Guest peepshow Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) My barn door tracker is about to get new bearings, although it is quite good at present.......... .........tracks 15 minutes with a 200mm lens, with no star trailing but just a slight bearing problem. My latest crazy idea is to get the top section of a GOTO mount only without the tripod, such as a skywatcher etc., and on put this onto the tracker, which is man enough, being all metal construction, to take the weight. With this set up I can GOTO DSO's quickly and then engage the tracker to do the imaging, but I am not sure if GOTO's can be disengaged after finding a DSO to enable the tracker to take over the tracking ? Perhaps someone could tell me if, after finding a DSO, a GOTO mount can be frozen to stop any further movement? Is this a crazy idea or should I go to a GOTO? Edited May 15, 2014 by peepshow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) My barn door tracker is about to get new bearings, although it is quite good at present.......... .........tracks 15 minutes with a 200mm lens, with no star trailing but just a slight bearing problem. My latest crazy idea is to get the top section of a GOTO mount only without the tripod, such as a skywatcher etc., and on put this onto the tracker, which is man enough, being all metal construction, to take the weight. With this set up I can GOTO DSO's quickly and then engage the tracker to do the imaging, but I am not sure if GOTO's can be disengaged after finding a DSO to enable the tracker to take over the tracking ? Perhaps someone could tell me if, after finding a DSO, a GOTO mount can be frozen to stop any further movement? Is this a crazy idea or should I go to a GOTO? If you run the goto mount on Eqmod then you can turn off the tracking so the mount stops where it is and your barn door can then take over. I should imagine the same is possible using the handset. Edited May 15, 2014 by Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 You can turn off the traking on the handset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Just use a goto EQ mount-so much quicker and simpler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 (edited) Thanks for info. Second hand Skywatcher GOTO mounts appear on ABS from time to time for about 60-80 quid so it's worth a punt. (There's one on there at present for 60) I don't have a DOB 'scope but just musing now about strapping a cheap GOTO onto a non GOTO DOB. The GOTO could be set up away from the DOB then joined to it in some manner........... ..........it's the "some manner" that is the interesting problem I am thinking about. Obviously, a small GOTO mount, such as a Skywatcher AZ Synscan, could not physically drive a non goto DOB but it might be used as the reference point for aiming at objects with the DOB. Maybe one can already buy such a strap on GOTO for non goto DOBS? I believe one can get tracking bases. Edited May 16, 2014 by peepshow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 (edited) WOW, here it is. The world's first GOTO mounted on a barn door tracker. Don't forget folks, you saw it here first. But will it all work? Hee hee hee. we shall seeeee. Edited June 4, 2014 by peepshow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 How does this work from a software side? If you've turned tracking off the mount will think it's not moving, as such goto will be off (by the angle of rotation of the barn door) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 How does this work from a software side? If you've turned tracking off the mount will think it's not moving, as such goto will be off (by the angle of rotation of the barn door) Here's what I intend to do.........First the tracker is at its bottom rest position and its motor is off. The GOTO's base is now dead level and is radially locked at this and has been previously star aligned at this position. GOTO can now find any DSO etc exactly as it would do if on a tripod. When found, the tracker motor is engaged as the GOTO tracking is stopped. At the end of exposures the tracker is returned to its previous rest position and a new DSO found etc etc .........that is, if the clear sky lasts long enough. At the end of any session the GOTO is removed (after parking it), so can be put back onto tracker ready to go again. I have index markers to ensure returned position is same as previous. Hope that explains my thinking on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Yup, clear as mud thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peepshow Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Oh come on Stephen, you must be joking. I thought I explained it quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Oh come on Stephen, you must be joking. I thought I explained it quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stash Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I like it Richard and if you have the skill,and obviously you have, do it That's why,on the whole, the Chinese make "Things" and we (UK) just buy them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Graham Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I like it Richard and if you have the skill,and obviously you have, do it That's why,on the whole, the Chinese make "Things" and we (UK) just buy them No the reason why we dont make things anymore is the chinese copied all our stuff then under cut us on price by paying their workers a pitance putting our workers out of a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stash Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 No the reason why we dont make things anymore is the chinese copied all our stuff then under cut us on price by paying their workers a pitance putting our workers out of a job. Nearly but totally true - it was seen by our "elite" that R&D,Engineering,Software etc could not make money faster enough - when compared to banks/financial sectors. Look where that idea got us. Germany ,on the overhand ,had the same cost base as us they just used their brains and subsidized the R&D/Manu by allowing lower rates of pay to be paid to workers by German owned companies but the Gov then topped up the rates from the profits these companies made. This allowed the Germans to compete head to head with China and everywhere else. This was also helped by hiding inside the Euro which kept the exchange rates lower than if they kept the Mark. Plus there employers and unions worked together via their "worker/employer councils" - sadly not the case here Look what having no clear skies does to the mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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