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Pawel Lancucki | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Better attachment of polar finder to TG-SP mount tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Better attachment of polar finder to TG-SP mount

Original polar finder is a beautiful very compact polar scope which is attached on a side of the TG-SP motor box and peer through an opening in the counterweight shaft attachment block.

While this finder is much less accurate than all it's larger brothers found on mounts from P2Z upwards, it is still good enough for wide filed astrophotography, meteor hunting etc.

The main problem with this finder is the fact that it is removable and attaches back to an uneven surface. So while there are adjustment screws provided, the positioning repeatability can significantly impair it's usefulness.

I have decided to improve this. The finder is now attached permanently to a piece of 2x3cm aluminum tubing, which in turn is attached to a dovetail part of the SQRB (Scopeguard Quick Release Bracket). Interior and sides of the 2x3cm tube was used to attach a power socket, potentiometer, resistor and a small LED diode in front of the finder. The diode points towards the objective of the polar finder and dimly illuminates the cross-hairs, with adjustable brightness. The beauty of this idea is that the same 6V battery pack is first used to illuminate the polar finder and later, while the mount is polar aligned, is used to drive the mount.

The saddle part of SQRB is attached to a 2x4cm aluminum bar 5mm thick. The bar itself is attached to a side of the TG-SP motor box - I have removed 3 of the machine screws used to attach motor box cover and replaced them with longer ones used to attach the bar. This, no drilling or tapping in the TG-SP body itself was necessary. The saddle is also attached permanently.

As the dovetail in the saddle maintains pointing very well each time (after all, it was designed to attach finders to Takahashi OTAs), the polar finder needs to be adjusted just once and than easily removed from and attached back to the mount.

Small, neat modification which greatly improves usefulness of the polar finder.
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