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Shimrod

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Everything posted by Shimrod

  1. What else would you like them to do? There are some services that offer live streaming of images from a remote scope (which I guess is what you are using), but they are mostly for people who want to image from a location where there are better skies and more clear nights. They may also be used as a means of renting some imaging time on a telescope that would otherwise be unaffordable. There's a summary of some other online services here: https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/how-use-remote-telescope-astrophotography/ Remote observing is a different experience to viewing an object through the eyepiece - and you are observing in a manner closer to a professional astronomer than an amateur one! With remote observing you also don't have to worry about staying up late - just choose a telescope in a location where it is currently night!
  2. I think amongst my current kit, the key thing I would replace would my AVX and AZ-GTI mounts with one of the strain wave drive mounts - probably one of the AZ-EQ variants. Anything that makes moving kit from inside to out a bit quicker and easier - it would also give me just one mount for all scopes. I'd also consider replacing my Starsense, guide camera and iPolar with a single Staraid revolution - I do like the self-contained unit which means I do not need to have a laptop with me at the mount.
  3. I use goto exclusively - with limited time and light pollution I will take any aid I can to get my scope aligned and find objects - but I would really like the time and the dark skies to learn the night sky. When we have trips away to dark sites (an essential for any holiday booked in the UK), I do enjoy sitting back with a pair of binoculars and just exploring the sky even though I may have a telescope with me.
  4. I think that is money that is well spent regardless of changing the policy. It is much better to prevent the theft in the first place that to have the hassle and cost of an insurance claim. We (I) seem to get so few clear nights at the moment that my thought is by the time the policy is changed and the kit set up for immediate use in the observatory @tezz will be waiting until autumn to start observing the night sky.
  5. There's a message from FLO about Sky Watcher price rises here: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/406636-sky-watcher-prices/ Expect prices to go up by 5-7% on average.
  6. There are a number of threads on here about insuring equipment left in observatories. You may find this one a useful read. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/349022-observatory-insurance/#comment-3797362 Given the amount you have spent on equipment I think not spending the £75 to change to a more comprehensive policy is a false economy. For me it would be worth it for peace of mind and to get the observatory set up earlier.
  7. Simple: M25 just start off with a full tank and keep going in a circle. It will feel like forever if you try and do it in rush hour as well.
  8. I am going to go against the grain here - I think you will find the neighbour is not liable for the damage unless the property has been poorly maintained. He would be able to claim his damage from his insurance, but @Craney will need to make any claim against his own insurance. My understanding is unless they have been negligent in maintenance they are not responsible for the damage as it was caused by the weather. edit: This references trees but the principle is the same: https://www.frettens.co.uk/site/blog/litigation-blog/storm-damage-to-trees-fences-and-property-who-pays
  9. I thought the splitter had different wiring connections to a standard cable, so you might want to check before you use to be splitter and cables you have linked to.
  10. You only need to calibrate once for the OTA. You would re-calibrate only if you move the starsense camera from one OTA to another (I use mine on both an 8" Edge and 80ed). Calibration only takes a few seconds. You need to roughly polar align but it does not have to be accurate for visual use. After that you start the auto align and leave it to do it's thing - it take a couple of minutes. I use that time to finish bringing out eyepieces and what-not. I find it is generally good enough for me to move the telescope to a target and have it in field of view. I use a iPolar to perform my polar alignment so although the Starsense has a polar align feature I have never used it. The starsense is handy, especially if just doing visual because it is a nice, self-contained unit with no need for a laptop or tablet. However, given the cost of a the Starsense (£350), the ipolar (£212) and a guide camera (£170) if I was buying these now I would probably consider something like the StarAid Revolution (£800) as a neater, self-contained package. Edit: I should add if you check the forum you'll find quite mixed views on the Starsense camera. I will say sometimes it does seem to have a bit of a 'funny' and I have to repeat the alignment process a second time.
  11. I have a copy of the autostar v5.01 manual on PDF. I have run the software on windows 10 so you could use a more modern laptop - in this case any existing USB to serial converter you have made need to be replaced as the old (circa 2008) version does not work with modern USB ports/chipsets. I bought one of these https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0753HBT12/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  12. I fitted a Baader Steeltrack to my 80ed - although it's not cheap at around twice the price. An adapter to fit to the 80ed and finder shoe(s) to go on to the focuser will add around another £80 to the price. You can sell on the original focuser to get some money back against whatever purchase you make -mine sold for around £85 on ebay.
  13. You could buy a compatible splitter from Amazon, which is what I did. I've had mine for about three years and it works fine. The Celestron ones never seem to be in stock! https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Compatible-Replacement-Celestron-StarSense-SkyPortal/dp/B07QLHRN23/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3C7JE5XQ8V04R&keywords=Custom+Aux+Port+Splitter+Compatible+for+Celestron+StarSense+and+SkyPortal&qid=1676309675&s=electronics&sprefix=custom+aux+port+splitter+compatible+for+celestron+starsense+and+skyportal%2Celectronics%2C70&sr=1-1
  14. I guess how cheap is cheap? Under £150 it might be worthwhile (you can buy at that price with a six month warranty from mpb). With a 7d you are buying features you don't really need (such as faster shutter speeds) for astronomy, and with those features comes weight - it is nearly twice the weight of some of the entry level models once you add in a battery. You might want to check what sort of payload your mount will handle. If this is just for astronomy, you might want to have a look for some more recent entry level models (of any brand) which will offer a better sensor.
