http://www.scopebuggy.com/

　To tell the truth, I bought the Dobsonian driver from the Tech2000 company and the telescope cart from the Scope Buggy company. The Scope Buggy makes it easy to move and position the telescope. The Scope Buggy cart has three wheels (for stability the telescope mount is always a tripod).

http://www.scopebuggy.com/

というわけで、Azimuth軸回転モータの取り付けを、推奨とは180°逆さまに取り付けてしまった理由も、このスコープバギーを当初から当てにしていたためです。写真を見てもらうと分かりますが、地面から10CMくらいのクリアランスが確保されています。しかし、ここで問題は架台（ミラーボックス）の安定 性です。最終的にドブソニアンのミラーボックス（架台）が地面から離れて高い位置にあるので重心も高くなります。ですから風が吹いたり、人が歩き回ったりすると架台に振動が伝わる可能性は大きいです。写真撮影上どの程度影響があるか、調べる必要があります。

ただ、ガレージからの持ち出しは格段に楽チンになりました。ちょっとXT10にはScopeBuggyのサイズがでか過ぎる気もするのでピラーをカットして縮めるかもしれませんが、当分これでやってみます。長い間、工作のために望遠鏡を覗く事ができなかったのでそろそろ木星でも見ようと思っています。だんだん夜も寒くなくなってきましたから。

I installed the Azimuth axial rotary motor upside down in opposition to the recommendation of the manufacturer. If the azimuth axial rotary motor is installed in a telescope without a Scope Buggy, it is necessary to cut off a section of the bottom plate of the telescope’s mirror box so that the motor can be installed far enough from the ground. With the Scope Buggy, however, it is not necessary to do this if you install the motor upside down. The photo above illustrates a 10cm clearance between the motor it was installed in this way. There is a problem with the stability of the telescope when it is installed on a Scope Buggy because the center of gravity is higher off the ground. The problem is vibration in the telescope frame due to wind or people walking by.

However, moving the Scope Buggy from the garage is a much easier task. The size of the Scope Buggy is a little larger than required by the XT10, so in the future I will cut the support struts to the wheels to shorten them, but for now I will use it as it is. I was unable to observe anything for more than a month while I was mounting the telescope and the Dobsonian drive. I really wanted to see Jupiter before it set.

The installation of the Dobsonian drive is finally complete. I connected the 12v DC power supply to the motor a couple of minutes ago, and as the motor started groaning, the telescope rotary board started moving. Since I didn't know how much tension was necessary for the belt, I had not installed it yet and just let the motor run to check it.

　　　完成状態はこんな感じです。これからマニュアルを見ながら、コントロール方法を学びます。インストール、疲れました。それに、手にあちこち名誉の負傷があります。血豆や皮がめくれたりしました。

It felt good to finish the work. I began looking at the manual to learn how to control the drive. The installation had exhausted me, raised a blood blister in my hand, and caused some skin on my palm to peel.

ところで、追尾精度を計測するには何をどうすれば良いのでしょうね？　このブログを見る人も少ないから難しいかもしれませんが、誰か知っていたら教えて欲しいものです。

By the way, how do you measure the precision of tracking? Because so few people will see this blog, I doubt that I will get an answer.

Yesterday and today I worked very hard on the installation. However, I am ashamed by my lack of knowledge.

　　　まず、Azimuth軸クランプの位置を適当にしたため、回転ボードから少しはみ出ている６角ボルトの頭がクランプのプラスチックに当たってしまう事が判明。こいつは後日つけかえるしかない。

First I put the Azimuth axial clamp in the wrong place and the heads of the hexagonal bolts were hitting the plastic clamp, so I should reinstall the clamp later.

　　　次、Altitudeモータの取り付け位置がAltitudeプーリーの中心軸上に来ないため、ベルトテンションが左右で違うと推測される。まあ、これで動くかどうかやってみてからにしよう。ダメなら考え直せばいいや。

Next, I did not install the Altitude motor on the medial axis of the Altitude pulley because of a large hole that is part of the mirror box support structure, but offset it to the side. Because of this the belt tension on the right and left sides of the pulley may be different. I am not sure if this will work well, but if it doesn't I will reconsider---so it is OK to go ahead.

　　　その次、Altitudeモータの取り付けを手早くやろうとして、ねじ穴を開けずに無理やりねじを入れ込んだら曲がってしまった。曲がったままねじが入ってしまい、ベルトへのテンションがかかりにくい感じになってしまった。

For the next step, I tried to install the Altitude motor very quickly and I bent the screw while installing it. Now I'm wondering whether the tension on the pulley will be sufficient.

