Steve Ward

I did the very same thing , fitted the Revelation SCT focuser to mine and replaced the iffy diagonal .

Mine spends its days giving me superb close-up views/images of the Sun with a full aperture Baader filter.

Had mine for a few months now and I love it ....

Happy viewing . . .

OS diameter of dewshield is 108mm .

A 5" embroidery ring works perfectly . . .

Sleeping outside in a hammock in the summertime under beautiful dark Suffolk skies aged about six , spent more time wondering about those little lights than sleeping . . .

Being dragged out of bed on 21st July 1969 to watch the first steps of Neil Armstrong . . .

Seeing a picture of the "Horsehead Nebula" 40 years ago and thinking " I want to do that " . . . . and waited 40 years to do it . . .

There's an identical thread running on this started this morning , might be an idea to merge them ... ?

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/185797-how-did-we-and-at-what-age-get-into-astronomy/

Nice one James.

Still can't get on with V6 myself , will try again later.

My other comment would be to drop the ISO down to 200 to lose a lot of noisiness from the subs , would mean shutter speed around 1/250 - 1/400 depending on the phase but in all but the worst seeing ( when you wouldn't be shooting anyway) you'll still catch plenty of clean frames.

I find a high ISO (400 +) ends up with the noise being sharpened and a very coarse , grainy appearance in the result , Lunar or Solar.

It would also give you darker underexposed subs , If your input frames are overexposed there's nothing you can do to bring back the blown areas whereas you can always retrieve data from a darker unsaturated shot ,

I don't let mine get any brighter than this , where the lit up tips just get white .

The small drawback of having to wait a while for the motor to move the focuser large amounts is , I feel , more than outweighed by the vibration free focusing that it provides.

I have them on all my scopes , bar the ETX , and won't be removing them anytime soon , in fact I shall be getting another one soon for the Mak180 that's imminent.

The fact that they can be controlled via various USB gadgets is another plus , I use a controller on mine ( Homebrew) and the finesse of focus is a real benefit imaging wise.

You're welcome Paul , happy hunting . . .

Try loosening the silver screw , the one facing the camera between the two wheels , if this is locked the wheels will 'turn forever' to no effect.

There's a silver thumbscrew on the focuser that locks the focus position ,

The focuser wheels will still rotate with the lock done up but the tube will not move .

" I've been looking for a local club, the only one near has a website but it doesn't work "

This one any help ? . . . http://www.cockermouthastronomy.co.uk/

This is one fascinating thread , would it not be an idea to contact Canon to ask about the adhesive they use ?

Steve.

I think a lot depends on how and where you purchase kit , and the 'research' you put in to start with.

If you find a retailer with honest , helpful staff that are willing to spend some time with you explaining things in a realistic fashion , you are much more likely to come away with a realistic idea of what you'll see.

A blind purchase on-line with no research is more than likely going to end in frustration.

The amount of posts here and elsewhere relating to the most basic things , pointing north , can't see anything , why is Saturn so small , etc seem to reflect this in my eyes.

I spent a lot of time deciding what I needed , so I thought , but after an initial visit to my local retailer and a 3 hour 'consultation' I came away with a much better understanding of what to expect from a variety of kit.

In the end ( not that there is ever an end to this game) I ended up with a set-up that ( i ) I am more than happy with , ( ii ) lets me do what I wanted to do , ( iii ) I can handle , use , collimate etc , all because of a very knowledgeable , helpful , patient , retail team.

A team I might add that put up with me on a regular basis , dealing with the ongoing trials and tribulations of a 'Newbie' , who still comes up against snags that need ironing out .

Don't try getting into this blind is my advice to anyone thinking of getting into astronomy , get some advice and avoid disappointment.

Steve.

Could be worse , I put the kit out last night ready for a long one , popped in to watch the news at 10 .............woken by birdsong at 03:50............

Been out in sun all day , that's my excuse....

Why you wait for clear skies to discombobulate your scope ?

I can hear you swearing from here....

Most can't even tie shoelaces let alone do maths ....

I'd better be careful , don't wanna be dissin' da yoof...........

Yet another damning indictment of the failing education system eh ,

Bring back the times tables and daily spelling tests I say...........

3.14159265 would be a little closer , one of those things that stick from school , albeit 34 years ago ............

Thanks , not restored , brand new handmade identical replacements ,

I like a challenge .......

Half-round bricks readily available at most builders merchants ,

Glad I wasn't the only one to spot the dodgy door , these things do tend to jump out to some of us . . . ;-)

Glad I'm not the only Gate-maker here too...........

My latest..............

Before.....

New.......

Just wish I had room for a pier or observatory myself.