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FrankenScope Stage I Step 2

Howard Ritter #86921 Thanks for the tip, Robert, but I’m not sure we have the same tripod. Does yours look like the one in the photos I posted? I only ask because mine uses threaded studs with acorn nuts on both ends, at both ends of the struts – where they connect to the leg and where they connect to the central disk. Also, it would be unusual for someone to have one of these tripods unless, as I did, they had the entire 16” SCT, and I doubt that these beasts come up often on the secondary market. If you do have the same tripod as mine, how do you manage to use it in the field? It must weigh a hundred pounds, and it’s impossible for me to single-hand it. —howard toggle quoted messageShow quoted text On Jul 1, 2022, at 9:51 PM, Robert Berta <biker123@...> wrote: I have one of those GF Meade tripods for use with my 1100 mount for field use. Works great BUT....there is one danger area to check. The struts that connect at the very bottom to hold the legs in place are held in place with steel drift or roll pins. Those pins really should not be used into aluminum since after moving the legs in and out over time the pins will work their way out and the tripod will collapse and everything goes down $$$. I removed those roll pins and replaced with steel bolts and Nylok nuts to prevent that. That was about 15 years ago and no issues at all now. Mine never crashed but I found out the issue when one of my pins had worked its way partially out ....but not quite enough to cause a failure....close call!
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Robert Berta #86920 I have one of those GF Meade tripods for use with my 1100 mount for field use. Works great BUT....there is one danger area to check. The struts that connect at the very bottom to hold the legs in place are held in place with steel drift or roll pins. Those pins really should not be used into aluminum since after moving the legs in and out over time the pins will work their way out and the tripod will collapse and everything goes down $$$. I removed those roll pins and replaced with steel bolts and Nylok nuts to prevent that. That was about 15 years ago and no issues at all now. Mine never crashed but I found out the issue when one of my pins had worked its way partially out ....but not quite enough to cause a failure....close call!
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Christopher Erickson #86821 I guess I could simply get a short AP portable pier. "Always take the high road. There's less traffic." -Christopher Erickson Observatory Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, Hawaii toggle quoted messageShow quoted text On Fri, Jun 24, 2022 at 4:57 PM Steve C. Mitchell, Sr., O.D. <smitchell@...> wrote: Hey Chris, If you might be interested in a real FrankenScope, how about a Celestron heavy duty tripod with that AP mount and Meade OTA? Came with my CGE Pro which sits here boxed up and nonfunctional due to RA motor or motor card issues. Ought to get rid of it all, just haven’t done anything about it since getting my AP1100 mount; WOW! No comparison to anything Meade or Celestron. Just saying Steve From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> On Behalf Of Howard Ritter via groups.io Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2022 6:30 AM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Subject: Re: [ap-gto] FrankenScope Stage I Step 2 Hi, Chris— Do you mean you have just the Meade OTA, and that’s why you need to find a tripod? I can’t imagine they’re very plentiful on the used market, unfortunately. If you get lucky, you’ll be glad to know that the bolt holes in the A-P Flat Surface Adapter nicely avoid the cast structural webs on the underside of the tripod head when the FSA is centered and the N is aligned with one of the legs. Good hunting! —howard On Jun 7, 2022, at 1:23 AM, Christopher Erickson <christopher.k.erickson@...> wrote: LOL! Ironically, I am trying to do the exact same thing. I have a new-from-AP 1600 and a Meade LX200GPS-16. I just need to find another Meade Super Giant Field Tripod for a good deal and get it shipped to Hawaii. "Always take the high road. There's less traffic." -Christopher Erickson Observatory Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, Hawaii On Mon, Jun 6, 2022 at 5:39 PM Howard Ritter via groups.io <howard.ritter=mac.com@groups.io> wrote: Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the tripod by myself and assemble the mount in place. It looks pretty imposing in the photo, but IRL, when I got it together and stepped back, my reaction was MY GOD THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Tomorrow the GTOCP4 and 155EDF go on it and I’ll start to RTFM and exercise the mount. When I think I understand its operation well enough, we’ll disassemble it and reassemble it in the back yard with the legs extended. I’ll probably do some imaging with the 155 first, but then swap it out for why I bought the 1600 instead of the 1100 – the Meade 16” SCT. For that, I definitely WILL need my son! Thank you, Rolando, Marj, Amber, George, and the whole crew! —howard <FrankenScope Stage I Step 2.jpeg>
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Steve C. Mitchell, Sr., O.D. #86811 Hey Chris, If you might be interested in a real FrankenScope, how about a Celestron heavy duty tripod with that AP mount and Meade OTA? Came with my CGE Pro which sits here boxed up and nonfunctional due to RA motor or motor card issues. Ought to get rid of it all, just haven’t done anything about it since getting my AP1100 mount; WOW! No comparison to anything Meade or Celestron. Just saying Steve From: main@ap-gto.groups.io <main@ap-gto.groups.io> On Behalf Of Howard Ritter via groups.io Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2022 6:30 AM To: main@ap-gto.groups.io Subject: Re: [ap-gto] FrankenScope Stage I Step 2 Hi, Chris— Do you mean you have just the Meade OTA, and that’s why you need to find a tripod? I can’t imagine they’re very plentiful on the used market, unfortunately. If you get lucky, you’ll be glad to know that the bolt holes in the A-P Flat Surface Adapter nicely avoid the cast structural webs on the underside of the tripod head when the FSA is centered and the N is aligned with one of the legs. Good hunting! —howard toggle quoted messageShow quoted text On Jun 7, 2022, at 1:23 AM, Christopher Erickson <christopher.k.erickson@...