Second light!

[Paul M]

Anyone who's life is so empty that they bothered to read my introductory post http://stargazerslou...hello-from-him/ will maybe remember that I have a mothballed old Fullerscopes 6.25 f6 Newtonian scope.

Well today I went mining a the back of the garage and dug it out. Here it is in it's case.

I haven't looked inside for over 10 years so was wandering how well it had kept,

First impressions look ok!

The case has a rubber gasket round the lid and it's been in an integral garage not far from the boiler so it's been dry and dust free.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the mirrors in quite good nick. On closer inspection there are some spots of tarnish and a bit of grime.

So I whipped the mirrors our and gave them a gentle buff up with a Brillo Pad and some oven cleaner (not really, but....) and there is a definite improvement. Quite serviceable I think.

I tried taking a picture of the surfaces but where my eyes focus on the surface my phone camera focuses through it so it's not easy to see the blemishes here:

Anyway, they are what they are I put them back in and ran my custom, top secret, rack'o'th'eye collimation proceedure. It all looks quite good now. I think the mirror conditions will barely affect anything in my light polluted home sky. Certainly good enough to see if I've got back sufficient mojo to go spending on a new scope:

But before I get too carried away the old MkIII mount is next in line for the Brillo and oven cleaner

That spent some time out in all weather at our old house and hasn't been touched since moving 10 years ago.

My next instalment will see that being unveiled.

Watch this space!!

[Paul M]

Today, prompted by the clear sky I eventually unearthed my old Fullerscopes MkIII mount.

And what a sorry state it is in:

Years ago back at our old house I laid a circular concrete slab. A telescope hard standing if not the beginnings of an observatory!!

The scope was always kept indoors but sometimes the mount lived outside with a tarp over it.

It came with an 240v AC synchronous motor on the RA axis but nothing on DEC. I added a motor to the DEC axis and designed and built a variable frequency inverter (electronics used to be big hobby of mine). This ran off 12v and had a digital frequency display variable between about 30Hz and 100 Hz.. A home brew joystick control gave me slew control in both axes. And by heck, it worked

One winter the mount got left outside and it wasn't until some time later I found the tarp gone and the mount vandalised. It's been unused since then. It looked such a sorry mess I very nearly just left it rusting there when we moved house...

It's remains in the condition I found it in but has been stored indoors. The motors are u/s and I wont ever attempt to get them going again. The variable frequency drive is gone. I have no idea what I did with it. It may just be in the loft in our current house...

But it is what it is....

So for the first time in many years there has been a coming together:

I brings back fond memories . Jess the Labradoodle isn't too excited though.

Tonight I have a night shift. I also have a van. I also get rest breaks on my night shift. I might just happen to have an old telescope in the back of said van which might be accessible during such rest breaks. The light of the sun reflected off the planets Jupiter and Saturn might just impinge on my retina after reflection through that old telescope during such rest breaks

Next project is to get an adapter to connect my old dad's Olympus C2000-z digital camera to the existing array of adapters I already have with Pentax M42 thread on them.

I have seen some good results from that model of camera in astrophotography.

[Paul M]

As promised second light took place overnight.

I work at an industrial site with a lot of heavy duty lighting outdoors. Luckily I have control!

Having found a suitable place I turned the lights out and set up.

As this was just a test run I only very roughly carried out polar alignment. Very, very roughly

The sky was clear but quite milky with haze and moonlight and some cirrus cloud.

First up was Jupiter. My old favourite. All four Galilean satellites were visible as were the the usual equatorial bands at 36x.

The image quality wasn't too bad considering the sky conditions and state of the optics.

At 72x the image held up. The seeing was quite poor but moments of steady seeing did bring out some detail

Next was the Moon. What can I say? It was just as I remember it. Breathtaking!

The telescope tube was dripping with condensation and the mirrors were beginning to bloom. Car windscreens were white with frost.

I carried to scope into an outbuilding to let it dry while I waited for Saturn to rise.

There was a lot of light pollution and haze making the southern horizon look quite washed out but at about 3:30 I had a go.

The seeing was actually surprisingly poor. My view was across a partially capped landfill site where I suspect there are biological processes keeping the ground above ambient temperature and creating movement in the air.

Even with all the poor conditions conspiring against me I got flashes of good seeing and floods of fond memories. It's some 38 years since I got my first telescopic view of Saturn and it still takes my breath away. Even though I'm long out of practice I was still managing to make out fleeting features. Bands on the disk and the Cassini Division were easily visible and then next thing, the image would go to pieces. Quite literally pieces! As pockets of very bad seeing affected my view Saturn would become a huge drawn out smudge.

I think I enjoyed my little session but it's a shame the sky was so poor. I'd have liked to pick out a few DSO's but there was no chance. I foolishly tried to sweep for M5. No chance on two counts actually - the conditions and my sweeping skills are a bit rusty

The forecast is poor for tonight but Ye Olde Fullerscope will remain at the ready in the back of the van just in case!

I wonder what vista Third Light will bring?

[Marki]

Sweet! Seeing was poor last night - I peered out with my bins then gave up. HAve you any plans to recondition the mount? The scope looks pretty good!

[Paul M]

Sweet! Seeing was poor last night - I peered out with my bins then gave up. HAve you any plans to recondition the mount? The scope looks pretty good!

I don't really want to make it a labour of love but a bit of hammerite and some lubrication won't take long.

I'm just waiting to get some better conditions to see how good the mirror surfaces are.

They are hand figured David Hinds and I seem to remember 1/8th wave. I did have them recoated ages ago and regreted it. Not a good job

Ultimately I'd like a good quality driven mount and with a nice scope on top.

Maybe the old Fullerscope will go to someone interested in a full restoration.

