arrayschism

Well, the new scope has arrived. It's in a massive wooden box and I am currently working up the strength to extricate it 😅. Pics to follow...

Latest update from Adam - scope will be shipped at the start of the New Year!

@cajen2 I have gone for a T400... lead time was 6 months or so but there is a Pro float glass mirror kicking about in Poland - coatings 96%, 1/8 p-V or better with a certificate. so I have gone with that.

Thanks @The60mmKid I have just ordered it and I am hoping that it'll be here before Christmas, all being well I'll definitely be posting first impressions, first light etc as I go

Hello there SGLers, After a few years of imaging I have decided to move back to where I started and spend more time under the stars (weather permitting) actually experiencing them with the naked eye. I am in the process of talking to Adam at Taurus regarding a new scope delivery which is great because at least I get to spec it the way I would like. Interestingly, Astroshop are claiming that they do not ship any Taurus scopes out of the EU - so that route was closed off to me from the beginning. Must admit, I am quite looking forward to when it arrives (months from now) and I hope to be able to start sketching at the eyepiece to try and truly see the objects.

It I had problem optics, I'd rather know than not and have the chance of doing something about it before it was too late. The devil in the detail might be finding a way of delivering the bad news to someone in a diplomatic way 😁

Yep, mine's the same - haven't got a precise measurement of what it is as it's not to hand right now... but the drawtube is way out before focus. 75% sounds about right where mine is.

I just drilled the holes out very slightly, left plenty of copper pad to solder to. Didn't have to touch the diode legs at all.

Well, this thread has been a fascinating lunchtime read! It's also just cost me a bit of money - I've gone and bought a couple of the books mentioned! What an absolutely fascinating pursuit this is Love it.

Yeah I guess you're right... I find it odd how flat earthers call Science 'Scientism' and that we are all taught science as though it were a belief. They seem to conveniently forget that all those practical experiments prove the theory :0

What a shame the guy had to risk his own life - why didn't he just build himself a camera and put it into a home made 'weather type' balloon instead? Far safer. I assume he had to see 'the proof' with his own eyes???

Re the MOSFETs, I bought the Fairchild, FQP30N06L types as suggested and they oriented as indicated on the silk screen.

The flat earth belief is just one of any number of bizarre beliefs that these sorts have. The problem is, as said above, a distrust in (experimentally provable) reality - a general problem of the mind that would hang onto any strange idea. Feels like this is exclusively the reserve of the mentally ill (who deserve medical attention) and the easily influenced (who need a dose of scientific education).

An intervalometer for my travel wide field set up Just in time for the cloudy weekend, of course!

I would advise that you use the relay to actuate a 240V contactor. It's exactly what we do at work where we have PLCs that control large currents via 12v or 24v relay lines. PLC switches relay, relay switches contactor.