alan potts

I am not sure when but I am asking myself the same questions as you, as much as I feel the CEM 120 may be a better mount when pier or tripod is taken into account the EQ 8 works out the same as the mount head of the CEM, more or less., so this option is a fair bit more expensive. I have always been pleased, though not delighted with Skywatcher gear and feel I may go for the cheaper option, but then I get better and clearer nights here, and most likely more of them, it's difficult this one. Alan

Looks a great piece of work, I fit the none IT savvy section of SGL nicely. My wife understands it well, it's known as me doing the dishes.

I do much the same Olly, with having a dark roof covering it can get rather hot inside and like you we get well above 35 many a day, last year 42.3C, almost enough to make the roof covering melt.

I had this the other day with the new version of DSS and I found that it worked fine without the Flats, I have no idea why because on another shot of M42 the same flats worked, try it without flats and see.

I had both the zooms about 9 years ago and they were very good around the centre but got a bit colourful towards the edges, I also had the sleeve that took the 5mm end of the short one down to 4mm. I rather liked them but got bitten by the Televue bug and that was that. Alan

Nice idea there, I see why TV cost what they do but the field curve really shows but sharp.

It is a great target and as a fellow Mod has said many a time, veiwing only this is worth the cost of the Olll filter, or words to that effect. The one thing it does need to be though is dark, even a small amount of Moon can wash it out even in fairly large instruments. Alan

I bought a 180mm Mak in order to try and take my mind off a 150mm tripet, it didn't really work. I feel over all the contrast from a refractor is better than that from a larger Mak. I have 115mm APO and I have often used them the same night. In this case the Mak shows more as it a good deal larger. I still think Maks are fine scopes but there is just something about a refractor that I just can't put my finger on that still makes me want a larger one than I have. The refractor will most likely win on wide field views too as most Maks are F12 or so, mine is F 15, whereas the refractor is likely to be less than F8, though you can of course get longer ones. My Mak I tend to use for planets more than anything. Alan

Done Doc, I fancy the 100mm version of that for imaginging. Alan

I am running the latest PS and the same happens to me, I tend not to bother with using them as many things now I can muddle my way through and as its raining it gives me something to do.

Sending button pressing thoughts to you from afar. Oscar Wilde, the only way to deal with temptation is to yeild to it. Alan.

I have to say I am looking very hard at at a few scopes now myself and whilst I could afford either a Tak or another APM I keep getting drawn magnetically towards the Espirit, this model too. I know one of the Mods has a 150mm Espirit and he know a thing or two about AP, it's good enough for one of the best imagers here or anywhere, so I guess it, or I should say the smaller one, will be good enough for me.

Just as an aside a toy ordered from Amazon on 3rd of Dec arrived yesterday with the cheapest of post options, we had all given it up and Amazon had refunded my money, I have just e-mailed them to ask that they charge me a second time as I feel it is only fair. Alan

I have never had any real issues with either post or courier, you even find in Bulgaria the post is often handled by the courier service. If it were not for many people on SGL and Astro B&S as well as Flo and Telly House, I would have very little in the way of gear. The only problem I ever had was my 18 inch Dob which was split into 3 shipments, one part of that went to England twice on it's way to me, but arrived safely in the end.

On your point two the weight of any eyepiece can have an effect. For example, when using the 12 Meade SC, a big beefy scope, after using the 41mm Panoptic then changing to say a 24mm, maybe 1/3 of the weight, the object move a great deal. Alan

I have a couple of TV plossl eyepieces and would have bought the 8mm had I not found the 11mm a little difficult with the combination of eye relief and design of the area where you look through the eyepiece. This I found somewhat strange as I don't have too much of an issue with a 5mm Hutech orthoscopic. Maybe something to bear in mind if your going that low in F/L.

I got the Nightwatch working on one laptop anyway. What do I type in for the Ascom driver just Brightstar Mammut? I have the free version of APT but if I like will buy it, maywell also look at Backyard Eos as well. Lights, Darks etc I stack in DSS and play with the finished item in PS6. I am still poor at the finishing end by my own standards but getting there. It is the guiding end where I really do know nothing. At the moment I am just doing 30sec subs but getting some pleasing results. If I get on with the dark artI intend to get a Atik, maybe 460.

Steve, I found my disk and put the Ascom platform into a laptop but the the program that is on the disk does not work, Nightwatch Studio I think, it kept closing. I recall before this happened and my mate who is an IT wizard did something to get it going. However am I correct in the belief you don't actually need this to guide with? After all the PHD or APT do the guiding I guess the Ascom software just allows the camera to be recognised. I have a few scopes i could actually use to guide with so no issues their. Look complicated to me though, at the moment. Strangely it went into the other laptop I use outside so I guess it don't like the old Dell even though it is a very good one. Can you give me a idea of what needs to be done to guide with one, in simple terms if you can, I put the drivers in the laptop and everything from Ascom, if you can find time to give me a step by step run down I would be grateful. Alan

Very kind of you Steve, I guess I have the same here somewhere. I bought this last time I was in England which is about 41/2 years ago, and I have never used it. It was new so I guess I too have a disk somewhere, I imagine that is what I am looking for, a disk? Did you guide with it? Alan

I have to say having looked at these I have a bit of learning to do, I only have a Brightstar Mammut L429 to use as a guide camera so I may have to look for drivers, still must learn to walk before running.

Do you think my laptops will drive both, for outside I prefer to use the T420 with 4 gig of ram, it has an i5 enhanced processor or the T410 which is not quite as quick but also 4gig ram. .

Now I remember APT is actually developed by a Bulgarian that lives in Sofia, or at least that is what I was told my my Meade Dealer friend. Peter thaanks for the Backyard option, I will try them and buy the one I like the most. Now just needs to stop raining.

Looking for advice on software to opperate Canon cameras. i have 3, though only one is setup for astro photography at the moment. I want something to give hopefully a live view for focus, and programable to say take 60x 30sec or what ever. Are there programs that do this as well as guide the scope, Or do you have to have a special program for guiding? Finally I have several fairly powerful laptops ( Lenovo T420 thinkpads 8&4 gigs ram) will one run two sets of software without issue. Alan

Great report John and I am very pleased for you, I know you have been looking for a good while, longer than me maybe. I did after thing, is that it. I have a feeling I was expecting the Spanish Inquision or the start of the Grand National, all horses falling at Beech's Brook first time round. Not looked for it since I was so upset. Alan