Click on any of the images for a larger version.

This is my telescope, a Meade Starfinder 8" Dobsonian. One of the more obvious modifications is the light-baffle attached to the end of the tube. This is actually a large black plant pot with the bottom cut out and just slid over the end. It works a treat at keeping out any stray light.

My most recent modification is the addition of a DobDriverII system. It requires a fair bit of major surgery to the mount so it helps if your pretty good with power tools! This image shows the azimuth drive fitted to the base. The mount is supported by two roller bearings - the third support being the motor unit itself. The weight of the scope provides enough friction for it to turn without the drive wheel slipping.The white wire to the left is the power cable which connects to a 12v battery pack

The altitude motion is driven by means of a large pulley and belt. It's very important the pully is attached to the center of the alt-bearing as accurately as possible. This ensures the image in the eyepiece doesn't wobble or move too much when the scope is tracking. The lever at the bottom is to tighten/slacken the belt so that the scope can moved manually.

This is the brains of the system. The scope can be slewed at virtually any speed, and once an object is centered in the eyepiece the controller takes over and begins to track. Should the object start to drift away from center, any small adjustments to re-center it are taken into account and the tracking accuracy improves accordingly. The handset can also be connected to a PC to provide 'goto' capabilities or to a CCD autoguider. Next to the handset is the controller for the dew heaters.

Email: aleighton.home@tiscali.co.uk

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	This is my telescope, a Meade Starfinder 8" Dobsonian. One of the more obvious modifications is the light-baffle attached to the end of the tube. This is actually a large black plant pot with the bottom cut out and just slid over the end. It works a treat at keeping out any stray light.
My most recent modification is the addition of a DobDriverII system. It requires a fair bit of major surgery to the mount so it helps if your pretty good with power tools! This image shows the azimuth drive fitted to the base. The mount is supported by two roller bearings - the third support being the motor unit itself. The weight of the scope provides enough friction for it to turn without the drive wheel slipping.The white wire to the left is the power cable which connects to a 12v battery pack
	The altitude motion is driven by means of a large pulley and belt. It's very important the pully is attached to the center of the alt-bearing as accurately as possible. This ensures the image in the eyepiece doesn't wobble or move too much when the scope is tracking. The lever at the bottom is to tighten/slacken the belt so that the scope can moved manually.
This is the brains of the system. The scope can be slewed at virtually any speed, and once an object is centered in the eyepiece the controller takes over and begins to track. Should the object start to drift away from center, any small adjustments to re-center it are taken into account and the tracking accuracy improves accordingly. The handset can also be connected to a PC to provide 'goto' capabilities or to a CCD autoguider. Next to the handset is the controller for the dew heaters.