homemade telescope focuser

CNC files (optional) Download the Sketchup files. large in diameter (1.6") so that adds to the fine-ness of the focus Electronics and software automate the process of taking pictures. an eyepiece. This one is based on the DRV8825 driver chip and a NEMA-17 stepper motor. Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!). I began building it in the spring of 2008, but the bulk of the work was done in July of 2008 with first light occurring on July 25. I file a dispute with Paypal to begin the process of getting my money back. I did run into a small problem with the focuser. I did not glue the bearings to the tube box in case I needed to adjust the position later. I even began taking careful notes about needed supplies and plans for each piece of the truss tube scope. 11 years ago on Step 5. Many sources point out that 10 inches is a kind of sweet spot in the balance between power and portability. The mirror itself must also be able to tilt in three dimensions in order to aim its light at the secondary mirror (a process called collimation). Two such companies would not give me a price because the order of a single tube was too small. DIY Electric Focuser - ATM, Optics and DIY Forum - Cloudy Nights 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. I was still doing some construction on the morning of the event, but I succeeded in making first light on that clear, dark night in late July. The focuser shaft on the telescope is 13.1mm in diameter. It may need some careful coaxing with a screwdriver. This is my copy of the telescope that Sir Isaac Newton presented to the Royal Society of London in 1671, and is considered to be the first successful reflecting telescope. I have already seen some designs on CN, Stellafane and web but still checking if someone has recently made anything simpler. When I ordered the cell, I paid through paypal, which immediately deducts money from my checking account. off the bearings. I attached keepers 1 inches wide by 5 inches long, extending above the bottom of the arcs by about 1 inches. Carve out a hole on the top part of the sonotube first. While I applaud your building of a homemade Dob, (giving you the FULL benefit of the doubt here) your "friend" has provided photographs that make it look like you're trying to win by cheating. From everything I had read, I expected that getting a sonotube would be as easy as running to any hardware store and picking it up. The focuser knob had two set screws. and an eyepiece. See captioned photos 22-25 here:https://www.cloudyniractor-focuser/ for more detail on building a flush valve focuser, as Bob mentions. once. When you figure out Edited by howardcano, 24 May 2020 - 09:29 PM. Featured in the February, 2015 issue of Sky & This motor has a larger shaft diameter (8mm) and is quite a bit heavier overall than the direct drive motor, mainly because of the gearbox. I would love to see your build when you are finished with it . The base of the telescope should be a wide, sturdy square or circle of wood with teflon bearing pads matched to the ABS plastic ring of the rocker box. To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig in by 1/8 inch. The Dob is really a great design. Plan ahead by carefully weighing all components and approximating the center mass of the optical assembly. The focuser 'knob' on the Celestron is just a rubber sleeve that usually pulls off easily. I centered the focuser 8 inches from the top of the tube, using a 2.5 inch hole drilling saw with smaller holes for the bolts that would hold the focuser. The flat wants to be running parallel to the long axis of the tube. It doesn't. A tilted focuser will have no effect on the image quality. Realizing that it could not be the University Optics cell already, I thought, Noit couldn't be but, in fact, it was. You will look through these as you rotate the wheel. Measure twice, drill Your astrophotographer friend may have included his own images from his setup. In my case I decided to make a custom bracket. A project collaboration and documentation platform. You should now be able to drill the 4 holes at each corner. Thicker knitting needles would be even Secondary mirror with spider holder Search on eBay for a matched set. As I read the book I decided that I should build a 12.5 inch truss tube scope. I want to put my 12.5 mirror in a collapsible structure so I can haul it easy, Say a truss tube design, 7 years ago on Step 1, Richards in our local astronomy club. I My other telescope is a Celestron NexStar C6E. I'm also going to focus on only one version of Robert's focuser (there are many). Nice looking telescope. The next day my wife called me at work to tell me a box had arrived with telescope stuff. the drive shaft close against the drawtube. 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. Look down through the empty focuser. Homemade 12.5 Inch Dobsonian Telescope - Instructables Get hands-on with kits, books, and more from the Maker Shed, Skill builder, project tutorials, and more. 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. Telescope Magazine. All Dobsonian telescope projects are unique buildshere are the notes from my latest version to help get you familiar with the process and determine how youll design yours. It uses a primary mirror to capture and reflect light, a secondary mirror to direct light into an eyepiece, and a focuser to make fine adjustments for viewing. Unfortunately I don't have a 3d printer. Rock Paper Scissors Using Tinkercad Circuits and Arduino, Punchy the MECH & the Autonomous Fight Club, Soft-sensor-saurus | an E-textile Soft Sensor Soft Toy With LED Light. Two inch internal diameter drawtube. 