Helen

Thanks All 🙂 I'll get the extra bits for attachment and wiring, check the guidance, download the software, and join the list too. Watch this (cloudy 🥺) space! Helen

Quite a while ago I picked up a meteor/allsky camera set up from ABS. I bought it for the watec camera, to do lunar TLP imaging, but its nicely set up so I thought I'd give a go for its designed purpose. Here are a few pictures. I can't remember the spec, but it looks like a zoom rather than fixed lens (to get a look at the other side of the lens would mean unscrewing it all). The housing may restrict some sky? The case includes a small heater, so hopefully dew won't be an issue. So, I'm thinking about where to site it, which direction to point it, at what angle, and what I need to connect it to... My house is in a housing estate, and my garden has trees to the south (the back of my house faces SSW). I have a roll off obs with power and a PC. I'm thinking a pole of some kind on the corner of the obs, and then connect to the obs pc (possibly with an extra hard drive?) or set up an old laptop - does that make sense? If so, how high should the pole be? and which direction and at what altitude might be best for first experiments? And finally, what software are people using? Thanks Helen

And if you want to explore on cloudy nights try aladin and simbad together https://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/AladinLite/ for browser or https://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/ Helen

So... is the back-end self contained for solar (ie the front part is a standard telescope)? If so, if they sold that unit on its own I'd be interested (I have enough suitable telescopes...) A reliable alternative to daystar quark? I'd happily pay more if it worked 🙂 Helen

So a large package from Amazon...containing a small box (rather over packaged!). This converts the back of my ETX to sct and then T - to take the little helical eyepiece holder for fine focus 😎. Hopefully the peg in the original focuser will now be redundant! And I'll get no mirror flop either 😁 Off to Milton Keynes again tomorrow, so hoping for some clear skies to test this grab and go kit 😊 Helen

If somebody fancies a little photometry exercise there's a lot of data on lcogt archive https://archive.lco.global/?q=a&RLEVEL=&PROPID=&INSTRUME=&OBJECT=betelgeuse&SITEID=&TELID=&FILTER=&OBSTYPE=&EXPTIME=&BLKUID=&REQNUM=&basename=&start=2014-05-01 00%3A00&end=2020-02-10 23%3A59&id=&public=true Helen

Looking good! It is well worth spending some time in the light (and warm) getting familiar with the scope. Learn how the focuser works, see how the different eyepieces change view. Then I suggest you align the red dot finder - you'll only be able to do it roughly indoors - get a recognisable object in the scope and then adjust the red dot until that is over the thing you see in the centre of the scope eyepiece. Learning to use an equatorial mount takes a bit of practice (like clutch control on a car!), so I suggest to start just watch the red dot finder as you use the slow motion controls - you'll see the movement isn't simple up and down! Experiment.... But have fun! Helen

So @JeremyS talked me into doing an article for the BAA Journal.... https://britastro.org/journal_item/20634 Thanks to those who have completed the survey - still open 😉 Helen

Thanks Neil, lovely group on the Orion course so its been fun. I'm thinking of joining the Moon course as a student! Helen

Hi Bryan 🙂 Lovely mentors on the current futurelearn Orion course 😉 You can also access it via OpenLearn which has no time constraints, but no mentor/other learner interaction. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/comment/26597 Have Fun! Helen

Been fettling a bit 🙂 Padded rings, nice solid ADM dovetail, new red dot finder (thanks @Frank the Troll) and a particularly high tech focus knob aid 😉 And another lunar mosaic 🙂 Helen

It is such a joy to use - high quality in a grab and go package 🤩

Hi Alison and welcome to the forum I've got an azgti too, and have used it with a very similar scope. Its a nice combination - I was out with it last night, and will hopefully do the same tonight! I must admit to using the mount with a synscan handset rather than via a phone/tablet, but if you let us know where things are going wrong I'm happy to test with the phone and help if I can. (If it is any consolation, I've used many different types of scopes and systems, but still found this mount and the app weren't straightforward plug-and-play) We'll get you sorted Helen

