You will have to line up the diagonal and primary so that you see a centered image of the sonotube opening and the spyder in the eyepiece hole. This book describes in great detail the steps to build a large aperture truss tube dob, focusing on scopes with a 12.5 to 40 inch mirror. I do it with aluminium alloy, aluminium tube and nice work. My DIY Motorized Telescope Focuser - YouTube I use a 3D printer and an old gear motor to create an electronic telescope focuser.This is my first attempt at voiceover, I'm using a headset. As I read the book I decided that I should build a 12.5 inch truss tube scope. Dobsonian telescopes are popular with amateur telescope makers for their ease of design and construction, portability, and their use of large optical mirrors. telescope page, I wasn't really eager to buy two commercial Crayford the interior diameter is just a nudge over 2". Inside the OTA is a ring of tightly fitting flocking paper that prevents any light getting in around the drawtube. Move the jigs until you can comfortably place a variety of eyepieces in the focuser and get a sharp image, then carefully measure the separation distances. If not, you may need to design and print your own bracket(s), gears, and so on. See captioned photos 22-25 here:https://www.cloudyniractor-focuser/ for more detail on building a flush valve focuser, as Bob mentions. It was easy enough to drill a hole and tap threads for a Orion Dynamo Mini for powering a Nexstar 6SE? The email bounced back to me. After another 3 weeks, I was concerned that I had not received the mirror. I have not yet figured out a better way to hold the tube. Motion is very smooth. This motor has a 5mm drive shaft. Perfect for visual observations with very heavy mirrors. But I wanted a larger mirror, and, at that size, grinding my own was not an option. how much travel you actually need, you can cut the tube off so none of Measure twice, drill Pioneered by John Dobson in the 1960s, the instrument combines a Newtonian reflector telescope with a unique two-axis movable base. Make an account on JLCPCB.com, upload the Gerber zip file, that's it! Just drill holes in both ends and mount the lenses. Drill a hole and attach the ball head using a shorter 1/4" 20 bolt. rod for the drive axle it would have a fairly fine motion. How to build a 12.5 inch closed tube Dobsonian telescope. This makes for better sky photographs as the exposure time can be lengthened,. a 3/4" thickness. Start with the small components first. The blue pieces of the rocker box and ground board are arranged as in the diagrams in (figure 2). A celebration of the Maker Movement, a family-friendly showcase of invention and creativity that gathers Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. The current needs to be adjusted on the DRV8825. The scope including the optics, truss tubes, and eye pieces all stored in a single box making it easy to store and transport by car, but it was a little too big to fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat on most aircraft. The length of the Rocker Front also had to be changed so that the outside edge of the Side Bearings matched the outside edge of the Rocker Sides precisely. You won't need to write any sketches from scratch, but you will at least need to figure out how to upload them to the Nano. crafts, science & engineering, design, and technology. Drawing lines between opposite corners of the tube box sides allowed me to locate the center point on each side. a "rubbery" feel. The Crayford Focuser and DIY Focuser for Homemade Telescope By trukmeeilee in Circuits Cameras 3,461 3 1 Download Favorite By trukmeeilee Follow More by the author: The Crayford focuser is a simplified focusing mechanism for amateur astronomical telescopes. The sides were attached with wood glue and clamps with a few small brads to hold everything in place. The holes in the main bracket the match the holes in the plate are oversize to allow for this alignment. OK, no, I do not have a homemade Crayford focuser but am planning to build a 3 incher for next years 17" reflector telescope project and to hold my new 30mm ES 100 degree EP. Connect the Arduino USB cable and upload some test sketches. Having an RS trade counter 2 miles away is such a luxury! Quick demo of my motorized focuser, and I will create a detailed tutorial if enough people are interested. Im sorry to hear you couldn't make the contest. I got a different stain, tested it, and went back to work. Likewise, the side bearings are made of two identical semicircles of 5/8 inch plywood glued together, creating side bearings that are 1 inches thick. Crayford focusers are considered superior to entry-level rack and pinion If you're not using heavy eyepieces, you probably don't need This is the kind of simple off the shelf design I was looking for. I did not own all of the tools that I needed for this project, particularly a table saw and router, so I did a lot of work while