NEMA-17 Stepper Motor - see below, there are two options. A 6 in primary mirror does not have enough weight to make the dob stable. corners of the squares provide nice nooks for the eyepiece and eyepiece Motion is very smooth. 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. I drew a guide line straight down the side of the tube and cut the veneer to length with one extra inch on each side68 inches long. I will post the pic of final focuser once ready. It took about 3 weeks but, since Anttler's did not even reply to the Paypal dispute, I received a Paypal refund. 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. Once built, line the undersides of the arms with textured ABS plastic as a bearing surface. If you mess up, you can turn the hole into a slot, but avoid on Step 5, After much debit and doubt i have taken the photos down cause i cannot be 100% sure that they were taking from my scope as i was not there to verify them and i do not want my contest entry to be based on photos and not the build process. The cell from Anttler's, for which I had received a refund, had arrived. This project is based on Robert Brown's "Arduino ASCOM Focuser Pro2 DIY". 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. Here is a simple 3D printed helical focuser that cost just a few cents (assuming you have a 3D printer). However more than the focuser, I liked your scope. I also figured that the extra expense was worth it, considering the amount of money I was investing in the project overall. The project took several months off and on to complete, although a skilled Maker could put a similar one together in a few weeks. Using heavy grit sandpaper I brought back the surface of the keeper enough for the side bearings to fit inside the felt pads. I had chosen a boxy, rigid design for the binocular scope, so When the skies were dark enough for observing I found that the scope moves easily into position and holds that position well. This will determine the size of the coupler you will use to connect the stepper motor. Perfect for astrophotography or during high power planetary observation. So, am curious to see what others have designed and built and proud to show off here on the homage to Crayford thread. In my case I decided to make a custom bracket. 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. For my project I needed a 14 inch diameter, and I had a tough time finding one. Another vote for Pierre's helical Crayford design. 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 100A81BF-2145-44D5-BC76-66DBF43BAD58.jpeg. Thanks Bob. There are sub-folders for the different versions. Nice work and great instructable! Deep space photos like these require HOURS of exposure for each one. The one company that did provide a price quoted over $500more than I was willing to pay for cardboard! This one is based on the DRV8825 driver chip and a NEMA-17 stepper motor. I also wanted to strengthen and protect the cardboard tube. Look down through the empty focuser. Download and unzip. I built mine entirely from CNC-cut plywood, and fastened it together with 2 bolts. The holes in the main bracket the match the holes in the plate are oversize to allow for this alignment. Plus it comes in black, so you don't need to paint it (or worry about paint flaking off it). on Introduction. We are now ready for some testing. 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. It interfaces to the computer via USB and comes with an ASCOM driver. Pioneered by John Dobson in the 1960s, the instrument combines a Newtonian reflector telescope with a unique two-axis movable base. I wanted a tight / press fit, so I only added half that, 0.25mm. I gave them a call and they said they had one on the shelf14 inches in diameter and 12 feet long! Thanks again for the 'ible. I had installed the mirror about an inch too far away from the focuser. Here are a few photos of the "bracket", which is a simple 3D printed plate that mounts to the telescope's focuser ring, and serves as a mount for the stepper motor. I marked the spot and moved things back inside to install the mirror. Shorter thread side will be used to attach the eyepiece. I had talked with their owner about mirrors and mirror cells once, and I was very impressed by his knowledge of telescope building. I don't have the skills to build a focuser using a. The last time I checked, that particular SBIG camera used on TelescopeGeek had an eight month lead time.A 20" scope gathers 2.6 times more light than a 12.5" scope, therefore equivalent exposures on this one would take 200+ minutes, at least. Well, it sort of looks like a focuser.. See pictures below. Since my plan called for purchasing the mirrors and mechanical parts there were several decisions to be made and several vendors to contact. It's rigid, lightweight, and Your choice here will be recorded for all Make.co Websites. After the second call, I received a response that it would be ready at the end of the following week. Dobsonians come in all shapes and sizes, from small 4-8 builds all the way up to massive 24-36 creations. 