Nigeyboy

Cheers Lurcher - its been a long time coming and i am so pleased I finally have the scope! M31 was in the one direction where there wasn't a huge amount of LP - guess I was lucky!!

It finally happened – after waiting two weeks and a day, the clouds parted, and I was greeted with a clear, still and cloudless sky!! Whoop Whoop!! 15 days is a long time to wait! The scope (SW Explorer 150-PL) had been sitting in my dining room since Christmas, and despite a very short outing last week, that lasted about 10 minutes, last night was the first time I used her properly. I popped the tube outside a good hour before I intended to go out to observe, giving it plenty of time to cool down. I then put the mount together – I did this inside, so I could see what I was doing! Once it was all secure and bolted together, I set the declination (?) to 53 degrees and took the whole thing outside through my patio doors. Before I popped the scope on the mount, I did a basic polar alignment. I was chuffed – I had the declination spot on, and just need a tweek to the left and it was there – not perfect, but enough for my first observing session. I then put the OTA onto the mount and secured it. I had been playing around with it in the house the previous week, and had found the balance point, and marked the dovetail bar, clever eh?! I then moved the counter weights about to get that balanced as well – it all worked out fine, and the lightest touch when the clutches were off was enough to move the scope about. I fitted the finder scope and got it aligned with tube – I did find this a bit tricky to start with, and a couple of times during the evening I managed to knock it out of true with my arm / head / face!! And I was now ready to go! My observing location is pretty limited at home – the front / side of the house is now flooded with light from an LED street lamp – the red circles show the street lamps, and the red cross is where I set up the scope. I had good views to the North and to the West though: I'm not shy to say that my knowledge of where things are in the night sky is limited!! This will change as the year progresses, so i content myself to first locate M31. I found this quite tricky - the finder scope is a straight through job, and the angles can sometimes make looking through it a challenge. So I bought out the 20 x 80's and quickly found it. I then pointed the scope in the same direction, and a few twists of the slo-mo controls and there it was. I had the 25mm eyepiece in and I realise that the target was waaaay bigger than the view through the eyepiece!! However, the core was revealed. I looked for quite some time, and small details began to come out and I'm sure I saw the darker dust lanes. I then took a look for the Double Cluster, and wow!!! What seemed to be hundreds of stars, packed into the view! I was getting happier by the minute! I content myself to just scan the star fields in that area for a while, and then swung around to try and and find M51. Using the 20x80 technique I found it, and turned the scope to it. It was a faint fuzzy at 48x, so I upped the mag to 120x with the 10mm eyepiece - it became a larger fuzzy object, and I couldn't really see any structure, but knowing the light coming into my eye had covered 20 million light years was awesome! It was getting late, so I took off the tube and carried it round to the garden with the street light over it - I wanted to look at M42 before I packed up. However, the glare from the street light overpowered the finder and I couldn't see anything. Tried to shield it with my hand, and although it stopped the glare, it was all a bit washed out. Shame - perhaps an air rifle would be a good investment . . . . . !! So, overall I thoroughly enjoyed my first night out with the 150PL. A few early observations on the scope and mount (this blog will be like a long term review for the scope): The OTA with tube rings and dovetail bar weighs in at 6.4kg / 14lb, according to my scales. This is right at the limit for the NEQ3-2 mount. Added to the weight, the tube is long at and although I got the balance spot on, it took several seconds for the vibrations to die down following focusing. However, using the slo-mo controls didn't induce any noticeable shaking when tracking objects, so thats a bonus! I think a heavier mount will be needed at some point. I hope to try and save for the HEQ5, but with daughter going off to uni in September that may be a while down the road!! The eyepieces and barlow that came with the scope appear to be fairly solid - I only really used the 25mm, and I have nothing to compare them too, but the view seemed bright and sharpe. The finder scope is a generic 6 x 30mm. While the view is crisp, trying to look through it gave me a cricked neck after a while!! A 90 degree finder will defo be required The dovetail bar is a lovely green colour, but does appear to be quite soft - just mounting the scope the few times I have used it as already left some marks and dints in it. The focuser is fine for my use - not stiff at all, and with enough friction to make small adjustments easy. I see no need to upgrade this yet. So - lets hope the weather stays clear, as I am keen to turn the scope on to the Moon!! Thanks for reading, and a Happy New Year to all!! Cheers Nige in Derby

A belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone! I do hope everyone had a fantastic time over the holidays. Well, Santa has been very kind to me this year, and on Christmas morning I awoke to a huge box in the living room – it had been too big to wrap, and anyway I knew what I was getting lol!! So, I am now the proud owner of a Skywatcher Explorer 150PL. it was ordered from RVO at 4pm on Thursday afternoon, and arrived early on Saturday morning – great service!! I had um’d and ah’d for ages on what OTA to get, and I finally settled on the PL. To me, it seems to be a good compromise between focal length, portability and aperture. It will be perfect to get me back into observing once again. I think the mirrors will need collimating – that’s a given, right?? My daughter got me a collimating eyepiece and I have been reading up on how to do it – hopefully I can manage to do it without too many problems!! The tube has come with rings, dove tail bar, 10mm and 25mm eyepieces, a 2 x Barlow and a 30mm finder scope. I think I will be after a 90 degree finder at some point to make things a bit easier. I have mounted it onto my NEQ3-2 mount, and it balances ok. I think the mount it at is limit, but for observing it will be fine until I have saved for the HEQ5. Can’t wait to get it out under the stars, however, the weather forecast is cloud for the next week at least . . . sigh!! I guess that is the fabled curse of new scope owners everywhere!! So – lets hope that the clouds clear soon. I can see blue sky at the moment . . . just hoping it stays that way! Happy New Year everyone, and pop back again when the next entry will be following my first evening with the PL!! Cheers Nige

Hi all, As you may have read in one of my previous posts, my job with Greene King sees me coordinating till and IT installations during pub refurbs. Well, these last four weeks have been solid. We are trying to get as many pub refurb projects completed before the end of this month. Doesn’t do to have pubs closed at the busiest time of year! However, things are beginning to slow down on that front – although the meetings for jobs starting in the New Year are already coming in! This, added the fairly rotten weather have meant I have not been out with my binoculars as much as I would have liked. I have managed a few short sessions outside though and have seen the following: Venus – I get up early during the week, and always poke my head outside to see what the weather is like! Saw Venus was up, and quickly popped on my slippers to take a look. It was bloomin cold!! The sky was just beginning to lighten, but the view was crisp and the planet showed a definite crescent phase! I was so pleased!! Mars – I can’t see a disc, but the orange hue shows up well. Must wait to get the 150PL for a proper look!! Moon – again, impressed with the views I had. Observed the moon over a number of different phases, from just past new, to nearly full. The detail I was able to pull out along the terminator was pleasing. I have downloaded a Moon atlas, and am challenging myself to learn as much as possible on the geography of the Moon. Once I get the 150PL I am going to try for the Lunar 100! Messiers – I have downloaded a Messier catalogue spreadsheet, so I can start ticking off the ones I have seen. Not really had a chance to look for some of the dimmer ones, but (obviously!!) I have ticked off M31, 42 and 45!! I think I caught M1, but not too sure at the moment. I was in my back garden, and the LP was quite bad. Other stuff – I have downloaded a Plane Radar ap for my phone. I keep an eye on it during the day, and if I see a large commercial jet heading over, I pop out to take a look. An A380 at 33,000 feet is quite a site through the bincoluars!! I could very clearly ready the ’Emirates’ logo in red and white under the wings. Thanks for reading! I will try and do another blog before Christmas, work and weather permitting! Cheers Nige