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. I marked the spot and moved things back inside to install the mirror. As the authors describe the benefits of a truss design, it is hard to dispute their arguments. I like the old way of using stepper motors and other stuff introduced years ago by Mel Bartels, he is a master for me. While round tubing is sturdy, square tubing is easier to work with. I described it two years ago in this thread:https://www.cloudyniuser/?p=8879835 . 1N5408 3A Diode (you may need to make the pins smaller to fit through the holes in the board. Also no obvious diffraction spikes in the m31 photo. how much travel you actually need, you can cut the tube off so none of The email bounced back to me. spambots that search the internet for addresses to send junk mail to.) Thanks Peter. Crayford-style design with four bearings and one driveshaft. Pierre's Helical Crayford gets my vote hands-down for elegant simplicity. I got a different stain, tested it, and went back to work. That's pretty much the focuser. Put it all together Easy DIY motorized battery free telescope focuser - YouTube Some quick tips to note if you are making a homemade telescope are: 1. It took yet another call a week later for the items to actually be mailed. 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. Our websites use cookies to improve your browsing experience. I called in the order and explained that I would be using a mirror two inches thick. 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. A wide hole will let the knitting needle creep I gave them a call and they said they had one on the shelf14 inches in diameter and 12 feet long! To get this arc, I actually moved the radius of the jig, At some point in the building process, my goal became to finish the scope by RocheStar Fest, an annual event of the. Given that you can make the drawtube any length you Step 4Attaching the Side Bearings and assembling the Rocker. I sourced my own Stepper motor and 1:150 reduction gearbox from RS, who are just up the road. 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. it sticks into your light path. DIY Remote Telescope Focuser - YouTube Able to shift heavy loads of kit ie over 1000g. experimented with various wires and rods and eventually decided that a on Introduction. The mirror cell: University Optics (eventually). Tom's Homemade Telescope Page - DIY Craford Focuser - Google I had chosen a boxy, rigid design for the binocular scope, so Place the focuser, draw the position of the screws with a pencil and remove the focuser. Not worth the effort, price is tooo high. I added three inches for a margin of error and in case I need to rebalance the tube in the future, making a distance of 25 inches from the balance point of the tube to the rocker bottom. I tried this one first and found it wouldn't work for my application. After a dry fit of the rocker to make sure that the tube box with side bearings would fit well, I glued the rocker sides to the rocker front, holding them in place with small nails and clamping overnight. 4 years ago Another thing, the resolution on the Dumbell nebula seems a bit too high for that telescope. Another vote for Pierre's helical Crayford design. All i did was supply the telescope as far as his camera equipment i dont know what he used i never saw it all i know is he had my scope for about a month while i was traveling and he gave me these photos. drneilmb, thanks for sharing the focuser design. Quick demo of my motorized focuser, and I will create a detailed tutorial if enough people are interested. After the glue dried but before the clamps were removed, I added corner braces to all four corners of the tube using glue and brads to hold them in place. Then it was time to stain and finish. That evening I spent most of my time rediscovering the many DSOs around Sagittarius, especially the Lagoon Nebula and the Trifid Nebula. 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. If you connect the 12V power with the barrel connector (right side of photo), the Nano should light up without the USB connection. A week after they said they would send the secondary and other parts, I called to ask if things had been sent. The plastic will ride on teflon pads, creating just enough traction for the telescope to avoid sliding on its own while not making it too difficult to point at things in the sky. It just installations. Pioneered by John Dobson in the 1960s, the instrument combines a Newtonian reflector telescope with a unique two-axis movable base. the tube is cardboard as well, you can also get a quality mirror at telescope.com for much cheaper. Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. by cranking I started by trying to drill out a metal gear for the focuser shaft. The bigger upvc nut will be attached to focuser plate and longer threaded side will be used on it for the focusing. The last chapter of the book describes a plan for an 8 inch sonotube dob with a few design elements from their truss design, and, as I read that chapter, the simplicity of its construction was very appealing. I paid the 50% deposit and dreamed of DSOs. Orion Telescope Focusers | Buy Direct and Save! It stalled when tension on the belt increased. The shroud made from two 22 inch tall containers came out short, so I had to add an eleven inch strip of nylon. Dobsonian telescopes are popular with amateur telescope makers for their ease of design and construction, portability, and their use of large optical mirrors. But, especially on cold evenings, the focus may go out in the middle of the night. It's the same in form, but has a perfect, true 13.35mm hole. The drawings are only approximately to scale. Before finishing the tube with a wrap of veneer, I wanted to make sure that the primary was in the correct position. This proved fatal for the stepper motor! Your design is simple and nice. Did you make this project? Two of the holes for the bolts were blocked by knobs. Using a compass I drew circles on the top and bottom of the ground