[billhinge]

That poor MkIII, what did you do to it , yours looks slightly different to mine around the worm holder but mine isn't motor driven

By coincidence I'm just in the process of cleaning up my MkIII mount, just finished cleaning the worms and had some replacement bearings delivered this morning

Would love to see some close ups when you finish cleaning it up

[Paul M]

That poor MkIII, what did you do to it

Well, on my part there was considerable neglect . That was exacerbated by the three young lads next door deciding to to how much damage they could do to it

yours looks slightly different to mine around the worm holder but mine isn't motor driven

By coincidence I'm just in the process of cleaning up my MkIII mount, just finished cleaning the worms and had some replacement bearings delivered this morning

Would love to see some close ups when you finish cleaning it up

There is a folded aluminium bracket on the RA axis to carry the motor and socket. I replicated that on the Dec axis.

What I will eventually do is remove both motors and resurrect the hand controls.

Though having said that, I only have the flexi control that came for the DEC. There never was one for the RA.

To be honest I can see any refurb plans getting put firmly on the back shelf. I'm currently being blinded by the shiny new scopes on the FLO website

I just can't believe the prices of the modern scopes compared with what that rather basic old Fullerscope cost! I know it's all about production numbers and the size of the market nowdays.

[billhinge]

I'm fortunate in that I've got 2 shiny scopes so I wont be able to get away with any more , my mkIII mount is in quite good condition just needs a clean and tune up so currently working on that while the weather is bad, I've got one of those old black and shiny brass refractors to go back on it. I have ambitions to motorise it eventually

[Paul M]

Well, I'm back on shifts tonight and t'sky is clear

Ok, I know I just jinxed it!!

Anything could happen, but the high pressure is digging it's heels right in and looks like it will be anchored over the UK all weekend so let's hope it's not cloudy high!

Our caravan season starts this weekend and we'll be up in rural Cumbria de-wintering the caravan and catching up with old friends. I'm just wondering how to get the telescope up there along with all the caravan guff. Will the MD want me to leave the scope at home in favour of taking food and clothing?? Probably!

Anyway, the good news is that I just received some pictures from our Caravan Site showing that the huge overhanging trees that blighted our pitch have been removed so not only will we now get the sun on our decking but I'll have another 180 deg of unobstructed sky to go at on clear nights

It's a win win situation !

[Paul M]

So having reacquainted myself with my olde Fullerscope over a couple of nights I am now in a position to decide whether I have got my astro-mojo back.

After last night I can say most definitely "YES!"

The evening here was beautiful and clear. The sky clarity was above average so I put the scope out on the decking ready for darkness.

It was near 10 o'clock before the last vestiges of twilight faded and having worked a night shift Tuesday night I wasn't planning on stopping up too late.

First target was comet Pants, er, sorry, Panstarrs. I'd seen it a few time earlier in it's apparition with various pars of bins but not the scope.

After a little bit of sweeping I got it quite easily. But only just. It really wasn't very exciting and even with averted vision I could barely make out a tail. Light pollution really is taking it's toll round here

By now I could get at Saturn by putting the scope over on the lawn. In that direction I'm looking straight into the sky glow from Blackpool. Not really a problem with such a bright target.

I was also looking over neighbouring roofs, which did have an effect. The seeing was mostly poor with spells of steadier air.

Anyway, I pulled of a garden chair and settled down.

The David Hinds primary on this old Fullerscope has a FL of 36.3 inches engraved on the back of it. So at 920mm my combination of 25, 12.5 and 6mm Plossle eyepieces and a 2x Barlow gave me a good range of magnification. The highest I used was about 150x.

This gave pleasing views and in moments of good seeing it was a very nice sight! This old scope and nondescript eyepieces still delivers.

It is hard work just keeping a subject in the field. I really do need to service the mount and get the RA slow motion knob working.

By now it's 11:30 and I suspect that the sky clarity is reducing. I was just looking up wondering if it was even worth trying for any DSO's when I spotted Hercules coming up over the roof. Well, actually it wasn't Hercules but a constellation named after him!!

I half heartedly lined up the scope in the general direction of M13 and began a sweep at 35x. Nearly fell over it! pleasantly bright against the sky glow and at that elevation the seeing was good.

I upped the magnification to 75x(ish) and settled down with the view.

Wow! I wouldn't say it fully resolved but this fizzy glow sparkled all over. Other than a few outliers that were resolved the rest just scintillated like it was alive!

This was no concocted image, this was real. Real photons from innumerable stars tickling my retina.

I had to smile else I would have cried...again

[Paul M]

I suppose this thread is as good a place as any to park my meanderings. At least people know to ignore it then

Anyway, It's started!!!

That slippery slope to financial ruin. I've started ordering:

http://www.wexphotog...-adaptor/p15169

Ok, it's a small step but what's that they say about acorns?

Some years ago my late father gave me his old Olympus C2000z digital camera.

It's got an odd filter thread and the item above will allow me to attach it to my existing T mount.

Inspired by this site :http://ghonis2.ho8.com/c2020zdeep1.htm I think it's worth giving the old thing a new lease of life.

I know it's not the best kit for the job and currently I don't even have a guided scope to do anything exciting but I'll be able to play with the moon until I take the real plunge and get me that 12" lx200 I've been dreaming of....

TBH, I nearly eBayed it last year. I also have the old boy's old Lumix DMC FZ50 which is fine for my normal use. Thing is, he didn't have much. Just his gadgets. So I do have a bit of an attachment to them. It would be great to get some use out of the C2000z. It was a top camera back in the day and he liked to be an early adopter. Never happy paying less than top price!!

So, check back here for some amazing photo's soon!!