So, been another busy week, but not so much travel – just been pottering around the local area which makes a nice change! Also means I get home at a reasonable hour! Had a good weekend – my 10 year old son and I went to the Donnington Car Museum for a look around. He is mad about F1, and when we saw two of Senna’s cars, he was over the moon! I read that it is closing down for good on November 5th, as they can’t afford to keep it open any more – such a shame, as there is so much history there. Anywho – on to other things. The weather has been fairly kind this past week, but it wasn’t until the end of last week I managed to get out under the starts with my 20x80’s. it was my first look at the moon through them, and I was very pleased with the view – the moon as just coming up to half full, and the detail along the terminator was crisp and sharp. I was able to make out Mare Imbrium. It was half illuminated, and some of the mountain peaks on the far side where just starting to be hit with sunlight. Further down, there were two craters in amazing relief – I think they were Eratosthenes on the left, and Copernicus to the right. Copernicus as in deep shadow, apart from the far left crater wall, which was bathed in sunlight. Overall, I was really pleased with the views, and have decided to learn as much about the Moon as I can, in readiness of the Explorer 150PL I shall be getting at Christmas. Further afield, I kept getting pulled back to the area around Cassiopeia, and Andromeda. I still don’t know what I am looking at really, but once back in the house, I am using Stellarium to work it out!! I found two clusters, close together below Cassiopeia – turns out it was N884 and N869, and each showed a mass of stars. I went back again to M45 to marvel at the sea of stars I could see. It is still fairly low from where I am, so hopefully the view will improve in the coming months. Next out, I want to try finding some globular clusters, such as M13. Time to start ticking off the Messier objects I think! Looks like it will be good again tonight, up till about midnight, but the Moon is nearly full, which might makes things tricky – we shall see!

Well, it appears to have been over three years since my last Blog entry . . . . . so what's been happening? Well, shortly after I my last entry, I was made redundant from my job as a Projects Coordinator. When I say 'Redundant', I was contracting, and the work dried up which was pretty crap. However, I wasn't out of work for long - got some more contracting work, and then just over a year ago I got a perm job with Greene King Pub Co. as a Regional Systems Manager - basically, I look after about 500 pubs IT equipment. My region is East and West Midlands, and the North East of England - so anywhere from Kidderminster in the South, to York and Scarborough in the North. It's a lot of driving (about 35,000 miles per year), but I love it! I get to see loads of the country, and always manager to catch Pop Master on Radio 2 now!! So, back to it - last time I blogged I was after a new scope. Well, I still am!! I have got myself a pair of Celestron Skymaster 20x80 bins as a stop gap, and have managed a couple of evenings out with them since I got them on my Birthday a few weeks ago! I still have the EQ3-2, and have now decided to get myself a Skywatcher 150PL OTA. I have been doing lots of research, and I think it is a good compromise between aperture and focal length. My 10 year old son is now getting interested in space and astronomy and to be able to see the planets is especially important!! Looks like I will have to wait from Crimbo for the scope - I have sent my letter to Santa already, and I am pretty sure I have been a good boy this year!! So, I hope to start Blogging weekly again now, to start with, with observations with my new bin's, and the in the new year, with my shiny new scope! Thanks for reading! Nige

Thanks for he replies! @Ronin – I have looked at the barn door tracker idea, and I am always amazed at something so simple can be so effective! I may well have a go at making on when I get my new shed! Currently don’t have an area inside where I can bang, drill and saw without upsetting my other half!! @Knights – you have some amazing shots on your website! I am really taken by the difference between a modded SLR and a standard one! The view you have taken of Orion shows this difference very well indeed! To think that’s all there, but unseen to the eye! The more I think about, the more I think that maybe I will leave getting a scope for a while, and concentrate on WideField AP. I have seen a used modified Canon 100D for £199, and I already have the lens . . . . . . .

Hi Rob, From the research I have been doing on DSLR WF photography, and the results that are possible from such a humble set up I think it’s well worth a shot. Good idea to post a wanted ad – can’t do it on here yet as don’t have enough posts, and can always pop one on ABS! Cheers Nige

Hi Steve, I enjoyed your post – this hobby can be a money pit that’s for sure! It’s like painting the Forth Bridge – it’s never really finished!! I’m still in the setting up process, and am blogging on here about it – as much for me to look back on than anything else really. I look forward to your next post! Cheers Nige

