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Fozzie

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Everything posted by Fozzie

  1. Over the last week or so it's been a bit hit n miss, the redirect message.. but was working fine a few mins ago..
  2. it's interesting actually (well maybe) in the Book "shoot the moon" it mentioned that achro refractors are better tuned in green wavelengths as this suits our vision, so the sharpest layer should be the G from RGB.. this got me thinking, a green filter, providing high contrast might enable me to focus more accurately hence a sharper image. I'll post the page section, if I remember, later on.. one thing at the time i remember was, having just been to the optician, is the old red/black green/black comparison they do.. green and black seems to give good contrast, hence why i gave the continuum a try both visually and on monochrome..
  3. When I'm imaging with the DSLR, on the moon, I sometimes use a solar continuum filter, before converting to monochrome, the contrast is great, allows good focusing! Bit odd visually mind...
  4. That's a really interesting review, I'd missed it posted before so thanks for 're pointing it out.. one thing that seems to be a recurring theme is stacking of filters. My two current visual sky glow and enhancement are the semi apo and neodymium.. I use the semi apo on the moon alot and find it reduces colour fringing, but doesn't really add to contrast, the tone is quite neutral.. the neodymium is similar, doesn't impact CA at all, but I've found it helps bring out banding on Jupiter.. my biggest surprise and success was stacking them on mars.. totally a magic bullet, before with just the neodymium it was a mess of boiling colour, a mixture of atmospheric and chromatic joy, the stacked filter cut through unbelievably well.. I wonder if top end optics could show less of an impact on these types of filters, I suspect things like CA that are well controlled before might not present such an obvious improvement.. if that makes sense.. Be interesting to stack the neodymium and contrast booster if you get chance... maybe if there's a semi apo at kelling give that a try too...
  5. Did any body pick out any Martian moons last night.. I had a tiny spot of light to the north of the planet (below), wondered what that would have been..? (South was at 12ocklock and syrtis major at 9, the way i was viewing)
  6. i think that's almost part of the problem, i almost bench mark, everytime i go out against THAT one night, where the seeing was just perfect... i know the scope is totally capable, but then i get hooked up if i think it should be better, and dwell on what it's not compared to others scopes... Actually what i have is a good example of a really nice scope, to go with a really nice mount, hopefully next time out i can just concentrate on the one thing without distractions (in my mind) of worrying about what i don't have! everyone's gardens like that i suppose, i just got it in my head as an excuse or too much trouble to arrange my observing around it all.. it's easier now it's all away in the garage etc.. there were times of thinking "I'll have to move the run, and prop the washing line and Oh i cant be bothered" shouldn't get like that.. how was the crop anyway, I grow grapes and plums, bad this year for me, not enough water i think for the vine and it struggled! I suspect the vixen will do just fine... it's a classic scope for a good reason. I was amazed at the difference the stacked filters made, i might not have necessarily got al the right features there, but for my first attempt at viewing, i found it more contrasty than Jupiter, and also easier to concentrate on, in the good seeing moments there was almost too much to see.. I did notch a small pin prick of light to the north (south was up as i viewed) would this have been one of the moons i wonder!?
  7. That's a nice looking scope, would be interested to get your thoughts on it... Don't seem to be too many reviews around..
