DaveS

Alternative wood cut blade for the mitre saw I have coming, and a multimeter Check out the name on the meter

Ah, right.

If I could afford the hosting charges I'd be off to E-EyE too.

Just picked this up again. Very impressive! To say the least. I've also gone with a 16200 camera as being less crazy expensive than a 16803, especially WRT filters, though after some consideration went Moravian rather than SX with a 7 place wheel for std LRGBSHO filters. Was also at the OOUK stand at Astrofest this year, but decided that the ODK 12 was my sweet spot, and probably a one-man bucket, rather than a team heave-ho, and the DDM85 breaks down into two parts. Cost has also precluded a dome so going with a rough and ready ROR. Can only admire such a comprehensive observatory build.

Thanks, just had a look on Amazon, didn't realise there was something made for the job. Just got some Creocote, which I may use for general coating. No hurry, as it'll be a few days before I can even start on the base square.

I have Sketchup on the computer so might as well get to grips with it.

Ah well, there will be more orders, so I expect I will be using a timber yard. Still got to plan / do the roof. This will give me time to make the square template, then re-make it after mucking up, before the builders come to construct the platform. I've also got some wood preserver on the same order so will give the cut ends a good going over.

Since nobody has come back to say anything against the timber sizes etc, I've put in my first order from Wickes. There will be more 😃.

Well, ZWO can do it.

Well, I would consider This to be a serious telescope.

OK, ordered the mitre saw and additional blade from that long river place, and a set of 12mm Rawlplug shield anchors for the pier, together with the 20mm SDS+ drill bit. Now waiting to place the order for the timber and sundries. If nobody has any further thoughts on the sizes......?

Thanks, I'll put EDPM back on the list of possibles, but it'll be a while before I get to that point. Any comments on the timber? Should I go bigger? I'm planning on supporting the rails on 100 mm square fence posts, probably on concrete foundations, the chop saw linked to will cut up to 105 mm, so enabling the posts to be cut to length. I'm also planning to get the pier and maybe the mount and 'scope installed under a Telegizmos cover while the obsy is building.

Something like This? Bit pricey though.

Thanks. No I haven't as yet. I do have a jigsaw but think it might not be up to the job. I have been looking on that long river place to see what's available for a sensible budget.

Alas no sunroof (What is thing "sun"?) so will have to be delivered. 45 x 95 mm timber 45 x 120 mm timber Thinking of Roof Shingles rather than fighting EDPM sheet.

Tick....tick....tick...... Time to start the build thread. The foundation platform is scheduled for construction on the 6th Nov, after I come back from Lucksall so starting this now. The big tree (Identified as a Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is coming down at the same time, it's far too big for a small-ish garden. OK in a 5-10 acre plot but not here. The platform is specced to be 2.2 m square, 0.5 m high (This is pretty much set in stone), stone facings over concrete infill (For appearance). On top of this is a box 2.2 m square (ie right to the edges) with walls 1.6 m high in total, made up of 1.5 m high 45 x 95 mm studs resting on a 45 x 120 mm flat base to allow for level anchoring onto the stone edging of the platform, and to be a template for the construction, and 45 x 95 mm long runners in 2 x 3m lengths to carry the rails (From F W Brundle, like everyone else) and form the top of a pergola. Stud walls with noggins as needed, also of 45 x 95 mm. The studs will initially be anchored to the bottom base with galvanised steel "L" brackets, with additional screws. The roof will run off to the south, where there is an annoying tree but will allow the obsy to sit against the boundary without destroying too much of the garden. I'm planning on sloping the roof from west to east to allow a door in the west side of the north wall, and for the default park position of 'scope west side, pointing to the zenith. The overall height will have to be under 2.5 m for permitted development. The walls will be clad in T&G. A lot I will wing as I go, esp the roof which I may have to make up as I go along to stay within limits. Thoughts on covering? EDPM, or something else eg plastic tiles? Any thoughts or comments will be welcome, especially as regards to the timber dimensions before I click the "buy" button on my Wickes basket. To be continued......

Need to do some flats as I've just swapped filters, cleaning them in the process. About the only time I redo flats as I find any dust bunnies pretty stable. TBH, unless I'm focusing in twilight I have to stretch the hell out of my stacked images to see any bunnies at all, and a gradient removal will take care of the slight vignetting in my system. Whether it will be clear enough to do twilight flats tonight is a moot point.

Since professional astronomers are quite happy to book time on various big telescope that they don't themselves own, and use the data in their research papers, I'm quite happy to follow their example and book exclusive time on a big 'scope somewhere with bette skies and with views of objects I can't see from here. I do draw the line at pooled data where you have to share time and data with a group. Or I would if I could afford it, the same as many a cash-strapped research institution.

Page from an old copy of Industrial Toxicology Not something I'd want to get involved with, even as a chemist.

Which is one of the nastiest materials in common use,

Looking at my previous post here I have since bought my camera, a Moravian G3 16200 (After recent price increases it worked out cheaper with its filter wheel than the Atik, and has RBI flush), and installed the network with 3 external ethernet runs, though only Cat5e as I'm not streaming video over them. One of the runs terminates in another 5 way switch in the garage, the other two are to the two imaging stations with Win 10 Pro mini PCs.

I use PinPoint with the GSC 1.1 catalogue, but don't use it natively but from within Maxim DL and the ASA Sequence software. The only times I've had any problems they've been due to other things such as not specifying the camera / 'scope parameters or when the cameras has played up. Otherwise spot on.

I think I might go on the Saturday, but even leaving at 8 o/c (And getting away on time always proves impossible for me. *something* always delays) I won't make Patrick's lecture given the 3 1/2 hour journey (Realistically 4 hours with breaks), so may just go for general entry.

Likewise. Looking forward to meeting up with forum members in person.

ATM just the Megrez 90 and ST80 on the HEQ5. Just put the ASI 1600 on the TS 0.79x reducer. May well have a look at the Heart. Else forget about imaging and just do visual, as where I live is darker than Lucksall.