kingboya

My altair 115 reduced to 636mm with QSI683 Wsg8 hanging off the back:p

Can you provide the details or a link on which type of Octavia barke disk you used. I'm looking for an NEQ6 adapter in The Netherlands and this looks really good.

Thanks in advance.

HTH

Tony:D

Here's mine. <br />

Skoda octavia disk seems to fit my NEQ6, and works a charm! <br />

Corpze!

Here is my list of bearings that I got for mine two years ago. I bought from Spekuma and I believe they substituted one of them. SKF numbers are as follows:

4st SKF 608-2RSH

6st SKF 6008-2RS1

1st SKF 30206-J2/Q

1st SKF 32208-J2/Q

At that time I had had my EQ6 for less than a year and not used it much. Still, two of the main bearings were corroded. I suggest you replace them all.

/p

The unsealed SKF bearings were cheaper but still £148.49.

I must say I wasn't expecting that sort of money.

Would the unsealed bearings be a worthy upgrade over the stock?

Yes thats the same mod I did to mine and fingers crossed its held out fine,I even held it by the focuser tube with the weight of the scope on it and no slippage at all.I also

modded the skywatcher autofocuser and have that attached as well, it all seems very solid now.

I am not the only one that held the scope by the focus tube!

What did you do to it to get this comfort feeling? If I can get mine the same as you then I have no ideological desire to spend £260 on a new one!

http://www.astronomyshed.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=4932

I carried out this adjustment and now my focuser is rock solid, no slippage whatsoever but not too tight!

Personally I think that a focuser upgrade would not be incongruous considering CCD, filter wheel, filters etc hanging off if - nigh on two grands worth....Stock focuser is weakest link of the ED80 package IMO. You guys sound like your sticking with stock one albeit with the ( excellent) baader adapter? That wont solve slippage etc that the stock focuser can be subject too.....

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Plate solving sorts that. Look at AstroTortilla and Elbrus.

I have actually just installed astro tortilla but yet to try it out. I have read all of the information in the manual, but just to clarify, do you download an image from artemis onto your hardrive and then point astro tortilla to that file, which it annalizes, then it slews to the target somehow?

That Baader adapter really looks the business. I assume it just screws directly onto the ED80s drawtube?

That is what I am hoping! It is made for skywatcher scopes

Yes, I use it fro that too - easier than using an Allen key to free the rotator on the EFW2

Of course! This is sounding like a better purchase the more I hear!

Thats good to use for adding a 2" filter in front.. also I use one of these for a very secure fit.. I hate the 1 or 2 point screw adapters as they can introduce slight tilt into the train.

http://www.365astron...pes-p-1913.html

thanks for the link...that just cost me Looks like a great product, and more secure than the quite rubbish thumb screws with lots of money hanging off the back of the scope...better safe than sorry, but please, no more links for a month or so

Hi, I see you dont screw your reducer directly on to the scope focuser tube.I am thinking of doing the same so I can add a 2" LPR filter to my set up and wondered is this the adapter you use to

attach the reducer to the ED80

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/flo-adapter-for-skywatcher-focal-reducers.html

I don't screw it directly in due to the fact that my scope is not observatory based so I need to use an eyepiece for alignment etc. Also of course I use a Skywatcher light pollution filter screwed into that adapter.

Forgot to mention, thank you all for your help in getting me to spend my money and attain a setup that will last for years to come (until the next thing). I love this site, and hope to be in a position to help others as I have been helped!

Well this is my setup now, spacing settled at 55.46mm. The filter wheel is loaded and ready for action. Now for the clouds....... >_>

To spell out again how all the bits fit together for using the SW FR with the Atik EFW2 and 314L+ camera, here's a couple of photos showing the following (including where I bought them) - from left to right :-

1. SW 0.85x FR/FF - http://www.firstligh...l-reducers.html
   
2. M48 to T2 adapter - Teleskop Express - https://www.teleskop...roducts_id/3504
   
3. 3mm T2 extension tube - http://www.teleskop-...Length-3mm.html
   
4. 8mm T2 extension tube - http://www.teleskop-...Length-8mm.html
   
5. Atik T2 to M54 adapter to fit EFW2 filter wheel - FLO :- http://www.firstligh...-t-adapter.html
   
6. Atik EFW2 filter wheel :- http://www.firstligh...lter-wheel.html
   
7. Atik 314L+ mono CCD camera
   

You can see where I scratched the paint off trying to get the extension tubes and adapter apart

Thanks for the photos Gina.

Shame about the scuffed connectors just superficial. How old is the 314L? I have never seen a gold one before? V nice setup!

Thanks - I think I follow the idea.....

Thanks also to Olly about the boot polish tip as well. I had to use pliers to remove this "cold weld" on a few bits and bobs (outside of astro as well) and never thought of boot polish like that. Great tip.

I should have all the bits and bobs by early next week. I will take some shots with angles etc when I get it up and running. Thank you Olly for the excellent tip about the cold welding! You have simply saved people big cash there!

I keep taking pictures of the back of the eyepeice cap hoping desperately for some clear skies only had one half clear night since i got mine lol.Dont forget the boot polish when those adapters arrive.

Yes I won't, and I can do my shoes at the same time

can you guys detail the parts you used in sequence to get these chip distances please? I take it the FR/FF still attach to the FLO thingy that the goes into the focuser as standard?

So after the FRFL --- <some type of adapter> ---EFW2----CCD ?

I think I am missing soemthing and there is some other thread conversion gizmo in there?

Go back to the start of the thread. Gina and Andyo describe their setups, and the connectors used. And very helpful they are too

Congratulations and welcome to the owners club...

Thank you, I feel privileged!

I'm sure you'll love it I find it a real delight I have to say - and keep saying Enjoy

I already love it! All I have done so far is take excellent images of the back of the eyepiece cap. Lovely! The camera is working flawlessly so far. Compared to my 1000D, I now have no COM port errors, it cools brilliantly, and as you say, Artemis is great too I am one happy bunny!

Here you go an image of my set up

total measurement of 54.5 taken the same as shown in sha-parts review.That is from camera sensor to the focal plane of the reducer(thats the flat black part where the screw thread starts)

Then, I will have a load of questions to ask you all!

Tony

I think this review might answer your question there are some nice diagrams of spacing towards the bottom of the page, Its a good read:)

http://www.insideastronomy.com/index.php?/topic/116-skywatcher-ed80-ds-pro-outfit-review-by-nadeem-shah-parts-1-3/

Regards

Chris

I think I can manage that

You are a 'star' Gina, pardon the pun

Could someone please post an image of the assembled setup if you get a chance please, pretty please