Stub Mandrel

Don't forget they get the profit all those suppliers are making as well.

Very nice!

I'm very happy with my Prusa i3 clone from Factory3D. One of the more expensive non-Prusa kits with several upgrades over the cheaper kits and support from real humans - and a manual written in English-English. It has needed a few tweaks but the quality is as good as anything I've seen printed by any other. They have since upgraded a few parts.

Ok, I do it like this. I place the collimator in a v-block (anything that supports it in a fixed orientation is fine) aimed at a wall about 16 feet away. Bear in mind you need to alternate tightening and loosening screws to avoid over-tightening. This is one way Rotate the collimator and the dot describes a circle. Get the dot at the bottom of the circle. If a screw is more or less at the top, tighten by half a turn. If a pair of screws are either side of the top, turn one of them to the top and tighten by half a turn. Now rotate the collimator again but aim to get the dot at the top of the circle, and choose a screw the same way and loosen it. Now bottom and tighten, followed by top and loosen. If at any point the screw feels tight, don't force it but do a top/loosen cycle twice instead. If it a screw feels loose, retighten it and do one or two bottom/tighten cycles The circle should keep getting smaller. As you it gets really smell reduce the amount you turn to a quarter turn or less. This may seem long and drawn out but you always move towards a better setting and will get on point faster. Doing large adjustments is actually slower in the end.

Probably about a minute, directed in the end at an angle so it 'swirled' around the tube rather than at the mirror. I have no idea if this is the best approach, it just seemed appropriate.

Yes it's glued on, not held by clips. I use a long dewshield from camp mat and rarely have dew issues. On two very damp nights I've used a heat gun on a low setting to clear the secondary.

I've got an IR pass in position 5. Just a manual wheel though.

I'm interested in the outcome here, as I'm getting stretched stars in one corner of my images despite a field flattener.

Watch out! That could be the Cloud Fairy ? ?‍♀️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

FLO do a 3" Feathertouch focuser for the Esprit 120 and 150. Perhaps you should get one, just to check?

Not really night yet, but all set up for first light tonight!

Looked more expensive that new at first sight, but on reading the description you bagged a really good set of accessories as well so congratulations and it looks like you are all set up!

The wire and mesh shouldn't be firmly attached to the intermediate posts, so that there's no tension trying to pull out them out and if something (e.g. a large cow, landrover etc.) hits the fence the extra tension is taken by the strainers not the intermediates. Naturally that means you can only strain the wire to the strainers (the clue is in the name ? ) There's a guide here (I used to be a BTCV volunteer a very very long time ago). https://www.conservationhandbooks.com/how-to-build-a-fence/ Note the picture of the straining device - you 'walk' it along the chain and can take up a good amount of slack, unlike some of the little devices meant for garden fences and the like. Here you go, I'd forgotten we called it a 'monkey strainer': https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hausen-Chain-Strainer-Monkey-Cattle-Wire-Fence-Tensioner-Pull-Stretcher/202381876154?epid=21011029571&hash=item2f1ee65bba:g:PFEAAOSwRPhbh-FR

I'm confused. It's a decade or three since I did any fencing but surely normal folks don't tension a fence one post at a time? You put in the strainers, put the intermediates in, tension the wires and net/mesh between the strainers then nail to the intermediates and clip the mesh to the wires. Yuu aren't trying to do without proper strainers are you? That doesn't sound a good idea...

The mirrors are with Scientific Mirrors, awaiting recoating. Today I painted the inside of the tube with heat resistant black paint, which has made a huge difference. The tube is so big you can put your whole arm in and spray an aerosol! I've enlarged the focuser hole for the orion focuser (thanks Chaz!) but I can't fit it yet as I'm waiting for some M4 screws to come to hold the two parts together (third attempt!) I've also made some tasteful decals to copy the Dark Star logo ?

Some of the 'stars' in that M32 image are globular clusters orbiting it.

Get an hour of data like that with slightly better framing, and you will be rewarded with a stunning image.

I think I could put up with Scottish midges compared to the Staffordshire Mosquitos this year... or perhaps not!

66 ED with a difference.

I find that GA gives high figures like that, approaching half a degree, even though Polaris is pretty much following the ring on my polarscope, which is nearly a degree in radius so I can be sure I'm not that far out. My backlash ()HEQ5) is around 1000ms so I would say you can reduce it by a third.

1) I don't fully believe PHD2's PA figures. 2) How high is 'really high' even a full minute of backlash is almost imperceptible by hand.

"No, Mr Bond. I expect you to die."

Who do you think you are kidding? ?

Let's guess... a vinegar and sodium bicarbonate powered rocket bike!

You've broadened my lexicon!