“the Story So Far”

This is my first ever blog

It started Christmas 2014 when I had a Celestron astro master 130 EQ with motor drive. I soon discovered that although the OTS part was great the mount and motor drive were severely lacking in quality and function.
First I stripped and re-greased the mount and modified the motor drive to use 8 rechargeable AA batteries to provide more amps as the pp3 was poor in the cold.
This made a massive improvement to the mount and made viewing a little more pleasurable but it was still very light weight and not sturdy.

It was this time I joined “SGL”

It was then I made the decision to upgrade the mount but found them more than I could justify spending thus I hit “the bay” and found a Bresser EXOS 2 GOTO and got it.
I found it to be excellent and solid as a rock. It also transpired that it was formerly owned by an SGL member and I had read his thread before deciding to buy.

This is where the “money pit” really started.

I bought some Quality EP’s
I found an interest in AP starting by piggybacking eventually getting an ST-80 to use as a guidescope and other bits and pieces. I’m still short of a guide camera though and I’m trying to used a webcam with varying success.
I then shortened my astro master tube to hit prime focus without barlowing.
I got a second DSLR body, an Olympus E-510 as the E-500 couldn’t be controlled by a cable remote only IR and thus had to stand there through an imaging run.

I have also discovered “astro boot” and I now have 2 more scopes
A 150 p and pl ota's along with an EQ 3-2 mount
I learnt that longer focal length is more suited to planetary so I got both. Along with the astro master I hope to have viewing and photography options covered. And be able to view on the EQ 3-2 whilst performing an imaging run on the EXOS.

I am hoping now guide camera aside the spending will “slow down” and I can start doing dome more observing/imaging without thinking

“I need something else”

Though I doub’t it J

steve