Hi all, So a quick blog today, just to keep things ticking over, and to keep track of my ideas etc – more for me to look back on more than anything else! Foot is a lot better now – I am getting around ok, and have even started a new fitness ‘regime’!! I have lost 6lbs in one week, by cutting out crisps and flapjacks, and doing 20 minutes of high interval training each morning! Go me!! I’m still scopeless, and will be until at least Autumn I think. Had my hours knocked down at work from 5 days to 4 days. We can still cope on the reduced income, but it means my scope will be delayed slightly! I’m not too upset about the lack of OTA right now. Nights are still short, and the weather isn’t exactly brilliant either. It will give me time to finally settle on what I actually want to set – newt or frac!! Its either a 130p-ds or ST102. Both have their pros and cons, and I can’t guess the amount of reviews etc I have read on both scopes!! In the meantime, I have decided to set myself up with a widefield DSLR rig. Budget is key here! I already have the mount (EQ3-2), DSLR with fast and wide lens, and a means to mount it on the EQ. I just need a polar scope and a motor kit. I am keeping my eyes peeled for them to come up on ABS, AB or on SGL (remember key word – Budget!!). The mount is still due its MOT, which hopefully I will carry out later this month. I want to have it all together for my trip to Pembrokeshire in mid August. With this set up I am hoping to get my first astrophoto’s of the Milky Way, and perhaps some of the larger constellations. From what I’ve been told here on SGL, 2-4 minute subs should be achievable if PA is good, and LP is not too bad. I will update this blog as each stage is completed, and hopefully with my first photos as well, however they turn out!! I have been doing a lot of reading up both on SGL, and the wider t’interweb about DSLR widefield, and it’s something I can get into fairly easily, and with minimal outlay. As a keen landscape shooter, I am hoping I can use my current skills to create some pleasing images. We shall see - this blog could well turn into a ‘How To Take AP With No Money’ blog!! Well, that’s all for this entry – thanks for reading, and sorry it a bit dull this time!! Next entry I am hoping to blog about my mount MOT, along with photos!! Ooooo!!!!

Hi all Been a while since my last blog entry. Following a meeting between my left foot and a rusty nail in the garden a few weeks ago, I contracted a very nasty infection that knocked me out of commission for nearly three weeks!! I am well on the mend now though, and finished my last course of antibiotics yesterday!! Still walking with a limp like some sort of peg-legged pirate!! It does mean on Tuesday I can finally open the bottle of Single Malt I got for Father’s Day!! Three different antibiotics has meant it has had to sit on the shelf – normally I would have had a tipple, but the doctor was adamant that I should not drink any alcohol at all as one type I was on is used for alcoholics on detox!! Nice!!!! So what’s been happening with me other than nearly losing my foot? Well not much to be honest! The same day I nailed my foot, I had located a nice SW ST102 on ABS that seemed to fit the bill on what I was looking for. However, following arrangements to meet the seller the infection really started up, and I was unable to walk / drive. So I had to let it go which was a bit of a disappointment. The seller was very understanding, but I felt bad having messed him about. So I am still no closer to getting an OTA!! I have set myself the goal though to get one sorted before our family holiday to Pembrokeshire mid August. That gives me 6 weeks or so to get my butt into gear! I did manage to get my 10x50’s onto the Venus / Jupiter conjunction last week. I had been watching them get closer and closer, and to see them in the same field through the bins was a great view! Am sure it would have looked better through a scope . . . . I will have a trawl through SGL and see if I can find any pics! I also came across something interesting when reading the latest from New Horizons – something called ‘Pluto Time’. It’s an interesting little item that compares what the lighting is like on Pluto at noon, to your time / place on Earth. I tried it, and was surprised at how light it would actually be on Pluto at noon! Worked out about 20 mins after sunset. HERE is a link if you want a go yourself! Goes to show, that even 4.5 billion miles away, although the sun would be a point source of light, you could still easily read a book by its light. Well that’s it for now. Clear skies! Nige