  8. Morning all, I’ve been quiet on here recently, lost a bit of mojo with the pressures of work and life in this so called new normal, coupled to that a few kit issues and I was always feeling a bit flat and unmotivated to get out. Firstly I thought my GP was giving up on one of it’s motors, and I didn’t want to accept that, so I avoided opportunity to go out, earlier in the year, until I eventually stripped it down and found a loose grub screw on the gear – easy fix and the GP is working fine Second issue was my observing site in the garden, over run by Guinee pig hutches, children’s toys, patio furniture and a washing line, not an easy place to set up, set down and swing a 1125mm long refactor in, again off putting so it was just easier to stay in (and fall asleep on the sofa!!) Third issue I had lost my polar alignment marks, and try as I might, I couldn’t seem to get back to that sweet spot that I had before.. wonderfully relaxing where only the occasional nudge every so often was needed. Finally, One of my big bug bears is my F11 achro, a modest scope by many means, I’ve found myself frustrated, often with the views, sometimes with the ergonomics and generally a combination of both.. which just left me doubting all is well and putting me off. The last time I headed out I struggled to get the Tak prism to come to focus, another “frustrating” occurrence that shouldn’t have been. Last night however was a total revelation, after deciding to upgrade to scope to a minimum ED of 100mm, I told myself if im going to justify that, I should at least be using what I have when I can, get back in to the habit, now it’s dark by 20:00.. I’d already cleared the garden of all the toys, the pigs were tucked away in their own corner out of the way, and a retractable washing line put up instead of the throat catching permanent one from before, the patio furniture, tucked out of the way, so I had room to swing at. I took the GP out, and plonked it down, no worrying about north, PA or anything, parked it at home, plonked it facing north as far as I could tell. Set her up, left the scope out for about 30 mins. Whilst I waited, I had some sponge and custard the wife and kids made earlier, bit dry TBH, but warming so all was good. Some Hazy cloud was about, which explains why accu. weather, BBC, COS all said total cloud, the met office had said clear (hence why I set up) and it was workable so I headed out. Jupiter and Saturn are fast falling past some trees for me, so I grabbed what little I could on these two, mostly Jupiter. The seeing wasn’t steady but clarity was good, I could make out the main equatorial bands, four perfect dots of her main moons and in better seeing the soft darkening of the polar regions and glimmers of texture between the belts. Still though, everything was pale and contrast seemed difficult to pull out, a nice refresh but nothing startling or rewarding. After swinging over to the moon, things started to pick up, the soft clouds filtered some of the glare, and terminator was fill of texture, contrast and detail, I spent about 40 mins looking at the area around Montes Harbinger, where the light was catching and it appeared as though there were little jewels glimmering in the darkness, a lovely sight.. It dawned on me at that stage, that although I was only 112x mag, I’d not actually being constantly nudging the DD3 to recentre the image, in fact this was about as stable as id ever seen.. my tracking looked beyond good… After 20mins or so trying to pick out the 2.9km crater “Delisle K” with out any joy or nudging of the scope I decided I need to mark the tripod legs for future, as this plonk it down tactic had given me very good PA.. I couldn’t pick out Delisle K, so settled with Federov settled amongst Dorsa Argand at 6.5km as a reasonable benchmark. By that time Mars was up and was my intended view for the night. I have had no luck with mars, it’s always been a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours, with no albedo or anything to note, but I was determined to give it ago again. After I swung the scope east, their she was shimmering in her technicoloured glory, as I expected, the neodymium filter not offering anything, despite me reading it’s a god filter for mars, and at 112x the CA in my scope is negligible on the moon so id not used it… yet. Not sure what it was in my mind, but I decided to stack the filters, neo and semi apo, usually all this does is create a dew problem and ghosting, but not tonight, probably because I’d had them both out for a while to cool. The impact was remarkable, in fact it was jaw dropping, gone had the kaleidoscope to be replaced with a beautiful pink reddish orb, hanging in a dark grey almost black sky.. clear syrtis major and SPC, with hints of other features in the offering for high mags.. Up to 160x with the 7mm LV, double stack filter and tak prism.. the equipment was singing and the red planet had nowhere to hide, in the better moments, clear hooks of Tritonis Sinus and I swear Sinus Gomer popped in to view, the lighter Hellas region also visible with the arch of syrtis major and mare serpentis all clearly visible.. I just sat and watched in awe.. what I sight it was.. Suddenly all the doubt about my rig had gone, all of it totally irrational, I know this frac shows me the best the environment will allow, I mean I’ve had this up to 450x on the moon a few years back.. it’s amazing how doubt creeps in, but it’s amazing how it can be obliterated when it all comes together! Can’t wait for the next opportunity now.. MOJO RESTORED, FAITH IN THE FRAC RESTORED! Thanks for reading Fozzie
  9. The best view I've had of mars tonight, I was starting to question my equipment again, but tonight it's hit every mark I've asked.. the magic bullet came from double stacking the neo and semi apo filter, turned a rainbow mars into a perfect salmon red, with features galore! What a sight... Happy...
  10. If your out, this is a lovely sight, theres about 9 different areas of montes harbinger just starting to catch the light, they look like little shimmering gem stones against the dark.. Really nice view..
