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wireless DSCs
14" Tscope Ultralight
Select from our complete Digital Setting Circles packages or various telescope making parts.
Digital Setting Circles: 
Tscope wireless! DSCs


Telescope making parts: 
Encoder Mounts & Pivot Kits Upper Truss Kits Teflon Kits
DSC accessories: 
Encoder Cables Encoder Arms PC Serial Interface Cable
  [ Click here for DSC and parts ordering information ]

Parts index
T-Kits: 14" or 15" TScope Ultralight Kit with instructions, without optics
$1275.00
 Encoder arms, one azimuth, one elevation, both wired and ready for encoders - more info
 $30.00
 Encoder cable, standard or custom lengths (no extra charge for custom lengths) - more info   $20.00
 PC or Servocat serial cable (specify length) - more info   $13.50
 Optical encoders, ready to mount on encoder arms (order S2-xxxx-NT, where "xxxx" is the desired resolution.)
Buy from US Digital
 Two complete encoder arms with 4000 tick encoders ready to use*
* We recommend 4000 tick encoders for visual use because 8000 or 1000 tick encoders use six times the battery power compared to 4000 tick encoders.
4000 tick encoders are much more than accurate enough to put what you are looking for in the field of view, they cost less and your batteries last longer..
 $155.00
 Two complete encoder arms with 8000 or 10000  tick encoders ready to use  $185.00
 ATM encoder mounts and encoder arms, same as used on TScope Ultralight Telescopes. ($3.50 combo savings) - more info   $50.00
 Encoder mounts for Obsession Telescopes
Buy from Stellar Cat
 Encoder mounts for many other telescopes
Buy from JMI
 Compact rechargeable battery pack and parts to plug (recommend 9V "racing pack", either 1000 or 1800 ma-H)
Buy from Radio Shack
 Compact rechargeable 1000ma-H battery pack and fused adapter plug
 $35.00
 Battery holder for 6 AA batteries - most economical power solution for TScope wireless interface box
 $7.00
For Amateur Telescope Makers
Azimuth pivot bolt with encoder mount - more info
$13.50
Altitude encoder mount - more info
$8.00
Teflon kit for mid-sized dobs - more info
$12.00
Upper cage tubes with threaded inserts - more info
$19.50

Encoder Cables

Standard wiring with two four wire cables joined at a single eight wire connect. Specify the length you'd like (but please be generous with the lengths as it's not uncommon for folks to measure "carefully" and still come up with lengths that are too short.) Guaranteed compatible with both ours and other makers DSCs.

Custom length encoder cables  $20.00 + shipping.

Please specify the length of each encoder wire up to 6 feet.


Encoder Arms

Transparent encoder arms. One 6.5" long arm for azimuth, one 12.5" arm for elevation.  Both wired and ready for encoders. Longer arms are available from Sky Engineering.

Encoder arms  $30.00 + shipping.



Serial Interface Cables

Our serial interface cables have a four contact RJ-11 plug on one end and a DB-9 on the other.  Guaranteed compatible with both ours and other makers DSCs.

Serial interface cable  $13.50 + shipping.

Please specify the length desired, up to 25 feet or the standard length of 12 feet.



Encoder Mounts & Pivot-Kits
Clicking on the links above returns you to previous pages.
 I will ship Teflon and pivot bolts internationally; please ask about shipping.

Bronze bushings are now available; please remember to specify bushing length when you order.
These pivot and encoder mounting kit are well suited for use in smaller and mid-sized Dobsonian Telescopes.  (For pivot kits for large Dobsonian telescopes, please see the offering of our friends at AstroSystems, Inc.)

Bonus! Order both a pivot kit and an encoder mounting screw and receive a ball-ended hex key free. The ball headed hex key allows considerable misalignment between the set screw and the hex key (also called an "allen wrench") and is much easier to use then standard hex keys.
     1.  Azimuth bearing and encoder mounting kit Picture of Azimuth pivot kit
NOTE: Now shipping with bronze bushing on request!

