Shimrod

Isn't this the same question you have asked in this thread:   https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/406992-observing-help/

On 24/02/2023 at 08:36, DaveS said:

The Musk-rat has a constellation, Bozo wants one too.

I'm not sure derogatory names adds anything to the debate. In this hyper-connected world we now inhabit, most want to have internet access just about everywhere they go - and the satellites do provide an alternative way of connecting remote communties across large parts of the earth where land-based infrastructure costs would otherwise be a prohibitive factor.

To my mind it would have been better if there had been some kind of single satellite network with either shared services or carrying equipment from multiple providers - this would have avoiding many satellites all providing the same function. The flip side of that is you get concerns about security  (like the Huawei issue recently in the news) and monopolistic practices - which is why sadly this would never happen.

On 25/02/2023 at 11:20, KingsAmis said:

My mate lent me her smaller Dob for my nightshifts and while I’m fine collimating (it’s already not too bad it hasn’t been used much at all!) the mirror does have a few noticeable dust marks if that’s what I can call them.
 

In terms of how that affects my usage the first time using it seemed alright albeit I wasn’t using my lens and I didn’t know what to expect from a dob that small (Table-top 3 inch)

 

I’ve attached an image that shows some of the marks is it big enough of an issue that I need to take it out and clean the mirror? 

 

In addition to the advice above to leave it alone, given that it is your friend's scope rather than your own, only clean it if you're prepared to replace the scope if it all goes horribly wrong.

3 hours ago, alecras2345 said:

I suppose what im asking is, i dont know what different object to observe, should i use objects in my book to observe in the remote telescope?

It's a good starting point, and if you are using a reference book it will give you some background as to what you  are looking at. Beyond that have a read around and see what interests you - I like the monthly pullout section in the 'Sky at Night' magazine that tells you what's good to look at for the month. You can get some of this on the free email service and general astronomy websites as well.

6 minutes ago, Duke2k said:

I have recently aquired a starsense handset and camera for my celestron cpc and although the goto's have improved there appear to be missing options from the handset when compared to the nexstar+.

I can't find how to manually enter RA DEC coordinates for objects not in the handset, and the precise goto function appears to be missing along with the camera objects database.

 

Can anyone please tell me how to do this or find these options?

 

Thank you

This is from the Starsense manual on page 24

Quote

VIEW / GOTO POSITION
To slew to a custom coordinate, Press ENTER,
input the coordinates, then press ENTER to slew
to those coordinates.

I think the idea is that you use 'sync' to give the equivalent of the 'precise' goto function.

5 hours ago, alecras2345 said:

 I have started using a remote telescope to capture images.  Is that what remote telescopes do just capture images? 

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!

3 minutes ago, IB20 said:

So following on from @MalcolmM’s kit bias thread, most of us probably think our kit is the bees knees or it’s serving a purpose right now. It got me thinking though, if we were in a position where we lost or had kit damaged and were given a pile of cash to replace, what would most of us do?

Would you try to like for like replace kit, upgrade/modernise or would you walk away from the hobby entirely?

I would almost certainly look at getting a 10” dob with some kind of push-to, maybe a Starsense or one of the StellaLyras to replace an 8” manual 200P. 

The refractor is a more difficult one, I love the Tak 76Q, it really is a joy to use and for GnG it’s pretty much perfection, however I do often wonder what a 4” APO would be like.

Eyepiece wise, I’d definitely re-purchase the XWs from 10mm-3.5mm, they really suit me and I cannot find any fault with them. I would especially re-buy the 4mm TOE as it’s my favourite eyepiece I have looked through. The 17.5mm Morpheus whilst a good EP, would probably get forgotten, as I don’t really use low power for scope viewing. I would always be on the look out for Ultimas/similar and the 10mm BCO would more than likely get re-purchased.

I’d probably look to swap the 8x & 15x binos I currently have for a pair of 12x. I’ve started using binos a lot more this Winter and think I could have a more optimal pair.

I only own one tripod and mount so wouldn’t know what to do. 😄

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.

20 minutes ago, Franklin said:

Probably more a reflection on the amount of folk imaging rather than just visual.

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.

8 hours ago, bosun21 said:

Your going to spend more than £75 on decent locks and sensors.

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.

4 minutes ago, Mikey0368 said:

Anyone on here got one of these? I'm seriously thinking about getting one, instead of an EQ8, to put my 25kg SW 300PDS on.

Presumably they're as reliable as any other Skywatcher mount?

I've also noticed that the price on the SW website is quite a bit higher than FLO are charging. Is there a price rise coming?

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 minutes ago, tezz said:

Hi all.

My shed\clubhouse should be here next week.

The problem I am having now is insuring it and the contents.

My insurance company(Swinton) will only insure upto £1,500.

I did find another company that would do it.

But under the UK law I can't have 2 insurances on 1 property.
And to ditch Swinton I have to pay £75 to terminate the policy.

So my plan of action is to sort out the shed with very good locks and smart sensors and see if anyone try's to break in.

When I get the insurance sorted, then I will setup the scope 

 

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.

10 minutes ago, Richard N said:

What's the longest journey you can make in a night using Messier Objects as Motorway designators? M25=>M1 etc?