  15. I don't really want to derail this thread, but I think you are being a bit unfair in your attack on Tezz. I used to have two or three local shops I could visit to view telescopes and accessories - they've all gone. Companies like Amazon AND First Light Optics operate from warehouses with no physical shops. They benefit from lower rates compared to shops and carry a different set of costs. It's not too difficult to argue that FLO have contributed to the decline of the physical astro shop but the reality is we all like to get the best value for money - and for most people that means foregoing the personal local service and shopping on line. For reference, when I got back into astronomy about fours years ago, I drove 230 miles to Tring because I wanted to see and discuss telescope options, most of my spending since has been with FLO but I've also bought astro kit from Amazon when the price difference has been significant. I've also foiund Amazon (and FLO's ) customer service to be excellent.
  16. Apologies, I should I have read back through the thread - I thought you had mentioned the Edge version in your early posts.
  17. You've bought the Evolution 9.25 which comes with Edge (HD) optics. From the Celestron range you will need to get the matching Edge reducer which is a little more expensive: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/celestron-reducer-lens-7x-for-edgehd-925.html Celestron specifically say the standard reducer (that you have linked above) is not suitable. Others may be able to comment on whether any of the third party reducers may be effective. Whether something is left to right or even upside down doesn't really matter from a viewing perspective in astronomical terms - as long as you remember which way you need to slew the telescope to centre an object! If you decide to follow the suggestion above of using a diagonal to get the required back focus for your camera, you could look at one that contains a correcting prism - some will correct up/down but leave left-right reversed, others containing an Amici prism will give a completely corrected view
  18. I would use extension tubes that screw together - once you have the right combination for your spacing you won't ever change it unless you replace camera or telescope. Anything that is adjustable has the potential to be knocked out of alignment. If you decide to get a focal reducer at some point for a wider field of view the extension tube you have linked to would be too long and have to be replaced.
  19. It's an upgrade that has suddenly gone from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand for a slightly wider field of view (around £1200 for the cheapest Canon full frame body new and £2000 for the lens)! To get wider, Canon also offer an 11mm f4 lens for full frame at £3000. Of course you probably wouldn't buy any of these new, as Canon is phasing out the EF range so you'd be looking for the equivalents in the 'R' range. For those who stick with EF into the future, I expect some second hard bargains will start appearing as the EF mount becomes less attractive.
  20. Ebay when they have one of their special offers on fees, or astrobuysell would be good alternative platforms for a sale. Your buyers are probably limited to a relatively local area for collection. Even if you have the boxes you will find it difficult to get insurance for a courier delivery. Depending on where you live you could also try a company like ENS Optical who specialise in buying and reselling used gear. You may not get as much for it but would have a hassle free sale.
  21. You won't go any wider than 10mm unless you get a fisheye lens. I've always found 10mm to be a bit too wide for landscape however it can be good for the sky! My avatar is an aurora shot taken at 10mm with the 10-22mm. I will see if I have some comparison shots with different lenses taken on the same night. A faster lens is helpful when the aurora is faint or moving fast - allowing you to capture some structure will a shorter exposure.
  22. Oh dear, I've been to all three. Tourism travel in Antarctica has some of the strictest, self-imposed regulations on tourists which were certainly enforced on the trip I was on. Breaching them would be not being allowed off ship for the remainer of the travel. As well as expected, respectful behaviour for the environment, there was also a strict decontamination routine to avoid any accidental transfer of spores or infections into the environment. https://iaato.org/visiting-antarctica/
  23. Here's a quick side by side comparison of the three lenses I mentioned to give you an idea of size - left to right the Canon 10-18mm, Canon 10-22mm and the Sigma 18-35mm. The Sigma is significantly heavier, and probably weighs as much as the other two together. One other possible niggle for the Sigma - the zoom ring goes the opposite way to Canon for zooming in. Both the 10-22mm and Sigma are internal zooms, the 10-18mm does extend when zooming but only by about 0.5cm. edit: as always with these things, when taking photos of of camera equipment is it customary to share a slightly out of focus photograph taken with a phone!
  24. This motor drive is shipped as part of a package with the Starblast on the Orion website. It would let you keep an object in the eyepiece once you have found it Before buying, you might want to confirm you have the standard mount package to ensure it fits. If you want a go-to it looks like you would have to buy a new mount. https://www.telescope.com/mobileProduct/Orion-TD-1-Electronic-DC-Tracking-Drive-for-StarBlast-45-EQ/137398.uts?keyword=Td-1
  25. Thanks for the info - do they ship from the Netherlands and does the £850 include any import fees?
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