interface between DDM85 and C11 OTA?

[prefetch]

my DDM85 is arrive in just a couple of weeks, and i'm planning on first using my C11 OTA on it until i decide what to upgrade to.

 

it's unclear to me how to connect the C11 OTA to the DDM85.

 

could anyone offer any guidance on this subject?  does anyone use the C11 or C14 on this mount?

[gmalits]

Hi, Mr. Noname

 

As i am am using the C11 on a mobile setup too, i am using a 3"-Losmandy Dovetail-Plate on the C11.

therefore I built an Adapter from the 4" Dovetail-Plate of the DDM85 to this Losmandy/Vixen Clamp. 

[prefetch]

thanks gerald. 

 

so, just so i'm clear - the losmandy/vixen clamp is all you needed to connect the C11 OTA dovetail to the DDM85?

 

do you think this would work?  http://www.optcorp.com/asa-ddm60-saddle-for-losmandy-dovetail-plates.html

[gmalits]

Hello,

 

you need a clamp (the ASA will do ..) , and you need a  DDM 85 - Dovetailplate (4") .... plus a drill an some screws & nuts, of course ...

Edited February 28, 2014 by gmalits

[Wojtek Gdańsk]

Hello preselection. I DDM60 + C14 Edge. It is attached to C14 via ASA DDM60 DDM60 Dowetail soddle for Losmandy Plate 4 ". The same as you have in your link. It works great. 

Regards 

Wojtek

[gmalits]

i am sorry, i messed something up, the ASA Dovetail is larger, about 5" (125 mm) !!

 

i used this short 250 mm ASA Dovetail-Plate: http://www.astrosysteme.at/images/DDM85-DEC1B-250.PDF  ....

Edited March 1, 2014 by gmalits

[NorbertG]

Dear All,

 

as new customer I would be totally confused now.

 

Wojtek, the DDM60 clamp/saddle does not fit directly to the DDM85.

 

Gerald,

 

have you seen this ?  http://optcorp.com/asa-ddm60-saddle-for-losmandy-dovetail-plates.html   

I guess thats similar in functionality to what you have built. I don´t see it on the ASA Homepage yet. The description by OPT seems to be wrong because they mention it as accessory for the DDM60.

Am I wrong or could "prefetch" use both the original ASA clamp and the connector plate to Mount the C11 without the need for drilling ?

 

By the way, the C11 is available with different Adapters (losmandy, GP) or even worse it could be from a fork Mount ? What is the case here ?

 

Finally, the complete ASA solution is around 400$, and you end up with two clamps (the original 4" of the Mount and the DDM60 clamp). In fact all one needs is a pair of mounting brackets (as they are available from Losmandy but only in combination with their 3" plates) for a C11 to be screwed on an original ASA Dovetail plate.

 

best regards

Norbert

[NorbertG]

sorry, the link I gave was wrong. Due to some strange behaviour of my browser I cannot copy it.

The Name of the part at OPT  is "ASA Connection plate Adapter for DDM60" item# A2-8522DC

I apologize for the inconvenience.

 

Norbert

[gmalits]

Hallo Norbert,

 

I think the item# A2-8522DC is used for the DDM85 in the same way, as i built my adapter, the 4 holes are for the A2-DDM60LMGP Clamp.

 

 

Of course one does not need this adapter to mount a C11 on the DDM85, simply a matching plate with matching blocks will do.

 

only in my particular case of using the C11 with another mount (with losmandy clamp) too....

[LucMurphy]

I have the DDM60 and the Celestron 11.

I may add some confusion to this topic but here is what I have done.

 

I wanted to increase the telescope tube rigidity, so i bought the losmandy dovetail http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1262_Losmandy-dovetail-plate-for-Celestron-C11.html as the main dovetail (connection between the scope and the mount) and I install the celestron dovetail on the top of the tube. I originally used the ASA dovetail clamp but i decided to be a little more creative. I removed the ASA dovetail clamp and drilled 4 holes in the losmandy dovetail (DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT DRILL ANY HOLE IN THE ASA MOUNT OR ANY ASA PROVIDED PARTS) matching the pattern of the ASA mount head (the losmany dovetail is aluminium, so pretty easy to drill). I then attached the losmandy dovetail directly to the mound head using the ASA provided screws. The dovetaill is now "permanently" attached to the mount. To easily instal and remove the scope,  I opened the slots at the top of the dovetail with a drill so i can slide down the scope on the dovetail while I tighten the screws more firmly (the 2 screws are "loosely" installed on the radius block of the top side). This setup is somewhat similar to installing an ASA scope on the ASA plate. I no longer need the ASA dovetail clamp. This setup is cheaper than other solution and I achieve my goal of increasing the rigidity of the tube without increasing the overall weight. You need to be a little bit handy with power tools

 

Regards

 

Luc

[Waldemar]

Here is my solution for rigidity... 3 telescope rings and a long Losmandy dovetail plate on top and bottom. Attached to the original ASA saddleplate.Works great

[destrehandave]

Waldemar

 

I have a TEC 160, so I'm very interested in your setup.  Would you please post a few more images, espectially your custom azimuth adjuster, the devices you have mounted atop your OTA, cabling, and your imaging train - cameras, guiders, FW, etc?

