Another Recirculation C8

Just finished the recirculation cooling MOD on an "old school" C8. Has a rechargeable 12v battery pack with power switch (gotta love Amazon). Vixen dovetail adapter completed. Awaiting the arrival of a Bresser EXOS-2GT GOTO mount to upgrade from the original fork mount. The optics set of this C8 are very good as revealed by star tests and Ronchi tests

Scopejunkie

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Pick showing finished radius cut.

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Pic showing base plate shaped to size.

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Pick showing motor and vent holes.

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Fit check!

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Up and operational.

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Looks good. Lots of air motion without filters. No fans in the light path.

How well does it work? If you've got a boiling image from a warm primary mirror, how quickly do the fans fix it?

If you look at an out-of-focus star, do you see any air currents from the fans?

Here is an MDF Wedge I made for my cooled C8. It dampens better than my aluminum wedge. Added to my modified (center pull) Meade HD tripod (12" to 14" SCT) the system is now much more stable than the original C8 wedge and tripod setup. Tinkering and having fun. 8)

Keith

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I forgot to add the basic design print for those interested in implementing this Mod for their scopes. I can make available the full print with parts and dimensions if needed. This is not for newbies! Enter at your own risk! Mod not recommended for deep sky observing, SCT's with "average" optics or for those who do not know how to collimate their C8 at focus with a high power eyepiece (200x or greater).

Anyone interested in the radius block (the most difficult part to make) can send me a PM and we can talk about having one made for you (nominal fee). The fan and cover channel material are available through McMaster-Carr. I have the part numbers. The 12v rechargeable power pack is an Amazon item. Please, experienced ATM's only! I'm not looking to produce all the components of this mod. I'm just offering to help anyone interested in performing this mod.

Note: My lowly "Plug & Play" C8 does not have to run and hide when the APO guys show up at a star party 8) Astronomical seeing is my only observing enemy

Keith

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Well... Gettin' ready for the "planetary observation" evening bonanza. Built a HD pier and HD "adjustable" wedge to support my Cooled C-8 and the upcomming star parties. I hate "the shakes" associated with the standard wedge and tripod at high magnification and the high cost of an HD wedge is well beyond what I'm willing to pay for one. Will take apart for weatherproofing (paint) soon. Will add hand knobs from Mc Master-Carr also. Still hacking...

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