After a couple of days of work, I finished setting up the new MN66 imaging system.
The Saddle Plate is all finished with a safety stop bolt because of the weight. The guide scope is all mounted with plates and balance. The cables are all routed to fit the setup. Weight and Balance all done with an almost equal distance, so it is more or less centered.
The JMI Motofocus is adapted to the Antares two speed focuser. I had to modify the focuser, with a Teflon guide, to get it stiff enough. I would not recommend one of these for photography unless you want to do some engineering and machine work. It would be fine for visual, but as it comes it cannot take the weight of even a smaller camera and filter wheel.
Collimation is complete, which only required leveling the focuser, I did not have to touch the mirrors. I did clean the corrector plate and vacuumed a little dust from the inside not much.
Then I made a 2" filter that fits into the focuser and an exhaust fan goes on the bottom plate where the removable cooling plate is located. This pulls filtered air from the focuser through the tube and around the mirror. 34 cu ft per minute should make cool down much quicker.
The entire setup ready to image is about 32.5 lbs + - 1 lb. This should be no problem for the G-11 and tests showed it had no problem moving it in all attitudes. Counter weight was 24 lbs which was not too bad, I had anticipated maybe 30 lb.
Now I just need a good night to try it out and find out if I can achieve focus with the focuser and I will be ready for first light.
The Saddle Plate is all finished with a safety stop bolt because of the weight. The guide scope is all mounted with plates and balance. The cables are all routed to fit the setup. Weight and Balance all done with an almost equal distance, so it is more or less centered.
The JMI Motofocus is adapted to the Antares two speed focuser. I had to modify the focuser, with a Teflon guide, to get it stiff enough. I would not recommend one of these for photography unless you want to do some engineering and machine work. It would be fine for visual, but as it comes it cannot take the weight of even a smaller camera and filter wheel.
Collimation is complete, which only required leveling the focuser, I did not have to touch the mirrors. I did clean the corrector plate and vacuumed a little dust from the inside not much.
Then I made a 2" filter that fits into the focuser and an exhaust fan goes on the bottom plate where the removable cooling plate is located. This pulls filtered air from the focuser through the tube and around the mirror. 34 cu ft per minute should make cool down much quicker.
The entire setup ready to image is about 32.5 lbs + - 1 lb. This should be no problem for the G-11 and tests showed it had no problem moving it in all attitudes. Counter weight was 24 lbs which was not too bad, I had anticipated maybe 30 lb.
Now I just need a good night to try it out and find out if I can achieve focus with the focuser and I will be ready for first light.
[SIZE="Large"][/SIZE][COLOR="Blue"][/COLOR] Floyd Blue
Amateur Imager
