DaveS

Yep, the Bock comes after the work is done lol.

OK, then I guess I'll abandon thoughts of Linux for the moment, thanks to everyone who has replied.

Thanks, that was what I was thinking. The Win-Dross critical software is the ASA Autoslew and Sequence. ASA say they are developing a platform agnostic package, but there's no sign of it yet. Wonder if @Waldemar has heard anything?

With an ASA DDM mount I could run unguided all night.

Does the 6200 do ROI? If it does then I would think of binning 2x2 for a full frame image, or else do a ROI crop at 1x1. In any case, with 16 bit ADC and a healthy FWC I'd be treating it like CCD with fewer long (600 sec up) subs.

Anyone had success running ASCOM applications under WINE? I'm getting sufficiently fed up with Win-Dross updates trashing divers etc that I'd be willing to give Linux a go, but some vital software I use is ASCOM dependent. So has anyone managed to run ASCOM under WINE? I did put the question up on the ASA forum but had only one reply from someone who'd tried and given up.

I *will* be giving it a miss this year unfortunately. Brewed up the sniffles, so staying here. No it's not the Chinese Lurgy , nor even Man Flu, just a bit of a cold. Also I saw in the local news that part of the M27 will be closed for bridge work so that might make my drive a bit tedious.

Stella Mira, Wonderful Star. Reminds me of sn Officina Stellare HiPer 'frac.

Dur... trying to type too fast, not caught by spell-check.

Robotic focuser for the TS Triplet Apo. Thanks FLO.

A couple of photos of the finished platform. It'll be the weekend before the path is stable enough to walk on. Then I'll do a trial assembly of the sole plate to find out how far off level it is without packing. I've already given the end grain a couple of coats of sealing wax.

Anyone parked in the town Hall car park? I did a google maps and came up with nearly 5 hours by bus, train, and tube ot the thick end of 3 hours by car. I know most of the car journey up to the M25, and could probably work out the rest, as I know the M4 / Cromwell Road / south Ken (Only too well *shudder*). I've just looked up the charges, £20 for 4 hours . Seriously doubt if I'll be going at that rate.

Very nicely imaged. This is very low from here, doubt if it's doable for me.

No, and there's no clear sky for the foreseeable.

I should have added that I'll be using them hand held for grab 'n' go during imaging, so x10 is about as high as I want to go. If my pupils could still accept the full exit pupil of my 7x50 Zeiss Jenoptem bins I wouldn't be looking for anything else.

Great result Carole. This has given me ideas, it may be my first light target for when I get the ODK into commission. It should be riding high be then.

Wow! A serious number of faint fuzzies there, that's deep.

Thanks Steve @BinocularSky. Another possibility that I'm seeing is the Vortex Crossfire 10x50, which you reviewed for S@N. A bit more than the Pentax, but less than the Helios. Argh! More options, and trying to come to some kind of rational decision.

Thanks Dave, I hadn't thought of the DPC, dur.... I have a heap of door wedges that I will use for getting the initial level, then add packing as needed.

Thanks Ben, those look like what I want. The lead contractor has suggested I use long screws, so I can do the initial construction, then raise the sole plate slightly and pack in mortar, so I can level the whole frame before screwing down solid.

Thanks. It a relief to at last have concrete (Groan) signs of progress. There are odd jobs I can do while waiting for the concrete to go off properly, I can lay out the north-south axis, and possibly mark the eight anchor points. plus construct the sole plate. Will also look for some suitable long screws for anchoring the plate down.

OK then, an update on the building work. Warning, lots of photos. Concrete foundation laid and leveled. Bock work lower tiers laid, no point in using expensive stone where it can't be seen, plus the ground isn't level so the blocks make up the difference. The stone walls being built. The walls at their finished height, ready for infill. There's a load of leftover stone and blocks that have been broken up, tamped down and cemented together with "sloppy mortar" First layer of infill, Scalpings tamped and then whacked down. The foundation layer for the path around the obsy has also been laid. And finally the finished concrete infill. the paving slabs are for the path that will go around the obsy. the contractors reckon there's 8 1/2 tonnes of material in there, so it's not going to go anywhere soon. I've been advised to wait about three weeks before drilling the fixing holes for the pier, though I'll start work on laying the sole plate, on a mortar bed for level and stability. More updates to follow when I start the building work for the obsy propper.

And I'm 64 in just over a month

Thanks Ade I've had a look at the Binocular Sky reviews, and I'm rather liking the Pentax 10x50 WP. It gets good marks for optical quality and is well within my budget. I had been looking at the Helios Lightquest HR 10x50, but am not sure how much (If anything) it has over the Pentax for £120 more.