astrorg

Me again! It is good to keep this thread developing for all to read. In the non-distant future I may get the Quark - which one, will depend on what I will do and money too. At present I play once in a while with my DIY solar-scope. Regarding the Baader H-alpha 35nm CCD Filter 2", they are discontinued and they have added this in its place: https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/h-alpha-bandpass-filter-20nm.html But, I noticed it is 2mm and not 3mm thick as the 35nm, it is 20nm and not 35nm (narrower) and the new one has a Reflex coating - I guess to reduce reflections. I am now wondering if it will make any difference to use it in conjunction with the older 35nm. Although I am more worried about its 2mm losing 'heat' strength! Any idea?

I do have a 1.25" 0.5x maybe using right spacers and make it a 0.75? ... I think I got my own answer here! https://agenaastro.com/gso-1-25-0-5x-focal-reducer.html Mine is in practice that, not a TS but! Simply connecting to 174M directly may give me just about 0.7x. ... and the answer is: blooming try it you idiot! If I get the Sun available, when I am available.

Hi, I never saw your post - sorry. As mentioned I am in and out Astronomy, mostly to do with my precarious site = home! At the time I already had the AR152 988 - i.e. F6.5 ... That is why I was asking about it. I am thinking to keep my AR152 F6.5 and use it eventually with a Chromosphere... or something else. Problem always is if I can trust to have only a Baader filter on it, as @Davey-T does with his better F5.9 I mean, I am no expert on this, but I guess if it is fine with his F5.9, it should be better with my F6.5 in terms of Sun intensity, right? But regarding the DIY AR90/900. I usually used a QHY 174M mini with it and it seems great. How do I get the full disk? I see I would need a reduction of about 0.8-0.75x, but... my setup still uses the PST 1.25" nosepiece and therefore I am forced to use a 1.25" reducer. Is there a decent and not too expensive one? I cannot afford to get a B1200 - maybe I will, before the Chromosphere. I do not even know where to lean on. Meaning which BF to get 1800 1200 600 whichever is around - I can only possibly afford one and must be the most useful with my AR90/900 or just do bother - save money and get Chromosphere to use with AR152 F6.5 and maybe my small 72ED F5.8 or the cheap ST80 F5 I still have 😂😂 Also with the Chromosphere may be a challenge getting full disk as well? I am confused with the 4.2x that it uses ! Sorry, my questions keep being of a newbie, as I am on and off and keep forgetting things! Pff When you are in it constantly for months, you get the whole lot back in mind. I feel like a 2 years old asking questions! mmm

Thank you all... Yes 5.6µm I also finally found some of the old files. Installed and working fine, apart from an initial BSOD because I did forget to read the txt file and do the 3 code modifications. Well at least I hope it did the trick. Got and ADC too for the first time in years I wanted to get one. Since I did some planetary test on mono using my old RGB 4000 series - probably not IR protected and the IR filter... I thought we are in North UK and weather is bad, therefore probably no more Mono - just OSC for anything. There are good filters now and I believe thanks to LED light put about 3 years ago, my Bortle may be 4- 4.5 and not 5 as mentioned by Clear outside website. A few weeks ago, I could barely see the milky way - so I guess I am a 4.5 now and I was not adapted to darkness.

Hi I did watch Robin's video a few years back - very good indeed. I have an old LX200 Classic 10" - I am old too (!), which 0.62x reducer are you using? I did add the Skywatcher 10:1 focuser and that adds a minimum of 90mm from original prime focus and I wish to find a 'decent' 0.62x or near that can be fit after focuser (not the original Meade/Celestron...) and hopefully not braking the Bank too. I am not in search of perfection, but a 'doable' one. The intention is to fit LX200 onto wheeled Tripod and leave it on to use as Planetary and Deep Sky + add a small refractor on top when in use, getting too heavy for me! Thanks M

Hi I used to 'use it' a bit and I have just found it and probably going to use it! One thing I do not know and if you remember. What is its pixel size? I am guessing ~ 4µ ! Thanks M

Correction! The link from web archive advertise everywhere, initially shows a Server Error. Then I thought lets wait a few seconds more and I was right. Download link comes out fine! [url]https://web.archive.org/web/20160312134842/http://www.njnoordhoek.com/?p=376[/url] Then click on Maskulator and 'wait' after you get (well I did!) a server error.

Excuse the intrusion on an old thread and I am not trying to argue, but trying to get a solution for 'everybody'. I saw many threads about Maskulator and a load of repeated links that do not exist any more. Why is it any one that has a copy of Maskulator software is not publishing it on Google Drive or similar? I cannot find it yet ... and I do not understand the secrecy, if there is any. I thought it was supposed to be a People's thing - you know sharing? 😇 Thanks PS keeping publishing dead links does not help anybody.

Thank you for all your replies, I do not know why, I did not have this thread 'followed' and never got notification. I am pondering!

Same for the SW 72ED

Hello Does anybody have done a focuser mod to use standard electric focuser on this original AR152 focuser? I am your classic -do-not-have-enough-cash-to-spend-type, but I am a good DIYer. I do not have for example the Skywatcher standard electric focuser and cannot know if I can adapt it to AR152. Does anyone know or done it? Thanks Mauro

Yes, that is part of the list and it is one easy way to do it and still be able to add PC... if needed. I wish to have both, really.

Thank you both, it looks like it ... or get one of those other Asterion kits here ... maybe ... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-mount-upgrade-kits.html

Hi all I have been off Astronomy for a couple of years now and still off it and I am trying to upgrade one of my mounts, a very little used EQ3-2 (new) ! I did read some of the forum posts, but I only need to make work what I have, really, do not wish to get into making a new one, even though I am an electronics technician, I lost my mojo! 🤔 On the mount itself I have nothing, i.e. no polar scope + illuminator (might get them too) and no drive motors. What I want to do is convert it to a Go-to also using what I have, but I am not sure - especially having been off it for a long time. 😜 My SynScan was updated a few years ago and it is the older type with NO USB, but I also 'made' an adaptor years ago and it now is a USB one and works fine - see images. All I need to know now, is what I need to make SynScan work with my EQ3-2. Apart from the obvious drive motors? I guess an interface from SynScan to motors. Do I have to get the motor kit - maybe the Delux too? Also, it is worth getting these motors? i.e. are they accurate enough to do a bit of everything, including planets and Deep Sky? I also have EQ-Mod etc. already installed and all working OK - as far as I remember -as I used it with my upgraded EQ6, so I do not wish to change the way I use to. Makes my life easier... especially now I am older. It was just - plug and play at the time and I would like to use both, SynScan and EQ-Mod or maybe simply use the Deluxe + EQ-Mod... maybe it is simpler? Thank you M

Well... here are some answers to help anybody that wishes to move to Linux: https://indilib.org/forum/general/1789-which-software-are-you-using-under-linux-for.html But I still wish to get SharpCap working. I just love it and I find it very me, but I am always open to new things and will try other Linux native applications. I guess at present the main thing is to try applications, I wonder which one of native Linux is best for Deep Sky.