paulastro

44 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

When I got my first scope in 2012 I was out 3/4 times a month, this year has been very patchy been hemmed in by the weather my 10" turned up and I have only had it out 4 times.  At most I have been out 8 times this year and not been out for 6 weeks now its that bad I put the 10" up for sale as I am not using it.

If you sell it, you'll find the clear nights increase ten fold.  Scopes don't mind waiting for the next clear night - they are more patient than humans.

8 hours ago, Ratlet said:

I only started last year and so far it's been about par for the course.  Zero clear skies till about mid August.  

I do think we're turning the corner now.  The forum activity is way up in the last couple weeks.

One thing I found helps is the awful and heartbreaking realisation that it's more often clear in the early am rather than the late pm.  Fortunately having just turned 40 I now have to get up for a pee in the night.  This is becoming a quick clear sky check.

Too much detail.  Just wait     untill you're 69 😅.

Out of curiosity, a question for you refractorphiles.  Would you choose 110mm f6 StellaMira  (£799) with 'FPL-51 equivalent', or the Starfield 102mm F7 FPL53 (£899)? Presumably, according to the numbers of each sold most peoples choice is the latter?

I know what I think, though I'm not in the market so no money is involved 🙂.

44 minutes ago, StevieDvd said:

There are quite a few of us on SGL who have them but they have not exactly made a splash as the ZWO Seestar has.  The firmware/apps have been waiting for a big update for quite a few months but should be a big improvement on the current retail versions.

Dwarf Labs have a beta firmware and app (IOS & Android) doing the rounds but this is a bit of a hacked beta. They have tweaked the existing apps to call some of the new features so it's not what I would call a proper beta.

The main changes apart for the UI design are:

• binning - allows for 1x1 binning on solar/lunar & astro (previously 2x2 only)
• Solar/lunar stacking (as well as tracking)

There are quite a few on the Dwarf Labs FB groups who are posting decent images, though clouds in the UK have limited my use of the beta.

 

Many thanks for the information  Stevie.  Yes, the weather around here has  certainly been quite torrid for the last month.  Thanks again.

Glad to see people posting re Dwarf 2.  I have been considering buying one for months, and have just ordered one today - from a supplier in the UK.

It's amazed me how little mention of it I've been able to find  on SGL.  In fact it had crossed my mind that it had been banned for some reason - though I couldn't think why 🤔.

I am not an imager, so it should suit me fine, most result for least input - I dont have enough clear sky to waste too much time on imaging in the more traditional sense 😊.

After the initial learning curve I'll post how I'm getting on.  Naturally, it'll be from a non-imagers perspective 🙂.

On 09/09/2023 at 13:22, markie said:

I have the  8.5 fullerscope and I love it, I  also a 10inch Bresser dobsonian   for ease of use I prefer the Fullerscope. 

Lovely, I had one too.  It looks like yours may be F8.

2 hours ago, andrew63 said:

Draconid meteor shower peak tonight - looking good here .

 

Thanks, but no chance in this corner of West Yorkshire.

Good luck to you!

I have some medical issues and discovered this on FLO.  I bought it, and to my amazement it really helps in moving my 10inch Starsense around.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescope-bags-cases-storage/oklop_61395.html

FLO are not listing the 12 inch Dobsonian at the moment.  However, for anyone who buys it, they have to install the primary mirror cell and the mirror into the tube themselves!

Celestron posted a video on u-tube yesterday showing potential buyers how to do this.

I just noticed that the Celestron Starsense Explorer 114mm, 130mm and 150mm smart phone enabled table -  top dobsonians are now in stock at FLO.

Thank you Nigella 🙂.

On 23/09/2023 at 00:41, Nigella Bryant said:

It was an interesting event, managed to image it but not processed yet. Quite fascinating to see Io pass in front of Jupiter's red spot. 

Look forward to seeing your images Nigella.

4 minutes ago, Mark2022 said:

Oh come ON!!! HOW do you get detail like that? 😱😁

I wouldn't have a  clue Mark, especially since I posted it before the event had taken place 😂.

In fact I did manage to observe it, and it looked better in  'real life' 🙂.

IO SHADOW 11.01- 1.12

GRS TRANSIT CM 00.54

I chose to do this as I needed a more manageable Dob to use as a 'buddy' to my 10 inch Starsense Explorer Dob. I have a minor heart procedure and hip replacement to undertake and at times I am unable to use the 10 inch until both procedures are completed. 

The SW was delivered Tuesday and modded on Wednesday ready for first light Wed evening.

The pics below show the modded scope.  A multi-foot finder device is used to mount both the Starsense phone holder and finder on the single Vixen finder base on the telescope.

The orange ' T ' adapter was made by another SGL member.  Four weights I made from four Neodymium Magnetic Bases with an M6 thread and four plastic knobs with a female M6 thread screwed onto them.

These are partly to make up for the weight of the Starsense phone holder, smart phone, finder, multi-finder foot adapter and an eyepiece that are at the other end of the tube when the scope is in use.

In practice, it was useable by tightening the two handle tighteners on each axis, but there were limits.  No  problems  with a medium size single eyepiece, but very awkward with a Maxbright 1 binoviewer, two Ortho eyepieces and a barlow lens at low altitudes - unless you have the grip of Desperate Dan!

