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Everything posted by Alan64
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Meade ds114-ec reflective?
Alan64 replied to Meganformayor's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
https://www.amazon.com/Meade-DS-114EC-60mm-Reflecting-Telescope/product-reviews/B00004SPCB That kit has been round for many years, twenty or more. Its rudimentary go-to system may work, or not. Hopefully it may be used manually. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/295074/Meade-Ds-114.html It appears to have a 2" focusser, but I doubt if the secondary-mirror is sized for it, to fully illuminate a 2" eyepiece. -
I had first seen that one, from Orion of California, some time ago, its debut having been in June of this year. I was somewhat astounded, a sphere at f/6.3, and intensely curious. In the end, it's simply a sign of these leaner, meaner times in which we live. It appears that parabolas are to become ever so precious. Orion indicates a maximum power of 204x for its 102mm kit, 50x per inch, and I would certainly hold them to it, not only when observing the Moon.
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Celestron 114eq - Wobbling
Alan64 replied to Deason's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
You have this kit... https://www.celestron.com/products/astromaster-114eq-telescope The mount is an EQ-1, the smallest and least supportive equatorial mount on the planet. The mount is only for the smallest of telescopes, like this Celestron C90 Maksutov... Since round 2000, the manufacturers have combined telescopes that are too large with mounts that are too small, to attract the eye in the case of the "AstroMaster" series, in anodised orange and excessive plastic trimmings. The telescope that you have there is not a Newtonian, oh no. It is a catadioptric-reflector rather, just like my Celestron "PowerSeeker" 127mm... My EQ-1 mount came with that telescope, but I do not use that wee mount with that large of a telescope, nor is your "AstroMaster" EQ-1 suitable for the 114mm catadioptric-reflector; just adequate for visual, but not at all for astro-photography. But cheer up, as you may certainly take photographs with the telescope itself. You will need at least an EQ3-class mount, like the EQ3-2, if not an EQ-5 which would be ideal, support-wise. Both of our reflectors appear as Newtonians, but in the end they are not. Colloquially, both are known as "Bird Jones" telescopes. A catadioptric-reflector, or "Bird Jones", utilises both lenses and mirrors within the optical-train of the telescope... ...the doublet-lens on the left, the spherical primary-mirror on the right. The lens is placed here at the end of the draw-tube of the focusser... The other end is where an eyepiece is inserted; note the thumb-screws. The lens acts as a barlow, doubling the focal-length of the telescope. It is also reputed to correct for spherical aberration, to correct the sphere itself. My 127mm is at f/8, but its sphere is at a native f/4 or thereabouts. Your 114mm is at f/8.8, and its sphere at f/4.4 or so. Indeed, without the lens installed, both of our telescopes are as Newtonians, bad ones at that with their spheres, however they cannot function as classical Newtonians when lens-less. For best performance, collimating both requires removal of the lens-cell from the optical train... After collimation, the lens-cell is re-installed. Many take the lens out of its cell via its slotted retaining-ring. That is incorrect. Rather, the entire cell containing the lens is removed, as shown. That way, the lens isn't soiled, nor flipped out of order. The cell is removed with a tool via these two holes circled in yellow... I made my own tool with oak and nails. Again, do not remove the lens from its cell, ever; unless you'd like to blacken its edge round, to improve contrast and reduce light-scattering... -
Hello, and welcome. Have you contacted Meade... https://www.meade.com/ Then, Orion, of California, owns Meade now, and since June of 2021. Do you have an image to share of the telescope's damage?
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Celestron Nexstar 8se tripod issue?
Alan64 replied to Jimzstar's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
The tripod/hub is obviously defective. Let us know as to the outcome, good or bad. -
Are you imaging with the telescope, or observing with eyepieces? In any event...
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Orion ST80 or AWB OneSky for portability?
Alan64 replied to Asparagoose's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
Good, that. Have you a suitable mount in mind? -
Cheap achro refractors
Alan64 replied to neil phillips's topic in Discussions - Scopes / Whole setups
I got this Meade S102, a 102mm f/5.9 achromat, last year... It was a second, a return to a wholesale-club; the only issue, a small scratch on the OTA, and not all that noticeable... I've used it once, during the day. It makes for a great terrestrial spotter. I removed the refractor from its old-fashioned, yoke-type mount. The OTA had three mounting plates, two for the yoke, and one for the slow-motion control-rod. All three were removed, the six threaded holes into the OTA filled with set-screws... Tube-rings were very difficult to find. I had to settle for these, although intended for 100mm refractors... As of this posting, I'm waiting on a proper dovetail-bar for it. Those are very difficult to source as well. I will then turn the telescope towards the sky at night, before I blacken and flock the telescope throughout, also to render the draw-tube true, square and slop-free within its run. -
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/314294-the-synta-wonky-plastic-focusser-fix/ ...no slop, and butter-smooth.
