matelot

Managed to get the Canon 760D to focus with a T-ring and tube into a 2x SL Barlow. Focus isn't spot on, but fairly pleased for first attempt, given slight haze/high cloud, and a breeze. 1/250th, ISO 100, and some tweaking in Darktable.

Welcome. I know Hutton rather well. And we've friends in Freckleton, but they've agreed to stop fighting over the hills at Skipton and Gargrave. 😀

Thanks for your response, Ricochet. I'll study that until it becomes familiar. Cheers.

Thanks for that, wulfrun. Diddly-squat at night - only in bright skies does it show. I have it in mind that somehow it's the secondary. I've even had a good look at the 30mm with a loupe, but it's crystal.

Hi, all, One of the eye-pieces that came with the SL 200 Newt/Dob was the SL SV 30mm. For what I know with my first scope, it focuses fine and been looking at some phenomenal sunspots this morning. (Don't get cold, either...) 😉 However, the pics (taken indoors afterwards and just looking out) will show that there's a perfectly centred shady/shadow portion which seems to match the secondary mirror. Sunspots were perfectly focused when off-centre, but ever-so-slightly dimmed/out of focus when EP-centred. The included 9mm Plossl doesn't exhibit the same. As far as I can tell, collimation is near as spot-on as I can get it - everything centred, focus great, no double anything. It's just the very faint shadow. Is this an artefact of the setup, this particular 30mm EP, or have I got some tweaking to do somewhere? Pic 1 - blank sky, but imagine the Sun with bits of dust...; Pic 2- rooftops showing faintest darker shadow between two stacks; Pic 3 - straight down the focuser. It's only a minor issue because I don't know what it is. Cheers, peeps.

Burnley? Burnley? Still fighting in the hills over Skipton and Gargrave. Welcome from a Northerner down south. 🙃

Thanks for sharing that image. Must've been a lot of hard work pulling it together. Considering (if possible) the size of empty space, fantastic to know it's far from empty. Cheers, matey.

No, it's not. Hard drive getting full - just takes a few nanoseconds longer to access! 😆

Welcome. Lovely pics on your IG. 🌌

We call them scraps, not scrapings - regional terms. It's all the bits of crispy batter that's come off the fried fish. Never waste 'owt! 🤣

Thanks, Steve. No problem with 'slicing' up the dust cover? Seems the easiest and logical option. It's smooth without any manufactured smaller apertures - just going to cut the requisite hole to accommodate the film remainder.

Attitudes to life change as time wears on. I'm no philosopher, but what I've seen and experienced in my antecedent history may help: time goes on forever, so there's plenty of it about - make sure you get your free share of it for leisure; don't ever get on your deathbed wishing you'd done this, that, and the other; once you're gone, you're gone for a long time... life is for the living. Crack on, and enjoy. 😊 (And if it's cloudy, get the motorbike out!) 🏍️🛩️⛵⌛ PS: And you do have to get back on the horse - literally...

Hi, all. Following on from the above and some advice to ask here as well - and rather than necro an existing thread - would appreciate thoughts on the points raised. I also had it in mind to make a maximum aperture (leaving a generous lip) out of the plastic dust cover for the remaining Baader film, with a mask on top with a much smaller aperture. The mask could be replaced at will with various apertures to see how things pan out over time. The rigidity of the dust cover should suit fine. Advice appreciated. Cheers John

Thanks for the welcome, and the heads up on the Norman Lockyer. In respect of fish and chips - particularly here - can't beat one particular local fish and chips, mushy peas, a sausage on top, ramekin of raw onion courtesy of the chef, and all topped with curry sauce. That'll do! 😁

...whatever next? Hi, all. Lurked here years ago looking at getting into astronomy, after an accomplished French friend's astro evening. But colder here, so opted for a 400mm telephoto for solar and wildlife! And then got fed up lugging the kit, then Covid... Now determined to pursue astronomy again. After much research, collared a StellaLyra 8" Dob from FLO. Visual for now, and perhaps photography much later. Really pleased with the kit, especially as it was almost perfect (collimation-wise) out of the box. Look forward to the interchanges. Cheers John

Hi, all, I've some Baader solar film left over from my 400mm telephoto and DSLR, so figured cutting out a disc in the new SL 8" Dob firm-fitting plastic dust cover rather than faff with cardboard/glue/duct tape etc. Seems eminently suitable for the purpose. And then I found divers threads (all over t'internet) on off-axis solar filters - but next-to-no solid explanations and only supported by deleted photos... I gather that off-axis simply relates to a non-centred aperture, designed to avoid the secondary shadow and vanes. Being non-centred means a naturally smaller aperture and resultant stopping down. Is that correct? Given the Sun, how does an off-centre aperture compare to a rather larger centred aperture in respect of resolution? I could accept what I've found to date and make a decision (go small then open up if necessary), but respondents' opinions change over time. Cheers, all. 🍺🍺🍺

Thanks for all your responses: much appreciated and all considered. For the time being, I've sequestered a corner so I can leave it upright (minimum footprint) on its mount, resplendent in shower caps and fitted bedsheet. Once I get settled down and find how and where I site it most, I'll review. Thanks again, peeps.

Hi, all. I've just taken delivery of a StellaLyra 200mm Dob from FLO, for which I'll do a little first impressions write-up later. In the meantime, it's sitting there black and shiny, with the mount destined for the garage, and the OTA upright in a secure corner of my office. It's a space issue. The question is: any foreseeable problems with the OTA bolt upright - and assuming not - would it be better primary down i.e. carefully on its collimating knobs (or some little cross-piece to take the weight), or secondary end down? All duly covered. Thanks.