Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

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Radon86
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Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

I was not sure where I should post this on Solarchatforum...

I was wondering if you could advise on telescope balance (with the Quark). I have started to image in the straight through position (remove the diagonal) after advice by some Solar Imaging experts eg. MalveauX. I could not find much about this topic after some searches, so apologies if this has already been discussed alot before.

I have noticed the imaging train is very long and even though I have minimised or reduced needing to use the focuser much, there is imbalance in the Dec axis.. I am thinking the tracking is slightly compromised if there is a lot of imbalance in the Dec axis.

I have started to do so, because I am trying some focal reducer solutions to get full disc or near full disc with the Quark and my ED70 mm (F6 scope).
How do you balance the mount in Dec axis ? as I find the telescope train is very heavy at the camera end ? Does it matter if it is almost 500 gram to 800 gram imbalanced, for imaging (maybe tracking of the sun is bad).

Here is the imaging train (only for visual, for imaging the imbalance is even worse). I have a short 18cm vixen dovetail, as I have a motor focuser installed. I suppose if I removed the motor focuser, I could try a longer dovetail.
Do you add additional counterweights at the front of the imaging train e.g. to the front of the dovetail. I think I would need 500 to 800 gram weights at the front to balance it with a heavy camera end of the imaging train. I am not sure what type of counterweight to get or to improvise with my own !! Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. Today on a lovely sunny day, I abandoned my focal reducer tests for another time until I get this problem resolved.
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Thank you,
Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

I think I have got a partial solution ! I moved the dovetail back towards the camera by a few centimetres (maximal allowed by the dovetail design) and added a 240 gram weight strung to the front of the refractor with a rubber band around a ziplock back (with some allen keys and bits and bobs) weighing only 240 grams !
Is this acceptable, would it damage my refractor ?
Thanks
Magnus
IMG_4345.jpg
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Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Bill_C »

I think you are on the right track with counter balancing the camera as long as you are not impacting the tube
you should be fine, maybe get some plumbers putty or something along that line and put in the ziploc and form it to the scope tube.
best Bill


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Magnus
A longer Dovetail Bar is the obvious method for moving the scope forward for balancing. That may also mean the loading of whatever mount may require a balance weight as well or instead-of, but maintain a maximum weight-loading for the mount itself..

My Tri-scope assembly on the SW AZ-EQ6R-PRO mount, is fitted with three long Dovetail Bars etc., plus an available balance-weight arm if required and with all 3-scopes accurately aligned, does the bizz with all the extras...

Terry


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

Someone on cloudynights suggested using "risers" , a type of spacer to clear the motor focuser bits and attach them to a longer dovetail. That kind of makes things slightly more unstable but seems to work for them (though not for solar work necessarily).

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/7002 ... r-wo-gt71/

Maybe I can rotate my scope so my focuser knobs face up and the longer dovetail will no longer hit the motor focuser parts like this: This solar hobby costs $$$$$$$
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Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Montana »

Sounds like me :) I use diving weights on a diving belt which can be wrapped round the scope and secured, works very well :)

Alexandra


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

That Cloudy-Night effort looks like someone just love gold !! They are all aluminium !!

Longer DoveTail Bars and adjust the scope rings depending on your scope...

Terry


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by AndiesHandyHandies »

Hi

A nice solution Rodastro kindly did for me.

ImageP1060689 by Andrew Huskinson, on Flickr

Cheers. Andrew.


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

The long web-link address is almost as long as the Dovetail Bar, but at least the price is good for this item and it's available now in the UK too.!!

In fact check-out https://www.wexphotovideo.com/about-us/store-finder/ for two London stockist too, so you might get one within 24-hours... :hamster:

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/sky-watch ... 0Low%20AOV

Best Wishes
Terry


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

EGRAY_OBSERVATORY wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:51 pm The long web-link address is almost as long as the Dovetail Bar, but at least the price is good for this item and it's available now in the UK too.!!

In fact check-out https://www.wexphotovideo.com/about-us/store-finder/ for two London stockist too, so you might get one within 24-hours... :hamster:

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/sky-watch ... 0Low%20AOV

Best Wishes
Terry
Thanks Terry. Those Skywatcher dovetails will need different Skywatcher tube rings, but it is something that I could try at some point in the future. Those screws also cause me confusion, getting the right screws can be painful sometimes.


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

AndiesHandyHandies wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 6:12 pm Hi

A nice solution Rodastro kindly did for me.

ImageP1060689 by Andrew Huskinson, on Flickr

Cheers. Andrew.
So you added a spacer (also called "Risers" in USA) and a front cylindrical counterweight on the front end of the dovetail ?
Is RodAstro an astronomy vendor or the RodAstro on StargazersLounge ?

Thank you.
Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by AndiesHandyHandies »

Hi

We used a longer dovetail bar. Added some aluminium bar as a riser. And I piece of silver steel as a counterweight.
The dew shield does not go all the way back.

Rod is one of my astronomy mates. Not a vendor I am afraid.

Cheers. Andrew.


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by marktownley »

I've got a longer dovetail on a couple of my scopes so they balance.


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

Thanks all for your helpful advice.

I am thinking of adapting some hard PVC blocks, or PVC fascia material as small risers (about 10mm thick and 25 mm x 40 mm in size). If these don't work, I will go for the metal versions. I have ordered a longer 30cm vixen universal dovetail, so hopefully that will give me more scope to balance everything. I heard if you turn the OTA upside down, then some balance problems can occur especially with guidescopes (but I will not be using guidescopes, maybe a solar finder which I can remove to reduce weight if necessary).


I looked at Thorlabs - BA1 spacer which just about fits my setup but the cost was 14 pounds for postage (4.33 GBP each), so I bought some fixing blocks (hard PVC plastic) from B&Q (24 blocks for 3.47 gbp . If these don't work, I can also try another material.

In my research, Thorlabs make incredible stuff, including stuff for ADAPTIVE OPTICS !! and SPECTROSCOPY stuff.
Anyone fancy trying this for solar imaging ??

https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9. ... up_id=9016

Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Easiest method as Mark says, is the longer Dovetail Bar and possibly the cheapest and most reliable too...

Terry


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Re: Quark straight through balance problem! Help needed!

Post by Radon86 »

Hi All,
After buying and receiving a 30cm dovetail
I found much better balancing in DEC for
the long imaging straight through Quark
with focal reducers.

I also found the plastic spacers which cost
20 pence each worked.
But I also found this about balancing which
could be useful. I have yet to read it all it is very
mechanical.

After the Russian invasion and attacks on Ukraine and the covid surges I feel depressed and despite the sunny weather I have not imaged again.

I feel I have to learn and read the Solar astronomy book and learn autoguiding
for my DSO work and also image processing.

Photoshop, blend-if, and Affinity Photo, ImPPG.

I hope you are all well on Solar chat.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advi ... ce-system/

Best wishes,
Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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