Jules Tohpipi

19 minutes ago, Vallantho said:

Might order one and give it a try. It’s the whole quick charge thing that could cause a problem though. They use Chips from Qualcomm that negotiate with the device plugged into it to establish how much power to deliver. The controllers on the dew straps are just dumb devices so the charger might fall back to the basic USB spec which is 0.5 amps. But at least with Amazon it’s easy to return it. Worth a try. 
 

i did think about knocking up a couple of 12v controllers with some 555 chips I got. But I’m guessing the wires in the straps would have a different resistance to those used in 12v straps?

Should be fine in that regard - if I've understood the technicalities correctly (possibly not). We have two of this exact model running at home - charging some ancient devices ocassionally - and certainly they charge much faster than default 0.5A.

Would something like this do the job - it does at our home for phone and iPad charging. Claims 12 Amps overall if using multiple ports.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerPort-Family-Sized-Technology-Smartphones-Black/dp/B00PK1IIJY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PLEGLR33V605&keywords=anker%2B6%2Bport%2Busb%2Bcharger&qid=1666437082&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjIzIiwicXNhIjoiMS41MCIsInFzcCI6IjEuNTcifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=anker%2B6-port%2Busb%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-1&th=1

Or if you own Makita LXT 18V power tools then this might work also.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-DEBADPP05-14-4-Li-Ion-Adapter/dp/B019WI5XXO

I'm still somewhat confused whether any difference in approach is required whether brought into a heated or non-heated room? As some posters are not specifying what type room they're using.

Ideally I'd prefer to bring into an unheated conservatory and leave overnight. However, its large windows often have dew on the inside on the colder mornings. 

So, should I leave capped/uncapped in the conservatory, or best to bring into the heated rooms to avoid morning condensation? 

1 hour ago, HollyHound said:

I did find that leaning against a wall, or even leaning back against one, gave an almost perfectly steady view... I was able to spend a full 10mins viewing the moon like this before the binoculars become a little tiring to hold (they are quite heavy).

Sounds great. I have a pair of 10x30 IS II Canon and love them. And a few Canon L Series camera lenses with IS.

Do yours have a tripod socket? If so, might be worth investing in a cheap bog-standard monopod to take some of the weight off your arms while keeping freedom of movement. Perhaps supplemented with a cheap ball head or similar for when looking at the zenith and the monopod angle has got too shallow (without a ball head).

Some will read this and cry 'What point a monopod with IS?!" But only from the people who haven't seen the rows and rows of big white Canon L Series lenses on monopods at football matches, F1 races, fashion shows, and new PM speeches outside No10.

Why put a £10,000 Canon Pro lens with IS on a monopod? Because they're pretty darn gosh heavy to hold up all day looking through the viewfinder for that perfect shot  But they still want to jostle around quickly from spot to spot. And the IS is still needed for that perfectly steady view when using a monopod.

47 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

Cheers for that,

The other half doesn't actually want Photoshop at all.  I work a rotation away from home and it was our 10th anniversary so I converted the dining room into a sewing room for her.  Part of that was a projector on the ceiling so she can project the patterns onto fabric for cutting.

She wants Adobe acrobat or something so she can stitch patterns together into appropriately sized single documents for projecting.

Getting Photoshop is her way of getting me to agree to the full bundle lol.

I've stuck cs3 on the computer and it runs.  I'll have a play and see how I get on.

Im using vintage glass and a DSLR so getting chromatic aberations sorted is one of the main things I'm looking for at the moment.

I also grabbed a pixinsight free trial so I'll be giving it a spin too.

Oh, I see what you mean now - the penny didn't quite drop the first time!

I never really used Photoshop in that way before. I'm vaguely aware that PS has an auto feature for CA removal (lens correction filter I believe it's called) but it can also be done relatively easily with a mask, some blurring and layer blending. But it's only a passing knowledge of that aspect. There's usually some free online tutorial for every scenario in PS.

If your wife is au fait and knowledgeable with pro-orientated software then yes it could be worth going for the full Adobe subscription - for both your benefits. But equally, those with little or no knowledge often point at the most famous software names and go "I want that!" Meaning she could be overwhelmed with the complexity of the UI and workflows and ultimately be much better off with simpler software that does more hand holding. If it is some simple image stitching then Adobe might be the audio equivalent of getting a 128-channel mixing desk in to make a compilation tape - if you see what I mean

Ultimately a decision either way rests upon current software experience and the complexity of the tasks. Or making sure you don't tie-in to a long contract with Adobe initially.   
 

