Gina

Watching a farming programme on TV and just seen a huge maize drill (farm machine) entirely 3D printed!! Amazing!

I love Jaffa Cakes so there Olly!!! But everyone to their own taste I guess.

That cake looks a bit tough 🤣 Sorry CNR...

I've made PCBs in the past but it's fiddly and messy so these days I just use stripboard (eg. VeroBoard).

What time is that in UTC/GMT?

Certainly not good from an engineering POV!

The RPi runs Linux so you need Linux software to run on it. Fortunately there is step by step instructions to do this by just copy and paste plus running some control software on the RPi with keyboard, mouse and HDMI display. Once everything is set up you no longer need all that extra equipment and can run everything over WiFi. KStars/Ekos will run on Linux, Windows or Mac OS. But there's also other software you can use.

I have been experimenting again with 3D printing a waterproof housing and have succeeded.

Yes, got a tin.

I use KStars/Ekos/INDI with INDI drivers and server on the RPi ands KStars/Ekos on my main computer indoors.

1/25th second is nowhere near long enough for night use. I use 30 or 60s with a proper astro camera - ASI 178MM or MC. I have both but the MC wasn't really sensitive enough.

I use a Raspberry Pi 3 and WiFi - works well. RPi in same case as camera so only power cable to connect.

I got one of those Fujinon fish-eye lenses from another member and it was superb until the mast it was on fell down and the lens caught a flagstone and broke! I ordered what seemed like a replacement for around £70 as I recall, but it was defective with tadpole shaped stars around the edge. That was from DNS Optical. I emailed them but got no reply. Whether the ones they are now selling at £140 are any better I have no idea. These lenses are C mount as I recall (cold be CS - same size thread but different back focus) but have no means of focussing. That was quite a big problem. I am now using a fish-eye lens from Modern Astronomy. This works well with the ASI 178 camera and gives 180° coverage just. It says it gives that with 1/3" sensors but for all round coverage it needs a 1/2" sensor.

I love things that are different. 😁

Dreadful here too!! But, yes, worse in other places! With my central heating out of action I have been grateful for mild weather.

The screw-mount top has arrived and it provides for a very secure and stiff mounting, enormously better than the groovemount. Great chance of curing my problems, I think. I'm still going to provide manual bed levelling though as IMO the smaller any corrections the better. Also, there's no getting away from the fact that the bottom of the print is the bed (unless using a raft and I don't).

Yes, it's certainly complicated. It also has some serious deficiencies, apart from being very inaccurate. Still dependent on bed size for X and Y dimensions and a large heated bed is expensive. Also, I think the X and Y dimensions get smaller as the height increases. It is most suitable for narrow, tall prints that are smaller at the top.

I find it very hard to believe a Hang Printer could produce a satisfactory print. I've had problems with string or belts a metre long let alone several metres!! A fascinating idea but hardly practical IMV.

OMG back to the "pink string" 🤣 I use to make more conventional printers with "pink string" a.k.a. braided fishing line cord with 100lb breaking strain. Drove me up the wall - kept coming off the drums! Also, slightly more stretch than GT2 timing belt. Wore out quite quickly too where it went over pulleys. Have to say I have looked at the Hang Printer and the cord is quite amazing considering it's only about half a millimetre diameter. Edit :- Think it's had a bit of an upgrade since I last looked at it.

Does that mean you're going to build a bigger printer, Chris?

They work wonders on concrete floors too.

It is, isn't it!! I love it.

Strange that those capacitors should have a red stripe on the negative side when the common standard is to use red for positive!!

Good luck with your recovery Wim.

Happy New Year everyone 😀🥂