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ajohnson

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Interests
    Astronomy, Astro photography, Wildlife Photography, 4x4 Driving, Ornithology.
  • Location
    Shropshire, UK

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  1. Harrumph! It now seems the USB3 port is being twitchy and only recognising the camera as USB2 then disconnecting. I'm dropping using the CMS hub on the CEM120 and putting in a Pegasus power box, which I can transfer to my other mount. Not a good result overall. It' may be that iOptron have sorted this out with the newer USB3 Saddle hub but that's £310 and 4-6 weeks lead time + Vs £260 delivered tomorrow. So were down to only using the built in wiring for power distribution where needed. Still the mount itself (all the metal bits) is still a solid performer in terms of stability and tracking. In the end an external box that I can control all of my devices with (including dew heaters) via software and upgrade would always eventually win out over an essentially 'dumb' USB hub.
  2. Thanks for the tip, it's sounds like it's worth another look. I don't just use SharpCap for Polar alignment, it works well with the mount and camera when running Planetary or Solar Imaging, certainly as well as Firecapture if not better in some aspects. The camera / exposure analysis is also handy. But it's a moving target I have had a look at NINA and did like what I saw but having been a long time APT user and having renewed my licence for a year I wasn't looking to change just yet. Ask me again in a few months APT and NINA are always adding new features I may have have a different answer by then.
  3. OK Late to the party but I found the thread while looking for some technical data. I have a base model CEM120, no encoders and the older USB2 hub. I bought RVO's ex display model early in 2020 and have it mounted on the Tri-Pier 360 as I tend to move it around because my garden can be nightmare for a good observing spot LED street light one side and two neighbours who are competing on who can grow the tallest tree or install the brightest and most sensitive flood lights. I installed the iOptron iPolar as this seemed the best way to get it polar aligned. In terms of metal / build quality it's an excellent mount, very accurate and not phased even when I put my 12" Newt on the saddle for an imaging session. The through mount cable system is neat, you can plug power and USB cable into the unmoving centre section and this is all fed to the saddle where (on my version) I have 4 x USB2 1 x USB 3 and a load of power outlets on the saddle, the theory being no matter where you point it you are not dragging any cables. On the down side the electronic connectors are not the best, heavy USB cables drop out of the connection hub (USB2, iPolar are particularly weak but the USB3 is a good fit), easily fixed with some cable clips but quality control on the cable management system was poor on my version. The USB 2 connector between the connect points to the iPolar had a bent connection pin on arrival and the multi-voltage 5A power supply to the let side of the saddle wasn't even plugged at the saddle end, no chance of powering your DSLR or high power camera. All that fixed I settled down to some imaging. All has been well until about 2 months ago, first the iPolar stopped working then one, followed by another of the USB hub ports has failed, as of last weekend none work. I am ordering a replacement hub from FLO, but the iPolar is heading for the scrap bin. Dead after 3 years is not good, for the price of a replacement I can get 20 years subscription to SharpCap Pro and use the Polar align feature (which seems more accurate). I did consider upgrading the saddle to the new USB3 spec but I'm having a crisis of confidence in iOptron at the moment so I am just going to replace the board with the USB2 Hub. Sorely tempted to invest in a Pegasus Astro Advance Power box but the car had a full set of tyres, pads and a service this month so it will wait.
  4. Sorry I'm late to this, but the link came up while searching to see if anyone had modded an EOS R as the Ra is either impossible to find or just ridiculously expensive. I have an EOS60Da and also the EOS R (unmodded) each has it's advantages. Overall I do like the EOS R as some have commented the EVF takes some getting used too (about a day) but now I wouldn't be without one. On sensitivity the EOS R is on par with the EOS 5D MkIV it certainly is streets ahead of my old EOS 60Da in terms of noise and general sensitivity to low light, the EOS 60Da still edges out the R at the Ha end of the spectrum. I use the EOS R mainly with lenses as none of my scopes can deliver a FF imaging circle without serious vignetting and distortion at the edges so I end up cropping back to APS-C sizes anyway.