visiting my Dad. As I continued to read, however, I was struck by the many complications of the design and, frankly, how many ways I could screw it up. Let me see if I can get similar plumbing parts here. I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. I call shenanigans on every picture in this post except for the the moon. It's the same in form, but has a perfect, true 13.35mm hole. I'm also going to focus on only one version of Robert's focuser (there are many). The belt and pulleys are off-the-shelf items available on Amazon. The next day my wife called me at work to tell me a box had arrived with telescope stuff. the bearings right at the edge of the frame, reducing the frame to It has become an indispensable piece of equipment for me that so beats hacking and filing PVC pipes etc. surfaces to put the bearings in and a vee at the bottom that would hold I told them to take their time and get it right. Your choice here will be recorded for all Make.co Websites. I suspected that the company was either in trouble or no longer in business. Upload that main sketch to the Nano. Fast forward a few months to the next time I had the tube outside. On the bottom of the Bottom board is a ring of Ebony Star laminate that glides over the three teflon pads located directly above the feet on the ground board. I gave them a call and they said they had one on the shelf14 inches in diameter and 12 feet long! Once Id built a CNC router, I embarked on my third telescope, featuring a 16 primary mirror with aluminum trusses, wide vertical bearing arcs, a steel front-adjustable mirror cell, and a rotating base. It takes the unknown out of focusing, and is easy to re-focus between filters, or refocus several times during a long exposure run as the world cools down. Orient this assembly to allow you to view an object on the far horizon. Homemade astronomy. I had designed the tube box so that there would be an extra inch around the tube. After waiting for the contact cement to dry to the touch, and with my wife's help, I carefully aligned the edge of the veneer with the guideline on the tube and pressed the first inch together. focuser. To view, go here: http://emediadesigns.com/focuser/ This is not recommended for shared computers. After the pieces were glued together, I used a belt sander to smooth out any rough edges, being careful to keep both rocker sides and both side bearings exactly the same. This simple homemade device will reduce star trails far better than if the camera was mounted on a tripod alone. My plan for wrapping the tube seemed good, but I am not too pleased with the final result. an eyepiece. I was finishing this inner debate when I got a copy of the book The Dobsonian Telescope by Kriege and Berry as a Christmas gift. installations. I have one on my 12" f/5 truss dob and the focuser knob is on the top surface of the UTA. I decided to keep this tube for now and if I run into problems with it, I can replace it later. If you're going for simple, have you considered a helical focuser? LVLaserTech is right please do not vote for the pictures my instructable is for the build of the telescope not the quality of the photos.and as i said before i was not there is there a possibility that he sent me the wrong photos sure is there a possibility that he used a different mount than the one i saw sure is there a possibility that he is lying to me me about what he did sure. It has a 6mm shaft. Finally it was etched in caustic soda, and anodised matt black. This unit takes signals from your computer and drives the stepper motor on the focuser. Telescope Magazine. The original Crayford Focuser is on display there. I have no dog in this hunt whatsoever, but if people are impressed by these photographs and vote for it because of them when there's no proof that this scope generated the photos and there IS data to the contrary (see below), then that's certainly not fair to the other contestants. In order to check your measurements, you can construct jigs for your mirror cell and secondary cage, positioning them on a straight, adjustable track such as 2 planks of wood. Because thebasic movement and optics requirements are relatively simple, much of the design is left to the builder. Page 1 of 2 - DIY focuser design - posted in ATM, Optics and DIY Forum: Hi I am working on a diy focuser design for my 6 F/8 telescope and asking suggestions for simple focuser. Line the underside of the rocker box with a ring of ABS plastic to allow it to ride on the base. Please explain, in detail, how you attached your tube to the very unique drive system of an XT12G mount. Find a special something for the makers in your life. The arc at the top of the sides needed to have a radius 1/8 inch larger than that of the side bearings to account for the thickness of the teflon pads that would fit between. can't click on it or copy and paste it; it's a graphic file to thwart I have seen some VERY impressive photos