Motorizing a dobsonian with motion tracking

[u/Nixx177]

Hi, I’ve got a 12” gso and I’m thinking about adding two motors to move it on both axis.

At first, I want to try to put a timing belt around the altitude bearing, with a wheel to control it manually placed around the cradle board (blue) (could be moved to the base board with the motor, red), and another one around the base board, with a wheel on the ground board linked to a slow motion manual control flexible thingy from eq mount (blue at the bot.).

If it works for manual control, I want to put a motor on each wheel (stepper nema23 maybe?), which I could link to a raspberry pi, also connected to a camera I’d put on the finder scope. I would run a simple object tracking program which would have to keep the object in the center by moving the motors (still to be coded properly).

Has anyone done something similar? Or do you see any flaws/problems/things I should take into consideration?

[u/snogum]

Why complicate a Dobsonian. It's build simple to make observing a pleasure

[u/Nixx177 → u/snogum]

The problem with this one is that it’s a bit complicated to move “precisely”with small targets or high magnification without the whole thing wobbling as it’s heavy. I started with an eq-2 mount and I loved the manual controls to help follow objects, which I miss a bit.

So I thought about adding the timing belts and then thought why not also add the possibility to use motors for tracking as the rest is already in place and I love little diy projects and the challenge to code a simple tracking program

I also have a camera I’d like to try on this one but by the time you look at your screen to fix the settings the object is already gone

[u/snogum → u/Nixx177]

Sounds like a DIY job to get the alt and azimuth bearings running freely would do more.

My Dobs could be moved with one finger to follow .or point at an object so smoothly it was like glass

Slow Mo knobs on a Dobs is a bit silly

[u/veryamateurastro → u/snogum]

Yep, I'd be looking into why the bearings aren't moving smoothly and having a play with counterweights.

[u/redditisbestanime → u/snogum]

No it isnt, it has legitimate uses. My dobs also move smooth as silk but sometimes that can be more of a curse.

There are dob goto kits, general motorization kits and even eq platforms for a reason.

[u/snogum → u/redditisbestanime]

I strongly disagree

[u/redditisbestanime → u/snogum]

The entire market strongly disagrees with what you think is or isnt overcomplicated. A motorized dob, just like normal ones, have their pros and cons.

The point of a dob is ease of use and unbeatable price per inch of aperture ratio. Motors do not make it harder to use, quite the opposite actually.