Hi all, Another week seems to have flashed past, and I am still scopeless lol!! However, I am not too unhappy about it. It doesn’t seem to get dark properly here now, and despite the weather showing signs of improving, I am not missing much I don’t think. That being said, I am of course looking on all the used sites for an appropriate bargain. I have been giving things a lot of thought, and taking advise where its offered (ie on here!!). I said in one of my previous posts that I had decided on a Newtonian – either a 130 or 150p-ds. While the long term plan (when I say long term, I’m looking ahead 12-24 months!) is to get a good AP set up together, the shorter term plan is to just get out under the stars for as little outlay as possible. So, I think I have now gone full circle, and have landed back at my original plan to get a small 4” frac. The reasons are: Small and portable Little in the way on set up required (ie collimation) ‘Grab and Go’ Will be able to use it as Guide Scope when the time comes Used, it’s cheaper than both the 130 and 150 Hopefully a little more stable on the EQ3-2 Money saved on used ST102 can help go toward enhanced drive system for mount to enable some wide field DSLR AP I have seen a used ST102 on ABS for £120. It comes with an AZ3 mount and tripod. I would possibly sell on the mount though to get perhaps £20 quid back!! It doesn’t come with EP’s, but again I can pick up some used to get me started. Can anyone recommend suitable EP’s for a fast F5 frac? I have been looking at the SW Plossl range, but it says on FLO that they are best suited for F6 or slower. Another exciting event has happened – we have booked out first proper holiday abroad!! Since the children came on the scene, we have always holidayed in the UK, mostly in North Norfolk where my mum lived. It was a great way to get away on a budget, and for my mum to see the grandchildren!! We normally spent two weeks every August down there. Sadly, mum passed away 18 months ago so we haven’t been back since we cleared and sold her bungalow last year. So myself and Charlotte decided it was time to have a ‘proper’ holiday, and last night we booked a week in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife for August next year. We are doing it ourselves, rather than through an agency. For a little over £600 we have booked a fantastic 3 bed, 3 bathroom villa on the hillside overlooking the town. It’s got its own private pool, garage, outdoor kitchen and BBQ area and gym lol!! It may seem trivial to most, but this is a big thing for us. Money has always been really tight and every break we have had we have had to really watch the purse strings! Even a package holiday to the Costa Del Sol has always been way out of reach, and we are not the types to bung it on a credit card and spend years paying it all back at 17%! However, things are a little better now, and we can now look forward to next August. Wonder if the ST102 will fit in hand luggage . . . . . ?? So things are slowly but surely coming together! A big thanks to all of you that have read my blog and posts so far. And thanks for all the replies, advise and recommendations. It is very much appreciated, and to know there is always going to be someone here who can answer my questions is a big comfort!! Thanks Nige Post Script – just seen that my blog has had 1001 views!!!! Wow!!!

4 mins would be amazing!! If I could manage half that I'd be happy - as you say, the start of a slippery slope!! You have given me some valuable info here, so thanks very much. I am leaning more toward a Newt to be honest. I have previous with a 150mm Newt way back. I think you can pull more out of a 150 newt than, say, a 102 Frac. Plus the frac will have CA . . . . I live in Derby and when I get time I intend to visit the East Midlands Astro club over in Belper. Thanks for the link - will have a read!

Hi Robp. Yes - I have a Canon 400D with EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 lens. And, no, I don't yet have motors for the EQ3. I think I see where you are going, and yes I had planned on doing some simple wide field shots with just the 400D on once I get a set of motors. Seen a set on ABS for about £40 which is not half bad!! I reckon with a decent polar alignment, and the 400D at about 20mm I could get a minute or slightly more unguided to stack. What do you think?

The time since my last blog entry has been a little turbulent. Some close to home family problems have had my entire focus and energies. Coupled with a week in the Lake District, the time has flown by! I had really hoped to have a scope to take with me up to Windermere, to make the most of the dark skies on offer up there. However, due to circumstances this didn’t happen. My EQ3-2 is still scopeless in the dining room. That said though, and with hindsight I didn’t miss out – the typical weather, while ok-ish during the day was pretty wet through most of the evenings. It also doesn’t really get dark now here in the UK at this time of year, and with the solstice still 3 weeks away, that won’t change anytime soon. But, hey! The stars have been there for a few years, and they aren’t going anywhere are they?!?! So I can take stock for a few more weeks, and read, and reread as much info as I can before laying down my Sterling on a OTA to adorn my lonely EQ3-2 mount. But what OTA to get – that’s the million dollar question. The more I read, the less certain I am!! I started out with the plan to get a SW 80 or 102 ST. That then changed to a SW 130p-ds, after seeing the thread here on SGL about its imaging prowess. But I am not getting back into Astronomy for AP- at least not yet. One must walk before one can run! I have plenty of time to build up to AP if and when it takes me. I can settle for looking at the great images here on SGL for the time being. I want to immerse myself in the visual aspect. I want to be able to find those fuzzies by knowledge of the sky, and not have to rely on a computer doing the hard work for me. Sure, I would love to go out and buy an EQ6 with imaging and guiding OTA’s, and all the bells and whistles that go with it. But here’s the thing – I am a keen photographer, and have learnt that you don’t need all the latest camera bodies and lens to get on with the hobby. You make do with what you have, and use it to its full capability. Give a novice a £10k camera and lens set up, and they will still take novice photos. Give a £40 compact camera to a master, and they will still turn out the goods. The same is true for Astronomy, and especially the AP aspect of it. Only when you have outgrown what you have, should you even consider upgrading! And for those of us starting out in this amazing hobby think about this – don’t jump in and get what could possibly be thousands of (insert your currency here!!) on equipment that you may well not be able to make the most of. Even worse, it could put you off for life! While the eagerness is always there to get that huge mount and photon hoover, can you really, really use it to its full potential? Astronomy teaches us the wonders of the sky – and it also teaches us patience. Learning curves can be step, but you can make it easier on yourself by taking it one step at a time. Thanks for reading – Nige

