Photographic telescopes still predominantly a rat's nest of wires and cables

Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

On Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:50:40 -0800 (PST), RichA
wrote:

Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

A big part of the problem here is operator error. There is such a
thing as intelligent cable routing.

On Friday, 22 December 2017 01:50:44 UTC+1, RichA wrote:
Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

Sky hooks? P-clips? Zip ties or just old fashioned sticky tape? Fewer but multi-cored multi-purpose cables?

Not everything can be solved with through-the-hollow-PA cabling on a GEM.

My main worry would be getting tangled in the octopus tentacles in the dark.

Is there a serious problem with cross-talk between parallel cables for cameras, focusers, auto-guiders, power for the main drives, etc.

RichA wrote in
:

Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the
next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of
thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

Son, if you think that's a rat's nest, you need better rats.

Crocodile Dundee voiceThat's not a rat's nest, *this* is a rat's
nest/Crocodile Dundee voice

http://www.4-ibc.com/images/network-...g-standard.jpg

--
Terry Austin

Vacation photos from Iceland:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

On Friday, 22 December 2017 01:25:45 UTC-5, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:50:40 -0800 (PST), RichA
wrote:

Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

A big part of the problem here is operator error. There is such a
thing as intelligent cable routing.

One review in a Brit astro mag gave a "dislike" in a telescope review because it didn't have internal mount wiring. Wireless communication with peripherals helps, provided the comm system works well.

On Friday, 22 December 2017 01:31:06 UTC-5, Chris.B wrote:
On Friday, 22 December 2017 01:50:44 UTC+1, RichA wrote:
Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

Sky hooks? P-clips? Zip ties or just old fashioned sticky tape? Fewer but multi-cored multi-purpose cables?

Not everything can be solved with through-the-hollow-PA cabling on a GEM.

My main worry would be getting tangled in the octopus tentacles in the dark.

Is there a serious problem with cross-talk between parallel cables for cameras, focusers, auto-guiders, power for the main drives, etc.

I don't know. Can be avoided with shielded or twisted pair cables.

On Sun, 24 Dec 2017 20:30:47 -0800 (PST), RichA
wrote:

On Friday, 22 December 2017 01:25:45 UTC-5, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:50:40 -0800 (PST), RichA
wrote:

Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

A big part of the problem here is operator error. There is such a
thing as intelligent cable routing.

One review in a Brit astro mag gave a "dislike" in a telescope review because it didn't have internal mount wiring. Wireless communication with peripherals helps, provided the comm system works well.

Internal mount wiring is nice, but most of the wiring here is
unrelated to the mount. And that's difficult to manage internally with
a generic mount, especially a small one like in the example.

On Sunday, 24 December 2017 23:56:27 UTC-5, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Sun, 24 Dec 2017 20:30:47 -0800 (PST), RichA
wrote:

On Friday, 22 December 2017 01:25:45 UTC-5, Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Thu, 21 Dec 2017 16:50:40 -0800 (PST), RichA
wrote:

Look at this. Great scope, nightmare set-up. I wonder if the next wave in astronomy will be to somehow clean this kind of thing up?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6129/5...8e1f4d71_b.jpg

A big part of the problem here is operator error. There is such a
thing as intelligent cable routing.

One review in a Brit astro mag gave a "dislike" in a telescope review because it didn't have internal mount wiring. Wireless communication with peripherals helps, provided the comm system works well.

Internal mount wiring is nice, but most of the wiring here is
unrelated to the mount. And that's difficult to manage internally with
a generic mount, especially a small one like in the example.

Thing have improved a bit. I remember when the Chinese G4/G5 equatorial mounts had exposed boards, with phone jacks protruding from connections. Same kind of thing with Losmandy back when. The phone jack connection (with something plugged in) on the Celestron Ultima forks was hit by the fork itself so part of the fork arm bottom had to be cut away. But the wiring thing is a pain. I saw a scope get damaged this year at Starfest ($$$ AP mount, C14 and apo) due to a misapplied axis lock and if I had to guess, it was because the owner was tired and had spent a fair bit of time setting up the whole system for photography. I used to laugh at people who complained about complex or heavy scope set-ups, I figured that was the price you pay to accomplish something. But there is something to be said for convenience.

On Tuesday, 26 December 2017 03:09:20 UTC+1, RichA wrote:

I used to laugh at people who complained about complex or heavy scope set-ups. I figured that was the price you pay to accomplish something.
But there is something to be said for convenience.

"The best telescope is the one which gets used most often."

The law of diminishing returns sets in with a vengeance when the heaviest component is a real struggle for the owner to lift into place.

The popularity of APOs may simply be due to their manageability. Those who push the boundaries should have a very clear idea of what they are trying to achieve before parting with their money and/or investing time at it.

If the home back yard/garden is impossible for observing then portability becomes even more important. A stepladder suggests another major boundary has been crossed. Nobody can see your extra inch of aperture in the dark if all you are trying to do is impress others. There are so many different aspects to amateur astronomy. Just be sure which hobby your are indulging in. None is more, nor less valid, than any other.

Some like to have a train set and watch the train whizz around on the dining table. Others demand a massive scale layout in the finest detail. Yet others like to set timetables, have signals and sound systems while they pretend they are a historic railway company. Others build coaches and locos to look just like the real thing. Some build scale, working steam locos form scratch or from kits. All shelter under the same umbrella of being model railway enthusiasts.

Amateur Astronomy is much the same and has just as many facets, or more. It is not a competitive sport unless you make it one. Sport assumes a level of dedication well above the norm. It requires fitness and suitable equipment for the chosen discipline.

Laughing at others for their chosen pastime is never a suitable response unless they actively seek to amuse.

On Tuesday, 26 December 2017 02:38:34 UTC-5, Chris.B wrote:
On Tuesday, 26 December 2017 03:09:20 UTC+1, RichA wrote:


Laughing at others for their chosen pastime is never a suitable response unless they actively seek to amuse.

More like laughing because they didn't anticipate what the were doing would actually require an effort. Back to the rat's nest. A permanently-mounted instrument being a wiring rat's nest is likely no issue, I've seen professional installations that met the description. You would only go through wiring process a few times unless you insisted in doing it for each observing session. But I've on more than one occasion seen some forlorn astronomer realizing they'd forgotten some critical electrical device or connection piece when in the field.