Skytee 2 With ADM Dovetail Saddle Mod

[Matt2011]

I love your set up John and I am gonna order a SkyTee-2 Mount and buy a Red Snapper RS 324 Tripod and invest in a PB70 Panning Base for the mount to connect to the SkyTee-2 mount and I am hoping I have not missed anything out but the scope I have is a Skywatcher 127 MAK with a 9x50mm FINDER.

[andrew956]

Hi Matt

Glad you like the setup it is now all going up for sale due to more light pollution in my area. It's a cracking setup but not being used so the mount scopes and eyepieces need to go unfortunately. I hope you find what your looking for you should.have no problems with this mount.

[Matt2011]

Hi Andrew, Sorry to hear your seeling the mount and equipment and what are you thinking of getting next. I have decided to ditch the SkyTee-2 idea and gonna go for a Celestron Nexstar SE GOTO mount and use that with my 127 Mak and found out also the software is much more advanced as well and more so than the Synscan. Thinking about getting the optional GPS for it also.

[johninderby]

Russ

Here's the photo re: adjusting the gear clearance.

John

[iwatkins]

I had my Skywatcher 80ED fall out of the standard saddle, the side one, the other day. Clamped up OK but seems the thread the handle is threaded onto just stripped itself. I've only used the side saddle a few times, usually use the top one. Maybe I just did it up too tight and then the cold got to it?

Anyway, smashed 80ED, badly dented camera. The larger ADM saddles should be on this mount by default. Well Skywatcher should do it I mean.

[johninderby]

I know the early ones suffered from this problem, but supposedly the knobs and threaded posts have been improved now.

John

[iwatkins]

You would hope so wouldn't you John? I had been told the same.

Only got mine brand new from FLO in mid January this year. So the duff ones are still out there and still being shipped.

Anyway, at nearly £2k worth of trashed kit, I give up with this mount.

[CGolder]

I have been thinking about getting one of the updated saddles and just now did the order from flo, i find the standard one is fine but a 200p is a big scope for this mount so i would rather pay the £60 and know it will be fine!

after hearing about the refractors that went to ground i think its sensible

[johninderby]

Ouch, I can see why you're not best pleased with it. Glad I decided to fit the ADM saddles right away instead of waiting for an expensive accident.

Begs the question when are they going to sort out this weakness. Other having to replace the saddles I'm very happy with mine. Of course my mount has had plenty of other mods now and can be used in EQ GOTO or Alt-Az mode.

John

[CGolder]

do you have the alt az goto working now john ?

[johninderby]

do you have the alt az goto working now john ?

No in Alt-Az it's just a powered mount. The SkyWatcher motors don't have encoders so there's no way for the hand control to keep track of the position. It's a lot more complicated to impliment GOTO with an Alt-Az mount than an EQ.

However I find in Alt-Az mode just being able to move the scope via the HC without having to reach for the slo-mo knobs and make fine adjustments is worth it just on it's own.

I believe the Meade LXD/55/75 motors have encoders and the mount is similar to an EQ5 so that's one future possibility for ALT-Az GOTO.

John

[jam1e1]

You would hope so wouldn't you John? I had been told the same.

Only got mine brand new from FLO in mid January this year. So the duff ones are still out there and still being shipped.

Anyway, at nearly £2k worth of trashed kit, I give up with this mount.

Wow sorry to hear that. For what its worth contact OVL they can replace the puck(s) - if you havent sold the mount already! They will be like for like but built slightly better (assuming you have old ones).

On a separate note I bought a new puck to try out (from Astrofest) for £26, will post a pic once get some time

Jamie

[iwatkins]

Thanks Jamie.

Contacting OVL is even more difficult than getting a word out of FLO at the moment.

Had to upgrade the NEQ6 Alt. bolts from day one plus all sorts of issues with the hand controller not working. Now this with the SkyTee2. Too be honest I've had it with SkyWatcher mounts. I just want to buy something that just works out of the box, no need to upgrade, no need to tweak etc.

Anyway, I love the way John has "tweaked" his SkyTee2. I've never met John or even seen a picture of him, but if it isn't an insult, I have this image of Doc Brown from "Back to the Future".

Cheers

Ian

[johninderby]

Anyway, I love the way John has "tweaked" his SkyTee2. I've never met John or even seen a picture of him, but if it isn't an insult, I have this image of Doc Brown from "Back to the Future".

Cheers

Ian

:D

Nothing like but that's OK.

I'm off now........just as soon as I can remember where I parked the DeLorean.

John

[Frank the Troll]

Hi there

Im glad I stumbled onto this post. Nice mods there

Have been thinking about getting this mount, and now know what to look out for, re: AMD and bolts, thanks for that.

Would like to try the motor mod too.

