fwm891

I use my RC8 with and without a reducer (0.67x). I use an ASI533MC Pro as my imaging camera. Filter wise when there’s little or no moon I use. Baader UV/IR cut filter for galaxy’s star clusters or globulars, for nebulae I use an IDAS NBZ. I have homemade filter draw which allows me to keep the correct face of the filter to the sky. I no longer shoot mono, so no filter wheel. I use the 2” and a 1” extension tubes my filter draw (19mm) and the standard focuser. I also have a motor focus unit as it’s difficult getting that last fine adjustment manually. I hope that helps.

I use a TS 60mm as Guidescope on my TS RC 8. OAG’s are great but can be very restrictive on fov. I have my 60mm guider mounted under the main ota and forward, that really helps with balance as the RC 8 is back heavy to start with. TS do an 80mm guide scope which would be better still. I use an ASI120mm as guide camera on the 60mm.

Great report must have look too

Superb build - well done both 👍

They sure did. Panning through the North American Nebula especially the gulf area was superb. Other than imaging it .

This past week or so I’ve been buying and selling bits through the classified on the forum. I’ve picked up four TV Panoptics:15, 19, 24 and 35mm focal lengths which I felt were a good basic set. Couple these to my 16 inch Dob and a darker near new moon night and I’m a happy boy. I’m new to the observing lark so last night was to soak up starlight by just panning round. I found m57 (ring neb) easily well before it was dark. Then m27. At this point using the 35mm as a finder I tried using a 2” IDAS NBZ filter as a visual OIII Hb it worked a treat. M27 stood out superbly. I got the NBZ tri band to use with my OSC camera. I fitted the filter to a 2” to 1-1/4” step down adapter so I could use the other eyepieces with the filter. The 19 and 24mm ep’s were fine, showing the dumbell shape and after watching for a while I noticed mottling within the bright pats and quite extensive wings - all shades of grey of course. The veil eastern and western parts jumped out with the filter. Took me a good while to locate ngc891 not what I expected, (probably not it then!). Ngc 281 the pack an nebula also yealded to the NBZ filter. m31 it’s companions and m33 all found through growing high cloud. Switched to a gap between house’s and bagged m’s 81, 82, 97 and 108. Plus a few globular clusters. Went to bed really chuffed. Bring on the darker nights.

Astro Pixel Processor. https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/ There's a 30 day trial

Great image by the way...

Try APP trial. Great thing with APP is you can basically throw all your lights, darks, flats, bias.... into it press integrate and let it do it's stuff. When it spits out the image you can tweak it with its own processing tools to correct backgrounds and star colours. Like most processing programmes once you get into it you can play with settings. I don't now use it (PI man now) but I wish it had been around when I started AP. Francis

Not a lover of the Moon but that is superb for a WiP.

I've had the TS/GSO 10 inch dob - really good value too.

Mike, https://ukfabricsonline.com/ They have a waterproof section - I found the tent fabric in there (2 oz technical fabric 3.99 mtr)

@faulksy Mike, yes I am. Reason being I’m having a rear light shield covering 180 degrees made from a waterproof tent material (black) very light weight and opaque. From UK Fabrics, and cheap too! That will clip on the cage and extend well above and below it. I may order the same for a shroud if the shield works and doesn’t absorb moisture too much. Francis

You can do a custom white balance in daylight and save the settings - check the manual/menu settings.

Still a bit more paint to apply but I've been having a play when clear and today I've been altering the EQ platform built for my old 10 inch dob. The upper cage light shield has been omitted to show the weight reduction alterations to the cage. The extra weight behind the mirror box can also be seen.The lazy Susan is still too free so that needs some attention. Despite the moon Jupiter and Saturn have been awesome over the last few nights. Nudging the scope to follow them has been an incentive to get the EQ platform mods done.

Superb imaging Carole. Sami looks a nice lens combined with the 460😀

Sort of second first light! Clear Outside predicted a few hours of 8% cloud cover tonight. Having now got a working rocker box and a temp ground board it was out on the patio for a quick look at the moon low to the south, very yellow but the terminator detail was superb. I used a 24m ES 68° (x83) to view the whole disk and then slotted in an unknown 9mm (x221) and just eased the scope up and down the terminator. Very crisp even with the moon so low down. Vega was almost overhead in a bright sky but it was dazling, steady blue/white to my eyes. Then Alberio and the colour between the pair was amazing in and out of focus. As the sky began to darken it was back to Lyra to take a look at M57, I've not seen M57 visually for a very long time and it was better than I remember. Lots of detail in the ring (ES 82° 14mm x142) tried with the 9mm but not as good. I tried searching for M27 but cloud had come in and ended the session completely. Hung around for half an hour but cloud just thickend so all packed away again now. Really chuffed with everything whilst it was clear. I was also pleased that having been playing with the set-up in the conservatory when I dismantled and moved everything outside, re asembled and collimation was almost spot on. The red laser was just outside the centre ring marker on the primary and just needed a small twist to one adjuster on the secondary to bring it into line. The primary was fine with the laser returned to its source. I've found I made an up-cock when calculating the balance point as I need to add some weight to the rear of the mirror box to balance out heavier eyepieces at low altitude.

@faulksy Super scope. My 16 inch is just about ready for a proper 1st light. Last couple of nights have been reasonable but things are about to change.... Clear skies Francis

It's the steel tube version. I've used it with some large temperature variations and not found focus shift a problem. The camera is a ZWO ASi533 MC Pro with a Baader uv/ir cut filter. I use the C with and without a 0.67x reducer. Above images all had the reducer in place.

ngc 891, ngc7293, and last night ngc 5982 and co. 10 or 11 300s subs for each, TS RC8 + 0.67 reducer on CEM60 mount. Processed entirely in PI.

Sort of fist light. Mirrors in an a quick laser collimation. Focus about 5mm inside where I wanted it but eyepieces still focused OK. Started with a lowish power 24mm 68 degree ES ep. First straight up then with the aid of some wooden blocks I tilted it into the Swans neck - so many stars. I now need to finish the rocker box so it can be pointed at a known target. TBC.

It's finally beginning to look like a Dob OTA. No optics in at present just making sure all the bits go together first. Rocker box in progress. I'm hoping that later I can install the optics and just let the sky drift past with the assembly as it is pointing straight up...

Imaged earlier this week using 5 x 300s subs. TS RC8 +0.67 reducer, NBZ filter. Processed in PI

Thanks Alan.

Upper cage with spider vane assembly. Image 1 shows the cage from the primary mirror side, with central hub and vanes under tension. Image 2 shows the cage from the sky side. Image 3 is a detail of the spider vane axial adjustment. There's +/- 20mm axial travel here to position the secondary along the optical axis so the focal plane sits at the correct height for my eyepiece set. Image 4 shows the spider's central hub. The angled plate carries the secondary mirrors back plate (still to make this). Two of the collimation adjustment springs can be seen the third is inside the hub and adjusted from outside. Beginning to look more like a telescope rather than just a collection of parts. Everything will be stripped down for final painting art some stage. Probably after first light (whenever that is....) TBC