  5. Thanks I will give this a try. I have seen some YouTube videos on making flats which may make a difference, still experimenting with the scope's capabilities here. After reading the various threads on the milky blue glass I did try giving it a soak in lens cleaner and have ordered a new one. The clean up seems to have helped, I can now make out some details and some nice proms
  6. Not a recent image, but this was my Skywatcher Quattro 10S (still owned) on my old NEQ6 at what was a local dark site (now flood lit).
  7. Problem solved, hopefully Telescope House have these, hopefully they're in stock.
  8. I dropped my filter out and gave it a polish with some lens cleaner, it's cleaner but there is some obvious degradation in the coating. Just checked Bresser's site in stock €15.00 ready to ship anywhere that scored more than nil points in Eurovision..... Now contacting Lunt in the US to see if they can ship here or have a UK dealer. Plan B will be to ship it to myself in Jarvenpaa or Helsinki when I can travel to Finland again.
  9. OK the blocking filter does seem a tad milky, seems OK with the camera though. I had put this down to being a difference between the B1200 (mine) and the B600, I understand the B1200 is not so hot visually anyway. It sounds like your DS unit works the same way as my tilt tuner, lots of movement before it seems to do anything. I assume there have to be some tolerances to allow for heat expansion. Reading the replacement guide for the blue filter, it looks like a relatively easy job. It also explains why mine may have degraded, from the state of the case I think my scope has been stored somewhere damp.
  10. The front element is nice and clear, not misty, overall the scope seems to have been well looked after (not dropped or abused) I'm trying to work if it's operator error (most likely cause) or if it will benefit from a service.
  11. Sorry if this has been asked before but I didn't find any thing close on a search. I've just taken ownership of my first Ha scope, a Lunt LS60Tha with a tilt tuner with B1200 blocking filter. I'm probably the 3rd owner and so far I'm reasonably impressed. I'm still learning it's little quirks and don't seem to have the hang of visual observing with it yet but with an ASI 178MM camera attached I'm seeing some nice details. But I have a question about the tilt tuner, in terms of travel it seems that will make about 2 full turns with zero resistance and TBH no real change to the view that I can see so far. Looking down the tube the elaton does not seem to move visibly. The final 1/2 turn of the tuning wheel gets some resistance, equivalent to maybe the fine focus knob on most scopes and I can see the elaton move visibly looking down the tube. I'm not entirely convinced this is right so to either set my mind at rest or confirm a possible issue what should 'normal' feel and look like when turning the tuning knob. Images seem fine, although the Sun looks like something else is illuminating it, (as attached) I'm currently assuming this is due to the dodgy focuser as it definitely deflects downward with the camera attached, some tweaking or fine adjustment needed there or maybe a Moonlight replacement.
  12. Same Frac, new mount. trying out a new (to me) CEM120 mount, it was a nice day so popped the Evostar 150 that I usually use for visual onto the mount for a bit of white light solar imaging, the heavy iOptron mount is overkill for this OTA, it will back on it's usual EQ5 shortly.
  13. I'm very interest in one of these especially at the price difference between the Lacerta and Lunt / Baader 2" version I realise the 1.25 Lunt is a decent price but I have a 6" scope and the recommendation is for the 2". How does the Lacerta handle heat over long observing periods ? (I know it's unlikely in the UK). Does anyone know if it would handle a few hours of outreach solar observing with a big (150 x 1200mm Evostar) refractor.
  14. My Esprit 80ED purchased about a year ago, my recently acquired Evostar 150 and ST80. The 80ED usually sits on my EQ6 with cameras, guiders other kit. The Evostar was being sold at a silly price and just had to join the family, the ST80, seen here on one of my Newts recently had a crayford focuser added, I would not have bothered but for a tenner (BNIB) from a car boot I couldn't just leave it there.
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