Jiggy 67

On 21/05/2020 at 12:11, markse68 said:

Is this blue lemon slice neb something I should be able to see from London skies with my 8” dob? Tried a couple of nights but no joy. I think I’m looking in the right place- pointed scope in roughly right area relative to Polaris and 2bright stars in Urmin, scan around to find distinctive bright double of HR 4892 and 3, pan west to find colourful double of HR 4639 and other, pan east about half way then go a bit north and scan around- nothing. But then in SS it doesn’t show anything there either lol. But it says it’s fairly bright 🤷‍♂️

Sorry to hear you’re struggling with this. I live under Bortle 6 (officially but I think it’s more 7 or 8 ) and I could see it reasonably well with my 8 inch newt. I think you should be able to see something...have you got a UHC or O-III filter?...may assist 

10 hours ago, Jiggy 67 said:

.....And your point is?......😀

Meant as a joke btw... meaning “we’ll see you there then” read it again and it doesn’t read well oops.. sorry 😱

I’m considering hiring a small camper van/motor home for this. Just a bit worried about losing the deposit should it not go ahead. I’m wondering if I paid the deposit with a credit card, would the deposit be covered or would we have to continue with the hire and live on the local field for a week??

I can’t say what the problem is but I can say that mine doesn’t do that (that I’ve ever noticed) which may confirm there’s a problem. With it only being a couple of weeks old I’d be contacting the supplier for a replacement unless someone else comes up with an easier solution. I know what a pain it can be to send stuff back and get a replacement!

Nice report Nick, sounds like a top night. 
I usually pack up for the summer because of the short night and work etc, but I’m seriously considering getting the scope set up again, reports like this worsen the quandary but I really want to get out and observe some of them globs and other summer targets I don’t usually get to see 

6 hours ago, Pixies said:

Hmmmm. Clashes with our 20th wedding anniversary... 🤦‍♂️

.....And your point is?......😀

9 hours ago, CedricTheBrave said:

Looks like I need to retire the power tank!

First successful 2 star align with no weird slews ! Using a mains 12v  psu that usually powers my camp fridge 😁

Thank you guys I appreciate the input

 

If you want to go back to a portable power supply, you might want to consider one of these 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/celestron-lithium-lifepo4-powertank-pro.html

I use one on my EQ-6-R and it works great, right through the night. I have tried the SW tanks and they are nowhere near as good, though I do still use one for dew heaters, just to take the pressure off the Celestron lithium tank

I don’t think you can really go wrong at that price, the scope is decent. The mount is just as, if not more important and this is an EQ1 equatorial mount which is not very stable and can be quite cumbersome and confusing to use to find objects, the plus side being that once roughly polar aligned you can track objects using the slo mo cables. 
If , as a beginner, you want to make life easier, look at a dobsonian mounted 150mm reflector or similar, they are not massively priced and you will get more out of it, more appature and an easier mount to use

2 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

Jiggy,

I’ve been using the  SW/ Orion motors for many years- I now have six of them on various telescopes. I honestly don’t think there is any solenoid in the motors. When the power is applied there is a degree of reverse braking effect.

IMHO they are a very effective, cost effective, solution to semi- remote focuser operation.

Recommended.

 

I don’t know if it’s a solenoid but but there is a means by which the device stops the manual turning of the focuser. On both occasions in my experience, this failed allowing the focuser to be manually turned which meant the auto focuser no longer worked. The only thing I know is that it wasn’t operator error, they were only ever used as they were meant to be used, and I don’t think it’s how I fitted them, although I wouldn’t bet my mortgage on it!

 I was a big fan when they worked but for the above reason I wouldn’t buy one again...maybe I was just unlucky 

Just a word of warning (and advice) with these auto focusers. They work with a type of solenoid which works as a brake so you cannot manually move the focuser. I’ve had two of these focusers and on both occasions the solenoids failed, one in a few months and the other in a matter of weeks! This made the focusers useless.  Unfortunately I had misplaced the original knobs so I ended up buying a Moonlite focuser....My point is make sure you keep the original parts where you can find them again. I couldn’t find any replacement parts anywhere 

1 hour ago, cotterless45 said:

Just a few to keep you busy , what you're after naming is the "lemon slice Nebula" , preferably in gin,Nick.