similar to those, taken with Nikon D700 and D300 cameras, with the proper filters- and mounts- on a quality scope. Using a compass, I drew lines for the inside and outside of the Ebony Star ring on the top and bottom of the rocker bottom. Did you make this project? To interface with the computer, I have used the Artemis Focuser module from Steve, Arthur and Co. The kit just contains the electronics - it is up to the user to find a stepper motor and attach it to their own telescope focuser. Most of these have one or two set screws. I called to express my concern and was told that it had all been packaged a few weeks ago and that it, For complete instructions on building a telescope such as this one, I strongly recommend buying a copy of, After cutting the circles for the side bearings, I set up the jig to cut the curved edges of the rocker sides. We moved the operation to a nearby park and got a focused image of the most distant trees (300-400 yards away) quite easily. Two different construction supply companies told me that sonotubes were not available with a 14 inch diameter, even by special order. But who cares, really? small, it's surprisingly rigid. That evening I spent most of my time rediscovering the many DSOs around Sagittarius, especially the Lagoon Nebula and the Trifid Nebula. This allows for a small clearance between the outside of the tube and the inside of the tube box (14 3/8). Crayford-style design with four bearings and one driveshaft. Trim off any unused fabric along the base. During assembly, youll attach the trusses to the mirror box, then sit the secondary cage on top and bolt everything in place. Meade Zero Image-Shift Electronic Micro-Focuser This high precision focuser allows you to obtain an extremely accurate image focus. Before finishing the tube with a wrap of veneer, I wanted to make sure that the primary was in the correct position. And you can tell it's not a mosaic because the stars at the corners show coma/field curvature artifacts. I was concerned that it would be difficult to find, but I was able to order it from a local woodworking shop. Over how many nights did this photography session take place? Several clamps were used to hold the pieces together overnight. Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!) I'm only hoping to supplement it a bit with some info and pictures aimed at those with limited skills (such as myself) :-) I'm not an electrical engineer, I'm more of a software guy with some limited knowledge of electronics and basic soldering and assembly skills. It is named after the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society, Crayford, London, England where it was invented by John Wall, a member of the astronomical society which meets there. Make the drawtube longer than you think you'll need, just in Above youll find an interactive 3D rendering of the Sketchup file I used to design and cut all of the parts for my telescope. The dimensions of the Tube Box Sides are based on the outer diameter of my tube14 3/16. Best Wishes, Reply Using plywood, make 4 attachment blocks to pair the trusses together and create a small ledge for the secondary cage to rest on while you secure it. that is a great website that guy has some fantastic photos. and hope it doesn't fall off There was the expense, for one, but also the and an eyepiece. The wood would cost the same, as would pretty much everything except the mirror, so why not spend a little more on the mirror and go BIG. These will be stored in your browser only with your consent and you have the option to opt-out. It may take you a while to adjust the image correctly, but it's not hard to do, just time consuming. Given that you can make the drawtube any length you Quick demo of my motorized focuser, and I will create a detailed tutorial if enough people are interested. We were careful to press out any bubbles as we went, but when the job was done we found that there were multiple bubbles in the veneer. 11 years ago In the "ARDUINO FIRMWARE" folder, in it you will find a ZIP file "myFP2-Firmware 312-1.zip". Im quite happy with the result, and the view in its large mirror is phenomenal. The drawings are only approximately to scale. It wouldn't be a two-speed design, but if I used a thin enough Thanks again for the 'ible. I then attached the Ebony Star ring using contact cement. In my case I decided to make a custom bracket. The little app is simple and works great. But by this time I had thought about building my own scope for several weeks, and getting one off the shelf seemed pretty boring by comparison! For a while I decided that 10 inch would be the best size. Place the focuser, draw the position of the screws with a pencil and remove the focuser. Cost is $25 - $30, and you will have 5 PCBs in about a week. I think I got what I wanted and seems best solution for me. . I waited until dark and pointed the scope at the sky. If you found some good surplus lenses, you will have made a stunningly good objective for your scope. Thanks for your article. I even began taking careful notes about needed supplies and plans for each piece of the truss tube scope. (Technically, it should have been 62.5 for a 12.5 inch f/5, but when the mirror came it had a note on the back that the focal length was 61 inches.) Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. I attached three feet equally spaced on top of the ring, and on the opposite side attached teflon pads 1 X 1 directly above the feet using very small brads and countersinking the brads below the surface of the teflon. control. This resulted in a gear that wasn't true and "wobbled" a bit. I don't have the skills to build a focuser using a. The plate has slotted screw holes for tensioning the 6mm belt. Some of these are essential for the basic functionalities of our websites. They said they would make the brackets extra long to accommodate the mirror and it would take about a week. A smart collection of books, magazines, electronics kits, robots, microcontrollers, tools, supplies, and more Step 3The Side Bearings and Rocker Sides. The mirror cell: University Optics (eventually). The specific hardware used for this is described on the Building page. The focuser is very smooth. My concern turned to alarm when my wife told me that Discovery had charged the balance due on all items to my account a few weeks earlier. It is not very powerful, it will not supply enough torque if you put any load on it or have a heavy optical train (like I do) and the focuser has to "pull" it upward when the telescope is vertical. I'd And a couple of upright bearing blocks. with a genuine question or comment about the design. Concluding that I would not be able to buy a tube off the shelf, I found a couple of companies that took special orders on cardboard tubes. I started by trying to drill out a metal gear for the focuser shaft. The focuser knob had two set screws. Use the externalMirror Edge Support Calculatorto decide whether to use a two-point, four-point (whiffletree), or sling support. While round tubing is sturdy, square tubing is easier to work with. If you don't want to go that route, contact me at gary.hethcoat@gmail.com since I have a lot of spare parts and I can sell you a "kit" with a PCB and only the parts you need. I had talked with their owner about mirrors and mirror cells once, and I was very impressed by his knowledge of telescope building. I sanded all parts of the telescope with 220 grit sandpaper followed by 400 grit, making a very smooth surface to apply the stain. The pivot bolt consists of a 1 1/8 inch brass spacer with an 11/16 inch outer diameter, a 3/8 inch bolt 2 inches long, a stop nut, and two large washers. I did not glue the bearings to the tube box in case I needed to adjust the position later. For about $3 we can buy a tank valve kit that has a threaded 2" i.d. Once the pieces were cut and I held them around the tube, I decided to cut them a bit smaller because the extra space was too much. With an outer diameter of 14 3/16, I cut the Tube Box sides 15 5/8 and 14 5/8slightly less than my extra inch extra on each side. Until I see photos of this scope setup for these pictures and an explanation of the exact equipment used, I cannot believe that these pictures were taken with this OTA. This proved fatal for the stepper motor! I used my router to "mill" a flat area for better contact with the focus adjustment rod. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! You need some purple bits Attach the eye piece to another cardboard piece and pass it through the hole from the inside of the tube. Below are cutting diagrams and diagrams of the rocker and tube box with side bearings. Made of plywood, the rocker box supports the mirror box on 1 teflon pads, allowing it to rotate vertically. If you enter it in the next contest please let me know and i will make sure to vote for you. try { I did not wrap the tube until I had completed the base. was straight so I wouldn't get a wobbly knob. Today I purchased what is called atank nipple in India. So, for my telescope I used a 6mm to 5mm coupler available on Amazon. Helicals are adaptable to both refractors and reflectors, but do not "play nice" with zoom eyepieces because "zooming" becomes a two handed operation to avoid changing focus. Rather than use a sheet of plastic Kydex to finish the tube, as recommended in K/B, I ordered a sheet of birch veneer. Robert Brown did an excellent video on how to work out your stepper motor requirements. In my build, the minimum eyepiece-to-secondary mirror distance (13) plus the primary-to-secondary mirror distance (57) equals the focal length of 71, which is roughly 4.5 times the width of the 16 mirror. This is because my router bit was inch and the arc would be cut by the outside edge of the bit (where the circle had been cut by the inside edge.) ill ask him for a detailed list of what he used and when i get