DeepSkyMan

My current setup on Sphinx SXW.

I contemplated getting one of the Telegizmo 365s, then one day whilst visiting a Halfords branch came across motorcycle covers, and thought they might be worth a try. I’ve used the bike cover now at numerous dark sky sites, under wind rain and snow and they work a treat. When covering up I secure the base of the cover to the ground with a number of strategically placed steel tent pegs, then a pair of bungee cords secured to alternate tripod legs ensures that the cover stays put. Consider some of the weather we have had this summer, my kit has been out there through it all. Of course all eyepiece glass has been removed, and all possible ingress points to the optics have been carefully covered and obviously the battery pack has been removed indoors. I don’t remember the exact price but it was like £28 or something.

Helen, how are you intending to use the ASIAir? Ah... after reading your signature, it’s pretty obvious🙂. You will using it with your ASI1600. My next big purchase scheduled for November will likely be an Atik Horizon, same Panasonic chip as the 1600.

Helen, congratulations on your new Sphinx, I have an SXW, they are splendid mounts. Regarding wireless setup here is an excerpt from a post I made on CN regarding my setup: Regarding the Sphinx and remote setup you need the following components: Additional 12v power supply (or one with sufficient capacity to power your WiFi, Dew control and Sphinx) Length of CAT5 ethernet cable (Note: This is std ethernet NOT cross-over) A small WiFi router, I use this one: https://www.netstoredirect.com/tp-link-routers/39960-tp-link-tl-wr802n-6935364071721.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6abnst6L1wIV8TLTCh34EglnEAQYAiABEgJk1fD_BwE). There are more compact solutions available now, but this one works for me. A tablet or mobile phone (Apple or Android) A planetarium app (again Apple or Android). I use SkySafari. You connect the Starbook to the WiFi router power it up and subject to config changes in your planetarium software thats all there is to it. Make sure the router is powered up prior to the Starbook. When the Starbook then powers up it immediately detects the router and obtains an IP address from the DHCP server on the router. The IP address can be found under the About menu option in the Starbook. Using SkySafari is a breeze. You just make the appropriate IP address setting in the Scope Setup in SkySafari, connect to the mobile router from your tablet or phone and hey presto! From this point forward you communicate with the Starbook from SkySafari. You have all the functionality of the Starbook but in addition you have access to the 'gazillions' of astro objects in SkySafari and a more intuitive user interface. One thing to remember make sure you are running SS and the Starbook in the same time-base. If DST in the Starbook make sure SS is in DST as well, otherwise your gotos will be out by an hour in RA. Something else that you might find useful and caused me some confusion when trying to understand how SS worked with the Starbook, SS knows within its coding what epoch co-ordinates a specific mount is expecting and always converts the SS co-ordinates to that epoch. This is from correspondence with Bill Tschumy at Simulation Curriculum: "Bill Tschumy February 08, 2017 20:49 The setting for the epoch (J2000, Now, etc) in SkySafari is for your benefit only. It has nothing to do with the coordinates we use when talking to the scope. We know what each mount expects and always convert to that epoch before sending an RA/Dec to the mount. Here is a pic of my setup: Hope this makes you take the leap to remote control, it really is liberating. Kind Regards Paul J.

Here you go Steve https://www.tectake.co.uk/universal-box-rifle-hard-shell-case-long-40287 A single 5lb weight does the job for me🙂 Kind Regards Paul.

Finally... A solution for transporting my UA T-Mount, a repurposed double rifle storage case from TecTake.com. Decided on a diagonal layout for the mount, on the basis that this would spread the load better rather than focussing all weight vertically along the parallelogram shaft. One thing about this case is the depth of the pick.n.pluck, it’s deep enough that I will be able slot another counter weight in on top of the existing one. Total all up weight 14.7kg, but if I’m feeling lazy it also has wheels😃

First purchase in my patient road to EAA capability, Hyperstar 3 for my 8” Edge. Compliments of ABS.

Well I missed the postie earlier in the week so had to do my own delivery, but very happy with my new acquisition

Well I found after I removed my Baader SteelTrack and it’s smooth 10:1 focus capability from my setup, that going back to the stock focuser just wasn’t going to work for me. The FeatherTouch is yet to see first light, but the movement certainly feels silky smooth so bodes well for my next observing night... whenever that is?

Finally received my new FeatherTouch Microfocuser from FLO. Fitted over the weekend.

Well since it’s reached that part of the year where my other hobby fly-fishing begins to get the focus of my attention, happy to say that Postie very kindly delivered my newly repaired waders from Diver Dave. ?

Hmmm in that case the T4s are gonna be just a bit on the big side methinks?. Was looking for something a little bit smaller than my Maplin heavy duty flight cases, to clear up some space in the car when travelling. Thanks for the feedback anyways. Paul.

Jeremy, those cases do look like they might be pretty useful. Are they waterproof, that is sealed or does it just zip closed? Also do you reckon they’d be deep enough to take a set of Nagler T4s?

Nothing new, though I did receive delivery of repaired Sphinx SXW from Vixen, over a week late due to the ‘ Beast from the East’. Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling as I recalled just how pretty it looked in it’s packaging when it arrived the first time round back in 2014 ?

This is obviously a cathartic ceremonial burning at an AA (Aperture Anomomous) meeting, see the desperation in the poor addict’s face and posture even as the scope beckons to him in the midst of its death throes???

My Avalon X-Guider has finally arrived from The Widescreen Centre. Was really looking forward to using it at our dark skies event this past weekend, unfortunately the weather gods had other ideas ? Here it is with my new Primaluce rings and my 80mm Finder in situ?

Just the one set for me, TS Marine 15x85s, they are a great compliment to my 8” Edge, and a smashing observing tool in their own right, especially when combined with the UA T-Mount ?

Thanks Zayvin, been back in the astronomy caper now for about 3 years after a 30 year gap. The collection is slowly growing, although given the atrocious weather we have had this past year I sometimes think I’m collecting Asto gear for the sheer pleasure of collection rather than actually doing anything with it ? Nice WO 2” Diagonal by the way, should make a really nice addition to your Evolution, great piece of innovation with the temperature gauge on the side. How did you find the Telegizmos 365 cover in practice? Is it able to be tied down in any way or does it just hang? Paul.

Recently made the decision to remove my conventional finder scope attachment and replace with an Avalon X-Guider. All new elements required for mounting of the X-Guider have now been delivered apart from the X-Guider itself, still awaiting delivery from Avalon, but I’m sure Santa will do his best to persuade Avalon to deliver it soon after the new year :-) New items in the past month: New Avalon X-Guider (not yet delivered) New Baader Dovetail bar for my 8” EdgeHD to mount the X-Guider New PrimaLuce Labs 115mm Rings for my 80mm Finderscope New Primaluce Labs 140mm Dovetail Bar, interface between finder and X-Guider Last but not least, a new Laser pointer for my 15x85mm Bins Yes Santa has been good to me ?

My new travel kit :-)

My old travel kit: