How to connect ADC to Vixen flip mirro

plawlor

Hi everyone,

Hoping someone here can point me in the right direction. I have a CPC1100 and for planetary imaging, I've got a 2x TeleVue Barlow inserted into the 1.25" visual back, then my ZWO ADC with 1.25" nosepiece slides into the Barlow followed by the 1.25" nosepiece of my ASI224MC camera sliding into the 1.25" adapter of my ADC.

I recently purchased the Vixen flip mirror. I'd like to insert it between the ADC and the camera so I can visually inspect the ADC settings and centre the object in the FOV with an eyepiece. A diagram of my flip mirror is attached.

If I remove the eyepiece adapter from the back of the flip mirror and the nosepiece from my camera, the camera will thread directly into the flip mirror. However, I can't figure out a way to connect the front end of the flip mirror to the back end of the ZWO ADC (with or without its 1.25" adapter). The flip mirror's front end is a threaded female connection designed to accept a male 50.8mm threaded barrel.

Anyone have any ideas? Or is a completely different arrangement in order?

Thanks,

Peter

olav

Hi Peter,

Did you find a good solution?

I just got the ADC and have the same Vixen flip mirror, but different camera and Barlow. (EFW+ASI290MM, and Baader FFC)

Not much flip mirrors available these days, the Vixen is supposed to be good except for strange adaptation on the telescope side.

Not tried the flip mirror yet. Got it on sale, figured I could use it in front of everything else, just to help centering the scope with planets.

Now I'm thinking like you, would rather use it to visually check the ADC adjustment. (might be laws against two flip mirrors in an imaging train..)

The Vixen Flip Mirror is supposed to have (and mine has) the rather unusual female 49mm filter threads, so I ordered a step-down to M48 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kood-49mm-48mm-Lens-Stepping-Step-Down-Filter-Adapter-Ring-49-to-48-mm-/141719700566) to be able to make further adaptations from "regular sizes", or just use a M48 extender to secure the uncomfortably short 2" section into my FT-focuser.

Btw, you should need this (http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p378_Baader-Adapter-T2-female-to-M48---2--filterthread.html) to get down to T2 against the telescope side, then T2 male-male adapter to the ADC.

I still need to figure out if the use of flip mirror is any point at all with the ADC, and how to deal with ADC adjustments in my case of using mono with LRGB-filters.

Any help appreciated :)

plawlor

I never did solve that problem. I also posted on Cloudy Nights looking for suggestions, and everyone was dead against the use of the flip mirror altogether. Said it would have too large an impact on focal length, plus you do lose some light even with the best flip mirror.

Instead, I mounted a monitor inside my dome and have it displaying what's on my computer screen in the control room. That way I can open FireCapture in the control room and turn on FC's ADC tool. Then up in the dome, I can centre the target on screen using the webcam and adjust the ADC seeing the effect in real-time via FC's ADC tool. Works like a charm.

Peter

olav

Took me some time to get back..

Peter, it's good that you got a solution for your use.

Not sure why someone was saying "..you do lose some light even with the best flip mirror". The idea was to use the 90° exit only for visual adjustments. There's no mirror in the straight through path, no translucent mirror construction here. Just saying so no one is getting more confused than necessary :)

Yes, you should not need the Flip-Mirror with a color cam, FireCapture has dedicated assistance in that case.

For mono though, and anyone interested in the Flip-Mirror, yes, I made it work ZWO ADC, Baader FFC, C11HD and ASI290MM.

Much magnification though, just on the right side with Jupiter and similar, using filters RGB or the bright IR642. Rather dark with IR742, really too dark with IR807, and nothing to be seen no matter camera settings using ZWO CH4 or Baader U.

Operation was absolutely fine though, the Flip-Mirror is smooth and precise, and it was quite easy to adjust the ADC with an EP.

You do need to order the odd 49mm stepdown adapter though.

I like this setup a lot, and will continue using it.

But for the other cases requiring more light and less magnification, I recently got a "special edition" of the Gerd Neumann dual slider. Shortens length significantly. Only tested it once yet, a really well made piece. So far it seems that the slider is really what most of us should get if using an ADC with a mono cam.

If anyone is interested I can make a complete writeup with photos.