Owmuchonomy

Based on first hand experience I wouldn't recommend sinking the posts (or anything except the pier block) of the main building below ground. I would sit the corner posts on 8"x2" 'skis' and leave 150mm between floor and ground. In that way damp and condensation are eliminated especially if you leave a gap behind the roof lap to allow air flow. Sinking the run off posts is fine as they will have to support the roll off roof but are remote.

A few months ago I received a Southern Hemisphere version in error (the star charts were a give away). That had UK local pictures in it. I don't have a problem with that or anything else in S@N.

I assume Stu has dealt with it. We also have a CPP (child protection policy) in place for a belt and braces approach. It is very unlikely that children will be without a carer or guardian/parent but sometimes the guide and scout groups that come can be a bit short on adult supervision!

Are you using it in EQ mode or Alt-Az mode? As mentioned above The RA axis needs tightening quite hard and the system is a bit cumbersome as you have to judge which radial hole to screw the handle into. The mounts once tamed are extremely good though. Mine handles my ED 150 in tandem with my C 9.25" in Alt-Az mode but make sure you balance the ED 150. It is very front element heavy.

Usually this mount is extremely reliable. Can you let us know what scope you are using please (focal length). Also, you mention you point the scope North. Just to confirm if you are doing a North Level alignment via the Synscan Pro App the scope should be level and pointing to true north not magnetic north. Just to be sure can you post a photo to show us which side your scope is mounted when pointing North. Thanks.

For dealing with our local variable seeing conditions a zoom eyepiece is essential for Solar and to some extent planetary viewing. Sometimes one just doesn't have the right fixed focal length for a comfortable view. I have owned a Baader as described above but for me I found the (lack of) eye relief very difficult so I now prefer the better comfort of my Lunt 7 to 21.5mm zoom EP.

How did you get FireCapture to run on MacOS? That sounds rather hopeful. I can use AS!2 and ImPPG via WINE on MAC OS Catalina.

Using a DSLR in video crop mode is best for planets. The planet will only cover a small part of your sensor so capturing anything else is just data you don’t want to be trying to process. If it has 640 x 480 crop mode then use that at the fastest speed it can attain. Also, I imagine your pixels are around the 5 micron size so you need to get your scope to about f/20. A 2.5 Barlow would work well. Good luck.

When competing with UK daylight 'seeing' conditions then you need a good frame rate. If you are happy to mosaic then you have that option to get your frame rate up. There are no rules for frame rate but I would be throwing a lot of video away with less than 80fps achieved. To some extent, it will also depend upon what you can deliver to and receive at your storage device. Now that I have SSD storage, things have improved.

An ED80 was a good option with my Quark. Don't forget, any bigger aperture and its likely you will need at least an IR block on the diagonal (2").

An SCT should hold collimation much better than the 250P and the Mak maybe even better. I collimated my 12" Dob every second time I used it but the 9.25 SCT has only needed collimating a handful of times in 13 years. My 5" Mak needed collimating from new but a well known retailer and sponsor of this forum kindly took it back and replaced it (the focuser was faulty too).

Meade filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and their software support is very poor. The mount described above is marvellous for a portable package. I use mine frequently for all sorts of events.

The 174 is an excellent choice for solar (and lunar) but you need to be around f/20 optimally. A lot of my solar images in my Flickr link below are a Lunt 60 and 174 but with a 2.5x powermate. I also use the 290 chipped cam from ZWO.

Beautiful sky tonight and a quick snap of the sights on offer at sunset. Canon 5D Mk III, f 2.8 135mm.

Does it come with a Stormtrooper?

Can you get focus with a DSLR on a 150p? Worth checking elsewhere on this forum first. Someone may chip in. For example the 130ps is specifically set up for imaging.

Very misleading. It is now circumpolar but with Nautical darkness at best it’s not visible by eye, bins or ED80. I have tried!

Very resourceful. What is the duration of the talk(s) please? I imagine some timeframe will be attached. Are the speakers really charging fees?

It won't fit directly to an SCT, no.

What's your estimation of its current mag?

Hi, I think maybe the post tries to cover too many options so folk are a bit reluctant to jump in. It mentions twice that you want to do serious planetary work. In that case focal length is your best friend and you don't need an EQ mount. So a big MAK or SCT is a good option. I get very good results with my 9.25 SCT on an AZ EQ6 mount. Budget for a high frame rate CMOS camera to match your long fl scope, a decent barlow or better still a powermate and potentially an ADC and UV/IR filters. I use an ASI174MM and an ASI 290MM. If you want colour you will need filters or good results can be obtained with the ASI 224MC. You will also need a means of capturing a lot of data, fast and then processing it. There are some great planetary imagers on here; one example is @astroavani. He is lucky to have access to a 14"SCT and produces amazing images.

My SW 300 flex tube SynScan used up to 2 Amps continuous during slewing . I used a 13.8V 4 Amp (peak 9 Amp) bench supply. If you are adding other stuff such as dew control then you need to account for that too. Your cable requirements can be satisfied by online Astro providers such as FLO the sponsors of this forum.

I have the same optical tube but it’s used on an AZEQ6 mount. It’s quite heavy (about 11kg) with all the attachments. It’s good for visual and Solar System imaging. It’s also very good for spectrometry if you want something a bit different. In your situation I would use my grab and go setup. An ED80 on an AZ Gti mount powered by a cordless drill battery. Perfect for a night in the desert.

A reduced ED80 is fine for nebulae but for galaxies you may want to consider something of slightly longer focal length. The bigger Esprits as mentioned for example.

‘Clear Outside’ the @FLO APP gives Bortle readings based on your location.