1999 Vintage Orion Europa 150 f5 mods

[wayne weedon]

Since getting the little MAK127 our Orion Optics Europa 150 f5 has been doing nothing.

So I've set about to make some changes to it. New Focuser is important. But on the way to that, I decided the mirrors needed a good clean and be put away somewhere safe.

The Mirrors cleaned up fine, but what concerns me is the method of fixing. The Primary cell if you could even call it that is nothing more than a lasercut disc of alloy about 1/4" thick and the mirror is sat on three pairs of tiny rubber blocks with blobs of what look like rtv silicone closeby acting as an adhesive. No external clips anywhere.

Same method is used on the Secondary.

Any sensible suggestions as to whether to change this or not? I'd hate for that silicone to let go one night!! Obviously with a workshop full of nice machinery I'm not adverse to making something more subtantial either.

Wayne.....

[Earl]

The Primary does not have any clamps at all?

[wayne weedon]

Nope Its just hanging there!

They could of at least greased the collimation studs and springs

[Earl]

well im certain it can be improved upon, and im guessing it would be mainly for "to see what can be done"

Id say make a new plate to fit on top of another with fittings for a Fan, (with speed control 12v input, control could be up by the focuser you could even pop a temperature sensor top and bottom to see when both ends match.. although that might not mean the middle does, it could turn itself of if they match and turn on as needed humm do you suck in at the bottom or blow out?) collimation knobs and easy access to remove etc.

Complete over kill but an interesting project

[wayne weedon]

Should I repaint with stripes too? hehe. I'm temped to "overkill" just cos......

Talking of killing, that plastic bodied focuser they fitted is going to be smashed up! Just about the sole cause of all my initial frustrations that thing was.

[Earl]

Ritualistic burning smashing is too easy.

Might be worth looking at having an option to move the mirror to make DSLR focus easier.

[wayne weedon]

Maybe this maybe too "less" a scope for any suggestions

Anyway thinking about this mirror cell business. What is the normal best practice for the substrate to sit the primary on? Would a equispaced set of nitrile feet or grommets be suitable? What it's sat on now is nothing moer than a few rubber blocks about 6-8mm square and 3 big dollops of rtv silicone acting as the only method of restraint.

What scheme is normally used to actually retain the mirror when the external clips/brackets are used?