Have also been thinking about using the mount on a pillar, such as this one: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Would that be suitable?

Cheers

[MjrTom]

Anyway, smashed 80ED, badly dented camera. The larger ADM saddles should be on this mount by default.

Ouch sorry to hear about your mishap.

This type of thing would class the mount "unfit for purpose" unless the saddles are upgraded. Is there no recourse? As a minimum you should be able to get your money back for the Sky-Tee.

Upgrading the saddles to ADM ones was the first thing I did with my similar Alt/Az mount the Giro III as I was very cautious about the same happening to me with my refractors.

[johninderby]

Hi there

Im glad I stumbled onto this post. Nice mods there

Have been thinking about getting this mount, and now know what to look out for, re: AMD and bolts, thanks for that.

Would like to try the motor mod too.

Have also been thinking about using the mount on a pillar, such as this one: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Would that be suitable?

Cheers

I tried it on a SkyWatcher HEQ5 pillar but found it heavy and cumbersome and surprisingly not as stable as the standard steel tripod. I got a Berlebach wooden tripod and that's miles better, but not the cheap option.

John

[StevieDvd]

Could someone let me know the hole spacing on the SkyTee2 existing saddle bolts so I can check if the ADM ones I have will fit easily?

It'll remove any worry about me buying an older version with the poor screws if the saddles I have already can be fitted, else I'll need to make sure it's an updated version.

Thanks

[Frank the Troll]

Cheers John, thanks for that.

ermm no pillar then, was hoping it would work, or even try to adapt my tal-1 pillar

Nice wooden tripod, but beyond my budget

Not that keen on the HEQ5 tripod, so will see what else I can come up with.

[johninderby]

There is always the Vixen wooden tripod they do for the GP mounts that should fit. About £95.00 delivered from Telescope Service.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/de/info/p2617_Vixen-Holzstativ-passend-fuer-GP-und-EQ-Montierungen---60-90-cm.html

John

[johninderby]

Could someone let me know the hole spacing on the SkyTee2 existing saddle bolts so I can check if the ADM ones I have will fit easily?

It'll remove any worry about me buying an older version with the poor screws if the saddles I have already can be fitted, else I'll need to make sure it's an updated version.

Thanks

The mounting holes are 35mm apart. The mounting holes are the same on all the Skytee 2 mounts.

If you have the standard ADM saddles then you will have to drill two new mounting holes. FLO sells the Skytee version of the ADM saddle with the right hole spacing.

John

[StevieDvd]

The mounting holes are 35mm apart. The mounting holes are the same on all the Skytee 2 mounts.

If you have the standard ADM saddles then you will have to drill two new mounting holes. FLO sells the Skytee version of the ADM saddle with the right hole spacing.

John

Thanks that looks like the saddles I have so a similar drilling session would be in order, shame they holes don't align but hey that's life.

[pmesquita]

Ouch, I can see why you're not best pleased with it. Glad I decided to fit the ADM saddles right away instead of waiting for an expensive accident.

Begs the question when are they going to sort out this weakness. Other having to replace the saddles I'm very happy with mine. Of course my mount has had plenty of other mods now and can be used in EQ GOTO or Alt-Az mode.

John

Hi John,

Paulo from Portugal here.Is there any tutorial on your DIY Goto mod? I have the SkyTeeII and find the mod you made very, very interesting. It would help a lot if you explained (or pointed out where to look) all about this mod.

cheers

Paulo Mesquita

[johninderby]

I'll have to write up a guide to the GOTO mod when I get the time. It took some time and experimentation to come up with a drive mounting system. No mods were done to the Skytee 2 mount at all, it's purely a bolt on system. As mentioned in other posts it's only GOTO in EQ mode as the Synscan motors don't have the encoders that would be needed for an Alt-Az GOTO. However being able to use the handcontrol to move the mount in Alt-Az is so useful even if it can't track in Alt-Az.

A cheaper option is to fit the EQ5 dual drive motors for just a driven EQ mount.

The hardest part would be to build the EQ wedge, although if you make it a fixed non-adjustable wedge it's a lot easier and it could be made from plywood.

John

[iwatkins]

Ouch sorry to hear about your mishap.

This type of thing would class the mount "unfit for purpose" unless the saddles are upgraded. Is there no recourse? As a minimum you should be able to get your money back for the Sky-Tee.

I'm still trying to get some form of sensible conversation from OVL but am failing. It's now resorted to taking legal action I'm afraid as they insist in ignoring any form of communication (although I admit I haven't yet tried a carrier pigeon).

But before that it seems I have to go to the actual supplier first, I.e. who I actually bought it from, even though they just drop shipped it, as does everyone who deals with the bigger stuff from OVL.

It's a pain, I just want kit that works. Not too much to ask.

Cheers

Ian