Ratlet

3 hours ago, doublevodka said:

So I've now had chance to check it again and I'd missed a step 🤦

Also no need to remove the eyecup at all

First, unscrew the nosepiece from the eyepiece (it has a small flange that stops you unscrewing the body, hence feeling like it's threadlocked

Raise the eyecup to the top

Unscrew the body from the eyepiece

Reconnect the nosepiece, now you have a decloaked eyepiece 👍

Have documented the process with pictures here - 

 

Good to know that.  Glad they called it decloaking my mind had the process as degloving which is much worse.

5 hours ago, fate187 said:

I also got one of those very recently. How do you ensure the laser/collimator is straight? I checked the thing itself with some extensions on a flat mirror and the reflection didn't come out in the center of the bulls eye. In fact the laser light (high intensity setting) it a flat line instead of a dot 🤪

So basically you want to make a v out of wood or nails and put the collimator in it, point it at a wall and then rotate it.  Where the laser hits the wall should remain in the same place as you rotate, if not you adjust the collimation of the laser until the dot doesn't move when rotated.

Everything I just typed will read like I'm having heat stroke so just watch this video by astro la vista.  It'll make much more sense.

whilst would be idea that the laser were a perfect dot, so long as the line is smaller that circle marking the centre of your mirror it'll be fine. You might be able to make a mask,

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/109628-adding-an-aperture-stop-to-a-cheap-laser/

I should add I'm a great believer in "not good, but good enough" so you milage may vary

Cheap as chips laser collimator of eBay.  A steal at £25.

Did a quick check of the collimation of the laser and the dot doesn't really move at all.  So blapped it into the 130pds.  Collimation was out with the dot about 3/4" away from the circle.  Took about 10 minutes to get everything lined up.  Did a quick check with a Cheshire and everything lined up with the crosshairs so I assume all is good!

1 hour ago, doublevodka said:

Definitely worth trying the barlow, and as a bonus you keep the nice eye relief of the 25mm eyepiece, example on Jupiter here http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/?fov[]=70|67|||1||&fov[]=70|67|||2||&solar_system=jupiter

Before the 127 I got myself an 8mm BST, but it seems it and the 127 don't get on very well. Likely to do with the seeing conditions when I've tried it, but it certainly hasn't come to a crisp focus so far annoyingly

I've got the 8mm BST and also an 8-24mm zoom.  What you had sounds very similar to what I saw the other day doing white light solar.  Just felt like the best wouldn't focus well.  That being said neither would the zoom.  But I could get focus at about 16mm on the zoom.

Probably is down to seeing then?

I really like the Starguiders, although I think it is better to say I really like twist up eyecups.  They work well with my neanderthal brow and piggy eyes.  Feels like I can really lock in the sweet spot for looking through the eyepiece.

I'm going to also recommend the BST Starguiders.  I've found by 8mm far more comfortable to use than other eyepieces I've got (mostly ones that come with the scope and a couple of SVBONY, including the 8-24mm zoom) this has little to do with the view (though it is very nice), but mostly because I find the more solid cup VERY comfortable to use.  With my neaderthal brow I can rest my eyebrow on the cup and it just keep everything nicely focused and comfortable.  Just easier all round to keep everything where it is meant to be.

Basically I'd say if you have only experienced eyepieces with the flip up eyecup and you view without glasses then I'd highly recommend you at least try one with a twist up eyecup.  

Given the temperatures forecast for the next couple days, id consider wearing that to the shops as well as for observing.

Im loving solar observing.  There is so much happening on the sun right now.

13 minutes ago, col said:

My weekend would have been a total bust if Craig hadn't have told me what needed doing Ratlet. 

I had no idea, which a bit of paper saying this would solve. 

Iv got it up and out now and already lined the spotter scope up very easily with the way it is held in place, with a pigeon on an ariel about half a mile away. 

The colmination seems fine but I'll do a star test later to see. 

Now I'm over the disappointment I'm rather impressed with it up to now. Fingers crossed the clouds don't spoil things. 

Delighted for you chief 😊.

SGL is blessed with loads of people who have loads of experience.  What's better is they practically fall over each other to help.

Unfortunately they can't do anything about the clouds lol.

Clear skies!

Aye, my 130pds didn't come with instructions either.  Well it came with a guide to telescopes but nothing specific to the scope.

The AZ5 did have instructions but they are pretty high level and not massively useful.  Fortunately these forums exist. 

4 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

Didn't actully arrive today as it was a birthday present, but :

This one isn't nearly as heavy as the 2" 30mm that I bought recently, but it's still a decent paperweight.