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. Here we see the following components installed: Notice we are NOT populating the parts of the board intended for Wifi or BLED. I redrilled the holes for the mirror cell and got ready to wrap it. Read the documentation though, there are a lot of functions and options. Pierre's Helical Crayford gets my vote hands-down for elegant simplicity. I brought a saw with me so that I cut it in half to fit in my minivan. Orient this assembly to allow you to view an object on the far horizon. Accordingly, with 1.25 focuser, you can use 1.25 eyepieces, with 2 focuser - both 2 eyepieces and 1.25 (through a special . I sanded all parts of the telescope with 220 grit sandpaper followed by 400 grit, making a very smooth surface to apply the stain. If not, you may need to design and print your own bracket(s), gears, and so on. The telescopes size is classified by the size of its mirror. The heaviest piece is 40 lbs, and the total scope weighs about 60 lbs (not counting the baffle). It turns out the the extra 1/16 allowed far too much side to side movement between the rocker and ground board. Remember: It is the quality and SIZE of the capture chip, NOT the megapixels that determines quality. If the telescope rotates forward or backward on its own, then the mirror box is too deep or too shallow. Able to make myself using my own humble tools (or toys as the pros will call them!). I first tried my 32mm plossl eyepiece. Tips If you've got a 1.25 inch focuser, You can also use it for an objective. Trim off any unused fabric along the base. 3D Printed Futuristic Space Age Wall Clock, http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=4721255. how much travel you actually need, you can cut the tube off so none of 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. This is not recommended for shared computers. I started with a spacer that with a inch outer diameter. I would love to see your build when you are finished with it . Meade Zero Image-Shift Electronic Micro-Focuser This high precision focuser allows you to obtain an extremely accurate image focus. The 48 inch width of the veneer was close enough to the diameter of the tube that I used it as is. 7 years ago Here is what I was working on but looks like I need a better design. The curved sides of the Side Bearings are also covered with strips of Ebony Star that glide on the teflon pads on the curved edges of the Rocker Sides (figure 3). But let me see what items I can arrange to make a helical. Unbelievable! You currently have javascript disabled. You can view and download the full file here. I used my router to "mill" a flat area for better contact with the focus adjustment rod. Pioneered by John Dobson in the 1960s, the instrument combines a Newtonian reflector telescope with a unique two-axis movable base. Perfect for visual observations with very heavy mirrors. my 12.5" trackball, but I didn't Drill the holes for the knitting 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. PhotoPictureResizer_190723_214534574_crop_2558x3105_copy_1023x1242.jpg. I ended up modifying it a bit after printing. Please feel free to email me at the address on the right. It's the same in form, but has a perfect, true 13.35mm hole. Funny how the bigger they are the better for dobs. Nice looking telescope. It is size 1.25 inch with a clear inside dia-meter. I set things up in daylight and collimated the scope. Best Wishes, Reply To cut the circles, I used a router with a straight cutting bit and a circle cutting jig. If you found some good surplus lenses, you will have made a stunningly good objective for your scope. Link to the motor speed controller kit:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KC5225(a 5K external potentiometer will be required): http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=RP3508The drive motor:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=YG2734The gears:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=YG2736The motor forward/reverse switch:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=ST0506The push button:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=SP0711 11 years ago Since my focuser shaft is 6mm, I ordered the coupler shown here in the 6mm to 8mm version from Amazon. Many sources point out that 10 inches is a kind of sweet spot in the balance between power and portability. A decent machinest will do a far better job, but, there is always a lot more pleasure to be gained per astrophoto when you make bits yourself. In my build, the cage was cut on a CNC router from plywood, with threaded T-nuts added to support a truss assembly. 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. 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. The back of the mirror floats on 3 or more support points (this build uses 6) that are calculated usinga software tool called PLOP. you could probably space the bearings 3/4" apart instead of 1" and mount my thoughts naturally gravitated toward a boxy focuser to go with it. Not sure how your toilets are built over there, but here they use what is called a tank flush valve. The only thing on the list that was a bit difficult to find was baltic birch plywood, which had to be special ordered from the lumber yard. I drilled holes for the screws that avoided the location of the ring, and attached the rocker bottom. once. After another 3 weeks, I was concerned that I had not received the mirror. You will look through these as you rotate the wheel. Only problem is if I put a diagonal it wants to rotate the helical part. A Pocket Sundial From a Broken Pocket Watch! This cost around $100 to build and all of the components came from. Once you get it working, there's some calibration you need to do. Sh2-169 and Sh2-168, IC5146 Cocoon Nebula, Caldwell 19, Sh 2-125. All that remained was to design and print a bracket, and buy the needed parts. I like the old way of using stepper motors and other stuff introduced years ago by Mel Bartels, he is a master for me. Slide the eyepiece into the focuser and try it out. 