DaveS

What are "outages" do you mean power cuts?

Those are decidedly un-cheap! Not sure I would want to pay in excess of £650 for a battery.

I have a basic Schneider APC 1400 UPS in the obsy, but it's main function is so that the Talon roof automation can park the 'scope, close the roof and safely shut down in the event of a power cut. It's kept the PC going through several cuts, but during Storm Bella we had several during the night (I counted 4 before I went to sleep) and in the morning the PC had shut down, so the cumulative time must have been beyond its capacity, It runs the PC, a 5 port switch and the security camera. The power monitor said 165 mins run time, but that might be optimistic. It also puts out a fair bit of RF noise.

Colorfabb aren't delivering to the UK until the chaos engendered by Brexit and HMRC's crass stupidity is sorted out. Not holding my breath.

I have a QHY268 on order from Astrograph. I have a spare SX filter wheel which I can use, just a matter of ordering a spare wheel and 54mm SX adaptor.

ABS I know needs fume extraction, but does PETG or Nylon? Where my printer is going I could construct a fume cupboard. And how many telescopes are useable above 100C?

"Sun"? "Summer"? What are they? unfamiliar this far north. And my car in winter is still like an ice box without the heating on. And I'm only on the south west coast, not even north north.

Yep, very nice indeed.

This IDAS type 4 filters look interesting This page gives the background.

After many backtracks due to my miserable coordination I finally got the wretched thing built. Will deal with bed leveling and software installation tomorrow when a few more brain cells might be present and correct.

Well my printer turned up and I'm working my way through the destructions putting it together.

I have a pair of Vortex Crossfire 10x50s that I use for quick grab 'n' go while I'm imaging. Very good they are too.

QHY 268 available to pre-order from Astrograph at a good price.

Waiting for my printer to arrive. Was supposed to be today. The reel of PLA turned up, but then about the same time I got the "Your delivery has been delayed" message from Amazon, for maybe Mon or Tue. So, your guess: This year? Next year? Sometime? Never?

According to my file dates, the last image I completed was Melotte 15, at the back end of Sept. Since then a combination of rubbish weather and trying to get a new setup into operation has scuppered any proper imaging

Thanks for that link Vlaiv, very interesting and informative.

I think there are plastics that may be strong enough, eg carbon fibre loaded PLA, but need special hardened nozzles.

I've also seen engineering grade photopolymer resins that look to have very high rigidity and strength. Not cheap mind, but for special projects.....

I'll probably get and LCD printer as well. Can't afford real SLA but I think the latest LCD models are pretty good, with mono screens, and some running 4k. Good enough for my needs at any rate.

OK. clicked BUY on an Ender 3 V2, and a starter reel of PLA. I expect to be using other filaments as I get more experience. I am still looking at LCD resin printers.

Had a look at the Prusa, but it's out of my price range.

Right . Added to basket, but not hit "buy" yet. May also get a LCD photocuring printer for fine work.

As an example of one of the adaptors I want to print is a M69 (NOT M68) to M54 with 32mm length. I could put together a series of adaptors / extensions but at the moment I can only find what I need on the TS site and they aren't delivering to the UK for the time being. Has anyone used a photocuring resin printer? looks like greater precision but not sure about the resin.

Recommendations for a beginner? Not too expensive (<£300 for preference), relatively easy to assemble for a cack-handed nerk, and capable of good accuracy as I want to print things like extension adaptors with metric threads. Please keep your replies simple, as this is unfamiliar territory for me.

I'm expecting it to be very similar to the colour version. Whatever that will be after the pound tanks.