is very good and matched with the 8" Newt is absolutely fine, its just the added weight of the AR6 gets it jumping about like a fairground ride!!

[boboco]

Possibly another cheaper solution (though only halving the cost...) is to use these Anti-Vibration Pad for Dampnering Vibration of Washing Machines and other Rotationary Machinery

While its not the same, I sometimes observe from my decking (which has some reinforcement under the area, but stil lsuffered from vibration). (I use the pad when on grass also as it even helps there).

One of these mats under the rocker box helps hugely.

For a tripod you could probably cut one of these down ( its possible with a good hobby knife) and glue a few layers together (its rubber so should glue easliy).

... then again thats a fair amount of hassle vs a £20 saving...

Cheers,

Karl.

[BinocularSky]

Possibly another cheaper solution (though only halving the cost...) is to use these Anti-Vibration Pad for Dampnering Vibration of Washing Machines and other Rotationary Machinery.

I may be wrong, but I think this is yet another distinct approach. My experience is these rubber things do not actually reduce vibration in the machinery itself, but reduce the amount of energy that is transferred to the surroundings (usually floor), thus making it seem as though overall vibration is lost. Of course, this may help in that, if the floor (or observing deck) starts to vibrate, some of this is transferred back to the item and....

The distinction is that the sorbothane in anti-vibration pads actually helps to damp the vibrations.

In the end, I suppose it doesn't really matter what the mechanism is, as long as observing pleasure is enhanced.