shedifice

Never heard of the Barlowed laser method? will google and see. L.

Hi, I have just got hold of a 12" Dob with a 2" focuser. I want to make it easy for my boy (and me) to collimate simply and to enhance the viewing experience. I was after a Hotech 2" collimator (comes with a hotech 2 to 1.25 adaptor) but FLO only have the 1.25 in stock. For those that have them, I am thinking the a 1.25 hotech would solve my collimation and using it with a baader click lock reducer would solve fitting it to a 2" focuser. I want the hotech for its famed centralising, will the baader work just as well and also give me an improved 2 to 1.25 for eyepieces ( admittedly at a slightly higher cost)?

Thanks, I will try capture over a laptop soon but just trying to get in camera working first. Do I set the ISO in manual then switch over to videi, I did not seem to be able to affect the ISO in the video mode.

After several years I have finally go round to using my 130pds for some imaging! With clear skies last night I had a few ours of playing with the set up, and visual observing. QUESTION - I was happy taking images with the 600d, setting ISO and shutter speed etc but when I tried to take video the camera complained because I did not have a lens on. (I was straight on the telescope with a T-ring. Do i need a special T-ring that thinks its a lens? L>

I have a few of them

Hi, I am looking into guiding my 130 PDS (synscan EQ5 mount). would an old Imaging Source DMK 21AU618 be suitable as a guide camera? its mono 640 x 480. If it is then I guess I just marry it up with a suitable 9 x 50 scope and start playing with software. L.

Hi thanks for that. Still not sure why it's angled but I now know the way up it should be. L.

Hi, My eq5 has the dovetail at an angle. Is there a right and wrong way to put the telescope on. I have trawled some SW manuals but not found anything. Thanks in advance. Leigh

If you unscrew the 1.25" bit in the middle, can you not put the camera Tring directly onto the 2"ring shown on the arrow?

I have used sharp apple and will give FC a go too. Thanks for settings advice. I used these cameras years ago but in a terrestrial setting with lenses etc (for work). Will trial the canon also. I am hopefully going to have a picture or something astronomy related soon.

So I downloaded the other software and it recognised the cameras. I tried a distant house but I still cant get an image. If I cover the ccd the image goes black and if I expose it its white so its doing something. do I need to do something to the software of should I be able to see an image in the live window? Confused. I have asked the wife and I have permission to use her canon so will see what that does on teh weekend (and get pics of the setup. L.

Hi thanks for the replies. I'll grab a pic this weekend. Also I'll try the software Cornelian as I don't find ic capture very friendly. I'll also get it out in the day for the focus check, obvious really. My boy wants to view the sun (with the baader filter!) So I can kill two birds with one stone. Thanks. leigh

HI, Just getting back into astronomy after a few years off. I acquired a 130P-DS last year and have just started using it. I have got it all up and running with a SYNSCAN drive and doing some visual observing. I obviously want to use it to image and have a few old imaging source cameras lying around dmk21au04 and a dmk618. When I tried these with IC capture i could not get either to focus. so i have the following stupid questions. do I need some sort of spacer to move the ccd out further perhaps? Should I be using a lens/eyepiece with the ccd Is there any other capture programs that work with the IS cameras? As they are small ccd chips, are the IS cameras really only for moon/planets rather than stars/DSOs? I have a dead Canon 40D that i might try fixing to use for AP, my wife has a canon 70d but not brave enough to use that. Thanks in advanced for any info and advice. Regards leigh