Computer Controlled Telescope
Mel Bartels has developed an outstanding system for 'motorising' a Dobsonian telescope and made it available for free on his Web site. The system is also perfect to control an equatorial mount. Here are my construction notes about the conversion of my equatorial mount which I hope will be of interest. Goto Mel's Website for complete instructions and software download.
I became interested in controlling my 14" reflector with a PC after seeing an 8" Dobsonian 'lash-up' using Mel Bartels system. The system was demonstrated by Dave Thomson at the Liverpool Astronomical Society meeting in December 1998. I knew then that my old trusty 14", veteran of hundreds of hours of guided imaging needed an upgrade, but why?
Mel's system could achieve my objectives:
- Periodic error correction (PEC) to enable longer unguided exposures with my CCD camera, the best I could achieve was 30s.
- GOTO capability. Under my increasingly light polluted skies this would enable me to find difficult objects for CCD imaging including faint minor planets for astrometric positional measurement - something I've wanted to do for a long time.
These were just two of my main objectives. Mel's system offers many more features. The following pages show the various aspects of how I went about converting my mount and get the system up and running - the system continues to improve and evolve.
Acknowledgements
The completion of this project would not have been possible without the help of my very good friends.
Eric Strach - For donating his 'old' 486 laptop to drive the system.
James Hudson - For lots of advice on electronics and making various parts
on his lathe.
Dave Galvin - For providing many of the electronic components and a power
supply.
Dave Thomson - For doing all of this first to show me the way, plus lots
of advice.
Andrew Bate - For helping me with gear wheels.
Geoff Regan - For telling me I could do it!
Liverpool AS Members - for their help, interest and support.