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Orion ST80 or AWB OneSky for portability?
Alan64 replied to Asparagoose's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
I had ordered this 80mm f/6 fast-achromat from Canada several years ago, the Antares 805... At f/6, it is 80mm longer than a ubiquitous ST80, which results in somewhat less false-colour, or chromatic-aberration, whilst viewing brighter, tighter objects in particular, planets and stars. An afocal shot of the Moon, taken through the achromat... You can see the royal-blue(reddish blue) edging round; that's false-colour. However, that's the way the camera saw it. It's less intense during a live view, when looking into the eyepiece with the eye, but you get the idea. With the ST80, at f/5, the false-colour will be more pronounced, of course. The longer the achromat, the less false-colour to be seen... That is a 70mm achromat at f/13. The ST80 has quite a following, but I view it as a secondary, specialty telescope; not as the primary instrument. In the long run, the apochromatic AWB "OneSky", also at f/5, would be the better choice. -
What EQ mount do I have?
Alan64 replied to CocoBungoClub's topic in Getting Started General Help and Advice
The mount is similar to this one... https://explorescientificusa.com/collections/equatorial-alt-azimuth-mounts/products/exos-nano-mount-fl-exosnanot1-00 Although it's not quite up to an EQ3-2, or a CG-4. A 130P-DS is heavier than a 130P, certainly than those offered on go-to mounts. You don't want to extend the legs of the tripod, like this... Leave them retracted instead... The equatorial mount-head can be easily transformed into an alt-azimuth, and back again. -
Tools Required for Collimation
Alan64 replied to DMoon's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
I think you made a very good if not an excellent choice, but that will depend upon how successful the collimation procedure goes; if urgent, as when wanting to see Saturn, up close, clear and sharp, at 200x and beyond. The Cheshire you see online has cross-hairs, for centring the secondary-mirror directly underneath the draw-tube of the focusser... You can simply determine the centring by eye instead... Is that near enough? Then to get the StellaLyra eyepiece. -
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Hi Michael, and welcome. Do you live under dark or bright skies at night, or somewhere in between? In either event, a reflector would be a great way to start.
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I have a 150mm f/5, just like your own, with a 1.25" as well... If you're wanting to fit a 2" dual-speed, the existing secondary-mirror may not fully illuminate 2" eyepieces. When going from a 1.25" focusser to a 2", it is assumed that 2" eyepieces will be used. The secondary-mirror may need to be larger for that usage, hence, replaced in addition. Of course, that can always be postponed, or omitted if using only 1.25" eyepieces with the micro-focus... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000256486538.html?pdp_npi=2%40dis!USD!US %24119.19!%24113.23!!!!!%402103222516697607147454503ea13d!10000001045732238!btf&_t=pvid%3A91d01b78-d1cb-4bc0-a24b-e64ff8482d0d&afTraceInfo=4000256486538__pc__pcBridgePPC__xxxxxx__1669760715&spm=a2g0o.ppclist.product.mainProduct&gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt
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Hi, I have the same telescope, a 76mm f/9.2 Newtonian. It's most portable, and eyepiece-friendly... It is very difficult to get spare draw-tubes here, too. I've gotten one, but in having to buy a whole telescope, just for the focusser. I bought another off of AliExpress, shipped from China. That damage occurred when the focusser's knobs were cranked forward, inwardly, past the stop; unfortunate. Here's hoping it's up and running soon.
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Skywatcher explorer 130
Alan64 replied to kelly324's topic in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice
Hi! No, you're not in the wrong place at all, not at all; quite the opposite, actually. If you are wanting to dabble in astro-photography, this kit would be better than the 130M... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130p.html It's interesting that the more suitable kit for such, among the two, does not come with a motor-drive. I have two telescopes, one most similar, the other as well in its way, when compared to the Sky-Watcher 130M... I've taken a few afocal shots, through the telescope on the right. That one is a 127mm f/8 catadioptric-reflector; short, yet long. The 130M is a 130mm f/7, and long. The views through either one would be practically indistinguishable... At 250x, through its 4mm-SR eyepiece... The Moon was somewhat sharper, live. Both of my own there have spherical primary-mirrors, just as the 130M.