 

Very, very impressive.. Thanks for sharing

 

Thanks

 

Destrehan Dave

 

 

[gmalits]

Hey Luc,

 

how do you get good balancing in Dec ? a sliding weight on the top-dovetail?

[LucMurphy]

_{Hi Gerald,}

 

_{Actually, the mini-dovetail is on the front end of the bottom rail, I am attaching the finderscope and some weight to the dovetail. you would think it is a cumbersome place to put the finderscope, but i never use it visually. A star shoot auto guider (SSAG) is always attached to it. Having the weight at the bottom of the tube has the advantage of lowering the center of  gravity and hence the moment arm. Not by much but i saw a difference to when it was on the top rail. I estimate that this setup help me saved about 1 kg.}

 

_{My scope is all packed up for a local astrophoto workshop over the weekend but as soon as it is all up again, i will post a picture of the setup.}

 

_Regards

 

_Luc

[prefetch]

A star shoot auto guider (SSAG) is always attached to it.

 

i'm curious why you have an auto guider for a ddm85.  i'm a new owner, but my hope (and the promise of ASA) is that these mounts don't need an autoguider!

[gmalits]

hi Luc,

 

good solution, i have also a green laser for pointing, or a focusser-board (for my C11, not for the ASA)  on the moving weight.....

 

prefetch, i think, luc uses this as an electronic finder ....not for guiding, for my own, i have never ever used an autoguider any more....

Edited April 11, 2014 by gmalits

[LucMurphy]

Correct, just an electronic finder. The SSAG is from a previous setup not involving the DDM60, so instead of living it sitting on the bench, I said why not make it useful.

[Waldemar]

Hi Dave,

 

All the electronics:  Kendrick dew Heater controller, MicroTouch focus controller, Camera power controller, a small USB-hub and a powersplitter, are on top of my mount, to get as little wiring as possible. Everything is attached with Velcro. On top, because I want the heaviest weight (the TEC) as close to the center of gravity as possible.

The Velcro also gives me a possibility to compensate for the off center weight of the MicroTouch focuser motor by placing the electronics off center to the opposite side, or attach some light weights with Velcro. Everything is attached to a 6mm thick piece of very rigid building material called Trespa in Holland. It is as ort of very tough pertinax. I attached it to the scope with a dovetail on top of the scope and short (Baader) clamps on the bottom side of the Trespa plate, so I can use that to adjust for balancing as well. Cabling is kept as short as possible, with just enough play to be able to move a bit.

When I want to do solar with heavy Lunt etalons I use a larger balancing weight on the bottom plate of the scope first and do finetuning as above.

All cables go through the mount. I use separate power cabling through the 4-pin DIN connectors of the mount. The internal wiring is as far as I know 0,75 mm, so that should be able to handle 2 x 5 Amps at least. Enough for the electronics. Dew heater and focuser are on different leads then the camera control. To prevent powerdrops.

I use three separate switching power units: 15A for the DDM and 2x10 for the other equipment.

From the mount I go to an Icron Ranger to extend the USB over CAT cable up to 100 meters, so my comp and I can stay inside and be warm. Of course remote control with TeamViewer on another comp is always possible as well.

To get a rigid set-up and as little flexture as possible, I use three TEC mounting rings, and long dovetail plates on top and bottom.

Because I can not leave my scope outside, I use another Baader short clamp as a stopper, so it does not tale me long to balance every time I take it out.

Basically, once balanced and stopper in place, I can use it immediately without too much worrying about the balance.

My cameras are: QHY8Pro, SBIG STF 8300M, and a LodeStar, which I only use for planetary and solar imaging instead of my Firewire ATIK.

FW is a 2" USB SX. I ordered the new wormdrive motor from Starizona for the MicroTouch auto focuser, but that will take a couple of weeks.

The downside of it all is the Dutch weather and timing. When there finally is a clear night I am too busy to miss my nights rest...

I will be retired soon, so good times are coming!! We are thinking of moving to a place in the US, with a better climate and many clear nights. 

As I said in a PM, I will be happy to send you pictures and a technical sketch of the AZ adjuster to provide you with more info, though my solution for all of this is not particular high tec... 

 

Best regards,

Waldemar