Category Archives: Astro Equipment

Guidescope in need of TLC

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

I recently purchased a used Celestron 80mm guidescope with a focal length of 600mm. Normally I’d probably have gone for another ST80, but in fact I wanted this one to use with a slightly longer focal length OTA anyhow, so … Continue reading →

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Darkstar restoration, part 6

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

I think the next step has to be sorting out the spider and secondary mirror assembly. Now I’ve had some time to consider options, what I’d really like to do is to build a secondary assembly similar to those used … Continue reading →

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Darkstar restoration, part 5

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

The new stainless bolts arrived, but I’ve had little chance to get out to the workshop so this morning I got out and started work on fitting the new focuser. This took a little longer than planned as I realised … Continue reading →

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Robert Brown Focuser Controller build, step by step #13

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

Woohoo! It lives, Igor! I did wonder why the tests to turn the motor an entire revolution weren’t actually turning the spindle very far until I remembered that it has a 27:1 gearbox on. Easily missed, that one 🙂 And … Continue reading →

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Robert Brown Focuser Controller build, step by step #12

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

I have some 24AWG cat5 patch cables that are no use to me any more, partly because they’re not good enough for gigabit ethernet and partly because they’re not assembled very well (they were supplied with Sun Microsystems kit, too; … Continue reading →

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Robert Brown Focuser Controller build, step by step #11

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

Finished the lid. No photos yet, but I’ve run some of the tests. The LEDs and pushbuttons appear to work fine, though the buzzer doesn’t. I wasn’t entirely happy about my connector for the buzzer though, so I may need … Continue reading →

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Robert Brown Focuser Controller build, step by step #10

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

Mostly done and in a box now. Just need to finish making up the lid with the buttons and LEDs on.

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Robert Brown Focuser Controller build, step by step #9

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

I’ve just realised that I forgot to put in the current-limiting resistor for the buzzer (that’s what I assume it’s there for, anyhow). Probably because it doesn’t appear on the stripboard layouts which aren’t always kept up to date with … Continue reading →

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Robert Brown Focuser Controller build, step by step #8

Posted on June 10, 2020 by james

This morning I grabbed a scribing tool from the workshop and ran it down all the “blank” sections of the stripboard on the first board a few times to try to clear out any tiny drops of solder that might … Continue reading →

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Darkstar restoration, part 4

Posted on June 8, 2020 by james

Having found a 65mm hole saw, I screwed a block of scrap timber to the inside of the OTA using the existing mounting holes having marked the centre as best I could. and cut a larger diameter hole for the … Continue reading →

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