You will love it! Helen

Last night I decided to test an option for a mobile set up for use while I'm away from home at the OU in Milton Keynes. So I set up the de-forked ETX125 Mak on the azgti mount. I learned a few things... the screw on the etx to standard eyepiece holder adapter is a bit small and fiddly, the rings I have are a bit too big (even with cork padding), the WO dovetail I moved from a WO scope doesn't quite have the same profile as a standard vixen dovetail (and this combined with a dual fit adm dovetail holder can lead to moments of stress... 🥺), the tube can survive a drop onto frosty grass 👀, the scope is back heavy and adding a asi1600 makes it worse, BUT despite the ETX mechanics being awful (the focusser needs major remedial work) the optics are really rather nice! So, I need to have some fun fettling 😉 On the list are: adjusted rings, a standard vixen fit longer dovetail bar for better fit and to allow moving scope forward for balance, maybe a small counterweight for the front of the scope, a better eyepiece holder (will need to research this), and a better way of focussing (maybe motorised external and motorised, but need to watch for more balance issues!). But even unfettled I managed this 2-pane mosaic with an asi 1600c (through some high cloud). I'm quite pleased wih it This scope was my 40th birthday present and so I'm pleased that having shed its inferior mount (an exercise in frustration!) it can still give me a lot of pleasure Helen

On the science side, this is a nice project https://www.exoworldsspies.com/en/ which will support the Ariel Mission. And of course I'd love you to gather comet data with Rosetta's comet comes back next year! Helen

I can provide virtual welsh cakes too 😉

Exciting times FLO Just musing... We're trying to do some planetary capture for schools, but most of the remote scopes are too big/have the wrong types of camera to effectively do planets (or they schedule over a long time and there's no immediacy). Will your camera be fast enough frame to do lunar and planets? And if so, would it be possible to do real-time views too? Which leads me to another thought - could some time be set aside for EEVA? There's another thread here on SGL about kids not doing visual, but in this country its a huge challenge for anyone to be able to plan for outreach for schools/kids. If EEVA was available for booking then that would really fill a gap in the outreach market I think. Imagine doing a Brownie group or after-school club where you control a telescope for 45 minutes, choose your targets, and get results to take home/emailed to you 🙂 Helen

Ask @bingevader about his pupils' enthusiasm - that will cheer you up! 🤗

Sounds like this might be your next project Ben 😋 @bingevader https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/celestial-objects-to-watch/the-lunar-100/

No worries at all Ben - keep it as long as you need it! I think the giro gives me more flexibility (and it works on a more compact photo tripod) Helen

Thanks both 🙂 I took my Tak on previous trips, and it is lovely. My porta is currently on loan to Ben's school. But maybe the giro would be a good alternative - I could maybe run the Tak and a mak side by side then 🤔. Thanks for the eyepiece suggestions John - I've got a baader zoom, but not used it with a Barlow. My longest eyepiece is the wo 28 handgrenade, or the lovely 24 pan. So maybe a lighter weight 30 might be in my future to avoid balance challenges. Birthday coming soon 😉 Helen

As many of you know I'm currently studying part-time for a PhD with the Open University. I generally work from home, but it can be a bit isolated, so I've decided to spent a few days every 3 or 4 weeks in Milton Keynes. A couple of trips ago it was due to be clear so I looked for somewhere which might be ok for viewing. I'm using Airbnb, and found somewhere on the western edge of MK which turned out to be pretty good 🙂 The owner is happy to cooperate (eg she let me switch off their external Christmas lights!), and I think next time she wants a look too! For me, the biggest advantage is that it has a really low flat southern horizon - so much better than my tree-obstructed views at home. So, I'm thinking of putting together a kit package that I primarily use for MK - so I can leave it packed and ready to go. I take the car, so space/weight isn't really an issue, but easy set up and pack up would be good. I'm thinking planetary and maybe double-stars would make good targets. So what scope/mount combination would you go for? and what would you put in a small eyepiece case? Thanks Helen

Have you got a usb3 zwo camera? If so, you can easily link up to a phone using the asicap app and show live views and take snaps. You could then demonstrate how different exposure lengths affect the image etc. If it's clear you could then get them individually to take quick snaps that they could take home / share. Have fun! Helen

I have a Pentax zoom that could benefit from that 🙄 Helen