The hardware included will form the azimuth axis for your Dobsonian telescope. The 1 3/4" long bolt is selected for a combined rocker box bottom and ground board thickness totaling between 7/8" and 1 1/4" of wood thickness plus approximately 1/16" of laminate and 1/8" of teflon bearing pads. Example combinations:
Rocker box bottom
Ground board
Total thickness
3/4"
1/2"
1 1/4" **
5/8"
3/8"
1"
1/2"
3/8"
7/8"
Again, those are just examples. You can vary the thickness to suite your own needs; however, I do not recommend using this kit with rocker box bottoms less than 1/2 inch or ground boards thinner then 3/8 inch.

** The 3/4" and 1/2" combination is as thick as you want to go with this bearing and if your teflon is much thicker than 1/8", you may need countersink the washer or tee-nut.

The pivot bolt is drilled to accept the encoder shaft for your digital setting circles. A nylon tipped setscrew will hold the encoder shaft securely yet insures that the shaft is not marred or cupped. The pivot bolt turns smoothly in the nylon bushing. (Note that this is not a sloppy fitting "spacer" like you might find in the hardware drawers at Home Depot or Lowes;  I cut your bushing from bearing stock to match the thickness of your rockerbox bottom.) Attachment to the ground board is made with a massive 6 pronged tee-nut; more prongs in the wood mean more holding power.

This image shows a typical installation:
Typical installation of azimuth bearing


Azimuth bearing and pivot kit for mid-sized Dobsonian telescopes with instructions: $13.50 + shipping.

Please specify the thickness of your rocker box bottom, either 1/2", 5/8" or 3/4", and I will send you a nylon bushing of the specified length.
Bronze bushings are available in 1/2" and 3/4" lengths at the same price.
 

    2.  Encoder Mounting Bolt for Altitude Bearings:
ThisEncoder mounting kit for altitude bearings kit includes a 1/2" bolt drilled to accept the encoder shaft for your digital setting circles. A nylon tipped setscrew will hold the encoder shaft securely yet insures that the shaft is not marred or cupped during insertion and removal. (I'm conservative and I like to remove my altitude encoder to protect it when I am moving my scope. But a steel setscrew turned too tightly can actually raise the surface of the shaft and make reassembly either difficult or impossible until  the raised "cup" is filed off... that's more risk to your delicate and expensive encoder.)

This hardware kit is suitable for any diameter and thickness of altitude bearing. Use the supplied washers and locknut if your have thinner bearings. With thicker bearings, simply drill a pilot hole, put a little glue on the threads and insert the encoder mount.

Note: You have to put this bolt into something and many altitude wheels do not have a center or, because they are made from cutting a circle in half, only have half of a center... the instructions that come with this bolt include ideas for modifying or creating centers in altitude bearings and also ideas for how to make your own altitude bearings suitable for encoder mounting and use with your digital setting circles.

Not recommended for use as an azimuth bearing or load-bearing pivot! While it's not obvious in the picture above, my azimuth bearing bolt is only threaded on the bottom part. The top part, where the bolt is drilled, is full-thickness brass. This encoder mounting bolt, however,  is fully threaded to accommodate the widest (and thinnest) variety of altitude bearings and there is not a lot of metal between the bottom of the threads and the wall of the encoder mounting hole... it's much more than strong enough to hold your encoder in place, but it should not be used to support the weight of your telescope.


Encoder mounting bolt for altitude bearings with instructions: $9.00 + shipping.


Upper cage truss kit

     3.  4 Aluminum tubes and 8 threaded inserts:
I have about 13 inches of thinwall aluminum tube left over when I cut a truss for the T-14 ... you can use them to build Kriege and Berry style upper cage assemblies. The tubes are 1.00" diameter with a .048" wall thickness. I guarantee that each tube has a slightly different length, probably has burrs on the ends and you have to cut them to the length that you want to use them. Basically, I send you the 4 tubes for just a little bit more than the price of the 8 matching threaded inserts. (Well, it's a third less than the price of that some folks sell the inserts for and "no" I don't sell the inserts alone because then how would I recycle the tubes?)

