geordie85

5 minutes ago, FLO said:

Not a great photo (taken with a smartphone) but it does provide a sense of scale.  The StellaMira telescope is mounted on a 10Micron GM 1000 HPS mount and Pulsar observatory pier. The camera is a Starlight Xpress Trius PRO 694. 

 

Absolutely gorgeous. Do you guys have a price in mind? 

35 minutes ago, FLO said:

A photo of the StellaMira 104 ED2 Triplet refractor: 

I want this. 

I was looking at it with awe and slight confusion as if never heard of it before. Now I know why

I was the guy with the green hair. 

I don't do well in big crowds or talking to people, that's why I never mentioned it before. 

13 minutes ago, John said:

Get back to the vendor and I'm sure they will put things right. The dew shields on ST80's do slide off quite easily though. They are just held in place by thin felt pads so you could add slightly thicker felt.

I don't think there are special imaging solar filters but it should fit the scope that you specified it for.

 

 

I've emailed the vendor about the diagonal so hopefully they will find it and send it to me. Tha ks for clearing the dew shield issue up for me, I wasn't 100% sure if it should have been bolted/ skewed on in any way. 

I thought imaging solar film had a different ND rating to visual solar film. I can only assume this is why it states visual on the side. 

I attended the IAS today and I must say I'm rather unimpressed with my purchases. I spent less than £200 on a new dovetail, a solar filter and a skywatcher st80. 

The dovetail I bought came with screws that are the wrong thread for my william optics tube rings. Lucky enough I found a couple in my box of spares. The st80 is missing the diagonal and the dew shield slides off rather easily (I don't know if it's supposed to slide off easily, but I cannot see it as being intensional). The solar filter is a visual filter and doesn't even fit my flt98 even though I specifically asked the vendor which will fit and told him that it'll be for imaging. Even if I wanted to use it for visual with my st80 I can't because the diagonal is missing. 

I should have just bought the ex display tak instead. 

It was quite strange for me simply because it was in a different hall to the pervious 2 years. Still a decent show though. I did notice that there wasn't a single esprit 100 there. They had the 80, 120 and 150. 

2 hours ago, geordie85 said:

Not exactly what the postman brought, but what I bought at IAS today. 

After quite some fiddling trying to get everything lined up and fitting together I've mounted the ST80 atop my flt98. 

I must a bit that I'm slightly annoyed, partly at myself for not checking before I left, but before I bought it I was told it comes with a diagonal etc. But when I got home and opened the box, there was no diagonal. 

Also a question for other st80 owners. How easy is it to remove the dew shield? Mine slides off rather easily. 

Not exactly what the postman brought, but what I bought at IAS today. 

I'm working late tonight so I'm still undecided if I'll be going tomorrow. Can't make Saturday as I'm working 

I guess it all depends on what you're looking to get out of this hobby. 

I've spent a ridiculous amount of money on my setup and wasted even more by buying the wrong gear since I didn't really know what I wanted and rushed into silly purchases without research. But I'd do it all over again. 

Its not just the image processing and ending with a pretty picture for me. If it was, I could just download data sets that are available online.

But I love setting up my imaging rig. Seeing the first image of my target pop up on screen. Sitting under the stars whilst my telescope catches photons that have been traveling through space for longer than I've been alive. Processing the data that I've captured. Knowing that the end result may not be the best, but its mine. 

4 hours ago, steppenwolf said:

@A40farinagolf has posted the list as I know it.

Tilt can be introduced in two areas with this flattener - at the camera end jut tighten the locking screw very securely and at the nosepiece end. The 2" nosepiece fits into a standard 2" eyepiece holder and good ones (like William Optics own) have two retaining thumb screws and one grub screw (hidden under a silicone 'plug' 120 degrees from the two screws) - expose the 'hidden' grub screw, slacken off all three screws and insert the flattener with the camera attached. Rock it slightly until you can feel that the two mating faces are touching one another completely flatly then tighten up the two thumb screws very firmly. While still supporting the camera and flattener, tighten up the grub screw. This results in a really good mating of the two surfaces and mitigates any tilt at this point.

If your eyepiece holder doesn't have a third thumb screw or hidden grub screw, drill and tap a suitable hole at 120 degrees from the other two screws and insert a third bolt. If your eyepiece holder only has one thumb screw then drill and tap holes for two more - you need three to make this 'pushfit' connection fit for purpose.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a go and do a star test once the stars are out and I'm not at work. 

My flt98 has a moonlite focuser so it already has 3 screws so no DIY for me which is a good thing as I'd more than likely break something. 

Does it make a difference which 2 thumbscrews I tighten first?  Also won't that make the sensor slightly off center? 

2 hours ago, A40farinagolf said:

Is this the list that you're looking for?

I guess so. Thanks

2 hours ago, steppenwolf said:

I don't think the body does revolve, I am sure that it is only the internals that move but I am loathe to undo mine to confirm as I have perfect spacing at the moment and have had since I first set it over 3 years ago! If you do manage to find one on the second hand market, I have some tips for you (just shout!) on how to ensure that you minimise tilt.

Yes you do if your particular refractor is not on the list.

Good question and unfortunately, I have never noticed so can't confirm 🙁

There's a second hand one on ABS at the moment for £280 (which is too expensive if you ask me). 

I have one of these that I bought 2nd hand off here and my star field is pretty flat after alot of fettling. 

Do you have the list at hand? And what's the best way of reducing tilt as I still have slight tilt in one of my corners. 

Thanks

This is probably the best image I got. 

Skywatcher 200p canon 600d baader solar film. 

Single image at iso 100 1/25 second image

I finally managed to get a few images. Had to move everything to the front "garden" as the sun had gone behind the houses and now my camera battery has died. Just having a look on my laptop now

Finally found everything, got set up, just started to find focus and this happened. 

I'm hoping it clears before the sun moves behind the houses. 

Panic sets in as I cannot find my t-ring

I'm just trying to dig out everything I need to connect my 600d to my 200p that hasn't been used in a very long time. 

Awesome image. Will you be adding any O111 for the squid Nebula? 

It's always nice when something just works 

I use a QHY5L-II guide camera, a polemaster, a qhy183c and a qhy183m and I've never had any problems with drivers. 

1 hour ago, FLO said:

If the free installation isn't of interest and you want to buy a kit to install yourself at home then please see us at the event, we will see what we can do 🙂 

Steve 

Is it only the heq5 he's fitting them too? And not any neq6 mounts? 

I may be there Friday as I'm working at the weekend.

56 minutes ago, Adreneline said:

Thanks Adam. I like my 135mm Samyang but I think I could get to like the Canon more. It's heading in the right direction for the 1600 pixel size.

Thanks again.

Adrian

Fancy selling it? 

5 minutes ago, Freddie said:

Though the statement “please post questions and offers in the thread not by PM” is in the thread titled “classified RULES” pinned in the classified section!!

And the reply right under that post is from an admin stating that its just a request due to it working well on other forums.