Added Info POPULAR ELECTRONICS [1] Aug 1981 (v.19#8) pg. 7
A telescope position indicator designed by John and Dave Guerra that you can build using the integrated circuit of a pocket calculator. The rotating shaft of the telescope is coupled to the digital display of the calculator so that the display gives the orientation.
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Feb 1979 (v.240#2) pg. 164
Modification to the electronic inverter circuit for telescope drives which was described in the Aug 1975 issue. This modification allows the thumbwheel settings to indicate the number of minutes for a complete revolution of the polar axle.
SKY & TELESCOPE Feb 1978 (v.55#2) pg. 178
How to detect periodic errors in the gear train of a telescope clock drive. How to construct an apparatus which will automatically speed up or slow down the clock drive to correct most of the error. This corrective action is necessary for good deep-sky photography.
SKY & TELESCOPE May 1978 (v.55#5) pg. 439
Tangent-arm telescope drive uses a special cam so that the arm does not move more slowly at the extremes of its range.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jun 1978 (v.55#6) pg. 530
Experiments with hydraulic telescope drives which do not require any electric power. One amateur describes his system.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jun 1978 (v.55#6) pg. 535
A drive control in an ammo box. Portable telescope drive control can be powered from a 12-volt car battery or 115-volt ac supply. The unit uses a simple circuit which can be converted to a more sophisticated crystal-control. The circuit is used to drive the 115-volt synchronous motor found in many scope drives. A hand paddle with push buttons provides for fast and slow movement.
SKY & TELESCOPE Dec 1978 (v.56#6) pg. 566
Amateur 10" reflector features a clock drive where the teeth of the sector arm are made of wood putty. The wood putty, well lubricated in use, has shown no signs of wear.
SKY & TELESCOPE Apr 1979 (v.57#4) pg. 392
Unusual clock drive for astrophotographers uses a gently curved piece of 1/4"-20 threaded rod instead of the traditional worm gear.
SKY & TELESCOPE Oct 1980 (v.60#4) pg. 333
Driving a telescope with a wire cable.
SKY & TELESCOPE Feb 1982 (v.63#2) pg. 199
Design for a "slow" worm gear drive for an 8.5" scope on a German equatorial mount which results in slower accumulation of tracking error during astrophotography.
SKY & TELESCOPE Apr 1982 (v.63#4) pg. 407
A drive-control circuit for adjusting the frequency supplied to a telescope's synchronous drive motor.
SKY & TELESCOPE Sep 1983 (v.66#3) pg. 257
Drive correcting with a joystick. Schematics for a homemade drive corrector which gives true proportional control.
SKY & TELESCOPE May 1984 (v.67#5) pg. 463
A stepping-motor drive for your telescope (or astromonical camera) uses an inexpensive battery-powered controller which is insensitive to temperature variations or battery condition. Est. cost: $30.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jul 1986 (v.72#1) pg. 80
How to regulate the voltage delivered to a 3-volt DC motor (and thus the speed of the motor) to make it suitable for use on a Poncet-style telescope mounting.
SKY & TELESCOPE Aug 1987 (v.74#2) pg. 198
Experiments with a toothless sector. Camera mount for astrophotography uses a worm and sector drive. By using a soft material (Masonite) for the sector, the need to cut teeth into the sector is avoided. This same drive mechanism could be adapted to a telescope.
SKY & TELESCOPE Nov 1987 (v.74#5) pg. 546
This double-arm barn-door drive is more accurate that single tangent-arm types.
SKY & TELESCOPE Feb 1988 (v.75#2) pg. 213
Added Info SKY & TELESCOPE Apr 1989 (v.77#4) pg. 436
Sector drive uses two curved threaded rods in place of a toothed worm wheel.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jul 1989 (v.78#1) pg. 100
Deep-sky photography without guiding. Includes information on using simpler friction drives on telescopes.
SKY & TELESCOPE Nov 1989 (v.78#5) pg. 538
How to fabricate a large-diameter 359-tooth or 360-tooth polar worm wheel (gear). The teeth are fabricated from straight rack-gear stock which is then attached to the outside of a support disk.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jan 1991 (v.81#1) pg. 95
How to convert a Dobsonian-style altazimuth mount to form an equatorial mount suitable for operation at middle latitudes. The clock drive is adapted from a wind-up kitchen timer.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jun 1992 (v.83#6) pg. 684
Tips on a clock drive adapted from a wind-up kitchen timer.
SKY & TELESCOPE Jun 1992 (v.83#6) pg. 686
General description of a computer-controlled motorized platform capable of pointing and tracking the Edmund Scientific Astroscan telescope.
SKY & TELESCOPE Aug 1993 (v.86#2) pg. 76
Ribbon-and-sector drive for a German equatorial mount (made from plumbing fittings). The device consists of a metal tape-measure ribbon that is attached to the wooden sector on the polar shaft and is pulled by a traveling nut driven by an electric motor.
SKY & TELESCOPE Sep 1996 (v.92#3) pg. 81
Tip on modifying a telescope counterweight to double as a battery compartment for the drive.
SKY & TELESCOPE Mar 2000 (v.99#3) pg. 133
Add an inexpensive, manual, slow motion control for right ascension to any equatorial mount. Consists of a power drill speed reducer, a knob, and 4 hose clamps. Est. cost: $7.
TELESCOPE MAKING #3 Spring 1979 pg. 46
A homemade electric declination drive system. Est. cost: $75. Article includes tips on lenses to use in astrophotography.
TELESCOPE MAKING #4 Summer 1979 pg. 44
Source of motors for telescope drives.
TELESCOPE MAKING #5 Fall 1979 pg. 3, 48
A basic RC drive corrector. Circuit for an inverter (12-volt DC to 110-volt AC) can also function as a telescope drive corrector by adding push buttons.
TELESCOPE MAKING #10 Winter 1980-81 pg. 36
A simple crystal controlled drive corrector. Est. cost: $50.
TELESCOPE MAKING #10 Winter 1980-81 pg. 38
A sand-powered drive for a telescope requires no electricity.
TELESCOPE MAKING #11 Spring 1981 pg. 21
The double Hamon cam drive, a new concept for large telescopes.
TELESCOPE MAKING #21 Winter 1983 pg. 50
The hypocycloidal drive, a perfect drive for astrophotography.
TELESCOPE MAKING #26 Summer 1985 pg. 46
Added Info TELESCOPE MAKING #29 Winter 1986-87 pg. 33
Design for an altazimuth drive system that can be adapted to Newtonian, refractor, or cassegrain telescopes.
TELESCOPE MAKING #29 Winter 1986-87 pg. 3
Drive for a fork mount consists of a long metal hose clamp wrapped around a plywood disk. The hose-clamp worm drives the disk via a 0.2-rpm motor.
TELESCOPE MAKING #30 Summer 1987 pg. 20
A method of making precision worm gears of any diameter, such as those needed for a telescope worm-gear drive.
TELESCOPE MAKING #33 Summer 1988 pg. 18
A split-ring 12.5" f/6 Newtonian for 9-degrees latitude. Drawings illustrate the construction of the wooden equatorial mounting, open tube and clock drive assembly.
TELESCOPE MAKING #43 Winter 1990-91 pg. 12
Build a PC-controlled data acquisition and error correction system for synchronous drives. Information on the operation, theory, use, and construction of a working periodic-error correction system. Est. cost: $90.
TELESCOPE MAKING #43 Winter 1990-91 pg. 32