New scope in my EEAT (European Extremely Average Telescope) Observatory... ;)

[Alveprinsen]

Just put this baby together this evening. Needed to borrow some screws from work, but managed to find a sollution in order to piggy-back the Startraveler 102/500 refractor on top of the Skywatcher Explorer 200P-DS.

I learned something tonight though... The scope is way too long. Even when it is pointing straight up I almost need to stand on my toes to look into the eyepiece, and when it is pointing more or less straight ahead towards the horizon I have to stand on my toes and bend over it. I only aligned using 5 stars because of this, and I had to climb up on top of the obvservatory in order to do so. One foot plantet on each railing, I held the laptop with ASCOM EQMOD in one hand, trying not to fall over with the other one - while simultaniously attempting to look down into the reticule and center the different stars.

One thing is for sure... I am not gonna do much in my observatory until the new camera arrives - enabling me to look through the scope comfortably from my computer screen...

New camera is allready 1 week late, and I am told it will be 1-2 weeks more late... and one week shipping... add another week. Changes are it wont even be here for Winter Solstice..

Oh well, at least the new scope is now balanced on the NEQ6 Pro and (I assume) propperly collimated. I started with secondary mirror, then primary, following by secondary, primary, secondary etc. etc. about 5 times until the laser finally stayed in the same place after ajusting both primary and secondary mirror.... I am completely new to these newtonians.... Spent like 30 minutes doing it...

Sincerely, Alveprinsen.

[chrisshillito]

I held the laptop with ASCOM EQMOD in one hand, trying not to fall over with the other one - while simultaniously attempting to look down into the reticule and center the different stars.

If you don't currently use a gampad for scope slewing you could use a mouse. Open EQMOD's slew pad window and it will respond to mouse left/right button clicks as slew controls with a centre button click toggling between RA and DEC.

Chris.

[RobH]

Love the name of your observatory....excellent :-)

[Astro Imp]

That sounds a bit scary, I'm not sure that I would have risked it. 

You definitely need to get something sorted.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[DazC]

Nice set up.

Enjoy.

D.C

[Alveprinsen]

If you don't currently use a gampad for scope slewing you could use a mouse. Open EQMOD's slew pad window and it will respond to mouse left/right button clicks as slew controls with a centre button click toggling between RA and DEC.

Chris.

The laptop which I am using to run ASCOM EQMOD and PHDguiding only has two USB ports. So, no room for mouse or pad...

I've been thinking about pads though... I wonder.. could I get one of those one-into-two USB thingys and let the usb-serial port share a USB port with a gamepad wireless thingy? ...

[Alveprinsen]

That sounds a bit scary, I'm not sure that I would have risked it. 

You definitely need to get something sorted.

Good luck and keep us posted.

When I receive my new camera, in like... 3 weeks.. if I'm lucky - I will be sitting comfortably in front of Backyard EOS on my laptop instead of crouched over the eyepiece...

[sbooder]

Alveprinsen, if you are not too worried which position your imaging kit is at on the piggyback unless that is just a guider.  You can build yourself a rotation ring to rotate the scope into a better viewing position once on the object.  I can't remember what is was like before I made mine, it is second nature now.