Northernlight

Hi All,

I just wanted to share my experience of TS over the last 2 week.  Long story short - I've been trying to buy a scope over the last 2 weeks from them, sent them many emails a received emails back from different people each time with conflicting information and none of the questions i have asked them have actually been answered.

So have not been impressed by their customer Service - They are not like FLO, where you ask a questions get answered within 24h

I know things are a bit crazy right now with Covid, but it doesn't stop people from responding to emails properly - So just not impressed by their customer service at all.

Just my 2 Cents

Field rotation east to sort in software but can lead to large % crop. You could buy a feield rotator. 

Hi All,

I'm just working through Adam Blocks videos and I've just finished the section on cosmetic Correction, but it appear to gloss over the use of Darks with the Cosmetic Correction Tool, so just wonder if some of my Fellow PI Disciples could Help.

so assuming that i've been through the normal calibration process and my lights have been Bias, Dark & Flat subtracted :-

1) If you use a master dark with Cosmetic correction does it get scaled during cosmetic correction - i.e. can i use a 1200s Dark when correcting 600s Subs or does the dark need need to match the length of the light sub - i.e. 600s

2) Is using the master dark actually necessary ? - as if the light has already been dark subtracted  ?

The reason i ask the above question is that I noticed that in Adam Blocks video on BPP - he uses a generic Cosmetic-Correction Process icon, which does not use a Master Dark and only enables the Automatic Hot Pixel detection option. So just wanted to see what other people do, as I have seen other people create Cosmetic-Correction process Icons for each individual sub length, which use matching length master darks (300s, 600s, 900s) etc.

Cheers,

Rich.

ok think we are really getting off topic now.

So would you not consider an F5 scope - Still fast for imaging, but easier to collimate, focus, Less coma and better contrast for both Imaging & Visual.

Only real downsides are that Tube lengths on F5 scopes tend to be longer and your imaging subs would also be longer.

*** Important **  - One other really big aspect to make sure you don't overlook is your ccd sampling rate - make sure you dont under-sample or over-sample too much.

My advice would be to get a 10" for your mount as you would struggle with a 12" and you would be constantly battling with it during imaging. On your EQ6 the slightest bit of wind will have a massive impact on imaging, hell a cricket farting too close to the mount would probably throw it off lol - For big newts, you need a bigger mount like the EQ8.

AstroGeek,

There are a few things you need to consider:-

1) As you have already mentioned - The large secondary will really reduce contrast for Visual. I think the Quattro 12" has a secondary nearly a 100mm so you're looking at a 33% obstruction by aperture.

2) For Focuser will need to be changed for Astro Imagining - So plan for another couple hundred euros for a replacement focuser like the Baader steel Track

3) As you mentioned at F4 you will definitely need a Coma corrector, so another few hundred euro's.  - F5 you might be able to get away without a coma corrector

4) I was looking at the Quattro 12" - but i've read mixed reports about the stability of the mirror cells - you might need to upgrade the springs on the primary cells with stiffer ones.

For your mount i would really consider the lower a lighter 10" Newt -  or maybe a lighter 12" carbon tube mount.

I am in the same Dilemma - but i'm looking to get a 12" F4 Carbon Tube with a smaller secondary  so it's just enough to fully illuminate my Kaf8330 sensor  - i need to check with the Vendor i think a smaller 70mm secondary will improve contrast both for imaging and for visual.

Rich. 

Hi Michael,

There was no offence intended by the post, it was meant in jest and anybody reading the post would understand it. It wasn't aimed at any single person or religion.

anyone got any good youtube links - I just did a quick search for EQ8 Backlash adjustment and didn't see anything.

Just now, Gorr_77 said:

Hmm - i couldn't see on their website... Looks good !! i will open new post..

Thanks

Email Adres at Gemini. He responded to me super quickly within an an hour or 2.  The price delivered to Europe is 3600 euros, the 2,995 price is for outside of europe.  I was told that a ready made compatible controller was 180 Euros.  

I would love to buy the E.Fric and sell my EQ8, but the payload is just too small at 25kg, unless i changed my plans from a 12" newt down to a 10" newt to get the weight down.

Yeah ASA i think is the best that money can buy if you've just robbed a bank, but the performance will the Stella due to the direct drive - but not usually in the grasp of the average working man.

So i think it's a dimple decision - How much imaging payload do you need ?  

If you're fine with 25kg - then get the Gemini E.Fric and save some money  -  If you need more than 25kg get the Mesu

I think the performance of the E.Fric and the Mesu will be extremly close  -  Granted you dont get any encoders with the E.Fric - but do you really need them ?  I turned mine off on my EQ8 as it was messing up the guiding and i just use plate solving all the time without any issues. I'm just not sure how the E.Fric handles the Home position. 

The most important thing about any mount is it's Stiffness and ability to track accurately with Low PE and no backlash.  - So i would pay serious consideration to the E.Fric.  Apparently  you can get a stepper controller for 180 Euro.

