tooth_dr

1 hour ago, bottletopburly said:

Cost of a metal pier should be sub £200 , and I would source tube from a local engineering company next time , powder coating cost me £20 , lasermaster done my plates , and I used 5” tube , rock solid 

 

That’s really great looking. 

Astro Pixel Processor - for stacking and some processing.

1 hour ago, Rodd said:

.....below my level of interest really.

Rodd

I'm sorry that you feel my comment is below your interest Rodd.

4 minutes ago, Rodd said:

Hmm...Other than the stars I don't see to what you refer.

Rodd

Vlaiv has highlighted it above ^^^

What are all the tiny uniform white dots throughout the image?

Any suggestions?  I have a 178MC, would this work?

It's easy to be critical of our work, but when you think that this was taken with a little 80mm scope, from a little shed, t's pretty surreal.

I really like those dark clouds structures extending from the bottom left, so I rotated and cropped my larger image to incorporate these as a feature.  I've burned out the blue centre quite a bit, I dont know at what stage I did it and it was too late to rescue it when I did notice it.

I'll not do much more with this until I get more Sii and Oiii data.

I hope you like it!  

Adam

15 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

Adam, if you want the plans for my metal pier, then I can send them to you..

Hi John

That is a nice looking pier.  Yes that would be great, I would love to have a look at the plans.

I have these fitted to my ED80s and find they offer good movement range. I rarely have my on the slowest setting either and it works really well. I use the hand controller. 

Yes that’s it, I took a photo of mine there. I was getting mixed up with my ED80 focuser.

Just now, Davey-T said:

Tube is 5mm and flat plate 10mm, it sort of evolved unplanned from some bits I already had which accounts for the shape 😂

Dave

No I mean it looks functional and awesome.

I have 10mm plates made, so 5mm steel for the rest of it is probabaly more than adequate.

3 minutes ago, JSeaman said:

Mine was £120 with all materials. The metal was about £30 and is readily available. You don't have to be able to weld but it does help

Mine is half filled with cement and doesn't ring at all, I'd definitely do it again that way

Bolted with 4 bolts into a base?  Is the concrete a necessity?

1 minute ago, Davey-T said:

If you're capable and equipped with the right tools you can easily knock one up for less than £200.00 and even less using second hand steel.

Made this one for less than £200.00 only Hammerited, don't see any point in paying out for powder coating.

Dave

 

That looks robust   and avoids using a tube.

What thickness of steel?  Is 10mm too thick?

Title amended to reflect better what I am actually trying to find out.

Just now, x6gas said:

My concern with a metal pier is that they ring like a bell.  No problem in an obsy, I presume, where it is protected from the wind and accidental bangs or you can fill it with sand or something else to dampen it.

If you are decided on a metal pier then it all depends on whether you can find someone reasonable to fabricate it up for you.  If you have mates handy with a welder or a friendly garage mechanic then it can be done quite inexpensively but if you go to fabricator I think you'll find you won't save a great deal - but you do get it made to your own spec, of course...  Powder coating it alone would cost £50-75 quid at my local place (though I've no idea how that compares).

Defintiely looking to hear feedback on metal piers, not sure I would want to fill it with sand or anything.  I was thinking I can run wiring up the middle to tidy up the installation!  Maybe I should amend the opening post!

1 minute ago, kev100 said:

Hiya. If I understand you rightly, you want one of these (or similar): https://www.telescopehouse.com/accessories/eyepiece-adaptors-and-extension-tubes/revelation-80mm-extension-tube-2.html

As far as I can remember, I think he needs a bit screws onto the drawtube itself.

I know the problem you mean! I've encountered it.   If you arent sorted, I'll send you a photo of the part when I get home from work, that might help you?

Thanks guys.  Should have been clearer with my opening post.  I've made two concrete piers in the past, but was considering metal this time.  Can it be done for much less than £500 to make it worthwhile?

Any suggestions for camera to use for live viewing / public outreach?

14” F8 scope with / without wedge.

1) Best - no budgetary considerations

2) Best value for money ZWO 290?

TIA

Adam  

Thanks guys.  I have a bought a dome, and although my current pier is concrete and works well, i thought that a metal one might be a bit more fitting for the dome.

At £500 for a pier, and I'm wondernig if I can laser cut, weld and powercoat the same thing for considerably less. 

Hi guys

Looking some advice here.  I'm planning of moving my observatory, and so need to make a new pier.

Metal or Concrete, bought or built?  Any particular recommendations.

TIA

Adam.

A beauty!!

53 minutes ago, mgirdwood said:

Like the framing with the milky way falling into the Standing Stone  - a very calm image 

Thanks. It was a very nice experience, totally alone in the dark! 

2 hours ago, Rodd said:

Did you click on it, or just look on the forum page?

Rodd

Without clicking the top one looks better. On clicking it’s a different story however. From my ‘very limited’ experience it looks too smooth, and over processed on the outer areas.  The second image has a very fine colour noise running through it. Have you tried to remove it?

But the thing is the setting MUST be changed for each session / different cameras etc. The setting is adjusted to allow say 150 stars to be registered.  I never get scores of 9000 etc but that’s not because my data is poor, but because I don’t register 1000s of stars (and sometimes noise not even stars)