Bizarre, considering the Lemon Slice Nebula is blue and round 😀

I’m afraid your currency is a mystery to us in the UK 😀 but I have the EQ-R Pro and it’s an excellent mount and will easily handle the payload 

These are my notes from 20/02 re IC 3568...Small bluish disc with star at 10pm position.
Best view, Vixen 4mm (X250 Mag) without filter but Vixen 6mm (X 166 Mag) also good without filter

2 hours ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

Is this known by any other name? I've searched Skysafari for IC3568 and it's not finding anything. I'm keen to have a look tonight.

On a slightly different note. Anyone attempting Mercury after sun set? It looks to be in a very high position by its standards.

Baz

 

That’s the correct designation, I found it on SkySafari, maybe needs the space between the C and the 3

IC3568 is a nice blue planetary North East of Polaris with a visible central star, well worth a visit 

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

As you live in a flat is there anywhere secure outside you can leave it  or is it a public space? If living in a house with a private back garden that is a different matter. 

Yeh, security is an important consideration 

This is a topic that constantly raises it’s head and usually results in two opposing views, those that leave their equipment out and those that don’t. Personally I leave mine out because that means I’m more likely to use it.

Several years ago I gave this hobby up and the biggest single reason for that was the constant hassle of moving equipment in and out of the house, setting up and all the issues that arise from the process. As someone that has to work the following day it became a pain and it became easy to say “I can’t be bothered I’ll just watch a film”

This is an outdoor activity and I would rather be using the equipment than keeping it nice and shiny in the house so when I took the hobby up again I decided that I wouldn’t make the same mistake again. I bought a telegizmos 365 cover and now I leave everything outside set up (apart from electronics). Now, I no longer have to polar align or star align, synscan enables me to start from a saved position, and I’m observing in 10 minutes.

I left my equipment out throughout this winter with no ill effects. If it’s gonna rain heavy I put a Green Witch cover on followed by the tg, if it’s gonna be sustained and torrential I’ll bring everything in.

I would rather have a few cosmetic marks and use the equipment than have it shiny and new in the house 

So I wouldn’t worry too much about leaving it outside, as long as you invest in a good cover, using it is more important than polishing it 

Outstanding as ever, you always produce quality.....one question though.....what is the faint object to the right of the central galaxy (NGC3193 I think) in the second sketch???....is it a rare error/smudge 😀 or an observation....or even my phone??

Excellent sketches, very professionaly drawn.....especially like your M108, just as I remember it the last time I viewed it. I also find The Owl difficult and better with averted vision, though you seemed to have achieved a larger image than I could, well done

Nice sketch, excellent detail

Does anyone ever access the Sky at Night bonus material on the web. Each month they have different content including a 20-30 minute show hosted by Pete Lawrence and Mr Abel. This show is done using Stellarium and previews all the best objects to view for the month ahead. It's really good and hails back to the old days when Sky at Night concentrated on practical astronomy a bit more.

For those that are not aware, the web address (which is different each month) can be found in the first few pages of the magazine. Better on a smart tv if you have one

The Baader Moon and Skyglow is a good choice. High quality fora reasonable price and will assist with light pollution. I’ve never used any of the coloured filters so I’m no expert but they appear to be a waste of money to me as they are very niche and have limited use, only used on specific targets, you may want to consider the Baader Contrast Booster filter for planets. An O111 and a UHC are a must for nebulae I think

Depending on how deep your pockets are the Sky Atlas 2000 Deluxe is outstanding 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Atlas-2000-0-2ed-Deluxe/dp/0521627621

I find it better on the grass anyway. The tripod has spikes to make it more stable once you insert them into the grass 

I can’t believe they are sketches!!! You’ve caught the prominences perfectly