JayStar

Thanks - my CEM120 mount has now arrived and I am in the middle of set up. Always interesting to see what routes others take for mounting/wiring etc.

Mine has arrived now - it's a slightly newer version with 3 USB 3.0 ports instead of 1. Some of the internals are different too.. e.,g no longer takes a Polemaster. Will be checking for the SDE issue though my max FL on the 3 mounted scopes in 2.35m. I have read all the threads on CN. If I could have doubled the budget I would most certainly have gone for the 10Micron GM2000.

I started on my equipment replacement process at the beginning of December and have ordered quite a few items from FLO. This includes scopes, dovetails, saddles, adapters, OAG, filters, rotators - quite a lot actually. As of last week I have everything delivered which, in these times, I find extraordinary. Way above what I was expecting.

I ended up going a slightly different way (and forgoing a larger frac), by doing more research on all the FOV's I wanted from the set up - which is also a camera consideration as well as a FL consideration, of course. Kept budget about the same but decided to upgrade cameras too. I am also keeping my C9.25, for planets mainly, but also longer FL deep sky (when I am a bit more experienced). For refractors I went with a WO GT-71 triplet and a TS-90mm F6.6 triplet, but then added a QHY294m Pro & QHYCFW3 filter wheel combo and a QHY294c Pro OSC. I think these scopes at 336 and 600 focal lengths will give me a good basis for learning more as opposed to struggling with the longer FL set up. I am going to mount all 3 scopes at the same time. Some of the gear is still to be delivered. It means my FOV's with all 3 scopes that will be mounted will give FOVs of : Hard to get out of the research phase and just get on with making a decision (lots of threads here and also on CN helped), but now everything is ordered or delivered I am happy with the choices. Just looking forward to being set up and getting going!

Hey - what is that around the pier that is holding the board for the sockets? Looks useful for pier mounting equipment...

Do get planning permission IF you are within 2m of the boundary. I had to go through it and I am glad I did. I did get a challenge almost a year after I built the obs, which quickly went away as I had all the planning permissions signed sealed and delivered. If you are more than 2m from the boundary you should be fine as long as the eves (where the dome roof starts) is less than 2.5m from ground level (it is on all Pulsars) AND the top of the dome is less than 4m from the ground (I think).. again, I don't think any Pulsar dome is that high.... unless of course you are on a raised platform.

You were correct - tried it, min. spacing that can be achieved is about 60mm if placing the rotator after the FR- 5mm too much. Whilst I have 64.1mm with the WO FR of back focus, I think it still has to be 55mm from end of the reducer to the sensor, with the rest made up by the FR adjustment threads. So the rotator has to screw to the focuser. One other thing - whilst the scale on the rotator is nice (and very useful for dialling in the exact angle, you are at the mercy of the threads in terms of lining up the scale (which when threaded into the focuser place 268 degrees at the top of the OTA). Not a major problem if you can just adjust the camera manually to be at 360 degrees when the 360 degree marker of the rotator is set (which off to the right hand side of the OTA)...but if your camera is threaded in too, you're out of luck. I can't see any way to actually line up the actual position of the camera with the correct rotator markings, which means the markings will never be correct. Unless I am doing something wrong, what I will need to do is convert what the rotator angle shows to the actual angle - which kind of defeats the point.

My sockets are mounted directly on the walls - there are plenty of people who have mounted sockets on the Pulsar wall directly... by drilling through. In fact, I believe the install of the dome rotation unit involves drilling. Alternatively you could put them on the floor in a weather proof unit. Pics of my build in the link (post above)- last page..sockets are basically on the walls between the bays., like so...

Hi, very exciting Paul... I have had no problems at all running power cable and cat6 cable 20m from my house. Never dropped once in the years since I had my observatory installed (well actually I installed it myself and it was a nightmare because the POD wall would not fit exactly right - should be much easier with a Pulsar). My cables run along my fence and then down at the back of the garden and back to the Obsy. Not in the ground at all and all installed by a sparky and within regs. In terms of power sockets, I guess you can never have enough.. I actually had 5 double sockets installed... but in truth I only use 5 of the 10 sockets... That is because my 12v 30A supply provides all the power to the mount and equipment. The other 4 sockets run a dehumidifier, a monitor, a laptop when I am in there and a thermostatic heater which kicks in if the temp drops to below 3 degrees C. I installed those weather proof sockets (just in case of leaks)... non standard plugs (i.e. plug/adapter combos) won't fit! (not a major problem because you can always change them, but still, it's a pain). Worth thinking about when you choose the sockets. I had a fuse box installed inside the Observatory. Again - think about getting a 12v power supply that provides 30A.. more than enough to power all the equipment. Takes up just 1 AC plug and then can be connected to a power console. My 12v supply is connected to a Kendrick Power Panel which has all the outputs needed for dew control , motor focusers, 8v converter for DSLR's, mount etc.. even things like USB hubs and 12v mini Pc's. I had my electrician install 2 lights with switches - one red and one white. They are the industrial looking ones , like you get on boats I guess. I would definitely go with cabled as opposed to Wifi ... Wifi I am sure will be fine overall (most of the time) but if your obs is 30m away from the house you are just creating a new problem to solve an existing one of running the cable (which you have to do anyway for power). Some info about my process here: Decking and SkyShed Pod - Page 2 - DIY Observatories - Stargazers Lounge

