Posts Made By: Jon Dickinson

I just received a mount that included two Ken Dauzat adapter plates: one to hold Losmandy/CL700 dovetails and one to hold GP/CG5 dovetails. In this context, are "dovetails" the same as "plates"?

I have never looked at a Losmandy mount to see how such a plate is held captive and I currently don't have a plate to experiment. When I look at the adapter, it looks like the plate slides into grooves in the adapter. I see that there are two screws that should contact the plate. What I don't know is how the screws/bolts keep the plate from sliding out.

I like the holding area of a Losmandy dovetail. It seems better than a GP/CG5 dovetail. Is that a correct assumption? Or are both about the same (just different styles)?

Thanks for helping me out!

Regards, Jon

Hello all,

Just got a LXD650 mount that included the polar alignment finder but no instructions on how to use it. I've never had a mount with one. Anybody out there familiar with such a polar finder on these mounts and can instruct me on how it works?

Thanks,
Jon

For those of you out there that use a LXD650 (and maybe LXD750) mount, I just got an LXD650 mount and I am confused as to what needs to be lined up on the RA axis during the initial alignment procedures.

I am familar with RA and the two scales (one for those north of equator, other for those south) and that you can loosen the thumbscrew and set the RA circle to anything you want.

But what I do not understand is what do you place opposite the big white arrow sticker (located on the mount housing when performing the initial align. There does not seem to be any other big arrow sticker on the dec head. I do see two index marks on the dec head - one with a small dot, one without.

The manual states that once dec head is positioned correctly during this initial alignment, the electronics panel faces the sky and the counterwight shaft is parallel with the ground. When I place the head like that, there are no specific marks that line up with the big white arrow on the housing.

Help!!!!!!

Jon

Anyone out there have experience or information on the Hypertune service that LXD55 company offers? Thank you!

Jon

Just want to thank all the kind and knowledgeable people who have spent the time to answer the sometimes most obvious (and sometimes not so obvious) questions for the newbie. 8O - Jon

Floyd,

Liked your review on the WyoRock Custom Focuser. I may have missed it, is the focuser collimatable? I see three screws that seem to be placed 120 degrees apart near the mounting base.

Also, is there a weight in the mount base? (Or do you re-use the existing focuser weight).

I am considering a replacement focuser for my Meade AR6 that I really like. Thanks!

Jon

Hello to all,

I just purchased a 15 year old Compustar-vintage C14 OTA with Starbright coatings and am asking the folks out there in C14 land on the best way to care and feed it. It will be a traveling C14 too.

Any words of wisdom on collimation, preventing dew/frost, focusing issues, and the like? Thanks for your time.

Jon

Anyone out there have used a JMI NGF-C focuser on a C14? I am interested in getting one, but it seems that they come in various sizes and so do the visual backs to fit them. I am not sure what comes in the box of the "standard" version made for cats and if these would have a vignetting problem.

I want to use my 2" dielectric diagonal (off my refractor) and such focusers would eliminate image shift. I know these have very little travel - designed for fine focusing.

I see that other 3rd-party vendors offer focusers for cats. Any pro's or con's on what you have experienced?

Any input is very welcomed. Thank you.

Jon