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This is what I use when I’m having to make adjustments to the image train/flats/tuning the etalon. I find standing helps and you can place yourself up close to the mount with the Pulse stand. The iCap hood unzips and stores flat, this is the mid size and easily holds a laptop. Slots run down each side so you can pass through cables.

Great report @bosun21. Looks like you have a winner there 👍🏻

Thanks It is rather large 😀

Looks to me that the third mounting hole is outside the radius of the other two. So no amount of filling or hacksawing is going to make it fit. Michael

Wow! Excellent quality images. That sun spot really is a beast.

This was my first light for my 180 Maksutov and also first use in the field for my AZ-EQ6 mount. I made sure that it was cooled properly as I needed to check the collimation accurately before covering the scope with Reflectix insulation. I set up the mounts home position and balanced properly with scope and its accessories etc about 5pm to give it plenty of time for acclimation. Aligned my RDF which I swapped over to from the RACI. Polar alignment is a lot easier with a 90° adapter fitted. Once I did the customary 3 star alignment I went straight to Arcturus to check collimation. It was ever so slightly out, but not enough to really notice with the views visually. But now that I knew about it i had to sort it. I used a reticle eyepiece to ensure that the star was centered each time before adjusting the collimation. Several adjustments later and the magnification increased to 432x I was happy with it so locked it down. Final check and all was well. The transparency was good and the seeing pretty mediocre. I tried to capture a hand held photo with my phone but Arcturus had slightly moved off centre or it's the angle I'm holding the phone. I then was amazed at the resolution and detail that I could see on M13. The stars were easily resolved and could even start to make out the propeller. I then shifted to M3 next door for an equally impressive view however I immediately returned to M13 to soak up the view. Next was M57 which I'm glad to say was centered in the eyepiece. The go to was extremely accurate and everything was held solid. The mount is heavy but it's a price I'm more than willing to pay for NO vibrations. CA and vibration are my nemesis. M57 was well defined in the eyepiece although I do like to use a UHC filter on it which I forgot to include in my gear. I then had a look at Albireo to get a look at the colour differential which was lovely. Up to M51, M63, M81 & 82. The galaxies although dim were easily seen in the eyepiece. M103 in Cassiopeia next followed by a return to Hercules and M92. Finished the night off with a final look at M13. I am pleased with both the 180's performance and the overall solidity and accuracy of the AZ-EQ6 mount. I bought the 180 mainly for lunar, planets and double stars but it's also pretty capable on some of the brighter DSO's like clusters and PN's. It's now 1am and time to put the kettle on.

Not the greatest of conditions what with high varible cloud and poor seeing but the huge AR was there to be captured As ever do the clicky dance for full res (well worth it today) Detuned Ha for the WL Cak full discs FS 60 Lunt Cak filter Cak close up ED 80 x 2.5 PM Lunt 600 filter Proms comparison Ha full discs Lunt 60mm With coronado DS unit

“Paisley pattern” is a good way of describing it. Better than my “curve and swirl”!

Seeing dropped off too, plus transparency - there’s high level cloud giving the sky a milky haze. A few gaps though. Those pics are good enough to give me a good idea. I’m wise enough to know that the actual views are far better. As I think I’ve said before:- it makes me want to invest in a similar setup!

Hi Laurence. Which stars did you use for the Star Alignment ? M81 may have been much closer to the area bounded by the Alignment stars. But it was on the sensor, which could be considered an acceptable GoTo. Just needed centering. Michael

Is the front threaded Leo?

Had a look with ZS66, Herschel Wedge and Svbony 3-8. Lovely sharp views of the giant group, which rather reminded me of an eighties Paisley pattern.

Some very bad Ha pics, taken through the 102mm PST mod. Views were excellent for a while until seeing dropped off.

It’s actually only single, but the views are still fab. Proms are amazing, surface detail still very good. I have a 150mm too which is incredible when the seeing is good, surface detail is fantastic in that one. Some very poor handheld phone images attached, mainly to show the image scale as much as anything.

There's also the Baader Solar Filters (50mm & 60mm filters in stock) and other types of solar filter can be found on THIS PAGE.

Eight, you’ll fit right in here on SGL!

I've not been down to the farm, but the car park above tyneham was pretty good, as long as you only look south...

Your M51 looks typical for a Seestar image at 7 mins. One of our club members just bought a Seestar and showed us some quite impressive images but he ran it for more like 90 minutes with all subs stored separately and then post-processed them. Spiral arms tend to remain dim in the smartphone output. Most Seestar posts are under 'Equipment/Whole Setups' or whatever it's called.

Essentially how I do it but all my equipment is generally together in one bag, maybe the tripod in hand. It gets annoying very quickly to-ing and fro-ing various pieces of equipment in their containers setting up and breaking down every time. At least if I have it fully assembled prior I use photo tripods so I can carry them through a single door with the legs in closed position, but I don't usually do this, I just setup outside with the more comfortable free space around me, and I don't struggle so much getting out the door.

Why don't you make your own filter holder out of cardboard like many people do when using solar film and attach it over the front of the lens?

It does make it easier to carry the mount-head out separately to the tripod in terms of weight, but it's just an another operation you will have to do when setting up. If I only had a single door, I couldn't do this due to the wide tripod legs, but double patio doors means the tripod is easy to carry out. All I do is check the tightness of the mount-head to the tripod every session. With regards to level, it is best practice especially if on the grass, so yes I would suggest to level the tripod first. However, because I set up on a level patio with the tripod legs fully retracted, in all honesty I've never checked my HEQ5 for level and I have no issues when imaging with regards to tracking, guiding or lost subs. If I had a larger scope with a longer focal length (say a C8), then yes maybe I would. Prior to the HEQ5, I used a Star Adventurer which comes with a built-in spirit level. I used it across my whole patio and never found I had to adjust for level, so a bit of prior "testing" and judgement aided with this.

Thanks for the heads up. I'd like to think it may be possible to witness an aurora. We would probably miss the Second Coming happening from here because of the dratted clouds. I've writen to my MP but to no avail. This is the current forecast- Cheers, Steve

I’m having an early “lunchtime” look. Again, it’s still stunning with more of a “curve & swirl” look to it. And like yesterday you can easily see filaments in the larger penumbral. Here are a couple of iPhone snaps. First from yesterday, second from today. In particular it’s clear how the trailing spot has developed and become more defined.

I'm still learning/practising guiding with my Az GTi and ZS61, last night I tried M13 but it was way off centre. After 6 x 3 minute subs and chose a different target, this time M81 and it was centred perfectly and I got 12 x 3 minute subs. Both images have no calibration frames with minimal processing but are just to illustrate the centering.