Homemade Eyepiece Tray Rev 2
Posted: 27 November 2013
One of the many good things about having made my own eyepiece tray is that I can redesign it to accommodate more eyepieces and easily make a new eyepiece tray. After purchasing the Tele Vue 2" 2X PowerMate from OPT, I decided that I needed more than two 2" holes in my tray. On Tuesday, 26 November 2013, at 1000 MST, I went to the observatory and removed my original tray from the 8" LX200-ACF tripod, seen here from May 2010:
I used the old tray as a guide to making the new tray with a third 2" eyepiece hole. I used a slightly longer and deeper 1/4" wood piece for the new tray. I marked where the holes would be cut out and what indentations to make on the corners. I then cut the corners, drilled out the holes, and sanded the wood. When the new tray was attached to the tripod using the same brackets as with the old tray, it looked like this:
With full suite of accessories on the tray, this is how it looks:
I considered adding a fourth 2" hole, but that would have needed a deeper and/or wider tray, or necessitated removing two of the 1.25" holes. For now, I've decided to have three 2" holes and six 1.25" holes.
As with the original tray, when not fully occupied with eyepieces the tray makes a convenient location to place the Wireless AutoStar II handcontroller when not in use.
I completed the work at 1245 MST.
Eyepiece tray design Copyright © 2010 Michael L. Weasner. All Rights Reserved.
While I worked on the new tray there were clouds low along along the western horizon and strong winds were blowing. By sunset, the clouds were higher in the sky and the wind continued. No observing Tuesday night.
Comments are welcome using Email. Thanks.
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