Thats a great image, especially at that focal length. Guiding / tracking must have been excellent. Where did you take this from and what were the sky conditions like?

Where did you get that silver losmandy plate - custom made? Looks super.

What was wrong with the CEM120?

FYI - They don't make it anymore and I am led to believe new models in in the 100-120mm are due fairly shortly. If it has to be now, I am sure if you can get a GT-102 from existing stock it will be fabulous. I have the smaller GT-71 for widefield and it is an excellent scope, well made and very sharp optics.

Same issues here - connected to Celestron software and starting calibration just gives a brief turn and then nothing. Just hangs. I am assuming it should moving things straight away, so looks like a bad unit. Left it a couple of hours and quit by hitting force stop. It's always a bit hit and miss with Celestron - I kind of accept that 50% of the time their products won't work.

Ah yes... a little bit more to add to the chain... will be tight, but I think from calcs it will just make it. Touch and go.

Yes, that is what I meant. For sure the distance between the filters and the sensor in that config would necessitate 2 inch filters and backfocus would be unworkable for a DSLR, but for the ASI1600 should be ok (though would probably not accommodate an OAG, which I will not be using anyway) Focuser > Reducer > 2inch Filter wheel > M48 to M63 thread > WO Rotator > ASI1600 With the reducer I have 64.1mm backfocus on my GT-71 Might try it - can always send back if it doesn't work.

Yes, was just wondering whether I could just pair it with a M63 to M48 adapter and place it elsewhere in the imaging train.

Is there any reason the rotator could not be mounted directly the camera and have the filter wheel the other side of it?

Just seen this - trying to work out the settings. This is helpful. At the moment the 'Force Disconnect...' setting just seems to constantly stop tracking and then the meridian flip will never happen, just keeps flashing orange. Tracking is not turned back on when I am ready to take an image, have to turn it on manually in TheSkyX, but then before I can start my image sequence it will turn tracking off again. I know it's simply a matter of figuring it out though

What do people think about Sharpstar? There is a 121mm APO refractor, 121SDQ, available with built in flattener/reducer and a 60mm image circle that comes in a few hundred pounds above the Esprit 120, but still within budget. Triplet with an additional two lenses in the flattener/reducer provides a FL of 678mm, f/5.6 It also has a 145mm backfocus. Heard very little of the brand, however and not sure how they compare quality wise to SW.

Understandable given the current situation - I am waiting for my mount, back ordered. Not expecting it to arrive any time soon...

Thought about it, but I am little turned off by the mounting... seems to be a bracket rather than rings.. for some reason I think it looks like it wouldn't be secure... I am sure that's just an impression, though.. no idea if true or not.

Thanks for the thought there... I did some measuring last night and found the the 150 will fit based on the measurements and some aggressive assumptions on the imaging train length. Funny you mentioned the plastic pipe, that is what I used (not 6 inches wide but cut to length). It is a tight fit, though. That said, after the note from Olly, I spent a lot of time looking at the FOVs on astronomytools for both the 150 and the 120. The 120 probably offers, for me, more options at the FOVs I want. There is such a price differential that I could afford the 120 plus a good smaller refractor, plus the flatteners/reducers, for wider FOVs (and still be under my budget). No decision made yet (as my mount is not even here until the new year) but currently thinking Esprit 120 plus something like the GT71 WO triplet. With flatteners / reducers for both that gives FL options of 336, 420, 647, 840. With an ASI1600 that gives me FOVs ranging from 1.21x0.91 degrees to 3.01x2.28 degrees. For me that seems to work really well and will use my 9.25 for planets (and some tighter shots of galaxies/nebula if I really want to - and am able to!) Overall, given the above, I think the 120 is the better option for me - even if the 150 is still incredibly desirable!

Camera is an ASI1600 Pro...so not full frame. Also have a Canon 700D My new mount is ordered and will arrive some time in Jan, a CEM120 EC2. Think I am probably headed down the Esprit 120 route.

Can you elaborate here? Is the vignetting only with the reducer? I hear you! I've wasted more than a year trying. Live and learn I have an OAG.. Like to have both options, though - oag and guidescope, as finding stars can be a problem (at least for me) with an OAG.