tooth_dr

As luck would have it my dome shutter mechanism has packed in too. No longer opening or closing via the switch. I checked the obvious things like the travel switches and on off switches. Its getting 12v power good enough. The bluetooth circuit is working fine and it’s sending the signal to the relays but again nothing happening. In my series of diagnostic tests I foolishly applied the 12v battery to the motor directly to test it. The motor does turn but a secondary effect was to set fire to the circuit board - I melted a track on the board. I have soldered in a wire to replace the track but it’s still not working. So now I have a telescope I can’t collimate and a dome that doesn’t open. I wonder what else is next. Anyway obviously not the end of the world but dampening my spirits slightly. Its a Rigel Shutter Controller supplied by pulsar but presumably now superseded. My google search came up fruitless. Any help or suggestions welcome

Very nice Dave, looks great in RGB. And the control on the stars 🙏

Seems pretty decent to me Bobby, a job well done.

This is an image from last night, so not taking into account the adustments I have carried out today on the sloppy focuser. Does this look like poor collimation causing coma? The image i feel is very slightly out of focus too, but I was really up against a very short window of sky last night. It's looking much better for later.

Thanks @Stuart1971 indeed it did adjust up nicely. I tightened the small grub screws and I now get minimal image shift when checked with collimating tool. Ive spent 2 hours this morning testing various angles etc and am happy that it’s holding collimation in any position that I put the OTA in. It’s clear tonight so that’s the real test. Some images of the position I collimated in today, and through the collimating eyepiece with the tube vertical - opening up and opening down. The Tak Nikon adapter is 9.5mm thick which ties in with a 46.5mm flange-sensor distance, giving the required 56mm Epsilon CC back focus distance.

I want to update the saga. I fitted the original Tak focuser yesterday and collimated the scope. I noticed on moving the scope from vertical position (opening towards ground) where I collimated it to normal imaging position in south at say 30 degrees, the collimation was off a good bit. When I moved it back to vertical, without adjusting anything, collimation was correct again. This time I repeated the collimation with the tube vertical but the opening upwards. It was much trickier to manipulate the push pull system but I got there. No where moved to normal imaging position collimation remained unchanged 👍🏻 Now unfortunately the problems continued. There is slop in the focuser suffice to say that collimation seems pointless - when I check the collimation with the collimating tool, with in and out movement it’s different. Can the Tak focusers be adjusted?

Thanks Tony. Yes I think so but just want to make sure this one works. I might however use the motor with my ED80 and buy a new ML 2” focuser for it. At the minute that focuser might include a free epsilon.

Removing the Moonlite and refitting the original focuser was pretty simple. Collimation was way off when the Tak focuser was fitted so hopefully that’s a good sign. I have recollimated it - a simple task with the Tak collimating eyepiece. @sharkmelley I’ve attached a photo of the Tak-Nikon adapter box

Hi Richard! You have been saying all along to replace with the standard focuser. Should have listened to you! Going to try to fit it tonight. Hopefully I can find the right bolts etc amongst the stuff that came in a box with the scope.

Hi Mark I didn’t personally change the focuser. The scope was second hand and came with the Moonlite fitted when I bought it. It was mentioned in the advert that the scope was collimated by Orion Optics just before purchase. I took this as read, however a year in with the scope and I’m beginning to understand the scope better and realise that it most likely was never right. I’m lucky enough to have the original focuser and the additional microfocuser. I’ll fit this tonight (hopefully straight forward) and recollimate. If you are still able to help me going forward I would really appreciate it. Wirh regards the Tak wide mount - it came with the scope. I don’t have a photo on my phone (I’m not at home this weekend) but am back this evening. The adapter is in a blue box says wide mount on it. Screws directly into the CC on the scope and looks to be about the right thickness to maintain the 56mm back focus

That’s really good @Stu Wilson I would be happy with that.

Thanks Mark. I will get an image with the diffraction spikes aligned as soon as possible and upload it here. Here is a photo of the camera on scope:

Hi Mark, Thanks for the reply. Yes this taken with the Tak Epsilon 180 and Nikon D800E. I've attached a sub from last night, 300s exposure at ISO400. I spent some time collimating the scope yesterday so it will be different from the above image. Last night I focused using a Bahtinov mask and live view, and then checked with a short exposure to confirm the placement of the centre line on the 'X'. Despite this I still got double spikes on my stars. I should have aligned the diffraction spikes afterwards and took a further image for comparison, but I did not think at the time. It was already 2:30am and I was working at 9am. If I can get another clear night I will repeat, but with the diffraction spikes as a guide to focus, and ignore the Bahtinov mask. The diffraction spikes could be due to a mal-alignment of the spider vanes, but that has got to be unlikely due to their thickness and attachment to central secondary holder. Thanks for your help Adam L_0021.NEF

Thanks for all the input guys, have it in warm room, drying out now, and will seal with rice when I get home from work.

Thanks, i hope I dont have to take the lens apart because the stars are really great with this little scope, and I have had my fill of poor star shapes recently.

Thanks guys. Im holding the lens in my hand in the photos

I got caught out with rain last night and my ED80 got wet. How bad is this?

Great Job overall Mick, and the tip of the nebula has come out well 👍

Results from last night are in following my attempts at collimation and the results arent good. I've had another look at it today - and I feel that it is better that it was, but it isnt easy to get that secondary centered. I'm seeking help from the experts here - is this a collimation error? Last night I focused using a Bahtinov mask accurately, and I get double spikes on the stars. If I focus by merging the spikes (as I thought was also a very accurate way of focusing) then I get larger stars in poor shapes - it appears out of focus. I've attached a crop from off centre below, and a resized raw sub. Any advice welcomed and/or swap for Esprit 150. Is it the primary or the secondary, or both, or the focuser? Thanks Adam.

Really like that, well done.

Despite your concerns, it's still a nice piece of work, and shows off the whole region perfectly.

It’s 8+ feet, and a step ladder! Don’t want to derail Craig’s thread, all packed for later 👍🏼👍🏼

@Tommohawk @CraigT82 Thanks for the replies guys. It’s in an observatory, I did the installation and I’ve access to it to set it up, test images etc make sure it’s ready for opening mid October - it’s not open to the public just yet. I tried Jupiter and Saturn 2 weeks ago but they are below the viewing angle. I did some deep sky imaging instead. Mars should clear the roof line, planning to image around 12:30am onwards

Stunning image Geoff.