It seems you get a free bag of Haribo with each order (which I don't like, but I'm sure will get eaten).

 

Used to be an oilfield tools company that would put sweets in the containers with the tools.  I was told they did this because once the tools were opened the rental rate changed.  Obviously grown men couldn't resist the allure of free haribo and the tools always got opened.

Vintage glass can be a really cost effective entry to astrophotography.  It's the route I'm taking.  £40 for 200mm prime lens (SMC Takumar f4), £8 for a converter and then DSLR to taste (I've got a canon t3i for £140).

Have a search on here and you can find recommendations.  Asides from the ones mentioned there is also the tair 3 which is a Soviet lens which is very highly regarded.

There is a phenomenal amount of stuff that looks better at a short focal length when imaged.

12 hours ago, Astro_Dad said:

Star Atlas arrived yesterday!

Really like the look of that.  Saw it on refreshing views on YouTube.  I suspect as a newbie I'm a ways away from needing it though.

Have to say that aesthetically it looks a really interesting read, regardless of whether I can use it.  

DPD finally found the house.  AZ5 and a 130PDS fresh from FLO.

Back in 2012, this was the scope I wanted and now I've got it, along with an 8mm BST and Barlow.  Have to say that the stock 28mm was very comfortable to use, certainly less kidney beaning and blackouts compared to the stock eyepiece than came with the slt127.  Tripod is an Innorel NT364C and exhibited very little shake with the scope plopped on top and not particularly well balanced.  I had nothing hanging off the hook on the bottom either.

Currently only some very litght haze outside, so hopefully will be able to take it out in anger tonight!

Hopefully round 1 of deliveries today.  If Grant from DPD can stop at the house this time!

Nothing too spicy, but an svbony 8-24mm zoom and 32mm 40°FOV Plossl.  The zoom turns very easily.

This should pair well with my 130pds which should arrive today.

I've got an 8mm BST coming and the scope comes with a 28mm so I'm quite excited to see how the view looks between the different glass.  Although with my weather I suspect it'll be mostly white light solar observing for a while.

Looking forward to seeing the reviews from everyone come in for this.

Also chuffed that I was pretty close with the correct price lol.

2 hours ago, CraigT82 said:

Jupiter’s ring anyone?! 

I'm pretty certain they're flexing on everyone else by casually just dropping in the ring of Jupiter.

That is a frankly obscene number of galaxies.

Hard to believe there was so much structure so soon after the universe formed.

So long as it's not this

I work a 2 week rotation (weeks of 12 hour shifts, followed by 2 weeks off).

My rotation has sync'd so that for the forseeable future I will have lots of moon lol.

1 hour ago, Froeng said:

A third Plossl? 👁👁👁

Keep stacking the plossls till you get the right number of elements and groups to make a nagler.

Some lovely context at the power of JWST.

https://youtu.be/p1mObQX7NN8

Cracking sky.  I broke out the sky atlas so I could identify the teapot lol.  Still new at this.

I do home-brewing and went through a major downturn in my interest.  Ended up getting renewed last year by beer kits rather than my usual all grain beer making.  Going for the simpler, easier approach was a lot of fun.  I still do the full brew, just not for every beer.

I've had issues in the past with the canon Eos utility software preventing things from seeing the camera.  If the eosnutility software is set to turn on when you connect a canon camera it can stop stuff seeing the camera.  You might have an icon in the applications tray that will let you know if it is on.  You can right click on it and change the settings though.

This assumes you have the eosnutility software installed of course.

I've got an old coffee table book from the early 2000's of professional astro images and the majority of them are no a patch on what guys are producing now from their back gardens.  It's incredible.

I think with something like the player one Saturn, this could be very useful as the sensor doesn't have a lot of thermal noise at ambient-ish temperatures.  Could be very interesting and is something I'm wanting to try if I stick it out with astrophotography

43 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

Came across this on the bay as brand new stock and while it was listed for reflectors of 76 diameter, the measurements made me wonder if it'd also suit the Celestron LT70AZ starsense scope.

Nice and solid so hopefully more stable than the OEM one, will see if I can find some sort of tubing to make up the gaps at the pivot

But it does all fit together (I'd previously bought some wood tripod legs that improved the wobbles)

May not even need to pad those pivot spindles as the screws did just fine. Quick test aimed at some aerials outside and it seems nice and stable and also the scope turns more easily around AZ too so I think for a touch under £30 that was worth doing 🙂 

You could pick up a pack of nylon spacers for TV mounts.  Should space without increasing friction