Alan White

Now that is impressive, bit big for the garden pier I am working towards though....

OK, good point and duly noted, thank you @Gina for the reply, appreciated. I will have to ponder on that one a while as was working on a 6" steel or concrete one. It is for visual use, but who knows for what in years to come.

I just need to sneak away from the PC and work, oh, how did i find myself on SGL??

Gina, thanks. No other walls or roof, just the fence line, its an open air area. When you say thicker, do you think 6" is to thin?

Well being a visualiser, but liking to see what something really would look like. Here is a 6" 150mm Diameter Pier, 1.5 M tall. OK, you got me, it'a a cardboard tube that holds some photography backers, but just right. Or do I make it 1.3m tall or less? This would then use a riser tube so I gain scope flexibility going forwards? Any thoughts much appreciated, thank you.

I am in a similar position, but have built and observing area to date. Now at the I need a pier stage, all in plan at the present time of course. An observatory would be nice, but just a pier and mount ready to go should save a lot of time set up and take down. Be interested to see which way you go, good luck with it.

Very nice indeed Jeremy, well done on getting the set complete, should be wonderful. 1.6mm, wow that will be a high magnification. I rather fancy the 3.4mm to see how it fares against my Nagler Zoom, but funds put paid to this at present. I have a pier and a new mount to purchase first!

Wow is all I can Wouter, just stunning. Been Lunar observing tonight and it was incredible, best ever I think.

Indeed it is Stu, amazing views at very high powers for me from home. Amazing stuff, big smile on my chops.

Glad you got out and observed, it is quite a pick me up, but reading the post directly above this, sadly perhaps not.

Thank you, I was wondering about how to excavate the foundation hole. Simples drill a hole and fill with Petrol, what could go wrong........? Oh yeah 😉 To be clear I am jesting.

Very nice and simple. I like simple. That pier has just fed into my ideas for my upcoming pier project, thank you. Out of interest, what size is the tube you used?

Fine people skills, very fine 👍

You can tell he's cross 🤣 In all honesty I know what Mike means though, the spikes either bother you or they don't. Similar to Coma as well as in another Marmite thing.

I have seen the spots again today, but they come and go from view and the granulation looks to be in motion. Put together with the seeing, which is not so good a challenge. The spots have moved about a bit and look to be smaller, but the again I am using lower magnification to cope with the conditions. The spots have not gone, just being shy and take some observing to catch them, but catch them you will.

So a couple of questions... What have folks covered or built to cover a garden pier? Does anyone leave a scope fitted to garden pier? Thanks, all part of the next stage of evolution for the pad 😀

Managed to not see this as nodded off on the sofa, ah well. Enjoyed your pictures though folks.

It was quite a day wasn't it. On off seeing, even when so clear a sky. But being in the sunshine, having the time to truly observe has been wonderful. I truly hope the solar minimum is over and we all slowly get more to observe.

Well as an update, not used as much as I had hoped, but I think many will say that about kit in 2020. I have used the Observing Pad today for WL Solar and loved it, made me very happy indeed. While sat at the scope, I thought, no time like the present to sort out for the pier I had as the plan for 2020. So I have worked out where it needs to sit. 'X' marks the spot. No treasure here yet, but sometime will do. Oh yes, the four dots are all wonky, I should not have done that with the glasses I had on me! Concrete base to be cut, when we come out of lockdown and filled with a large quantity of new concrete. Then a metal or concrete pier? Or a Todmorden one or ........ You see where I am with this. Well there you go, an update on the ongoing Observing Pad. One day an observatory will sit on top perhaps, even if its a push away shed.

That makes me proud Stu, almost as good as Stu's Adjusting Control aka Stu's Knob! 🤣 Sorry Stu

@AdeKing that tripod needs a green centre, if the Vixen one I have will fit, let me know..... Happy to send it to you (Free) when things settle down as a donation to the Vixen cause. Let me know, overcome with lockdown kindness.

I had to post a Happy Picture, me the ED103s and WL action today. Some happiness in a time of worry, which was much needed. And oh me oh my, balder than I thought, but I have clipped the hair today, honest. That image is like looking at my dear Dad, even how the hair is missing.

Nice mount Ade, very nice, looks good on those legs.

Thanks Stu, that makes sense and far more sensible than claiming a sunspot.

Stu, I will be interested what you think. Definite Granulation and with the Continuum and Polariser something else comes and goes and I am sure it's not a floater! Could of course be averted imagination, we all fall for that one from time to time. Nice to be in the garden, sunshine and some WL activity, just the tonic......mmmm where's the Gin?