wookie1965

Yes I know Struve , Otto Struve I know what BU is but cannot think of it at this moment, STFA is Friedrich I think. HJ is John Herschel, WDS is Washington and I think BDS is Burnham's if I am not mistaken.

Just looked in Haas can only find 2 that are in your list, can you tell me what book or resource you get them from please.

Paul

On 01/04/2024 at 12:47, lunator said:

Hi Paul

Here are the Sextans co-ordinates 

10043-0142 STF1404

10097+0310 STF1412AB

10097+0310 STF1412AC

10262-0403 STF1433

10298-0355 STF1440

10416-0016 STF1464AB

10416-0016 STF1464AC

Here are the Auriga ones

04511+4458 STF 599AB

04511+4458 STF 599AC

04511+4458 STF 599BC

05167+3903 STF 658AB

Cheers

Ian

Your a star thank you so much 

Best wishes

Paul

I can only find a couple of those designations could you post the co-ordinates please.

28 minutes ago, PeterStudz said:

There are various suggested options of milk bottle washer, metal washer just a couple of milk bottle washers etc. I initial tried a 1mm washer + milk bottle washer but for my secondary I was short of space - the gap was small. So I went with two milk bottle washers like this. It has worked well since I did it roughly 2 years ago now. 
 

Link to article…

https://stargazerslounge.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=136801 392.83 kB · 443 downloads

I did the 1mm washer as when I took the secondary out of my 8" it had divots in, I sanded it down but put the washer there anyway. Did that with the 10" as well bloke who bought it said all the mods I had done were great. I should never have sold that 8". 

13 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:

I have and it's fine.

Some people don't seem to like laser collimators and I don't understand why. Mostly you just need to check and adjust the primary alignment, sometimes the secondary alignment, and only once (unless you drop the scope) do you need to adjust the secondary position.

 

Yes as long as the secondary is in the right place like you said wont need to touch it just a tweak of the primary. First laser like yours went in the bin it would not collimate I would get it doing a 2mm circle at 26ft then try it on the scope and it was miles out was not holding collimation. bought a second one that needed collimating got that doing a 2mm circle at 26ft away gave that to the bloke who bought my 8" reflector.

Will a skywatcher dual focus focuser fit the Vixen 102m with maybe a adapter plate. 

I am thinking my Svbony 3-8mm zoom may work then.

Thanks 

Paul

1 hour ago, PeterStudz said:

I have replaced my secondary screws with “Bobs Knobs” - well some cheaper thumb screws -  and also did the milk bottle modification. This does make adjusting the secondary so much easier. But you don’t do it that often so it’s hard to say if it’s worth it for you. I had to take my 8” Dob apart so it was a quick, simple and cheap thing to do at the same time. 

Did you put a 1mm washer in front of the holder then the milk bottle washer then the mirror?

6 hours ago, PeterC65 said:

I find that a laser collimator is the best tool for aligning the primary and secondary. The secondary alignment rarely needs adjusting but the primary alignment needs it regularly.

For adjusting the position of the secondary (along and across the axis of the scope, and its rotation) and I use a Cheshire eyepiece. But that only needs doing once.

The laser collimator I use is this one. It was correctly collimated itself from new and makes alignment of the primary and secondary easy in daylight and in the dark, although in the dark I do need to use a torch to be able to see the centre mark on the primary. I use it in 2" focusers with a standard 2" to 1.25" adapter as the one that comes with the collimator is plastic.

What I like about this laser collimator, compared with say the Baader, is that the laser target on the collimator is at 45° so you can orientate it so that you can see where the laser dot falls on the target from the primary end of the scope, allowing you to stan at the end and make the necessary adjustments.

 

Check that laser I have had two and both were out worth checking.

Cracking image 

A warm welcome to SGL

I use this my Telrads have not fell off 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mammoth-Powerful-Grip-Tape-double-sided/dp/B0038LUASA?th=1

10 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

 I haven't noticed a problem with in focusing the 3-8 zoom Paul, but I haven't used a wedge for a long time. I bought a Lunt 1.25" Herschel wedge a few years ago and found I couldn't get enough inward focus using my FC100DC focuser with some eyepieces. I haven't tried one on my DZ, but I think the Wedge takes up more light path than a standard diagonal. 

Yes I have the 1.25" Lunt wedge and noticed I cannot focus with some eyepieces including the 3-8 zoom I thought it would be different in a normal 1.23" diagonal but it would not focus in the vixen at all yet a 4.5mm TMB.

21 hours ago, lunator said:

The title isn't strictly true as the Auriga pairs were observed on the 22nd. 

