Alan White

Indeed I did for an image, its deeper now and I used a more reliable tape measure to make certain. Especially with my dodgy knees.

Is that obligatory or optional? 😂 PS I have no Grandchildren at present time.

Well more is under construction ...... I sneaked a few hours this afternoon guv 😉 This is actually the last image, but I thought it looked better than holes as a starting image. So I cut out concrete pad with a diamond disc on my 9" grinder, very nice, kept wet it cuts well and no dust, but oh my goodness the slurry spreads well up the fences! The hole is extended to 700mm x 700mm from the original 600mm x 600mm, as I decided I need a few mm further from the office, aka cupboard as the scope may grow in time. So here is that cut hole, amazed it's so neat and straight....ish. And then I started digging and by goodness do I know about it now! First image part dug: Second image dug, perhaps: So here we go, the Observing pad takes its next turn within the saga, I best hope the ballast and cement turns up now!

A smell that I so hope to experience one day like @AdeKing, but its a while off yet.

So 'she' has arrived I am shocked that you could reject your older model for a new younger and racey one, shocking 🤣 Wonderful stuff Mike, it's been hard knowing what was happening. Looks really nice indeed, so await the first light report. Clearly not only FLO supply clouds with kit!

+1 for Earthshine

Great images Craig, also confirm the detail I am starting to observe after years of trying. Mike as in @mikeDnight has been able to tease this out for a very longtime, I have been trying for a long time and got my observing skills and eye in enough to start to see this now as well.

Nice images Paul. I looked out last night and saw the same fine sight, Venus hanging above The Moon, Eathshine lit and wonderful as ever. And what a sight to behold for just a short while, two of my favourite targets. This was with Mk1’s and then Binoculars as I was having a back resting non scope evening.

Interesting purchase Dave @F15Rules, quite the bargain buy.

🤞

I had a pleasant surprise today. DPD turned up with a rather heavy box. It contained my set of Lunar Cognita from Springer in Germany. Very please indeed, very detailed, will keep me happy for years just reading it. No picture - you all know what the set looks like. Oh yes and a number of parcels from Screwfix, Toolstation and Electrical supplier. Some for the Astro Project, some for the Garage and some for my Camper Van. Guess what, Screwfix sent a load of plastic surface boxes in jiffy bag and surprise, surpris (no Cilla here) they are all smashed!

Learning point from today: Do not leave your mixer at the back of the garage and then fill with project materials and treasure. It takes a very long time to dig through, sort and sift the wheat from the chaff! My back and shoulders are killing me now, and no holes or mixing even started! But another step closer to my desired pier at home 😀

Or a Skywatcher vixen rail, that’s green? 😂

Thanks for the “help” Ed 😂, All is good and approved, no mistake for another scope, it was greeted with “oh”. I don’t think my mention of a new mount or hanging two scopes in the future enhanced the moment though 😁 but I have taken the oh as full approval.

Sadly not a direction for low from home for me, so loved the images. 👍👍👍

Well materials ordered, now number 150 in the delivery queue, so Thursday 30th latest. Wood, Ballast, Cement etc. Oh and the duct arrived a week earlier than stated, Mrs W. Has not seen it yet. 🤞 Image of it rested in place, it's off due to the pads wonkyness.

Thanks Knobby, helpful. I had thought about a 'Todmordon' pier, but want something tall for refractor and future proof. So cast it is.

Hello Jon, Welcome to SGL and this very fine hobby of ours. Many an hour can be spent under an Essex sky observing and enjoying the Solar Ststem and beyond. I am an Essex boy too, so hello from Thundersley.

And a very nice job the lads made of making one into a pier, it held an AZ100 rather well at the IAS. Sadly in my quest to keep money building for a new mount, the pier and associated is driven by budget. So any steel pier is off the table, but a solution has been found. I am going to cast a 10" concrete one within some vent duct, with a brake disc top. Total expected cost abou £130. See my Observing Area Build thread for progress. Thanks for all the input from everyone. It has helped cement 🤣(boom, boom) my decision! or perhaps not........ Factor in the stainless rods, nuts bolts and more bits and suddenly its over £200 on a concrete pier!

Your light issues sound very familiar Samantha, see my thread on my more solid solution. I was lucky enough to have enough room to do this of course. A temporary screen rather than a tent might also work. Local light pollution is such a blight to the Astronomy community. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, anything will be an improvement, even a monks hood to keep the light from your peripheral vision.

Hello to you as well Dave. That's made me chuckle .....''sorry about the GPDX'', what's to be sorry about. Out of interest, how did it handle the f15?

I know this is Dave1's eyepiece thread, but where did that GPDX sneak in from Dave F15Rules? As to nice simple older glass, well that is a rabbit hole (that you have fallen down with a thump) and like all things astro make get a touch expensive. But a nice affliction to have after all. @Dave1, nice to see back about and astronomising; at one point I thought we might lose you, glad you are out and about....or not as to speak atb present.

Glad you got a good session in Mark, sounds like it was most rewarding. I did go out and watch the Starlinks being deployed, but was so tired from work stress that I did no more. The sofa last night had my name written upon it. I was due to go to the CPAC weekly meeting online, but the laptop decided it needed 2 hours of windows updates at the wrong moment!

I would go HEQ5 Pro with belt mod, they are renown for good performance and well documented and supported. Far more so than the AVX, however that is a good mount and well liked, you know that though anyway.

Nice to see that fine observatory being used and you getting such fine results.