  11. Oooo think i'll follow this thread, looking forward to seeing your thoughts as the weeks progress.
  12. That's good to know... for a minute I was doubting myself... did you try BV with the f11 and tak prism.. per chance so the work without a gpc?
  13. Evening all.. Got a little issue, I'm just trying out my new to me tak prism.. and my f11 frac appears not to have enough outward focuser travel.. I know prisms can shorten the light path, compared with my 2" WO mirror diagonal, but really... do i actually need an extension tube or am I being a bit daft somewhere... Ta Fozzie
  14. oh a good distance away then... I sleep heavy sometimes so thought i might have slept through a good storm then! Believe it or not i once slept through a drunk driver crashing their car in to ours, while they were on the drive, if it hadn't had woken the wife up (who went a bit too crazy), i wouldn't have known about till morning..
  15. West of me..? went to bed about 11 ish, it turned really quite oppressively muggy about 21:30.. Didn't hear or see a thing, looked like it rained in around dawn though.. What time are we talking?
  16. Tak prism courtesy of @heliumstar.. this little beauty looks brand new, not a spec or mark or anything, looking forward to using it... First and hopefully not the last bit of takahashi..
  17. or beech... Bending slowly over time sounds like the ticket to me, you could easily make a jig up using wing nut bolts, then give as little of a turn as you wanted to slowly stretch the wood in to shape.. Had another thought finishing wise, Osmo Polyix Oil.. is a hard wax oil hybrid, takes up to a couple of weeks to set hard, but it's dry within a few hours.. After it's set, finishing wax, couple of coats.. that will look really nice! The polyix oil (others are available like Fides hard wax oil) you can get clear or tinted if you want to add a stain as well.. I stripped back a table a few weeks back and finished with this combo, no idea what wood it is mind, but after i got off the horrible coloured wax/stain the wife used it came up well.. see below, my pine observing chair is also finished with this combo..
  18. that's not a bad idea, and the bolts on the outside are not an issue, you can just countersink the wood in the same plan as the as the bolt so it sits flush. Obviously the counter sunk would be deeper at the top than the bottom to square it off, I doubt it would be objectionable.. I just wonder if you could flex the wood enough to form the shape without putting too much stress on it.. if you started with parallel legs, so everything was square at the hinge, add a brace point here, that's square, then pinch the two sections together, i wonder over say 1200mm (or what ever the height of the remaining leg is) would you (the wood) have enough natural flex to for the shape you needed, you'd then just need to profile you tapered infills, and fix together. could be worth a go or a test run..
  19. Good man, I love a good tripod build Thread.. from your description, i think your talking along the line of this kind of tripod I think these look great, a very classic elegant design.. This is a IR Poyser telescope & stand, its a "furniture level scope" that you mind being around the house, or that your other half doesn't mind being around the house! The legs here look set to an angle, with the infilling also mirroring that angle, which gives you fixing points for your BB spreader. TBH honest i'm not sure how that would work at the hinge, they look to be fixed of set to the plane of the bolt running through the hinge, as opposed to running square and flexing the legs to an angle. Wood wise, always worth a conversation the supplier you have in mind.. I've used sapele and iroko, TBH the iroko has a nasty habit of splintering due to little calcium deposits, if you catch one with saw or drill bit/router it blows, i had to do some filling on mine to cover, which now stands out somewhat after the wood has darkened to a deep red. I would think, Oak, Ash, Beech are all good options.. TBH i like this bit the most, which wood to use as opposed to actually doing the work as I hate doing DIY and I've no real woodworking skills so i find it stressful... plan once, twice, check it three times then cut and hope for the best!.. what about Maple or Idigbo all of these should stay fairly pale.. the sapele and Iroko i used have all gone a deeper red colour over the last year.. As it's not my money i think Cherry would be lovely. Oil wise, teak is a winner for lots of occasions, but OSMO do a range of UV protect oil for exterior wood I've used that, bit expensive but a little goes a long way. Looking forward to seeing how you get on. Ta Fozzie
  20. Lovely.. I especially like the TIE Fighter appearing from behind the trees!
  21. is anyone else feeling a bit jaded after two nights of chasing Neowise... 😴
  22. Tell you what in general this morning the sky was great, a comet in the north, Saturn and Jupiter in the south, moon mars up in the east, summer triangle over to the west... great smokes it's good time for astronomy.
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