tracking platform for large format portable telescope
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2022 1:41 pmI started this project 11 years ago after I built my 14" Dobsonian telescope and needed a tracking device for it. Since this class of telescope won't fit a traditional tripod mount some ingenious people developed what's known as an equatorial platform, which mimics the motion of an equatorial mount but limited in run time. All the platforms I looked at (mostly DIY and a couple of commercial versions) had one limitation: they are designed and built for one specific latitude. They can be moved a few degrees north or south and shimmed up but eventually the design fails outside of that range. Being the CNC guy I came up with a solution that runs on an Arduino and works mathematically correct for any latitude on earth, dubbed the Global Equatorial Platform (GEP). I started the project back when I was using LinuxCNC but I converted to UCCNC in the middle of it, so at least some of it was manufactured using UCCNC so I decided I was within my rights to post it here 
This photo shows my scope sitting on an early birch plywood prototype:
After that I converted to aluminum, this is the latest version (of the platform, not me
):
Clip of circuit board making, using UCCNC and autoleveller:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/f2pHb6sdiMaz95Xm6
Dan Hanger
This photo shows my scope sitting on an early birch plywood prototype:
After that I converted to aluminum, this is the latest version (of the platform, not me
):Clip of circuit board making, using UCCNC and autoleveller:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/f2pHb6sdiMaz95Xm6
Dan Hanger