Some baffling baffles. my 250..

[Guest MichaelDurban]

Been reading a lot about baffling and the pro's and cons.

 

Played around with 'Newt' and did some calculations.. 

 

The only real answers I got from the prgramme was that I possibly needed

a baffle around (in front of..) the primary...

 

I also had a look at focuser baffles but that seemed a little bit too involved..

(read : too difficult..)

I have noticed my focuser lets in light (noo!..I don't mean the ocular side!) so I set out to fix that.

 

So I made my own little mod..(I think it is my mod, haven't come across it anywhere..)

 

First..the obvious, I bought some insulating/draft foam..tape..whatever...

 

didn't want to cut plywood baffle...(too lazy..)

 

(I did use Newt to calculate the thickness, and this tape had the exact measurements..)

 

Then...I just stuck it around the OTA, onto the flocking material...

 

 

Yes..it looks grey..but the flash is very..incandescent...

 

Then I measured the focuser tube (OD) and the gap between the focuser tube and the focuser structure.

...if that makes sense..

 

(As you can see..the focuser tube moves in between the 'other' tube structure (not sure of the terminology.)

and..it's quite reflective..

I cut out a cardboard ring (with a 1 mm. tolerance) and spraypainted this with chalkboard paint.

 

 

Then I used a strong glue to secure the two together.

 

 

It looks a bit...Lionel...but it works..!

The focuser tube moves freely.

 

Lastly, I had some tape left over so I thought 'why not stick it around the mirror cell..'

 

 

It doesn't hurt and might keep those few renegade photons out..It doesn't interfere with my

cooling fan.

 

well..

problem sorted..no more light leakage...

 

Cheers!

[Guest MichaelDurban]

Oh oh..

 

I just realized I posted this in the wrong section..

 

Can we move it?

[Doc]

Moved to DIY.

[Daz Type-R]

Question, when you flocked your scope, why did you not flock everything?

 

I removed the lot, the primary mirror cell, the secondary spider veins, the focuser, everything.

 

So when I flocked it, everything was covered in one go, then i just cut out the necessary holes for the focuser ETC?

 

Result, no light leakage!

 

 

[Doc]

That's how I did my as well Daz.

 

Also makes a very neat job.

[Guest MichaelDurban]

I did not have the funds to flock the whole scope..

I could not buy Protostar, and there was no black velvet or

anything like that available.

 

There was no velvet paper, no Krylon black paint -no real balck paint for that matter-

nothing of the stuff you get over there.

 

I had to flock my scope in patches.

 

and the gap between the focuser tube and the other opening can't be flocked.

So I blocked it off.

 

Yes..it does not look professional, but it does what it's supposed to do

[Daz Type-R]

I did not use anything expensive - in fact, quite the opposite.  We have a shop over here called Wilkos, they sold this velvet stuff called DC-Flux, it is £4.99 a roll and it took less than 2 rolls to do my 8" Newt.

 

In today's conversion, £4.99 = 90.33 Rand, so it would have cost just over 180 rand.

 

A lot cheaper than that Prostar stuff.

 

[Guest MichaelDurban]

If that were available here..believe me..I would have used it.

And believe me...I searched..

 

I honestly use whatever I can get my hands on -literally-, my scope is second hand,

has scratches, was weathered...I patched it up. I saved for this thing for 5 years.

 

the flocking I used, I bought from my ex employer who had it in the dustbin,

even then I had to pay him GBP 6,- (or R90,-) ..in those days...

 

With transport and import tax it would have cost me much more,

 

Importing anything into SA is just plain unafordable, not to mention that most postal

services around the world don't want to deal with SA post anymore because parcels 'disappear'.

 

So lets judge a scope by it's performance..and not it's appearance.

[Guest MichaelDurban]

and just to clarify...that leakage...

 

It comes from in between the focuser tube and the focuser tube holder..

 

 

It has nothing to do with flocking.

My little ring solution solves it.

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2014 by MichaelDurban

[Doc]

Never noticed a light leak from mine, next time I'm out I'll have a look.

 

Your remedy is a great and novel idea, and above all it's cheap so well done.

[BAZ]

I think the biggest difference you would notice is when you shrouded it. That made a world of difference to mine.

 

Unfortunately with the light pollution we have over here, we don't notice the bit of light leakage you have, in fact we would sell body parts to be able to notice it!

Nice mod though.

 

This is what Daz was on about, I wonder if any of the hobby shops over your way would stock anything similar. The only thing you have to do after fitting is vacuum it, as there's loads of dust from it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/D-C-FIX-VELOUR-ADHESIVE-STICKY-PLASTIC/dp/B00BU108K0

[Werisit]

Martyn, THANK YOU! I've been trying to find flocking to do my Dob and drawn a total blank locally ( Milton Keynes ) and on ebay and the internet. If you search for "Flocking" you'll find nowt! (Well there is some sort of powder stuff). Your link finally led me to the correct description. Search for D-C-FIX BLACK VELOUR SELF ADHESIVE VINYL on ebay and Bob's yer uncle!