Orlando Gonzalez

By all means, go 2".

On 31/08/2022 at 06:51, AMcD said:

I put the new parts on yesterday.  The cleaning and re-greasing and installation of the new parts was relatively straightforward, assisted in large measure by the YouTube videos from Losmandy.

Serendipitously, the skies were clear and I was able to put the mount back in the observatory, polar align it and begin testing the guiding.  Even without any fine adjustment, the guiding was variable but sub-arc second for significant periods (the seeing was poor), so I am hopeful that I will see an appreciable improvement over the previous configuration as I make final fine adjustments.  The adjustment of the worms is a lot easier with the one piece blocks!

I can no longer see the 76 second PE on the PHD2 analysis graph as matters stand.  I am however, getting very high levels of declination backlash at the moment (although had failed to set TVC to 0 in the Gemini).  I have sent my guide logs to the PHD Open forum for any guidance the experts might have on how to better ‘dial in’ the new parts.

The new high torque motors are quite loud (there is a Losmandy video that suggests how that might be addressed) but they move my 35lbs of equipment around like it is not there.

Overall, my initial impression is a positive one.😀

Okay, my new motors are loud also and I did look at the video but have not addressed the issue yet. I believe some screws are a bit too tight. The upgrade was well worth it.

It's an easy mount to work on. I've owned mine for over 20 years also. Last year I upgraded to Gemini 2 with the high torque motors. 

Glad you are doing well and thanks for posting. Recently I noticed a large floater in my left eye during daytime. It went away after a few weeks but now I think I'll have my eyes checked.

Feather Touch upgrade on my 102.

Hello everyone. Learning my way around SGL.

CraigT82 is correct. You would have to drill holes. Hard choice to make, but if it were my scope with great optics and so well preserved I would do the upgrade. It would be like having a brand new quality instrument for the price of a high end focuser. You can consult Startlight or Moonlite instruments for an opinion and they can help you determine which focuser is the best fit. I know a few friends who have done this to dobs with bad focusers but good optics. Good luck.

It's expensive but a Starlight Instruments Feather Touch Dual Speed is the way to go. I have a Feather Touch focuser on my Tele Vue 102 refractor. It was well worth the upgrade. Good luck and clear skies.

I also am baffled. Markus is very reputable. I suspect the problem is in the diagonal. Try a different diagonal if available.

Excellent!

So cloudy I can barely see the moon! Would have been nice.

This is very helpful. Thank you.

I have all the Naglers types 4, 5 and 6. Even though I have a complete set of Ethos, I still use my Naglers. Great eyepieces truly revolutionary when first designed.

On 22/09/2022 at 01:38, Stu said:

There used to be a 2.5mm type 7 Nagler ie 82 degree afov. Very nice eyepiece, had one for a while. Picking one up used would be the only possibility now though I think.

I recently located one in mint condition on Astromart. A wonderful eyepiece. It's a type 6 Nagler.

Hello. I am watching your observatory build on YouTube. Very impressive and educational. Thank you for sharing your project.

I have over 50 eyepieces. Mostly Tele Vue. Been collecting them for quite a while.