　　というわけで、今日のところはこんな状態にまでたどり着いた。一応、Altitudeプーリーを取り付けた鏡筒をミラーボックスにはめてみたが、まあまあな感じ。あと、配線して動かしてみるところまで行かないと不安です。でもそれはこの次にやります。とにかく今日は疲れました。

Finally, I reached the stage shown in the photo above. I put the Altitude pulley on the telescope tube and its looks so-so. I am afraid of what will happen when I connect the circuit. But for today, I am drained and I will try connecting the circuit next time.

　　ほとんど日替わりメニューのようにコロコロとアイデアが変わっています。結局、まず最初のトライアルとして、DIYの店で買ってきた丸テーブル工作用の円形ボード（何と24インチあるのでXT10の円形ボードより大きい）を加工することにしました。その際、XT10オリジナルの三角形のベースボードも利用し、かつ、もしこの加工がミスとなっても元に戻せるようにベースボード加工は当たり障りのないようにします。てなわけで、Azimuthモーターの取り付けはTECH2000推奨の方法をやめ、逆さまにつけることにしました。うまく行くかどうかはまだ分かりませんが、ま、やってみます。逆さまに取り付ける時の利点は、XT10オリジナルの円形ボードを回転させることです。この場合、円形ボード表面に貼ってあるメラミン樹脂が結構硬いし表面も滑らかなのでボードの回転も滑らかでしょう。耐久性も高いでしょう。問題はAzimuthモーターが地面と接触しやすいので高さを稼ぐ必要があること、クランプの取り付けも逆さにするとスペースをもっと確保しなければならない事、AzimuthモーターとAltitudeモーターへの電源ケーブルが絡みやすくなることなどです。でも、まずやってみる事にしました。取り付けてうまくなければ再度考えてみます。

Like the daily lunch menu, my ideas changed every day. Finally, as a first trial I decided to cut the wooden board I had bought to mount the motors on (it is 24 inches in diameter, which is bigger than the original board). In this way, if something goes wrong i can buy a new board to use and I will still have the original board if I want to use it. In the same way, I decided to install the Azimuth motor upside down---against the TECH2000 recommendation. I am not sure that it will work well, but I will do it. The advantage to installing the motor upside down is that I can use it to rotate the original round board of the XT10 directly. Because the bottom of the original board is covered with melamine resin, it has a very hard and smooth surface that is very durable and the motor can rotate it smoothly. The problem with this arrangement is that the clamps are upside down and did not have sufficient clearance. The third problem is that I had to mount the battery on the rotating board but the motor was located on the fixed board below, so I used a coiled wire to connect them. I am not sure if this will work, but I decide not to worry and go ahead.

　　しかし、このように、モーター本体や筺体の中心にモーター回転軸があるわけではないので、もし私が考えるように、XT10についてきた3角形のベースボードにモータを取り付けXT10の円形ボードを回転させようとすると、モーターと筺体部分が地面にめり込んでしまいます（干渉してしまうということ）。そのためにはボード下部にかなり大きめの足をつけるか、モーター取り付けを工夫しなければなりません。背の高い足をつけることは不安定な状態になるのでやりたくありません。また、2つのローラーの取り付け、クランプの取り付けなどなど、考慮しなければならない事がたくさん出てきます。結局、モーター取り付けをいろいろ考えても、Azimuthモーター･ギヤー･筺体の構造上、うまく取り付ける方法が考え付きませんでした。悲しい・・・・・・・・・。

But in this case, if I choose to put the motor on the base board, there will be a problem with the clearance of the motor above the ground. So to prevent this problem, I should attach legs to the bottom of the board. However, this solution is unstable. In addition to the installation of the motor, there are the 2 rollers and the clamp, so I have much to think about. I realized that there are a lot of things to be considered and I could not think of a good way to do it. I am sad …

　　仕方がないのでTECH2000推奨どおりにAzimuthモーターを取り付けることにし、まず回転ボード（ミラーボックスがのる、XT10についてきた円形ボード）に加工のための図を引きました。購入したパーツの中に入っていたテンプレートを使うことで、図を書き写す事は簡単に出来ます。
（あとで写真を掲載します）

Because I didn't have any other ideas, I installed the Azimuth motor in accord with the TECH2000 recommendations. First I drew a picture on the rotary board (the board attached to the XT10 on which the mirror box rides). By using the furnished template, it was easy to draw the picture. (Later I will upload a photograph of this.)

I almost finished the modifications of the Altitude pulley last week. I drilled two holes on the upper side of the pulley and one hole on the lower side. I drilled three matching holes in the telescope tube and then tried installing the pulley. I was a good feeling to complete it correctly as shown in the photo.