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.

13 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

It's a little unclear whether a car port is covered in the UK. It may be counted as part of his building if it was attached to it and possibly covered by building insurance if he has any.

Your last resort should be to get your insurance involved without checking what your excess is and if you are covered. As I said above if they see you have incurred a loss they can hike your premium.

 

 

 

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

35 minutes ago, Trevor Matthews said:

So I just cancelled that order before it was shipped from the States.

I used a splitter from Amazon at £8.99 https://amzn.to/3lOk3oU

And two curly cables £10.99 each https://amzn.to/3xsQ2gS

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.

3 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

I was considering replacing my AVX with an alt-az mount but then the cheap option of a Starsense popped into my head. However reading all this has put me off!

I assume if you take the kit to a star camp for instance, then the whole laborious auto polar align and calibration needs to be done again? 

For visual it's likely way faster just to look through the polar scope, adjust and then pick two or three stars to align to. 🙄

 

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.

On 14/02/2023 at 23:20, David Ridge said:

It's been years since I played with my Meade 12". I think I have the cables, but I have little recollection of the connections. Does anyone have a cabling diagram/etc to get my old windows xp to control my scope? Also, I'm in need of a pdf of the autostar suite v5 manual. Anyone? 

Thank you! 

David Ridge 

<Private contact details removed>

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

2 hours ago, gaiden said:

Hi guys! thank you for the topic, I'm searching for a focuser for my SW 80ED Pro Golden Edition

 

Then, the Astro-Essentials focuser it's a good choice? I do astrophoto and I need something that holds firmly my Reflex and the SW corrector7reductor.

Thank you so much  for yours advices

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.

46 minutes ago, Trevor Matthews said:

I wondered if anyone knows what is special about the Celestron Aux splitter.

They are out of stock everywhere.

Simple RJ45 splitters are available and it seems odd that Celestron would do something weird with their wiring to stop you using one of these.

I just fitted the Starsense auto align but wanted the GPS module to be connected as well.

 

Many thanks.

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

3 hours ago, PhilKB said:

Hi there and apologies if this is the wrong section.   I’ve been observing with my two telescopes (a skywatcher mak127 and an heritage 150p) and am looking to take a few images just as a way of keeping the kids interested. I’m currently saving up for an HEQ5 but have been offered an original canon 7D mark 1 in very good condition at a low price and I was wondering if it was worth picking it up for practice and to learn the astrophotography basics with.  . I realise the 7D mark 2 is much better but a secondhand one of those would take a chunk out of HEQ5 fund.  

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.

1 hour ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Amazon have the buying power to lean on suppliers for a lower wholesale price. They allegedly underpay and overwork their workers and pay little British business tax.  If you have a problem, do you think Amazon will deal with it effectively?  And do you think they will continue to sell astro kit at those low prices once they have put FLO, Tring Astro, etc out of business?

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.

5 hours ago, tezz said:

 

Hi.

My evolution 9.25 is not the edge version.

So is my link the right one.

It's the cheapest I've found 

Apologies, I should I have read back through the thread - I thought you had mentioned the Edge version in your early posts.

22 minutes ago, tezz said:

 

Thank you.

I never knew things will be out of wack like left to right.

Is there anything I can buy to this right?

Celestron f6.3 focal reducer. I will have to do some reading in this.

But I will go and price it up.

Is this it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-Field-Lens-Corrector-Reducer/dp/B00009XVHZ/ref=asc_df_B00009XVHZ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309904628344&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3482787380875555236&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006524&hvtargid=pla-404336624377&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

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

16 minutes ago, tezz said:

My Bluetti EB3A and the Celestron focus motor has turned up   

I have a small heater and a fan ready for summer and winter.

I have got to get items to lock the sliding roof in place and a very good door lock.

I am going to use a wireless extender(in my bungalow) with a Lan port to go in to the clubhouse    

So I think I am good to go once my shed(club house)arrives.

I do dislike like all these space rings to get back focus. The evolution  it has a 5.475 inch focus distance.

Would buying this or something like this be a better option?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Telescope-Extension-Compatible-Projection-Astrophotography/dp/B0B9BWLJGZ/ref=asc_df_B0B9BWLJGZ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=606572198636&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13992995265074432390&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006524&hvtargid=pla-1869702456691&psc=1

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.

14 hours ago, Mandy D said:

There are a couple of ways to get wider without going to Fisheye lenses, but being a Canon owner, you may not like the idea. Switch to Nikon where the crop sensor is 24 x 16 instead of 22.5 x 15 and you will get results with a 10 mm lens that you would need to use a 9.4 mm lens on the Canon for. The other option (which may be possible with Canon, but I don't know) is to go full frame and use a 14 mm lens, which will be wider still and equivalent to an 8.7 mm lens on your Canon. If you are uber-uber rich, you could always go for a 13 mm Nikon ultra-ultra-wide angle lens for about £50k second-hand!!! But, you will be getting equivalent to 8.1 mm focal length and no fisheye distortion.

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.

44 minutes ago, aidanbarclay136 said:

Hello, I have inherited this telescope, can I sell it on this site? Is there a for sale/selling section? 
 

regards Aidan 

 

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.