Vallantho

I’m no expert but I’m guessing that sort of focal ratio might be a bit impractical for astrophotography 😂😂

It was a 2mm hole, 360mm focal length. So if my maths is right somewhere near f115

So in my infinite wisdom I made a cap with a hole in it to put on the front of my scope. My thinking behind this was I’d be able to use the little dot of light sort of like an artificial star so I could get my focus tube nice and concentric. But all I succeeded in doing was making a very expensive pinhole camera 😂😂

Found a few more for you

So here’s the router. It’s a bit Janky and not very accurate, but it works. I can use it to help build a better one, which has been in the planning stage for a while. Will probably go with proper linear rails and ball screws. The design is based on this project from thingyverse https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3813481

Sure thing I’ll take some photos tomorrow when it’s light. I got a bit of a collection of microcontrollers, esps, arduinos, pi picos, that sort of thing. Not much of a programmer but I’ve used them in a few synthesiser modules and LED projects. Bit of a fan of the old WS2812 LED strips. What I’ve found with all these hobbies I get myself into is how well they blend together and the knowledge and skills you pick up along the way complement each other.

A 3D printer is probably the single most useful thing I ever bought. Need a new Bahtinov mask? Just print one. Need a thing to mount my raspberry pi? Just print one. And having access to fusion 360 free for personal use is just the icing on an already delicious cake. I’ve tried other software but I’ve not found anything as intuitive as fusion 360. The biggest project I used my printer for was building a cnc router. Also an incredibly useful device. But I don’t use it anywhere near as much as my little Ender 3. Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of building a Voron. Looks like such a fun project to work on. Bit of a financial commitment though especially when there are commercially available printers that are just as capable for less than the cost of building your own. But damn it would be a fun project, with all the hassles and problems to overcome that a project like that entails.

My surname is the word for valleys on mars. Does that count?

Thinking of doing something like this myself. What material did you use? I’m wondering how well PLA will hold up over the year ranging from wet and soggy to dry and hot?

Currently working my through a bottle of Glen Moray. Smokey and smooth. Single malt, £20 in Morrisons at the moment. Can't complain about those prices! I got two kinds of whisky. The kind you drink and the kind you look at. I also inherited a large collection from my dad. Some I’ve drunk, some I’m saving. One in particular will be opened on a special day. A bottle of Lagavulin 1984 distillers edition.

New filter, new possibilities

I see the it’s listed on FLO now. £619 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-cameras/zwo-asi-585mc-pro-usb-30-cooled-colour-camera.html

That’s interesting. I think my next camera will probably be a Touptek for budgetary reasons. Been looking on aliexpress but having a local supplier will remove the hassle of customs fees. Good find 👍👍

Touptek do a cooled IMX585. I’ve seen it listed on aliexpress for £449. Not sure what customs or import fees there would be, but to me that’s still a very attractive price. I know people might worry about the customer support aspect but if you were happy to buy something else second hand then you’re pretty much taking on the same level of risk.

Only daydreams about clear skies 😂😂 Although recently I did dream a dragon was shot out of the sky and landed on my garage. I tried phoning the council to come and dispose of it by they said they only did household waste. Make of that what you will?

Do a meet up in a planetarium. Guaranteed clear skies 😂😂

I came for the community. The last few years I’ve come to realise how important that is for my mental wellbeing. I’d been wanting to get into Astrophotography for a long while. It got to a point where I had the money available and I was looking around to see what I would buy to get me into the hobby. But around that time my dad died unexpectedly. Unfortunately he was the main carer for my mum who had recently been diagnosed with Fronto Temporal Dementia. I basically had to give up my whole life, move back home, change jobs and forget about any plans I might have had. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn’t realise until I removed myself from my old life how much I hated it and how miserable it made me. Most of my time not spent at work was spent on my own. I thought I liked it that way. But I was wrong about that. Anyway dad used to take mum to a dementia group in the local community centre so I started doing the same. Keep up the routine. I hated it. Hated being around people. But six years later I can’t be without it, and other groups we are a part of. There’s a singing group and a water aid coffee morning. I did these things for mums sake. But in the end it’s me who’s benefited most by integrating myself into a close community of people. Well one day I was taking some rubbish to the dump and while rooting around I found a discarded telescope. A Celestron astromaster 130eq. They let me take it. I cleaned it all up and set it up in the garden. One quick look at the moon and I knew this was never gonna be enough for me. I didn’t really have the disposable money to go diving into Astrophotography the way I originally intended, and thank goodness. I would have made all the wrong decisions. But slowly over time buying second hand when money would allow I’ve gotten to where I wanted to be. The whole time I learned most of what I’ve needed to know from reading SGL. And through reading and learning a lot I found that this was a community of people I wanted to be a part of. Mum’s condition has progressed to the point where she can no longer communicate. If it wasn’t for community I would be very isolated and that’s not a good way to live. So with all the things I’m now part of that’s what I’m there for. Community.

Mostly whiskey or bourbon mixed with cherry pepsi max. But only after 10pm

On one side I’ve got wonderful neighbours. They’re older, love peace and quiet. The woman is a retired nurse. I have my mother with advanced dementia here and she’s always on hand to offer help, advice and support whenever we need it. The husband helps me with my garden, takes an interest in my various hobbies and we regularly chat about whatever projects we’re working on. The other side…not so much. Constantly barking dogs. A hot tub that plays ridiculously loud music and four teenage daughters with no concept of reasonable volume. The dad is bully who likes to think he’s the big man around town and can tell everyone in the street what to do. The only big thing about him is his waistline. He actually tried to tell me not to go in my garden at night because it makes his dogs bark and woke him up. When he was building an extension he dumped all the dirt from the foundations on my driveway without permission. I could go on. But just thinking about him makes me angry. So there’s British neighbours and then there’s British neighbours. Be aware of the difference.

It doesn’t matter at all. Just be comfortable in yourself and do what you love.

Well if we had consensus what would we talk about 😂😂

I like the word stargazer. Has a dream like quality to it. And that’s mostly what I’m doing, just looking up and dreaming about what’s going on out there. The science is cool, but the sheer aesthetic beauty is breathtaking.

When it comes to photography I’m a big fan of the one camera one lens approach. I got an 8x10 which I exclusively use a 300mm lens with, a 4x5 which I only use with a 210mm lens and medium format I stick to 50mm. I only go out with one camera at a time. Not having choices can be liberating and another way to remove stress.