The Dob had been cooling down since late afternoon. The forecast was mixed but I thought it was worth the effort. 

I had some doubles in Sextans I wanted to view and then move onto some Galaxies in Leo/Virgo. I also got sidetracked by Tegmine, Porrima and M44 😀

 

STF599AB w/b A wide pair with a moderate difference in magnitude. The primary is white, the secondary pale blue. The 3rd Component is faint.Magnification x50 separation 10.5 Prinmary Mag 8.7 Secondary Mag 10.1  co-ords 04 51 44 58

STF658 w/b A close pair of uneven magnitude. The primary is white, the secondary pale blue.  x100   5.8  9.0  10.3   05 17 39 03

STF1404 w/o A neat pair of stars just split at x50. Best view at x75. The primary is white, the secondary is slightly orange. Part of a circlet of stars. x50   6.4  9.1  9.7  10 04 S01 42

STF1412AB o/nc A wide pair of uneven magnitude. The primary is orange. The secondary can be seen with averted vision. Visible at x60 but x150 brought it out well. x60  30.7  8.5  12.1  10 10  03 10

STF1412AC o/o A very wide pair fairly evenly matched. Both stars appear orange.  x50  90  8.5  8.7  10 10  03 10

STF1433 w/b A wide pair with a large diiderence in magnitude. The primary is white, the secondary is a blue grey dot visible at x60. Shares a low power field with orange star 27 Sex (HD90485)  x60  23.7  8.4  11.8  10 26  S04 03

STF1440 w/y A neat pair with a moderate difference in magnitude. The primary is white, the secondary pale yellow. Part of a rectangular asterism with 3 bright stars.  x50  14.8  7.8  9.2  10 30  S03 55

STF1464AB w/b A fairly close pair of uneven magnitude. The primary is white, the secondary is pale blue. The ‘c’ component lies some distance way. x50  5.8  8.3  10.3  10 42  S00 16

STF1464AC w/nc A very wide pair. The ‘C’ component is similar in magnitude to the ‘B’ component.  x50  66.7  8.3  10.5  10 42  S00 
16

 

Cheers 

Ian

Ian can you do me a favour and give me the co ordinates for these please or a different designation catalogue, I have looked in Haas, Cambridge  double star atlas, Webbs double stars and Burnhams and cannot find any thanks.

Fantastic reports and the pictures are stunning.

Well I resolved Tegmine in the Vixen 102m with a barlowed 6mm, I have split it a few times but that was with my 5" Meade I should never have sold that. 

On 30/03/2024 at 23:29, mikeDnight said:

I went out early this evening while it was still daylight. The sky was clear and the Sun was well below my local western horizon. I searched for Jupiter for a while with the naked eye and as soon as I found it I aimed the scope at it. It was my hope I'd be able to catch it before it got too low in my western sky, and also in the hope I could sketch it.  Through the binoviewer at 166X there was a lot of detail but turbulence made it difficult to see easily. Still, I made a sketch and continued to study the detail through the scope. Out of curiosity I decided to compare the SvBony 3-8mm zoom to the view I'd had through the binoviewer, and was pleasantly surprised at the well defined belt detail at the 5mm setting which gave 208X in the FS128. I'm not certain if the atmosphere had steadied somewhat, but the zoom enabled me to more precisely position some detail on my sketch, and showed me some more subtle detail I hadn't seen earlier. I also like the fact that I could fine tune the zoom by choosing powers between the click stops.

 After going back into the house for a horlicks, I made a cleaned up version of the eyepiece sketch, then went out again to have a brief look around the sky using my set of Ultraflat eyepieces. I started with the Pleiades over in the west using the 30mm, then swung the scope round to look at M51. Then I dropped down to catch a glimpse of M13 which looked gorgeous through the 10mm Ultraflat, after which I swung around to pick up the clusters in Auriga. I caught a sweet little triple star and a lone blood red star in Gemini but have no idea what their names or designation might be. Then finally i finished the session by aimlessly sweeping along the Perseus chain and into Cassiopeia.  The sky was misting over a little and so felt it was time to call it a night.

Mike have you found the Svbony needs a lot more in focus than a normal say 6mm eyepiece. I tried it in my set up for solar (Tal) but would not focus never thought much of it as lower focal length eyepieces wont focus , I thought it was just the solar wedge but had the vixen out and it would not focus in that. Have to try the Tal with the 2" diagonal in.

Great report Ian going to check those doubles out, what scope was you using?

I will try zoom with my Tal if I can not get focus with that may as well sell it on. 