Rich.

well the premise still stand, you're probably not blonde, your probably not a lady and your probably miles away  - So like i said out of grasp just like the GM2000 - Sob, sob, sob 😄

So I'm stuck with my EQ8 and all the joys associated with it's backlash.

Gorr - General rule of thumb to safely calculate AP imaging loads is generally 3/4 of the stated payload, and as Skipper Billy has pointed out - it is rated at 75gk for imaging which will take pretty much most monster scope setups

It's not a huge issue as the centring in SGP Pro sorts it out after 2-3 plate solves, just wondered if there was anyway to fix the initial poor pointing.

What does the Dialogue mode do ?

Hi all,

I have question about Eqascom / Eqmod that has bothered me for a long time. My mount is a pier mounted EQ8, which is polar aligned by the Qhy PolarScope but I always have terrible pointing accuracy.

Normally I just plate solve which gets me bang on target after the 2nd-3rd solve and slew, but its always bugged me why the initial pointing is so bad and so far off.

Over the last few years I've tried appending syncs to Eqascom but I always found that as soon as I had added around 6 or more syncs via plate solves to Eqascom  it would always start to get worse and throw off the pointing until I deleted all the sync points. 

Anyone know what might cause this behaviour as I was led to believe that eqascom could support upto 1000 sync points.

Cheers,

Rich.

I think the old rule applies - get the best you can afford. Of the mounts you listed I would get the mesu if I had the money.

30 minutes ago, mihaighita said:

My Officina Stellare 320 CRC is 28 Kg with the focuser. With everything on it (camera, filterwheel, OAG, etc) is close to 32 Kg

Nice - expensive taste in gear

I'm going to see what the smallest secondary i can get that will fully illuminate the Kaf-8300 as i would like to use this for imaging and visual, as well as getting slightly better contrast. Now all i need is for TS to actually answer my emails

Is that the old design? I think the carbon & Red finish makes it look like & feel a bit more professional as well as making is stand out against the competition.

6 hours ago, Gorr_77 said:

I have some more news from USA dealers regarding - JTW:  to be shipped/ sold as of June - this year!! -26bit encoders.

 

Well i would like to see it happen - lets see if this is the final date and lets hope that it doesn't get pushed back any further. Whilst i wouldn't personally buy one i am keen to see how this mount performs in comparison to the competition.

1 hour ago, david_taurus83 said:

Out of curiosity, when is a payload of, say, 25kg not enough? For a single scope say. Surely 25kg would be enough for a 6 inch frac or a 12 inch newt?

David newts cab get very heavy  - e.g. the TS 12" F5 carbon tube weights 22kg, a steel variant could be 2-3kg heavier and that's before you get the tube rings on or add your imaging train. So that one scope could push you over your imaging limit of the E.Fric mount, let alone wanting add smaller scopes on top of newt. I suppose it's all down to what you want to image with. For a lot of people it will be great, but a lot of other it wont be.

Well i've decided on the ONTC but want to discuss getting it with a Baader Steel Track, but struggling to get any real responses to my emails as the replies are 2-3 days apart and only parts of my emails are getting answered. So this may take a while

At moment can't decide between the 10" F4 (1000mm) or 10" F4.7 (1200mm F/L)

Gorr_77,

I spoke to manufacturer directly about the E.Fric mount and the 30kg limit and there are some caveats to that 30kg.

for Imaging I was told that the 30kg limit was for Pier mounted "Compact" scope - but for other configurations such a big Newts then the Max imaging payload would be 24-25kg.  Not entirely sure what constitutes as a compact scope, maybe RC's / SCT's etc.

Rich

I think most people tend to use large dobs for visual on galaxies. I think unless you are in a ultra dark site with perfect seeing, then you will always be limited with smaller scopes.  As a minimum i would recommend a 12" Dob, but pref something bigger like a 16" to yield half decent result.

Out of interest, were you using any light pollution filters  on your eyepieces ? They can help to make a big difference.

I suppose in any industry you will always get a mix of positive & negative feedback  - For me i had been waiting on the Ogem/Trident but the extended delays put me off. I'm now in the process of saving the extra cash to buy a Mesu based purely on the positive reports that i have read about for both mount build quality & performance coupled with what appears to be very good customer service on the most part.

The customer service aspect is what has really swung my decision to save the extra cash towards the mesu

15 hours ago, Skipper Billy said:

I have a serious grievance with my Mesu - and it has not been resolved.

It is the most boring mount I have ever owned. I switch it on and it guides at ~0.4" total RMS all night long - every night.

I am going to have to find something else to adjust backlash on and convert to belt drive and mess bout adjusting and greasing with snake oil etc to occupy my time.

There is no fun in this - it's really not good enough 😉 

That's just not cricket - if you haven't got any backlash to fight with then it can't possibly be a real mount - It's terrible, you might even have to resort to talking the her indoors instead of tinkering in the obs / shed 🤣