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. Before attaching the sides and front to the bottom with wood screws, I wanted to make sure those screws would not interfere with the Ebony Star ring that would be attached to the rocker bottom. Two such companies would not give me a price because the order of a single tube was too small. Plus it comes in black, so focuser. I hate focusing. One 6in dob I made was a complete failure. After a few weeks of no communication from them, no ability to phone or email them, and no mirror cell arriving. Once I decided to build a scope myself I had to decide on the aperture of the scope. I attached small felt pads to the inside of the keepers to protect the side bearings from scratches, but discovered that the side bearings would not fit because of the thickness of the pads. Once your telescope is assembled, drape black woven velveteen around the truss assembly, clipping it with safety pins. Two inch internal diameter drawtube. Did you make this project? But, like many of you I'm sure, the biggest reason I'm doing this is for the pure geeky fun of it! The balance point determines the height of the rocker sides, so I had to get this far before I cut the wood for the base. And you can tell it's not a mosaic because the stars at the corners show coma/field curvature artifacts. 11 years ago 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. PVC pipe makes great drawtubes. Crayford-style design with four bearings and one driveshaft. spambots that search the internet for addresses to send junk mail to.) This sure is going to be a project I will work on. Brandon Lawler is a hobbyist telescope Maker and an active member of the Central Texas Astronomical Society. i am not trying to win this contest with photos. 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. I built a second set of electronics, and I had the NEMA 17 Direct Drive motor left over since it didn't work for my Orion ED80T-CF refractor. Drawing lines between opposite corners of the tube box sides allowed me to locate the center point on each side. You can easily, and economically (10$) build a Crayford Helical Focuser like the one pictured above in one evening with simple tools. } catch(err) {}, SH-232 Sharpless sh-232, sh-231, sh-233, sh-235, NGC2174 Monkey Head Nebula, Sharpless 252, Sh2-252, HDW3 Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3 PN G149.4-09.2, SH-198 Sharpless 198, Soul Nebula, IC1848, NGC281 IC11, Sharpless Sh2-184, Pacman Nebula, SH2-173 SH2-173 Phantom of the Opera LBN 593, SH2-168 Sharpless HII regions. Before finishing the tube with a wrap of veneer, I wanted to make sure that the primary was in the correct position. the bearings right at the edge of the frame, reducing the frame to 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. As I read the book I decided that I should build a 12.5 inch truss tube scope. I call shenanigans on every picture in this post except for the the moon. think that design would be rigid enough under the weight of a diagonal experimented with various wires and rods and eventually decided that a Use mild soap and distilled . An Altitude Azimuth mount would also require a field rotator.There's no way these were taken with an Orion GoTo Mount. So, I duplicated the aluminum gear pulley in SolidWorks, and printed it out. On the cutting diagram, you can see that the side bearings were cut 26 inches long. Their step by step instructions were invaluable to me as I built this scope. As the authors describe the benefits of a truss design, it is hard to dispute their arguments. I am a retired USAF electronics engineer, and might even do much of the construction of the base with welded structural tubing, as, I do have a complete metal working shop besides my wood shop, here. Then it was time to stain and finish. These are mounted 120 degrees apart and use 4 inexpensive bearings to support the tube. Today I purchased what is called atank nipple in India. So I was looking for a cheap, light-but-sturdy design for a So, for my telescope I used a 6mm to 5mm coupler available on Amazon. You should now be able to drill the 4 holes at each corner. 5 weeks after I had ordered the mirror, I called to ask about its status. small, it's surprisingly rigid. 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. Thin 1/16 Kydex plastic should be cut to length to line the inside of the cage as a baffle to block outside light. Finally, attach your polar alignment device and align it with the hinge. installations. Not worth the effort, price is tooo high. A week after they said they would send the secondary and other parts, I called to ask if things had been sent. Again from the main FILES page, go to "ASCOM DRIVERS" and download everything. Let me see if I can get similar plumbing parts here. Next step, before my first acquisition of any parts, is to get with any amateur astronomers in Central Florida, so, wish me luck! Crayford focusers are considered superior to entry-level rack and pinion focusers, normally found in this type of device. 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 phoned in the order in the last week of February and was told that it would take about 4 weeks to deliver the mirror. Obviously an open truss telescope. The pieces were cut down to 15 3/8 and 14 3/8, allowing just under 1/8 inch on each side. 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. Also no obvious diffraction spikes in the m31 photo. This proved fatal for the stepper motor! Find a special something for the makers in your life. Fairly easy to build and could be adapted to suit any SCT focuser. The blue pieces of the rocker box and ground board are arranged as in the diagrams in (figure 2). We then spread contact cement over the remaining veneer and tube surface, waited for the glue to dry, and carefully rolled the tube over the veneer.