OP doesn't mention what his missus will be using it for or her experience level. Very generally speaking, the biggest advances have been in Photoshop's context-aware tools and editing features whilst in Camera RAW- which not everybody necessarily has a need for. For non-astro work I'm still perfectly happy on CS6 and that's coming from someone who used to (but not anymore) use PS professionally. To clarify I've never done any kind of astrophotography - I'm purely visual. Certainly if her experience level is low then CS3 will more than suffice for now. That's because the PS learning curve is steep and it's not an intuitive piece of software to randomly experiment by pressing buttons.

On a side note, for anyone who is familiar with the PS interface already, and wants a free online alternative - without having to learn a new UX - then head over to www.photopea.com which has been going for a good few years now. The 'Open' and 'Create New Project' interface will be an unfamiliar mess, but once into the editing stage the interface is 100% pure Photoshop from yesteryear.

Also, if your CS3 happens to be a Mac version, you'll probably find it won't install on Catalina or more recent macOS. 
 

17 hours ago, Zermelo said:

 

Unfortunately, that's a limitation with the Synscan app. I've highlighted it before, but there's no sign it will be changed.

You can change the speed for manual slews, but this doesn't affect the goto. As you say, it can be very noisy, and if you have a small back garden and close neighbours (I do), it can be too much at 2 a.m. in summer with all the windows open.

So instead, I turn on the secondary encoders and do most of the moves as push-to, with Skysafari guiding me. When I'm close, I lock the clutch and issue a goto for the final part, and if I'm close enough then it doesn't engage the motors at full speed, so it's very quiet.

Long-term plan: buy a house in the middle of nowhere.

Thank you very much indeed for clarifying. I'm in the exact same situation you describe. Our neighbourhood is very respectful towards each other with regards noise pollution. So slewing around at the maximum rate during the height of summer in the early hours would not be the etiquette. But no problem in autumn and winter when everyone has their windows closed. 

I'll use the technique you describe instead. I have Skysafari but have not connected it to the scope yet but have been reading about how to do that. So I'll enable the encoders in the SW app and give it all a go - as my learning process on this new latest scope and mount continues!

Hi folks, I've recently bought an AZ-GTI and 127 Mak combo from FLO and have a quick question. When using the SynScan app I can alter the slewing speed between 1-9. This works successfully when using the cursor keys to centre targets in the eyepiece.

However, and this is the question, it always seems to slew at maximum speed after selecting a target in the app and then hitting 'Goto'. I can't fathom out a way to lower the slewing speed for that scenario.  I'm looking to reduce the noise when the mount first goes to a target.

Can someone enlighten me please  

Thanks guys for the replies. I think will give one a go - that is, once the nights darken again and there's chance to try it properly within the returns window. But I've got high hopes for it.

I use the dob for a bit of everything and the coma is not intrusive on high power planetary or faint fuzzies. But it proper gets on my nerves for wide field star gazing. For £99 it would be worth it for that alone and anything it adds on top would be a bonus.

On 17/03/2022 at 21:03, Barry Fitz-Gerald said:

Hmmmm, sounds like getting one of these for visual use only might be quite a subjective experience, might make a big difference, but might not depending on individual taste/perception. Bit like the CA in the SW Startravel 120, some find it a problem, I barely notice it as I avoid anything bright and shiny when I get it out.

Anyway, all the above comments are very useful, and I may give the Stellalyra one from FLO a punt as it looks like a GSO clone and reasonably priced.

Was reading the thread with interest and wondered if you had given the coma corrector a go?

I have a SW 250 F4.7 Flextube Dobsonian and am cursed by being a sensitive soul to coma. A Parcorr is above budget but I see FLO sell the StellaLyra for £99 - which appears to be the same as the GSO CC.

Silly question, I assume it's OK to use a 1.25" adapter and 1.25" eyepieces with the GSO? I don't have any 2" EPs.

Anyone using the GSO/StellaLyra with the SW250 F4.7 have to use some spacers or just drop it in?  I don't mind a bit of fiddling around if it works.

My dad bought me a little telescope for Christmas when I was six or seven. Wrote a letter to Sir Patrick when I was eight - got a wonderful reply and he also sent a couple of books!