Cookbook 245 Camera & Slide, and Field Rotation System

This is the Cookbook 245 CCD camera mounted to a slide made by Roy "Dutch" Teagle.The slide allows quick changes between the camera and the eyepiece. (Click here for more info on the slide). The slide is inserted into an Astrosystems Phase 4 focuser, which is rotated by a 240:1 HPDE gear (made by Andy Saulietis). The worm on the gear is rotated by a stepper motor controlled by Mel Bartel's "Scope.exe" software (which is also controlling the altitude and azimuth drive motors) and is executing in an inexpensive laptop sitting on a shelf on the front of the rockerbox.

Note the latex cooling line tubes coming from the camera. The latex allows a very flexible line to the camera, and can be "pinched" for a quick check to see if the cooling water flow is still strong.