that ill post it here for you. Those are the last screws to be tightened. That is dirt cheap compared to the cost of commercially available focusers, which can top $1000 and are much heavier than what we will build. This sure is going to be a project I will work on. An electronic focuser, which moves the focus knob through a combination of hardware and software, solves this problem. This will determine the size of the coupler you will use to connect the stepper motor. Lining up this center point with the center of the top of the side bearing, I brought the corner of the side bearing up to the edge of the tube box and attached it with screws. I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. I wanted to wrap the tube in veneer because I had seen a homemade telescope on a website that used veneer and I liked the look. adapter set screws to slide into. After you've done that, put a couple of tiny pan-head screws So, I duplicated the aluminum gear pulley in SolidWorks, and printed it out. It turns out that sonotubes are a stock item in 8 inch, 10 inch, 12 inch, and sometimes even 16 inch diameters. Or in my case, back to SolidWorks :-). A wide hole will let the knitting needle creep microcontrollers including Arduino and Raspberry Pi, Drones and 3D Printing, and more. Drill the holes for the knitting I used one of the top scraps from the rocker sides to mark an angle of 70 degrees from the center of the arc to the curved cut in order to properly space 1 X 7/8 teflon pads on the arcs. Other supplies that I bought for this project include wood, various bits of hardware, stain and finishing supplies, and a circle cutting jig for a router. once. too far. For complete instructions on building a telescope such as this one, I strongly recommend buying a copy of The Dobsonian Telescope by David Kriege and Richard Berry. I placed my telrad, optical finder, and an eyepiece on the focuser end of the tube and, using a broomstick as a balance point, found that the tube balanced 22 inches from the bottom. I feel it is a wonderful thing to free oneself from the "store-bought" world, as Tombaugh did, and to use your imagination and skills to develop your own, personal way of viewing the sky. scope, I only put knobs on the outsides. The hole is made slightly larger than the shaft, this is normal. If your optical train is heavy and the focuser has to bear it (see above) then this motor may be a better choice. They even offered to send the spider, secondary holder, and secondary mirror immediately so that I could begin working on the tube while I waited for the primary. I would love to see your build when you are finished with it . So, am curious to see what others have designed and built and proud to show off here on the homage to Crayford thread. I laughed, packed up the cell with a long letter describing the series of events that led to the return, and put it in the mail. Share it with us! To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig in by 1/8 inch. They eyepiece height ended up being about 5'10" high at zenith. needle adds no friction that I can feel to the focus action. It It took a lot longer than I expected to receive my mirror and other parts from Discovery. Thanks Pinbout for sharing your design. focusers for that project. In addition, we use third-party cookies to help us analyze and understand usage. By adjusting the bolts, the mirror can be pointed toward the correct spot. Newton, and others including James Gregory and Laurent Cassegrain, believed that a reflecting telescope would not be affected by the chromatic aberration that affected . A 10 inch scope would not be very much longer or heavier than my 6 inch, yet it would allow me to see much more. When you figure out the side of a rigid secondary cage. corners of the squares provide nice nooks for the eyepiece and eyepiece As the thread shows you could also build the dual speed version, all made of plywood, if you feel ready to tackle a slightly more complex project for a cost of about 5$ more. I drilled holes for the screws that avoided the location of the ring, and attached the rocker bottom. really stiff and light for their size, and even though a #2 is pretty A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! Be creative! until a 2" eyepiece or 1.25" adapter is snug. We all know the problems with focusing. When you want to focus, you just open the program and press focus. 10 years ago There are sub-folders for the different versions. I had cut the 12 foot tube in half in order to get it home in the first place, and a 6 foot section was the right size to work with for my f/5 12.5 inch. If you wanted to really go low-profile with this design, Rock Paper Scissors Using Tinkercad Circuits and Arduino, Punchy the MECH & the Autonomous Fight Club, PCB (printed circuit board) - download the, DRV8825 - stepper motor driver chip/board - again, clones available on.
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