DC Motor Control for Portable Telescope Mounts: Maintaining Constant Speed

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the design of a control motor for a portable telescope mount, specifically focusing on maintaining a constant rotation speed for photographic purposes. Participants explore various motor types and control methods suitable for battery operation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant is seeking a controller that can maintain constant speed with varying power input for a DC motor in a telescope mount.
  • Another participant suggests using an AC clock motor with a battery-operated inverter, noting that the inverter frequency can be adjusted to track stars.
  • A question is raised regarding the expected torque from the proposed motor setup, indicating a need for more robust design due to the project's requirements.
  • It is mentioned that gearing down a 1 rpm clock motor significantly increases torque, which may be beneficial for the design.
  • One participant expresses a lack of knowledge about telescope tracking drives but references another thread that may provide additional insights.
  • A supportive comment encourages the original poster to continue with their project.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views regarding the type of motor and control method to use, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with no consensus reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully defined the specific requirements for torque and speed control, and there are assumptions regarding the suitability of different motor types for the intended application.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in telescope design, motor control for precision applications, and those exploring battery-operated systems for mechanical tracking may find this discussion relevant.

cstoos
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I am in the early stages of the design of a telescope mount and I need a control motor. I am hoping to run it on a battery so I think a DC motor is the way to go, but I need to be able to keep the rotation speed extremely constant for photographic purposes.

So, to my question: Does anyone know of a controllor that can maintain a constant speed with a varying (or most likely, decaying) power input into the motor? If you do, is it small enough to be incorporated into a portable telescope mount?

Edit: I am trying to keep it low cost, which is why I am looking at Servo alternates for now.
 
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The conventional approach is to use an AC clock motor driven from a battery-operated inverter. The inverter frequency can be fine-tuned to track the stars.
 
What kind of torque can I expect to see out of something like that? This design is going to be a bit beefier than most common mounting systems.
 
You'll have to look into it. Keep in mind that you will gear down a 1 rpm clock motor by 1:1440 to turn once per day, so you'll get torque multiplication.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
good project bro. keep it up
 

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