Of course, Celestron take this into account when designing their Starsense Explorer range of telescopes, positioning the phone holder more toward the middle of the tubes so it will all balance.  Be aware of this if you are planning on modding a scope.  

In this case, I can make some more weights, depending how much I use the binoviewer with it.  With the 10 inch Celestron Starsense Dob, there are no such problems of course.

First light was on Wednesday night from 11.00 pm to 00.50 am.   In summary, it all worked well in practice, the Starsense system pointing me, without any problem, to all my targets - as it always does.

Optically the scope performs extremely well.  It had arrived with the secondary perfectly aligned with the mirror a tad off.  This was easily fixed before I went out. I have had several 150P Dobs over the years and to my eyes none of them ever had any issues.

I used an ES 24/68, Morpheus 17.5, Celestron x2 X-Cel LX barlow. the Maxbright binoviewer and 24 and 16.8 Orthos.

Objects observed inclued M13, M27, M57; M11  M45, Double Cluster, ET Cluster and a few double stars plus Jupiter and Saturn.  The transparency was quite good though the seeing was poor, so it wasn't really a good night for doubles and planetary.  None the less, in my view the scope performed as I expected from a good six inch scope in the prevailng conditions.

It did pass another test I hadn't planned for.  I was observing one of my favourite objects - Caroline's Rose/NGC 7789 at 12.45 when it started to be dimmed by some cloud arriving.  Looked over my shoulder to see some alarmingly large, dark clouds racing toward me.  Got the endcap on and my phone removed from the holder just as the rain came down. I managed to get all the kit into the observatory (garage) before anything was really soaked.

I wouldn't  have been so lucky, with my lessened physical prowess if I had been using my 10 inch Dob.

Good choice!

Paul.

The seeing was as bad as its been for a while last night here, not as bad as you had by the sound of it, but it certainly sounds like seeing.  If you keep the scope indoors before observing, that won't help either.

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

It's comments like "Why does Saturn look so much better in this 4" refractor than through all those big telescopes?" which keeps me smiling.😊

Sorry Peter, I can't help myself! 

I also hear people ask "why do the planets look so much bigger, brighter and colourful in this telescope (when using a medium Newtonian) than through one of those small pointy telescopes over there " ( small refractors)  😉 😂

Can you see any colour in the GRS with your 100mm pointy thing Mike?  🙂

9 hours ago, Peter Drew said:

I also have one and agree with the good features. As well as the downside of the price, it doesn't really look like a Dobsonian.    🙂

I've used this one when it was on loan to another TAC member.  I agree, it performed very well.

On 11/09/2023 at 14:58, Breakintheclouds said:

Hello everyone

I have a 250mm Newtonian OTA that is kind of sitting idle. I'd love to mount it as a dobsonian for quick observing sessions, but I'm struggling to find a suitable mount. Does anybody know whether it's possible to buy a mount that might hold my scope?

You could advertise for one, some people end up remounting dob scopes onto some other mount leaving the dob base unused in the garage.

Well, I can't believe it.  It was cloudy last night, but I went out anyway to see what the new lights were like. 

No orange light anywhere, and overall it looked clearly darker than it ever had before!  I wondered if perhaps they weren't all on yet, but the lights I could see were on.

The orange glow over the main road in front of the house that is easily seen from round the back where I observe had vanished.

I put my thumb over a single light and no glare was visible leaking round the edges.  Instead of orange the sky was a sort of grey, but you vould see variation in the cloud.  It was drizzling as well, which I thought would have made it worse.

A very unexpected result, can't quite believe it.  The real test will be when there is a clear sky.  Watch this space.

In terms of aperture, I've always found that, assuming good optical quality, that the colours in stars (and other objects) are more saturated and better seen in larger apertures, irrespective of the type of telescope. 

I currently use scopes of 80mm, 130mm, 125mm and 250mm aperture,   and I dont see anything to contradict this. For sharpness, the reverse is often true,  unless the seeing is exceptionally good.

On 12/09/2023 at 02:34, Sunshine said:

You all may have heard me gush here on SGL about how awesome Starsense is, there are many who have stripped the module off the most inexpensive Celestron units and easily adapted them to larger dobs and such. Starsense is just plain awesome, best thing to come along in amateur astronomy since the eyepiece 😄

Yes I have.  I'm a 'gusher' too.  Better than sliced bread 😊.

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

I hope that you have now seen the light in action Paul @paulastro and that it was not an issue.
If you get spill and you need it shielded, a  call to the council responsible may resolve.
The magid words are .... 'Light spill into a Bedroom' only mention Astronomy as a second item.

Let us know how it goes.

I do believe the real light issue is all the private LED's that folks have fitted due to lights off policies and
the general belief (wrongly) that lighting improves security on your home. 

Thanks Alan, good advice.  When I went to bed last night the lights hadn't come on, but they haven't finished fitting them yet.  I will post again when they are finished, and when the sky has been clear as well.  I will certainly take your advice if I get 'bedroom light spillage'.  Thanks again.