ChrisLX200

I would agree these are excellent scopes for the money, and are a much better option (IMHO) than an equivalent SCT for DSO AP. I would say though that the 8" and larger OTAs are to be preferred - not just because they _are_ bigger but because even the 8" is easy to mount/guide and the price difference is modest. I have the metal tube 8" version and it shows much promise. Sadly, what with other new gear to get working together with horrible weather for the past 2 months I've hardly had chance to use it at all. I spent more time playing with the collimation than taking images. Below is one of only two actual 'fitst light' images I've captured using it, and what impresses me is the useful image scale I get with the 490EX camera, and the good definition. This is only 4 x 900s luminance subs but I wish I could collect a full LRGB set (preferably without aircraft trails...) ChrisH I meant to add - the optics are well secured in the tube and I found I could generate a model using my 10-Micron mount of 5" RMS, which means I can use the scope unguided (as indeed it was for the above image). I don't think I could have got away with doing that with an SCT. Edit: Oh poo. That was the wrong image... I wondered where the diffraction spikes had gone! I'll leave it there though (it's a cropped image from the 5" refractor but more subs than with the 8" RC). So. Ahem. The AA 8" RC image is below:

Not seen that one before, but there's always someone with a bright idea - and if American, trying to make money out of it. A Howie Glatter holographic laser seems to do a pretty good job for me. ChrisH

Thanks John, in days gone by that shelf was used to hold a laptop, nowadays I image from a nice warm control room :-) The shelf is still useful at times though. ChrisH

Here's my NP127is :-) ChrisH

For my pier I had given to me some 9" dia steel steam pipe x 3/8" thick wall. It was being used to put in a high-pressure water pipe system at work and they had an 'offcut'. I didn't know what to expect until a lorry turned up and workmen dumped it on my driveway. Shock: it was about 10ft long! OMG, there was no way I was going to cut that with a hacksaw - I couldn't even move the thing on my own, so consequently the hole ended up being about 5-1/2 feet deep and 5 feet diameter. Believe me when I say that was a lot of concrete to mix (with a shovel!). My pier is going nowhere I can assure you :-) ChrisH

Says clear here tonight but it seems very unlikely to me looking at the sat images. Maybe all that cloud will suddenly evaporate or something. ChrisH

Nice collection - but you need the 22mm as well ChrisH

I might have a spare toothed wheel I could use for this, I'll check my stock later and let you know what sizes I have... Waiting for a parcel delivery at the moment which is late arriving... ChrisH

Yes that's what I needed. In the end I bought one with a 3mm bore and drilled it out further to about 6mm, then installed a bush having a 2.5mm bore. If you need help sorting something like that out Dave give me a shout. ChrisH

The BBC were a total failure last night in predicting clear skies for my region, CO was better. I really don't know where the BBC got their forecast from because the clues from satellite images as to what would happen were obvious. ChrisH

I can't figure these forecasts and where they get their predictions from. The BBC and ScopeNights both say clear all night for me, ClearOutside says cloudy all night. Completely at odds with each other. I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on Sat24 as I usually do... ChrisH

That's a nice collection of binos ChrisH

My 22mm Vixen Silver-top is my most used eyepiece, mainly because I made it parfocal with my guider. They are excellent workhorse eyepieces. ChrisH

They (various sources of forecast) all pretty much failed for me also. It was difficult to be precise though because a stream of cloud and rain was moving erratically N up the west side of the country. The real situation was shown on Sat24 satellite images and that is what I tend to use these days, but extrapolating even a few hours in advance is still tricky. ChrisH

Read back four posts! ChrisH

Look forward to testing it! Might better for each 24hr day to be centered on mid-night rather than mid-day, so it shows the whole night in one strip? ChrisH

Gina, have you ever tried to repair those sensors with the odd broken wire? It's tricky, but I once managd to solder (!) back several - but not all - that I had on a Kodak chip a long time ago. Today I would be tempted to try silver-loaded epoxy rather than solder. You do need a quailty binocular microscope and good dexterity (which was an essential part of my job at the time). ChrisH

CAn you use a soldering iron to apply heat locally? Maybe put a blade into the gap twixt glass/frame and heat, then push the blade in to wedge them apart as you work your way around? ChrisH

Brilliant image. But... where do you go from here? Your very own DSS perhaps ChrisH