1 minute ago, Sunshine said:

Nice! and a nice list of targets you’ve completed. Did the scope leave a lump on your head?

No luckily what also worked with the views is my mum attached some interfacing material to the front of a hoodie blocks all extraneous light. 

Just now, Sunshine said:

What Vixen is that? 

Vixen 102m

OH what a night Started off with Jupiter just to centre my telrad was not that good as the scope had not cooled but make out one band and 4 moons, at first I thought I had a double image but it was two moons close together.

Once aligned sent it to NGC 457 lovely site right in the centre I could only see the chips when out of focus otherwise pin sharp.

Auriga

 M36,M37 and M38.  M37 sparkled great sight in my 12.5mm

NGC 1664 (Kite)  Lovely open cluster.

59 Aur  (SAO 0595 71) Mags of 6.1 + 10.2  Sep of 22.2",   did not expect to get this but with a 6.5mm Pale yellow with a dot at its side.

14 Aur  (SAO 0577 99) Mags of 5.0 +11.1/5.0 + 7.3 Sep  of  10" + 14.1,  Yellow and blue could not see third component 

Bogardus  θ Aur  (SAO 0586 36)  Mags of 2.7 + 7.2 Sep of 3.8"  and mags of 2.7 + 10.1 Sep of 135.3",  White and Olive with a tiny dot far away 

ω Omega Aur  (SAO 0575 48) Mags of 5.0 +8.2 Sep 4.7", Orange/yellow touching a blue star.

26  Aur   (SAO 0582 80) Mags of 5.5 + 8.4 Sep 12.1"  lovely Yellow and Blue pair

41 Aur (SAO 0409 24) Mags of 6.2 + 6.9 Sep 7.6", pair of pale Yellow nearly twin stars.

Tegmine ξ Cancri  (SAO 0976 45) As the scope had cooled now wanted to try this and nearly got it peanut shape with a tiny waist but not a split.

Coma Berenices

Σ 1633    (SAO 0822 54) Mags of 7.0 + 7.1 Sep 8.9", Pair of off White twins

24 Com  (SAO 1001 60) Mags of 5.1 + 6.3 Sep 20.1", lovely Orange and Blue pair

Σ 1685   (SAO 1003 07) Mags of 7.3 + 7.8 Sep 16", Aqua and line pair.

32/33 Com (SAO 1003 11) Mags of 6.5 +7.0 Sep of 195.6", Pale Orange and a off White pair.

Σ1639      (SAO 0822 93) Mags of 6.7 +7.8 Sep 1.7",  white and lime pair only split with a 4mm at x 250

17 Com    (SAO 0823 30) Mags of 5.2 + 6.6 Sep 146.2",  White and Blue White pair.

ΟΣ 266   13h 28.4m  +15° 43‛ Mags of 8.0 +8.4 Sep 2"  Both Lime used 6mm to see a comfortable split.

Canes Venatici

"La Superba"  (SAO 0443 17) Wow really bright red cinder lovely

2CVn      (SAO 0440 97) Mags of 5.9 + 8.7 Sep 11.3",  Ruddy red with silver dot

Σ1645   (SAO 0441 87) Mags 7.5 + 8.1 Sep 9.6" , Pair of off White stars.

α CVn (Cor Coroli)  (SAO 0632 57) Mags of 2.9 + 5.5 Sep 19.3", Bright White with Blue/Green pair 

16/17  (SAO 0633 80) Mags of 6.0 + 6.3 Sep 277.5", Very wide pair Off White and a Blue white stars.

Σ261  (SAO 0633 96) Mags of 7.4 + 7.6 Sep 2.6", Blue whit twins split with a 6mm

Σ 1755 (SAO 0635 93) Mags of 7.3 + 8.1 Sep 4.2", Straw and ice Blue coloured stars here.

M3  Lovely patch but no resolved stars 

after this I stood up banged my head on the scope knocking it out of alignment went to align it again and power pack died gave up then still a great session.

Only one problem I could focus with a 4mm but when putting in the Svbony 8-3mm zoom it would not focus very strange.

Paul

 First night with the Vixen would still be out if my power pack hadn't died. 

I waited up until 10.45pm as it said it would be clear from 9pm as I had been up early like every morning 4.50am could not keep my eyes open. Come down this morning son left me a note saying when he came in at 12.30am it was clearer than he has seen it in months, checked and I was well away and he didn't want to disturb me.

So a session missed until I dont know when.

34 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

Can't see the chips!    🙂

No Peter like you said really happy with the clarity and sharpness thank you.