board to mark the inside and outside of the teflon ring on the bottom of the rocker bottom. This combination has the best resolution (steps/revolution), so I didn't see any reason to build anything else. Since there is no drill bit that exactly matches the 13.1mm of the shaft, I had to do some rough enlargement of the hole. If you're going for simple, have you considered a helical focuser? You reach a point where the picture doesn't seem to change much, so you never know where the very sweetest spot in the focus is. A smart collection of books, magazines, electronics kits, robots, microcontrollers, tools, supplies, and more 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. both sides. But, like many of you I'm sure, the biggest reason I'm doing this is for the pure geeky fun of it! It Read the documentation though, there are a lot of functions and options. I Wooden Telescope Part 2: Tube and Mount - Instructables I built mine entirely from CNC-cut plywood, and fastened it together with 2 bolts. I told them to take their time and get it right. It has become an indispensable piece of equipment for me that so beats hacking and filing PVC pipes etc. It interfaces to the computer via USB and comes with an ASCOM driver. I have several of the books on building a Dobsonian Telescope. 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. How To Build A Dobsonian Telescope [Guide 2022] - DopeGuides Also, I will work with my computer geek buddies, so that we eventually automate it using Linux on a Rock64, to run kstars for tracking, on INDI. Every primary telescope mirror has a fixed focal length thats usually 4 to 6 times the width of the mirror. stronger, but would give me a coarser focus action because of their For about $3 we can buy a tank valve kit that has a threaded 2" i.d. Ideally, the spacer would be 1 inch long and have a smaller diameter, but I didn't get this one right the first time. Below are cutting diagrams and diagrams of the rocker and tube box with side bearings. It had been described by many as the most important recent volume for anyone planning to build a dob, and I have to agree. It took about 3 weeks but, since Anttler's did not even reply to the Paypal dispute, I received a Paypal refund. 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. If you're not using heavy eyepieces, you probably don't need corners of the squares provide nice nooks for the eyepiece and eyepiece Made of plywood, the rocker box supports the mirror box on 1 teflon pads, allowing it to rotate vertically. Once built, line the undersides of the arms with textured ABS plastic as a bearing surface. 24 T-nuts, with matching 2 bolts and knobs, 8 Aluminum tubing, thin wall, 1 square, 4 lengths I got mine from Cycle 24, Black woven velveteen, 68 Cut it so it stretches along the 6 axis. After a few weeks of no communication from them, no ability to phone or email them, and no mirror cell arriving. 7 years ago In addition, we use third-party cookies to help us analyze and understand usage. Thin 1/16 Kydex plastic should be cut to length to line the inside of the cage as a baffle to block outside light. PVC pipe makes great drawtubes. 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. My DIY Motorized Telescope Focuser - YouTube This can be shimmed out with paper wrapped around the Finally, attach your polar alignment device and align it with the hinge. 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. case you need more focuser travel than you thought. This allows for a small clearance between the outside of the tube and the inside of the tube box (14 3/8). I wasn't there so i can be 100% but i do not think my friend was lying to me and i believe the pictures are from my telescope my kids use it for stargazing a lot i have seen some deepspace but i use it mainly for sketching the moon and i like to view solar flares. It has reminded me of one of my long term aims to make a telescope that has been buried by the demands of the rest of my life! Upload that main sketch to the Nano. Download and unzip. I pointed it at distant trees and had no problem bringing the image into focus with all of my eyepieces. The premier publication of maker projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews, and inspirational stories, This was to allow the circle cutting jig to be attached to the board to cut the arcs from a center point of 25 inches above the ground. . Edited by Pierre Lemay, 25 May 2020 - 08:10 AM. Not sure if it is available in the USA. Membership connects and supports the people and projects that shape our future and supports the learning 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. Staples or finishing nails work fine, but be sure they dont bump up above the surface of the plastic. Brandon Lawler is a hobbyist telescope Maker and an active member of the Central Texas Astronomical Society. I don't have the skills to build a focuser using a. Im sorry to hear you couldn't make the contest. I wanted a tight / press fit, so I only added half that, 0.25mm. I ended up modifying it a bit after printing. 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. Feel free to take on that part if you like, but you're on your own :-). I've been using the above pair After looking at many focuser options with a big range of prices, I decided to order a GSO 2 speed Crayford focuser from ScopeStuff. I had designed the tube box so that there would be an extra inch around the tube. It was important that the two circles be identical because the edges had to match perfectly when glued together and the two side bearings had to be identical in order for the altitude motion to work well. Well, it sort of looks like a focuser.. See pictures below. 