Installing a PlaneWave CDK600 Telescope at the historic Adler Planetarium in Chicago

[@dasimcoes]

Matt , as always awesome video. My dream setup , L350 with the cdk 14

[@MattDieterich]

The CDK14 and L-350 is a wicked setup Dave! Feel free to email me if you have any questions about that setup! [e-mail]

[@astrophotonics9470]

Best Job ever.

[@chrisrose01]

This reminds me of the William Herschel Telescope in La Palma. It was so perfectly balanced at eighty tons you could move it be hand

[@MattDieterich]

Wow that has to be a beast of a scope to see in person!

[@yosmith1]

Always "waiting on adapters" :) Makes me feel better that even the pro's have that

[@MattDieterich]

Haha ya there is always something to slow down the process!

[@SpaceFactsWax]

Thanks for sharing. I had the chance to witness a rocket launch in 2018. Unbelievable experience. I uploaded a pretty cool montage of the journey to my page.

[@MattDieterich]

Wow that'd be awesome to see a launch. Still on my bucket list to watch one in person.

[@seancurry2863]

Fun to see the CDK600 and Tak 106 mounted side by side.

[@MattDieterich]

Hah I love the FSQ 106! Easily the best refractor of that aperture range in my opinion!

[@seancurry2863]

Matt Dieterich I have an FSQ106 next to my CDK12.5 but on separate mounts. Maybe an L350 is in my future...

[@MattDieterich]

@@seancurry2863 L-350 would be perfect for that rig. I've done a few installs with that configuration! Shoot me an email I can send you some photos [e-mail]

[@seancurry2863]

@@MattDieterich will do

[@sierrafayad]

What an amazing job to have 😁😁😁

[@MattDieterich]

Happy you watched Frank! I love helping put together the telescope gear for folks!

[@BradenHenricksen]

Nice Video Matt ;)

[@MattDieterich]

Amazing editing work on this one Braden thanks so much for your hard work!

[@BradenHenricksen]

@@MattDieterich Thanks man! Glad you like it and I am happy to be your editor! Ha

[@CAREFREEOBSERVATORY]

I lived & Grew Up North of Downtown Chi Town for 20 years visited Alder Planetarium 2-3 times in my life before moving to Phoenix. Always wondered about Light Pollution from the city lights, I know they make filters., I like the Yerkes In Williams Bay on Lake Geneva Operated By the Chicago University, Back in the day I thought the People up there are Very Nice. I understand they Closed Yerkes this year 2020 what a shame! They had Super Dark Skies there.

[@MattDieterich]

That's so awesome Martin! We had a fun time in Chicago and I did hear about the Yerkes. I thought I heard they are trying to find someone to lead an effort to fund it's reopening though, so hopefully that can happen!

[@miroslavk.5049]

What an exciting job of yours! State of art scopes and getting them work, dream job! You mentioned that Tak scope is 106 (I guess FSQ106) but it looks to me like a solid FSQ 130mm (dream of mine). How do you polar align scopes like this one? Just curious because I don't think that mammoth mount has a polar scope in it axis. Anyway, well done Matt, another beauty pointing to the skies also thank to you.

[@MattDieterich]

Thanks so much Miroslav! Ya that's a Tak FSQ 106mm and we only have to polar align the large L-600 mount on the wedge and then its good to go!

[@ChicagoAstronomer]

I anticipate some scope time as one of the Adler Telescope Facilitators and learn to operate this new instrument.

[@MattDieterich]

That is wonderful! I will be coming out next week to attach on the 4-port instrument selector and help do some final alignment if the weather plays nice!

[@ChicagoAstronomer]

@@MattDieterich The telescope operators at the Adler are on hold till the CV-19 situation is better situated. Hope it all worked out and the scope is up and running. [e-mail]

[@MattDieterich]

@@ChicagoAstronomer I definitely hope they get some clear skies to use the system soon. We just finalized all the initial setup, so the Adler will build one final pointing model for the telescope in the coming days.

[@charlie2640]

Very nice. I think you might want to review the difference between dynamic and static balancing of rotating systems. Given the slow motions of most telescopes I doubt that dynamic balancing is needed. Static balancing of telescopes is of course essential. Again very nice.

[@MattDieterich]

Thanks for the recommendation Charlie! Dynamic balance for direct-drive mounts is important before tuning the motor control parameters. That's how we can then achieve 0.05 to 0.15 arcseconds RMS tracking error with the mount. With a geared system you are right that dynamic balance might be a little less necessary.

[@charlie2640]

@@MattDieterich I really don't want to be that person on the internet that is pedantic. So sorry about this. You can check out the wiki article on balancing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balancing_of_rotating_masses or www.bellwoodrewinds.co.uk/dynamic-balancing/ There are lots of KZbin videos on dynamic balancing. To dynamically balance a shaft you need to rotate it rapidly and check for forces at either end of the shaft (at least). You could have a shaft that has a weight off to one side at one end and off to the other side at the other end. It will be balanced along its axis and not rotate regardless of the position your rotate it to. However if you spin the shaft quickly you get vibration at the ends as the ends are unbalanced. Car wheels are dynamically balanced these days as the put balance weights not only around the rim but around the rim on both the inside and outside. Of course this is also done with large high speed turbines and electric motor rotors for example. The main thing is that to dynamically balance something you need to rotate the shaft at a constant speed and measure the vibration. Just making sure that the CG is along the axis is static balance. Sorry if I'm kind of pedantic. I've balanced lots of telescopes over the years. Of course you are correct, unbalanced telescopes don't work properly.

[@MattDieterich]

@@charlie2640 definitely great info and appreciate the feedback!

[@charlie2640]

Of course you could have dynamically balance this telescope but I don't think I saw it in the video. :) Best!

[@charlie2640]

@@MattDieterich ​@@MattDieterich Thanks. Sorry to be pedantic as I said. It is a beautiful mount. Great tracking. It's amazing what you can do with direct drive and modern encoders.

[@chrisrose01]

Will you be running the all sky calibration at some point?

[@MattDieterich]

Yes! I'll be running that next week for them when I go install a new instrument selector and camera. All sky pointing model should give a pointing accuracy of about 5 to 10 arcseconds RMS error.

[@chrisrose01]

I winder what narrowband filters it will be using?

[@MattDieterich]

I believe they have the standard HA, Sii, and Oiii set of filters.

[@illinoisdarkskystarparty2812]

The light pollution on the lakefront in downtown Chicago is as bad as it gets this side of Times Square in NYC. I hate to be a naysayer, but what's the point of this exercise?

[@MattDieterich]

John I definitely agree light pollution is horrible there, but the point of public observatories is to inspire others to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. These kinds of observatories can really spark a lifelong interest in kids and set them on a track for doing amazing things just by stimulating curiosity.