Thanks for the comment Robp. I really appreciate your advise. I am trying to curb my enthusiasm - I think after a week out, I'm now a little more focused on what my long term plan will be. These things take time - no point rushing in, and spending money on things I won't need or use.

So, not bought any further equipment since the EQ3-2. I have been spending perhaps too much time browsing the forums. This has its positives – it gives me other ideas to consider, and on the negative side – it gives me other ideas to consider lol!! But in all seriousness, it has stopped me rushing out and getting stuff that I either won’t need in 12 months, or will not be suited for my needs. A lesson there for others I think – when you have decided what you want, stop and rethink!! Saves money and heart ache in the long run. Plan was for a SW ST80 or 102. However, I found the thread here on SGL about the little SW 130p-ds and am now thinking this may be a better choice. Long term I would like to get into AP, and the 130 seems to deliver very high levels of ‘bang to buck’. I am well aware that I won’t be able to use the EQ3 for AP. However, a new mount such as the HEQ5 for the AP, and the EQ3 for ‘grab and go’ seems to be the way forward, and they will complement each other quite well in this regard. I can then slowly build up the HEQ5 in to a decent imaging system. At this point in time, I may splash out and get the 130 and the ST80 together. When I get to a position where I can get my grubby mitts on a HEQ5, I will then already have imaging and guiding OTA’s, and will have one less thing to worry about buying. It will also give me time to get used to a newt again. I already have the camera – my trusty Canon 400D that I have had for just over 7 years. Its never let me down, and with the battery grip I have attached, can take an amazing amount of pictures on one charge. I have been a keen photographer since I got my first camera when I was 7 – a Halina 110! I favour Landscape photography now. I enjoy the peace and solitude of getting to a site at 4am during the summer to catch the sunrise over some hills. Living next door to the Peak District I am spoilt for choice. You really have the world to yourself at that time of day, and if you are lucky the lighting will have that perfect hue and contrast we photographers yearn for! I would like to add that I am a published photographer! I had the following image published in The Sunday Times travel supplement some years ago!! Go me!! I use the EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 for all my shots – its now my only lens. I don’t need anything else to be honest. I am hoping to use it next week for some wide field fixed tripod shots when I go up to the Lakes (Staying at Low Wray nr Ambleside). Given the darkness there I should be able to get some decent 20 second subs to play with when I get home on the Friday. My first foray into AP lol!! I would like to sign off this entry by saying, the quality of advice and guidance here on SGL is amazing. Likewise, some of the images in the gallery (and on the 130p-ds thread) really give people who are just starting out something to aspire too. Maybe in a week or so I will be able to post my first Milkyway shots here!! Thanks for reading, and Clear Skies!! Nige

Blimey - that was quick. Had a gander at work and there it was. Checked back the following day and gone!!! I must be quicker off the mark next time!!

Hi all Damn, damn and blast it!! I really regret finding this thread!! The images you lot have been posting on this thread are amazing –I mean REALLY amazing! And to think they come from a sub £200 OTA is all the more incredible!! I doff my hat to you all. The time and dedication that you must put in to get these images is off the scale. I salute you all, and keep them coming. Now, to rethink my new set up – I was going to get a SW short tube frac, but looking at these images I may punt for a 130PDS instead! I am not heading into AP just yet, but I may as well spend the money on the 130 OTA to future proof myself! Cheers Nige

Post Script: I should also add that this mission I have undertaken is to be carried out with a tight budget in mind! If I can make it myself I will - if I can't then I will buy it used as cheaply as I can!! The EQ3-2 was £100.00 cash from ABS. Total investment so far: £100.00