　 もともとOrion XT10鏡筒についているAltitudeベアリングは2つのボルトで鏡筒に取り付けてあるので、闇雲にたくさんのボルトを使って取り付ける必要は無いでしょう。上部は購入した時と同じ厚さのままでしたから2つのボルトを、下部はXT10のエンコーダー用プリント基板へのコネクタ部分が出っ張っているので穴を多く開けない方が良いと判断し、ボルトは1つにしました。

The original bearing on the telescope tube was held by two bolts, so after the pulley is placed on the tube with the original bearing at the center, three bolts are sufficient to hold the pulley on the tube. The thicknesses of the upper portion of the Altitude pulley and the telescope bearing are almost the same, but I removed half the thickness of the lower part of the Altitude pulley. The holes for the two bolts are in the thicker portion of the pulley and the hole for the single bolt is in the lower portion.


　 せっかくAltitudeプーリーを鏡筒に取り付けたのでAltitudeモーター＆ベルトで動かしてみたかったのですが、Azimuth軸部分の改造も始めていてドブソニアンのミラーボックスを分解してしまっていたのでお預け状態です。
　明日からはAzimuth軸部分の事を考えなければなりません。これも少し頭が痛い問題です。XT10のベースボードは最下部が三角形、ミラーボックスとして目に見える部分が円形なので、円形のボードにAzimuthモーターをそのまま取り付けても動かないのです。今考えているのはAzimuthモータを裏返しにして三角形のボードに取り付け、円形ボードを駆動する事が可能かどうかです。ただ、もともとAzimuthモーターをそのように取り付けることは考えていないようで、裏返しにするとモーター配線やギヤーボックスの位置がうまく収まりません。あーでもない、こーでもないと考える時間が必要そうです。

Because the Altitude pulley is attached to the telescope tube I can check that the Altitude motor and belt work well. However, I had disassembled the mirror box so I cannot check it now. Tomorrow I will think about the Azimuth stuff. This subject also gives me a headache because the lowest part of the base board is triangular and the bottom of the mirror box is round. Because of this I cannot install the Azimuth motor directly on the round board, so I am now thinking of installing the Azimuth motor on the triangular board. However, in this case, the Azimuth motor wiring and gear box would not have optimal positioning. So I should spend some time thinking about the best way to do it.

At night after work, I did the modifications of the Altitude pulley in one week. Because of the shape of the original Dobsonian bearing, I removed the center of the pulley and I checked to see if it is still rigid enough. It looks so and does not should much distortion when I test it. In general, the Dobsonian driver maintains a tension in the belt between the motor and the pulley. For the XT10, I can adjust the tightness of its bearing so that there is no vibration, so I expect that it is OK if the belt is a little loose.

Every night last week I processed the pulley step by step. It took longer to finish that than I supposed. I tried to remove a circular portion at the center of the pulley but without expensive tools I could not make it very round. I was sad because I do not have the expensive tools and could not make a perfect circle. This photo shows the pulley before processing.

Today (May 19), the things I ordered finally arrived. I send in my order May 2nd and it required 17 days for it to get here--even though I had ordered from an American company. I received everything I ordered. Is that OK? I took a photograph of all the materials before I began construction. The edge of the wooden Altitude pulley was chipped, but repaired. I used this pulley, but it illustrates a difference between American and Japanese companies. In the photograph, the pulley, Altitude motor and belt, the Azimuth motor, roller, and controller are shown. From now on, I am going to put them together step by step.

http://www.homedepot.com/

のサークルカッターかHole Sawを手配するつもりでいます。Hole Sawは壁穴用がメインだろうから、やっぱりサークルカッターかなあ。いずれにしても、ブツも高いけれど、それなりの加工をしようとすると工具にも金がかかる。困ったもんだ。

Because I wanted to mount the Altitude pulley around the telescope bearing, rather than on top of it as recommended, it will be necessary to remove a 146mm circle from the center of the pulley. If the center of the pulley and center of the telescope bearing do not coincide, the precision of the tracking of stars will be diminished. For this reason, I want to find good tools to make the circle.

By the way, Japanese tools would be higher quality. Unfortunately, these are hard to get outside Japan. For this processing, the thickness of the Altitude pulley is about 15mm and I need to remove a circle of 146mm in diameter.

http://www.dogudoraku.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/2268/cPath/160_160180

The tools provided by this manufacturer would be fine, but I probably can't get them in California, so I will use a circle cutter from Home Depot.

http://www.homedepot.com/

The hole saw is for a wall, so I should probably use the circle cutter. Anyhow, the parts and tools are both expensive--that is a problem.