MORNING STAR OBSERVATORY
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Telescope RA Drive Corrector

I built this drive controller back in 1990 for my orange tube C-8, which had a synchronous AC RA drive motor. It was also used with my Ultima-8 until I upgraded its RA drive to a servo motor. Now it will be the drive controller for my Questar 3.5, so it still hasn't outlived its usefullness.

The heart of this controller is a Vogel Enterprise VE Digitrack controller PCB. Vogel sold complete controllers or just the board for building your own. It has crystal-controlled Siderial, Solar and Lunar drive rates.
​

This AC drive controller converts 12VDC to 120VAC at approximately 60Hz, The exact frequency is set by selecting one of the programmed drive rates. The two RA buttons on the hand paddle are then used to vary the selected drive rate as needed to keep an object in the eyepiece field of view. One button increases the frequency slightly, speeding up the synchronous motor, and the other momentarily stops the motor, slowing down the drive.
Picture
In the front is the drive rate control and a momentary toggle switch to tweak the RA speed. It also has a momentary toggle switch for controlling a simple DC Declination motor.

Picture
In the rear are the jacks for connecting the controller to the scope. There is a jack for a hand controller for more conveniently making RA and DEC adjustments while peering through the eyepiece. There is also a jack with a brightness control for an LED-illuminated reticle. And, if the ST-4 port is not being used, there is a looping plug installed (when I built this I owned (and still do) an SBIG ST-4 Autoguider).

Picture
A look inside at the Digitrack PCB. The controller is in need of a little work inside and out. One switch needs replaced and some of the wiring needs cleaned up. And all the old panel labels need replaced.

Page created 3/19/2020
Last edited 3/24/2020
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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Astrophotography
  • Observatories
    • About the ExploraDome
    • About the Lancaster Dome
    • New Observatory
  • Equipment
    • CCD Cameras >
      • Orion Starshoot Pro
    • Mounts >
      • Orion HDX110 (EQ-8)
    • Telescopes >
      • 1956 Questar 3.5
      • Astro-Tech AT6RC
      • Celestron C-11 XLT
      • Zhumell 152mm Refractor
  • Projects
    • Orion SSPRO Camera >
      • Disassembled Views
      • Noise Reduction Mod
      • Temp Controller Mod
    • Zhumell Refractor Mods
  • Non-Astronomy
    • Amateur Radio >
      • Boat Anchor Radios >
        • BC-348N Receiver
        • Collins 51J4 HF Receiver
        • R-392 HF Receiver
      • DIY >
        • Station Boom Microphone
      • Ameco >
        • Ameco AC-1
        • Ameco OCM
        • Ameco PT-2
        • Ameco R5A
      • Heathkit >
        • Heathkit SB-102 Station
      • Knight-Kit >
        • Knight Kit Span Master II
        • Knight Kit T-60 Transmitter
      • Yaesu FT-817 >
        • Yaesu FT-817ND
        • LDG Z-817 Autotuner
        • Windcamp LiPo Battery
    • Antique Radios >
      • Building A Radio Workbench
      • Radio Dial Neon Clock
      • Radios >
        • 1938 Zenith 6-S-254
        • Echophone EC-1
        • Eltz Radione 2
        • Panasonic RF-5000A
        • Silvertone Model 4465
    • Geiger Counters >
      • AN/PDR-27G Radiac Set
      • Lionel CD V-700 Geiger Counter
      • RCA WF-12A Geiger Counter
    • Test Equipment >
      • DIY Test Equipment >
        • DIY Curve Tracer
        • DIY Signature Tracer
      • Military Test Equipment >
        • BC-221-AF Frequency Meter
        • I-177 Tube Tester
        • LM-21 Frequency Meter
        • MX-949 Adapter
        • TS-323/UR Frequency Meter
        • TS-465 C/U Sweep Generator
        • TS-505D/U VTVM
        • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
      • Tube Testers >
        • Alternating Current Sink
        • Drug Store Tester
        • EMC Model 200 Tube Tester
        • Hickok Model 6000A Tube Tester
        • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
        • I-177 Tube Tester
        • MX-949 Adapter
        • Precise Model 111 Tube Tester
        • Precision Model 10-12
        • Supreme Model 385
        • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
      • VTVMs and Multimeters >
        • B&K Model 290 Hi-Low FET Multimeter
        • Hickok 225K VTVM
        • McMurdo Silver VOMAX 900
        • Micronta 22-220 FET Multimeter
        • Simpson 360-2 Digital FET DMM
        • TS-505D/U VTVM
      • Hickok >
        • Hickok 19X RF Generator
        • Hickok 225K VTVM
        • Hickok 288X RF Generator
        • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
        • Hickok 6000A Tube Tester
      • Simpson >
        • Simpson 360-2 DMM
        • Simpson 480 Genescope
      • Supreme Instruments >
        • Supreme 385 Automatic
        • Supreme 560A Vedolyzer
        • Supreme Model 561 AF/RF Generator
        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer
        • - Restoring a Gray 562 Audolyzer
        • - Restoring a Black 562 Audolyzer
        • Supreme Model 576 RF Generator
      • Rider 162 Chanalyst
      • Tektronix 326 O'scope
    • ---------------
    • Geology >
      • Fossils
      • Rocks and Minerals
    • Star Trek >
      • Star Trek Rock Mood Lamp
      • Star Trek Communicator