> wrote: LOL! Ironically, I am trying to do the exact same thing. I have a new-from-AP 1600 and a Meade LX200GPS-16. I just need to find another Meade Super Giant Field Tripod for a good deal and get it shipped to Hawaii. "Always take the high road. There's less traffic." -Christopher Erickson Observatory Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, Hawaii On Mon, Jun 6, 2022 at 5:39 PM Howard Ritter via groups.io <howard.ritter=mac.com@groups.io> wrote: Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the tripod by myself and assemble the mount in place. It looks pretty imposing in the photo, but IRL, when I got it together and stepped back, my reaction was MY GOD THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Tomorrow the GTOCP4 and 155EDF go on it and I’ll start to RTFM and exercise the mount. When I think I understand its operation well enough, we’ll disassemble it and reassemble it in the back yard with the legs extended. I’ll probably do some imaging with the 155 first, but then swap it out for why I bought the 1600 instead of the 1100 – the Meade 16” SCT. For that, I definitely WILL need my son! Thank you, Rolando, Marj, Amber, George, and the whole crew! —howard <FrankenScope Stage I Step 2.jpeg>
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Howard Ritter #86649 Hi, Chris— Do you mean you have just the Meade OTA, and that’s why you need to find a tripod? I can’t imagine they’re very plentiful on the used market, unfortunately. If you get lucky, you’ll be glad to know that the bolt holes in the A-P Flat Surface Adapter nicely avoid the cast structural webs on the underside of the tripod head when the FSA is centered and the N is aligned with one of the legs. Good hunting! —howard toggle quoted messageShow quoted text On Jun 7, 2022, at 1:23 AM, Christopher Erickson <christopher.k.erickson@...> wrote: LOL! Ironically, I am trying to do the exact same thing. I have a new-from-AP 1600 and a Meade LX200GPS-16. I just need to find another Meade Super Giant Field Tripod for a good deal and get it shipped to Hawaii. "Always take the high road. There's less traffic." -Christopher Erickson Observatory Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, Hawaii On Mon, Jun 6, 2022 at 5:39 PM Howard Ritter via groups.io <howard.ritter=mac.com@groups.io> wrote: Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the tripod by myself and assemble the mount in place. It looks pretty imposing in the photo, but IRL, when I got it together and stepped back, my reaction was MY GOD THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Tomorrow the GTOCP4 and 155EDF go on it and I’ll start to RTFM and exercise the mount. When I think I understand its operation well enough, we’ll disassemble it and reassemble it in the back yard with the legs extended. I’ll probably do some imaging with the 155 first, but then swap it out for why I bought the 1600 instead of the 1100 – the Meade 16” SCT. For that, I definitely WILL need my son! Thank you, Rolando, Marj, Amber, George, and the whole crew! —howard <FrankenScope Stage I Step 2.jpeg>
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Christopher Erickson #86648 LOL! Ironically, I am trying to do the exact same thing. I have a new-from-AP 1600 and a Meade LX200GPS-16. I just need to find another Meade Super Giant Field Tripod for a good deal and get it shipped to Hawaii. "Always take the high road. There's less traffic." -Christopher Erickson Observatory Engineer Summit Kinetics Waikoloa, Hawaii toggle quoted messageShow quoted text On Mon, Jun 6, 2022 at 5:39 PM Howard Ritter via groups.io <howard.ritter=mac.com@groups.io> wrote: Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the tripod by myself and assemble the mount in place. It looks pretty imposing in the photo, but IRL, when I got it together and stepped back, my reaction was MY GOD THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Tomorrow the GTOCP4 and 155EDF go on it and I’ll start to RTFM and exercise the mount. When I think I understand its operation well enough, we’ll disassemble it and reassemble it in the back yard with the legs extended. I’ll probably do some imaging with the 155 first, but then swap it out for why I bought the 1600 instead of the 1100 – the Meade 16” SCT. For that, I definitely WILL need my son! Thank you, Rolando, Marj, Amber, George, and the whole crew! —howard
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Brian Valente #86647 looks great Howard, nice work toggle quoted messageShow quoted text On Mon, Jun 6, 2022 at 8:39 PM Howard Ritter via groups.io <howard.ritter=mac.com@groups.io> wrote: Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the tripod by myself and assemble the mount in place. It looks pretty imposing in the photo, but IRL, when I got it together and stepped back, my reaction was MY GOD THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Tomorrow the GTOCP4 and 155EDF go on it and I’ll start to RTFM and exercise the mount. When I think I understand its operation well enough, we’ll disassemble it and reassemble it in the back yard with the legs extended. I’ll probably do some imaging with the 155 first, but then swap it out for why I bought the 1600 instead of the 1100 – the Meade 16” SCT. For that, I definitely WILL need my son! Thank you, Rolando, Marj, Amber, George, and the whole crew! —howard -- Brian Brian Valente astro portfolio https://www.brianvalentephotography.com/astrophotography/ portfolio brianvalentephotography.com astrobin https://www.astrobin.com/users/bvalente/
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Howard Ritter #86646 Well, I couldn’t wait until my son comes over tomorrow. I decided to try it myself, and was thrilled to find that, despite having just turned 77, I could wrangle the components of the 1600GTO onto the tripod by myself and assemble the mount in place. It looks pretty imposing in the photo, but IRL, when I got it together and stepped back, my reaction was MY GOD THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Tomorrow the GTOCP4 and 155EDF go on it and I’ll start to RTFM and exercise the mount. When I think I understand its operation well enough, we’ll disassemble it and reassemble it in the back yard with the legs extended. I’ll probably do some imaging with the 155 first, but then swap it out for why I bought the 1600 instead of the 1100 – the Meade 16” SCT. For that, I definitely WILL need my son! Thank you, Rolando, Marj, Amber, George, and the whole crew! —howard
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