Jiggy 67

35 minutes ago, StuartT said:

Pro tip! Thanks. Is that a bit like WD-40 then? (for older viewers)

Similar, it’s better, lighter, safe with electronics……and more expensive!!…but worth it. Just give the whole mount a good coat with a cloth two or three times a year and it will assist in protection from moisture. You should still air everything as much as possible and ensure you have a good gap at the bottom of the cover so air can circulate.

The way I look at it is, I could have a lovely shiny like new mount stood in the corner of the living room which I can admire from the couch…..but, because it’s so heavy and suffers from long setup times, I just wouldn’t use it….or nowhere near as often and I would still be sat on the couch wishing I was out under clear skies. By keeping it outside, set up, polar aligned and Star aligned (Synscan saves your last position and data) I can be observing in 10 minutes with no effort night after night. Ok, it’s life maybe slightly shorter (no evidence of that yet after 2 years) but at least I’ve had my money’s worth out of it

9 minutes ago, StuartT said:

55 minutes ago, Jiggy 67 said:

Yes, this is a good point. I am going to get a lot more use out of it this way rather than go through all the hassle of set up each time.

What I forgot to mention is that I put a coat of ACF-50 anti corrosion water repellent all over my mount twice a year. Just apply with a cloth (do not spray) to the outside of the mount and it will assist with repelling water and slow down any rust….it actually removes old rust as well, it’s electronic friendly 

I have left an EQ6 R Pro…..and reflector scope out for weeks at a time under a TG. Yes, it suffers from condensation but has no effect on the mount or scope as long as you air it for a while when you can. I think people worry too much about this, they are designed to be used outside. The returns for leaving it outside and actually using it, against ripping it down every night, and not using it anywhere near as much, far outweigh the risk of condensation imo

Welcome Ed. That setup is not an easy lift, it’s quite heavy.

I’m afraid that there is little option but to disassemble and reassemble each session.  Marking where the legs are will help but PA will have to be done each time as will star alignment…..unless…..You leave it all set up. I leave mine out for quite some time, weeks even. If you do this Synscan allows you to start from the last saved position. As long as you haven’t moved anything, there is no requirement for PA or star alignment, it remembers your last session, all you have to do is enter time and date. Obviously you need a good cover, I recommend the Telegizmos 365 cover, I use one without any issues 

So @John a couple of weeks into this thread and I think your original question of “Is purely observing a minority pastime now?” Has been answered with a resounding NO….excellent result I think and very encouraging for visual observers. 👍

1 hour ago, badhex said:

Good to know the larger one can power the EQ6R-Pro! I assume you're using a dew strip controller of some kind as well with your three dew strips?

Yes , I use a controller and a cigarette socket splitter so just one cable into the battery 

I also have the larger version of the Celestron and experienced none of the problems experienced by @ONIKKINEN It’s an excellent bit of kit and easily powers an EQ6 R Pro with 3 dew strips for two nights of about 5 hours each. Expensive but I would recommend it 

Don’t envy the judges on this one, they are all very very good

I wouldn’t mess with any grub screws, there’s no need

The clock numbers are irrelevant, you just need to match the view in an app, such as PS Align Pro, in your polar scope. However, if you want to get the numbers correct, use this method but the mount must be level to do it:

Place Polaris at the centre of the polar scope. Then using altitude bolt only, place Polaris at the top of the circle. Rotate in RA until 12 o’clock is on Polaris. The polar scope is now calibrated correctly (assuming it’s central in the mount). Now carry out PA and when complete return to the home position..

29 minutes ago, Gfamily said:

Did that at a star party once, but fortunately only for the second scope.

I can recommend the SynScan WiFi dongle, as you can run that from a phone, or a tablet if you've forgotten your phone, and if you've forgotten both you could probably borrow one (people are more likely to have a spare phone than a spare SynScan handset ! ).

If you’ve forgotten your handset, tablet…..and phone, it maybe time to see a doctor 😂🤣

+1 for the Baader, excellent zoom 

3 hours ago, John said:

I can see the temptation there.

This is a bit of a confession but recently I have occasionally been tempted by these ultra-simple clockwork driven camera mounts to try and stick my DSLR on and try to get something. I think they are branded Omegon ?

So far I've resisted or missed getting a cheap one but maybe I'll try one at some point.

Or are these the devices of the devil that will inevitably lead me down a dark and expensive path ?

Don’t do it John!! Stick to what you know and passing it on to everyone on here. The thread you started will become a self fulfilling prophecy if you move to the dark side

19 minutes ago, globular said:

p.s. like Jiggy67 I draw like a one year old too but I’m sticking with sketching and very much enjoy the process - I feel it improves my observations.

I’m just gonna have to give it a go, been considering it for ages

I just enjoy visual, there’s nothing better than standing in the quiet peaceful dark with your eye glued to the eyepiece. I have thought about AP in the past but can’t bring myself to do it, I think I would lose what I just mentioned as I faffed about with all the gadgetry. 
I do think observers are quieter on the forum but maybe they just haven’t got as many questions to ask, I imagine if I did get into AP my post count would be through the roof!! But I don’t think observing is becoming less popular, it’s just the more sedate side of the hobby 😀

I actually think I would enjoy sketching more than AP ….if I didn’t draw like a one year old!

Stunning sketch ✍️ 

Excellent report Wookie with some nice sketches to boot

Sounds like a great night…..Loving the caravan!

Great report!!…Not a lot to say really, you did everything right, just more….and more…..of the same. You did really well to find what you did, just enjoy it as you go deeper down the rabbit hole 🤣

I was observing this double star in Hercules last night and just wanted to highlight it for those that may not have tried it yet, given it's favourable position in the sky at the moment.

This is a wonderful double situated just off the North East corner of the Keystone, quite close to Pi Herculis. It is just visible with the naked eye. It is not difficult to split, though at a separation of 4 arc seconds it does require a bit of magnification. When split they present a beautiful pair of evenly matched stars sitting side by side. My best view was at x75 mag, I would have liked to go higher but the AZ5 mount makes focusing at higher mags difficult (on smaller targets).

Amazingly, this system is only 300 million years old so a baby really

If you are in the area, take a look, you won't regret it

 I was just browsing Stellarium and came across the below.......bit bizarre

Thanks Mark, reassuring, I was a bit worried but gave it a go last night and all seemed pretty secure

Ooh that’s nasty! 🤣

@John I take you will be out again tonight. I’m not usually a Summer observer due to work etc but the weather is looking so good I’m gonna be out for the next few nights….as for work…. I retire in 6 months so if I’m late, who cares!! 😀

I recently purchased a Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount to use with my 100ED Refractor. Basically I wanted a quick and easy grab and go and I wanted to do a bit more star-hopping alongside the Go-To'ing.

I've set it up for the first time today.....I don't do much observing in the summer, so haven't used this mount yet. I've noticed that the saddle is a static solid unit that is quite a bit wider than the dovetail attached to my scope....the whole assembly appears to rely on the one grub screw screwed onto the dovetail!!......I find this quite disconcerting. So my questions are:

1. Have I missed something during the setup process? or is this how it is designed?
2. I find the huge world of dovetails very confusing........Is there a correctly sized dovetail that will fit more snuggly into the saddle (and an SW 100ED Refractor)?......or even a replacement saddle?

Apologies if I've missed something obvious.........I do have a habit of doing just that!!.....🤥

A filter will have a very limited effect but it may provide some protection. Much better would be to speak to your local council and ask them to fit a shield to the street lamp. You will probably be surprised how cooperative they will be. If you can reduce the light reaching your garden and use a lp filter it will be a huge help