alan potts

Lovely image Graham, I imagine by the fact I have never seen it before ,it is one I can't lay a scope on, still I guess we have some nice targets too. Alan

Always work of the highest caliber from your neck of the woods, great image Olly, Alan

Yes I happened across it the other night, idle hands again, clicking buttons an saw it in the opening EQmod window with the N S E & W controls. It looks like 5 turns of the worm, which as you say is a while, at least 40mins I would say. I do indeed have that mount, I will give this a read and have a play tonight as the Moon is now annoying. Alan

Has anyone tried the newish EQmod PEC, all I see on line is an older video of PEC where one had to use a separate program to generate a PEC file the edit and load. Now I see in the opening window there is a record PEC facility and play button, you record 5 turns of the worm which I imagine takes a time and then I guess play it back whilst guiding Anyone done this as I don't see very much at all that's up to date, as good as guiding was last night before clouds visited we always want that extra bit to go to 11 as Spinal Tap would say. Alan

You drive a hard bargain Stash Old, but as you solved my EQmod problems I will over look it.😀 Alan

I am off to the bank tomorrow, he is a very helpful guy too.

Not correct, I am never on the net when I use it. Alan

Tell you tomorrow, I've used it 2 years, Evo lives in Sofia the same country where I live, so I feel I ought to pay him, it is a hell of a program for what amount to 15 quid, I feel we should all cough up. Alan

The simple answer is no but with some differences are not as dramatic as some think, centres are normally fairly good, not as sharp as say a Vixen HR or a TV Delite but good enough, it is when you get to the edges that the wheels often come off, even fairly pricey eyepieces like Meade SWA, and I had the full set, cannot quite get to the edge preforance of the likes of TeleVue or Pentax, and possible some Vixen models I have not used. Some are not troubled by this but personally I am and are happy to pay the extra.

Well again thank-you to all that tried to help, I removed this Reducer earlier and about 2 hours ago put it back, in doing so I saw something I had missed but then wasn't looking for it. There were a couple of areas, not large, but areas as opposed to scratches where the black was missing and the shinny metal was visible underneath. Who knows what been going on here. That said I could not make it repeat the arc lighting effect from other nights, so I covered them up with Matt black paint, one assumes job done, its a good job it was cheap, would have been well angry at 345 euros. Have to say though the corner are not good and the spacing for a Canon at 55mm is difficult to get wrong, and my scope is only 5mm F/L longer than the 800 they state which I would have though negligible. Alan

Steve, I have taken it off now, the reducer that is. I will run the test in the next couple of days weather permitting and message you, I will have to do new flats now😀. It was not new but this was a pricey bit of kit at near 300 quid if new, the camera is the same one as the last 2 years. Alan

I am beginning to feel it is something to do with the reducer, it I don't believe is the telescope as this is an expensive scope and never causes a problem with the other flattener, I also cannot see a problem with the camera albeit at 10 years old. Even light, what light as it is in my case there isn't any, lets see if the same happens tonight now I have removed the reducer. Alan

Just the sort of thing that one should do to an item that will cost you close to 300 quid if bought new. It may be interesting to see if placed in the sky in the same place, I synced it, whether the Hutech causes issues, I rather think it will not as I have use this now for a fair while and never seen anything. Alan

Flats look fine as far as I can see they look, well, flat. I thought Deneb, it is near and nothing change from one night to the next, can't say I am impressed with this TS reducer at all, about 350e new I believe, so not exactly cheap but if it does this not exactly good either. Checked everything else and basically seen nothing. I have taken it of and gone back to 805mm with the Hutech flattener, which in my books is better. The TS Reducer/ flat does not give round stars at the corners in my scope and it is set at 55mm, it is recommended by them I understand but that doesn't cut the mustard with me, I got this fairly cheap fortunately. Alan

Thought I had found what this problem was for about the length of a sub, I thought it was the laptop reflecting off the top front of the observatory roof which is white. So moved it back out the way and it was exactly the same as the picture directly above in the exact same part of the sky. Moved the telescope a fairly short distance, only about 5 degrees and nothing. All lights, dim as they are covered and laptop top covered too. There is not a light of any type for for a fair distance, even street lamps which are orange are shielded by trees and a good distance away from me. Pointing at the Pelican Nebular there is only stars above and the odd aircraft, can't work this out at all, never saw it before this TS .79 reducer was put in place. Alan

I caught that myself the other night visually low down after sunset, I have a very good westward view here, well in some parts of the garden. Alan

Don't know what happened there, Alan

Er neither was mine, in fact I have to confess I didn't know they were there at all and even then can only just see them. I post my effort here so you can see how well you did do, mine was about 3 hours I think I tried to mask the stars in another but made a mess. must try again.

Must have a look for that one, Cygnus is right over head here. Alan

Lovely shot always reminds me of Rick Wakeman surrounded by keyboards, where is this in the sky? Alan

I think you have done very well there as I know how difficult this is from a few weeks back doing it myself, from 10 degrees better than anyone in the UK. A very good shot and rewarding with it being so low. Alan

Actually Dave on the back of this post I have just had a really good look at a number of subs at 100-200% and the edges are not very clever at all. This is in a rig where the correct back focus is 55mm , camera straight into Canon bayonette fitting, then screwed to Reducer, not impressed at all. Can't adjust anything. Alan

There is the screen of the laptop but I stuck a piece of gaffer tape across the viewfinder, I wonder if a corner has worked loose. That though would not account for the M13 shot when the camera is on the other side but there are 3 LED's on the floor for cigar lighter plugs for mount camera etc. It could be them. It looks clear tonight I will turn everything away to ground, turn the laptop and check the gaffer tape, it will be the tape. Let you know. When the scope is up the LED's are at there closest to the camera. Alan

It was in images where the telescope was pointing almost upright to the east and not quite so much to the west as int he M13 What ever caused this added one was in a different direction to the first one, this was the area of the Pelican and facing east but fairly high. I have image the exact same place many times this month and have not seen it before, the dew shield is fully extended and lights are few here. Note there are 3 on this shot which was from the night before. Alan

Not quite the same issue and I have never seen these patterns before. I have the same .79, 3 inch reducer which I was lucky to get S/H here. I require 55mm which is fine with the DSLR just bang it on the back. However the Zwo 071 if I ever use it again also needs 55mm but with a filter which means I am needing a 6mm sleeve to add to the 5mm filter. The wheels came off when I found out FLO don't stock these and I won't use other outlets, so looks like the DSLR will not be going anywhere soon as I have the reducer screwed to the scope. We all know what problems I caused last time i touched the scope. Alan