Telescope

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General Pictures

telescope.jpg (75653 bytes)  My homebuilt 17-½ inch telescope.

Some pictures from the 1993 RTMC web site.

Collimation Control Motor controller schematic:

for each collimation motor (Adobe Acrobat format)

Replace the Focuser

The old Lumicon focuser

The new FeatherTouch focuser.  I finally got a chance to try this new focuser out on Labor Day weekend. WOW! It is a delight to use. There is absolutely no backlash. Turning the knobs feels as nice as stroking fine satin. The focus absolutely stays put. I just cannot say enough nice things about this fine piece of machinery. Go buy one!

SAS Presentation

16 March 2005

Pictures from the mirror cell rebuild project:

Counterweight Reduction Table

(All weights in grams, all distances in inches. Sorry about the mixed metaphor but I don't have a metric ruler.)

  Old
Weight		 New
Weight		 Difference Old Dist New Dist Old
Moment		 New
Moment		 Diff    
Counterweight 1125 0 1125 -50    -50    -56250 0 -56250    
                     
Fan 87 81 6 15    15 1/2 1305 1256 50   Replace 1.5" fan and duct with 3" fan
Fan Hole Aluminum 78 0 78 16 1/8 16 1/8 1261 0 1261   3" diameter
Fan Hole Plywood 96 0 96 17    17    1628 0 1628   3" diameter (chamferred)
Tailgate Center Board 2495 1373 1122 16 5/8 16 5/8 41479 22826 18653   Cut out unnecesary wood
Tailgate Back Board 366 0 366 17 1/8 17 1/8 6268 0 6268   Routed to match center board, 1/4 inch deep
Batteries 1301 400 901 10 1/2 2 1/4 13661 900 12761   Replace 8 D-cells with SLA battery embedded in bearing
Battery Cutout 130 0 130 2 1/4 2 1/4 293 0 293    
Motor Control Card
  mount		 29 0 29 15 1/2 16    450 0 450   Remove excess metal
Motor Connectors   15 -15 17    17    0 255 -255   Replace plugs with barrier strips
Motor cables     0 17    17    0 0 0   Replace 8 oversized wires with 5 smaller ones, remove extra plugs
Limit sensor cables     0 17    17    0 0 0   Replace 8 oversized wires with 5-wire flat cable
Mirror hanger
  triangles		 128 94 34 13    13    1664 1222 442   Remove excess metal
Barrier Strip 48 21 27 16 1/2 16    792 336 456   Replace oversized conncector with smaller one
Handle Screws   -1 1 18 1/2 18 1/2 0 -19 19   Trim excess length - 3/16"
Power Socket 29 0 29 18 1/2 19    537 0 537   Replace XLR connector with disk drive power connector
Fan switch 4 3 1 18 1/2 20 1/8 74 60 14   Replace toggle switch with rocker switch in back board. Switch will replace plywood.
Limit Sensor
  Brackets		 15 16 -1 18    18    270 288 -18   Cut out unnecesary metal (add cable holder)
Motor Mount
  Brackets		 70 53 17 18    18    1260 954 306   Cut out unnecesary metal
Power relay 0 3 -3 17    17    0 51 -51   Add relay for power control rather than run power through ribbon cable
Power and Paddle
  wiring		   58 -58 18    18    0 1044 -1044   Not complete!
Front Fan 0 81 -81 11