DaveS

No, not yet, following the comments above suggesting that it *should* have Win 10 installed but not activated.

I think you have to contact their customer (Non)services.

OK, I can't do a screen shot as it's not functioning, so I took a photo of the screen. Any ideas? Is it DOA?

Thanks, that's what / how I read it, so it's not just me being stupid / naive (Or even stupidly naive). I'm going to have another go, pressing Function Keys until one of them brings up the Boot Menu. Unfortunately the included "manual" only refers to an already functioning computer. A bit annoying really.

OK, thanks guys, just checked Softwaregeeks. This is the industrial mini PC I bought. Reading the description and the reviews / comments I thought it had Win 10 Pro installed but not activated. Would you read it the same way?

OK, no Micro-$-oft sticker or barcode, and the DVD files look to be just drivers, Realtek HD audio, Intel HD graphics, and Broadcom. So it looks like I bought a pup, either misreading or misunderstanding the product description on amazon, which means I'll have to purchase a new license for Win 10.

Thanks. looked on the Microsoft site and downloaded the tool, but says you have to have a license key. This is why I bit off more than I can chew, Ass-U-Me'd that the computer would come with Win 10, as that is what it said on the amazon page.

I've been stupid and bitten off more than I can chew. I bought a "Barebones" micro PC for my obsy but it looks like there's no OS installed (Fair do, I thought it might be on the DVD that came with it but it's just drivers). I made a copy onto a USB stick hoping *something* would instal on boot up but no luck. Therefore I need a Win 10 Pro install, and as there's no optical disk player that means a USB stick. What concerns me is buying a copy of Win 10 Pro from the Microsoft store and still not being able to load it. I have installed a 64gb boot drive and 500gb storage drive plus 8gb RAM. I think I need step by step "Bodge it for dummies" guide to installing as I know from bitter experience my ability to make a complete pig's ear of anything IT.

Ah, but you're not a real astronomer unless you're sitting in the nice warm control room of a 10m telescope on a mountain.

This Which on opening revealed this I've just installed the 8 gig RAM, 64 gig boot drive and 500 gig storage drive. Now to get it all working. It will be the observatory PC for the ODK12 / DDM85/ G3 16200 set up.

Sounds like a camera lens filter thread.

I've got ear plugs that I use with the SDS drill, but maybe I should get the real thing.

Thanks. Couple of quick pics of the grass Too long for a mower, but a bit much for a strimmer.

That looks good, will likely put an order in for one myself. Not sure my grass is big enough to justify a mower, and in any case I like to let it become "wild" rather than manicured to an inch of its life. I know lawns are supposed to be a "bloke thing" but I've never been a fan of striped perfection.

I was looking at the way it would be oriented in my garden and decided that If I extended the rails longer than needed, and with about 2 m clearance I could incorporate them into a pergola across where steps lead down to the main area.

Thanks. Means I don't have to go as far as 4" square, which I had been planning. 3" for the corners and 3x2 elsewhere. Plus Joists, though I had been planning just a "big wooden box" sitting on the foundation platform. It's for imaging so I won't be hanging around in there much.

Just out of interest, as I'm planning mine, what size timber have you used? I have a tendency to use too big a size, lending myself in extra expense and woodworking (Wood butchery more like) problems.

Of course, if you have a big enough telescope you don't need hyperstar. This is 2 mins exposure at f/10 The catch? A 2 m aperture on la Palma, the Liverpool Telescope.

You've got some very good horizons there Gina, much better than mine.

Right, OK as you were quoting in $ I thought you were from the US. In which case I'd most certainly recommend the Mesu 200 mk 2, and definitely look into 10 Micron. Yes, I did note the Hyperstar, if you can get it to work then good luck, but as in my previous post, once you *have* got it fettled, then leave it alone. While equatorial forks can be good for imaging, they have to be designed and built from the ground up. The well-regarded Avalon M-Uno is a single arm fork. I have great doubts about putting an alt-az fork mount on a wedge as it's now working outside it's primary design.

Start with the mount. I have my doubts about the CGX, as one of us here @Datalord had all kinds of woe with his and ended up buying one of the last two ASA DDM85s available (I have the other), a £12k mount. As you're in the US possibly a Paramount or AP might be a better bet, though over here the Mesu 200 (Note the Mesu is now in Mk2) is a firm favourite with 100 kg capacity and under £6k, as is the 10micron. Regarding one 'scope for all? Don't try it as you'll spend more time chopping and changing between imaging and visual to do either effectively. The CPC1100 sounds a great 'scope for planetary visual and imaging, but forget about wedges, as you'll be laying yourself open to even more woe, @ollypenrice has a thing or two to say about those, as he has for Hyperstar. If you want a damn good imaging 'scope the TEC140FL ticks all the right boxes, and is made in the USA to boot. With DSO imaging the fine tuning to get the best results is so finicky that once you've got everything playing nicely together LEAVE IT ALONE until you start seeing problems. What camera are you planning on? This will affect the field of view, and the plate scale, which will also impact on how well you can guide, I assume that if you're planning to image with a SC that you'll be using an OAG, as mirror flop will (Not can) be a problem. Trying to get much below 1"/pixel is tricky and depends heavily on your seeing (Not sky darkness) @gorann has started imaging with a 14" Meade, but his is on a damn good mount (Mesu 200 I thin), he may have something to say about long FL imaging And just to show I'm not anti big aperture, I have an ODK12 incoming, but that's a relatively manageable 2040 mm FL and will go on the DDM85.

Hi Barnes, and welcome to SGL That looks a really spot-on set of kit, hard to go wrong with that, look forward to your first images. Although your outlook isn't the best, there are still plenty of interesting targets, both galaxies and NB you could image.

Some bits to go in a "barebones" i3 industrial pc for the obsy, boot ssd, storage ssd, and 8 gig RAM And a cheap 'n' cheerful 4k monitor, as there are a lot of windows open on the desktop It's just on the stand for the time being, it will be VESA mounted when installed.

You'll have to bell them and give your motorhome's reg no else you won't get in. I had to bell them just recently as I had bought a new car since booking.

Oh dear. Still usably clear so far. Not quite as dark as I've seen here, but not too bad.