Aluminum tube and threaded insert nuts for constructing upper case assemblies with instructions:  $19.50 + shipping
 

Teflon kits
Clicking on the web directory above returns you to previous pages.
Teflon bearing strips and pads -

New -» I will ship Teflon and pivot bolts internationally; please ask about shipping.

The size of your telescope's teflon bearing pads depends both on the weight of your telescope and the composition of the mating surface. Select the kit that matches your scope's weight or the next larger size ... teflon pads are easily trimmed smaller to match the exact weigh of your telescope.

The recommend loading for teflon on "quarry finish" laminate such as Wilsonart Ebony Star is 15 pounds per square inch. The recommended loading for teflon on fiberglass reinforced panel (FRP or "bead board) is 12 pounds per square inch. I highly recommend the use of FRP. It is much easier to work with than Ebony Star, cost less, and now that it is readily available with a fine pebble finish (instead of the very bumpy "beadboard" finish that you used to see) it is well suited to smaller and lighter weight scopes.

Note: I only supply virgin teflon. (Virgin teflon is more slippery and cost more than "mechanical" recycled teflon.) The pads are approximately 1/8 inch thick to more easily conform to the curve of the smaller altitude bearings used in midsized scopes. (Large kit has 3/16" thick teflon for the azimuth bearings.) Nail them on and then sink the heads (use a nail with a flattened end if you don't have a nailset) so that the nail heads are below the surface of the teflon... there is no better way to attach the teflon if you have an air powered brad nailer!

Please note: All dimensions are nominal, I try to maintain a 1/16" inch tolerance.
     4.  DIY Teflon bearing strip for small scopes and ultralight Dobsonians: 
This teflon bearing kit consists of  two 1" wide by 6" long by 1/8" thick strip of virgin teflon.

Example loading: if you cut four 3/4" x 1" pads for the altitude axis and three 1" x 1 1/4" pads for the azimuth axis -

Mating surface
max OTA weight
max Total weight
laminate:
45 lb.
60 lb.
FRP:
36 lb.
45 lb.


DIY Teflon bearing kit for small scopes and ultralight Dobsonians with instructions: $8.25 + shipping.
 

    5.  Teflon bearing strips for mid-sized Dobsonians and larger ultralights:
This teflon bearing kit consists of one 1" wide by 6" long by 1/8" thick strip of virgin and one 1.5" wide by 4.5" long by 3/16" thick strip of virgin teflon.

Example loading: if you cut four 1" x 1 1/4" pads for  the altitude axis and three 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" pads  for the azimuth axis -

Mating surface
max OTA weight
max Total weight
laminate:
75 lb.
100 lb.
FRP:
60 lb.
80 lb.


DIY Teflon bearing kit for mid-sized Dobsonians and larger ultralights with instructions: $12.00 + shipping.
 
   

DSC and parts ordering information

Ordering:
DSCs and parts are generally in stock or a subject to a lead time of two weeks or less. Please send an email to the address below indicating what you'd like to purchase and your location; I'll respond with availability and a shipping quote.

Payment:
PayPal is the simplest way for both you and I to have a record of your purchase. It is also the only way that I accept credit cards. I am happy to accept your DSC or parts order via PayPal without any additional processing fees or charges. If you would like to pay for your order via PayPal, you can use my PayPal id

I also accept United States Post Service Postal Money Orders. The only place that you can get a USPS PMO is at a U.S. post office. It turns out that my bank puts a hold on all cashier's checks and other kinds of money orders because the forgery rate on them is so high. However, they clear postal money orders immediately so I don't have rush to the bank (at the cost of a gallon and a half of gasoline) to start the hold-period and then wait for your funds to clear if payment is made with a Postal Money Order... If you would like to pay for your order via a USPS Postal Money Order, please make payment to "Ed Taychert" and send it to us at the address shown below.




Thank you!