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. To place the primary mirror, I installed the secondary and installed the primary in the mirror cell. A few months later I ordered some other things from Scopestuff, including strips of Ebony Star laminate for the side bearings, a ring of Ebony Star for the rocker bottom, a strip of teflon to cut pieces for the ground board and side bearings, and a new base for my Telrad finder. Attach the eye piece to another cardboard piece and pass it through the hole from the inside of the tube. If the telescope rotates forward or backward on its own, then the mirror box is too deep or too shallow. control. Post 10 of the same LSDF focuser thread also links to Art Bianconi's archived 2008 original flush valve focuser posts. 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. Bore out some 2.5 inch bar and mill a flat down the side making sure it is lined up. curated by us, the people behind Make: and the Maker Faire. I had some carboy caps that make good knobs. I only do functional. I had to take apart the focuser in order to get my bolts in place. Next step, before my first acquisition of any parts, is to get with any amateur astronomers in Central Florida, so, wish me luck! The part is very strong! Inside the OTA is a ring of tightly fitting flocking paper that prevents any light getting in around the drawtube. Nice work and great instructable! I did not wrap the tube until I had completed the base. Headers for the LEDs, buzzer (2-pin) and temperature probe (3-pin). on Introduction. In my build, the cage was cut on a CNC router from plywood, with threaded T-nuts added to support a truss assembly. The pieces were cut down to 15 3/8 and 14 3/8, allowing just under 1/8 inch on each side. This design could be adapted to practically any telescope or focuser, so I've kept my outline on the project brief. I decided to order an aluminum mirror cell from University Optics instead so that the mirror could be supported at 9 different points. 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. After cutting the circles for the side bearings, I set up the jig to cut the curved edges of the rocker sides. I want to make this direct drive system work. Frustrated by these difficulties, I stopped by one more hardware store to ask for advice. I told them I was on my way. This will determine the size of the coupler you will use to connect the stepper motor. work really well, for a fraction of the cost of a commercial Crayford I had the thought that as long as I was going to build it I should build it as big as I could afford. Building a Homemade Telescope Eyepiece - HubPages Keeping with the 'simple ' part of your request, here is a helical 2"/1.25" focuser made from std plumbing parts. If you found some good surplus lenses, you will have made a stunningly good objective for your scope. I welded mine from steel square tubing. The back of the mirror floats on 3 or more support points (this build uses 6) that are calculated usinga software tool called PLOP. Let me see if I am able to collect all the parts needed. he might just have a $3200 camera, they aren't very hard to come by. I laughed, packed up the cell with a long letter describing the series of events that led to the return, and put it in the mail. but try for a snug fit if you can. forces the knitting needle against the drawtube and the drawtube against Drill the holes for the knitting You can easily, and economically (10$) build a Crayford Helical Focuser like the one pictured above in one evening with simple tools. weight. However more than the focuser, I liked your scope. focuser. The hole is made slightly larger than the shaft, this is normal. We tried this in our back yard, but found that it was too difficult to aim both the tube and the moving mirror at distant trees in our suburban yard. Find a special something for the makers in your life. This is the mirror box for my 16", with Jim doing a bit of cleanup sanding. I'd Use mild soap and distilled . Here is a link to the main FILES area on Robert Brown's site. Accordingly, with 1.25 focuser, you can use 1.25 eyepieces, with 2 focuser - both 2 eyepieces and 1.25 (through a special . Most people will want a knob on a 3/4" thickness. I have no idea how much mail this idea will generate, so I can't After you've done that, put a couple of tiny pan-head screws Two different construction supply companies told me that sonotubes were not available with a 14 inch diameter, even by special order. This unit takes signals from your computer and drives the stepper motor on the focuser. Although they don't usually sell these parts, because I had ordered the mirrors from them they offered to sell me the spider and secondary holder that they use in their scopes. I set things up in daylight and collimated the scope. telescope page, I wasn't really eager to buy two commercial Crayford Shorter thread side will be used to attach the eyepiece. homemade Crayford focuser. Please explain, in detail, how you attached your tube to the very unique drive system of an XT12G mount. occurred to me that a square turned 45 degrees would give me two flat You currently have javascript disabled. The Artemis module works extremely well, and is to be strongly recommended. I ground and figured the mirror with little troubles, making my focault tester, etc. 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. And, once your telescope is finished, be sure to join a local astronomy club to learn more about the sky and share your hobby with others. The 2-1.25" adapter is a sink drain slip fitting in 1-1/4" size that slips into the large tube for 1.25 EP's. Not sure how your toilets are built over there, but here they use what is called a tank flush valve. Whether you need a basic rack-and-pinion telescope focuser for your homemade telescope project or a premium Crayford-type model with dual-speed focusing as a performance upgrade, you have come to the right place.

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