The AWR Simple Handset.

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With the IH2 handset anchored by two cables to the computer area I needed a way to center the image before syncing a Goto slew. I had expressed some worries over the stiffness of very cold cables to Alan Buckman at AWR. However the serial cable attached to the Simple Handset seemed nicely slender and flexible.

I hope to run the cable along the 7" OTA and hang the neat little handset [paddle] near the focuser. If permanently attached and balanced it should not alter the behaviour of the mounting regardless of where the telescope is pointed. Images will follow after lunch.

 Here you can see the handset with a central red LED to make it easy to find in the dark. Three speeds are offered to allow fine, medium and coarse adjustment [slewing] of the telescope's pointing position on the sky.

I used thin black cord and Prusik loops to attach the cable neatly to the 7" OTA. These multi-wrapped loops allow the cable to be slid through when desired but lock the cable at all other times.

The telescope didn't even notice the addition with regard to balance. Having control at the eyepiece for centering an image was the requirement and now I have it. The telescope must not be moved manually or the system will lose track of its position. It was all too tempting to give the telescope a  nudge when the IH2 was several feet away, back at the computer.

The Simple Handset cable is 3m long and joins the AWR Microstep Drivebox via a serial plug.

The buttons on the handset are nicely spaced to allow simultaneous slewing of both axes with one hand. The buttons are nicely shaped and the spring weighted for a comfortable press without pain or fatigue.

The Simple Handset supplements the much bulkier Intelligent Handset 2 but does not replace it.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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