Alan White

Will your presentation be at high level or something that a novice to variable stars can understand Jeremy, not asking with any bias, just have no idea where it will be pitched?

A good one last night, but could have been a sporadic one of course. Straight through Ursa Major as I was waiting for the Starlinks to go through last night.

Nice upgrade Michael, certainly better than the other set you had. As you say the basic drive set leaves quality behind price and is very liable to damage, I had one of those on a GP2 a few years back. The synscan does look better, but the housing does let it down.

Out of interest Peter, why the least used?

@mikeDnight, now that is a wooden box, room for growth over above my present case. Tempting, but......

The 3mm bit came from here... Thanks for the reply

So did you get a box @AdeKing ?

50mm is in and concreted in, see my Observing Area thread. The duct is 1.5m long from pier location (yet to be built) and cupboard for power, eyepieces, laptop, tea mug etc.

Looking great, that coop was an inspiration. A question on your pier if I might, is the former tube plastic or steel pipe? and Did the 3mm out issue get resolved ok?

I like the look of the EQ6-R myself.

Pour concrete where Brian? Fully agree on the need for a solid foundation for any structure, my expectation is for 600 x 600 x 600-900 deep. But what to put above ground is my quandary based as much on overall cost as the final solid solution.

I always did from the day it got put down for the kids pool, just had to bide my time..... that was many, many years ago and was used for a scope from about 2015 or so. The Observing Pad is a slow burn process, mainly due to finances and trying to finish the house projects that go on and on.

Progress continues. 50mm duct in with 2 x 135 bends to make a long slow bend up into cupboard / observing office. Other end butted to middle of where pier will go, so leaves me flex in pier choice. Duct concreted into the pad up to the area marked for pier footing. Cupboard / observing office now has a concreted floor, which help anchor the structure even more. Now just needs to be left to cure for a few days. I had some good news in that my local woodyard, who I use often and have been shut are opening next week for phone based orders, delivered to driveway with contactless transaction, so perhaps some cladding and door timber can be arranged after all............ to be continued

I ordered my set on the 9th from Springer, so far only an invoice and no delivery or tracking notifications.

Looking forward to my set arriving, I think I purchased my set a day after yourself John, so fingers crossed they arrive soon. Sadly just yet another copy invoice sent from Springer, so far no shipping details. Clearly direct from Springer was not such a wise move.

Answer is yes, it will fit and work as Ray says. My old AVX that I sold to my friend Barry carries his SE6 SCT and also a nice C8 SCT, but not together.

Great video of the set up for a great project 👍 Enjoyed watching such fine kit being set up very neatly indeed.

Well progress made today, had a day off work, so of course spend at home, what else. So with all the new screws and vapour barrier etc. from Toolstation and Screwfix, I have been busy fitting the frame to final location and built and felted the little flat roof. The roof needed side battens, of which I have none, so a length of floor board was ripped down, used what was my Dad's AEG circular saw, its years old and used this when I was an apprentice with him. So here we go: Chase in for the 50mm duct, cupboard frame built, roof on and vapour barrier on side as no cladding. Duct in tomorrow if the rain that started stops. Very pleased as it look OK, I am a wood butcher normally and its straight, solid and looks OK. Perhaps hope for me yet. Mind you I have yet to make a door to fit, so time to go all wrong yet! View from garden, just a little flat roof shows: If you look behind the Observing Area, you can see the animal track from where the Foxes and Badgers wander. They and the local Bats often join me when observing. Oh and the Owl in the woods beyond next doors field often has a hoot too. So now frustrated needed materials to finish and for the pier.

Will do Gina, thanks for that. Saves later hand wringing.

Delivery person has been very early, next day free delivery of flea-bay. Parts for the upcoming pier, perhaps. Same as Brembo 08.4962.20 as recommended by folks here.

@Dave1 very nice, hope they work well for you.

So does this mean a new mount is on the horizon knobby?

Funnily enough, my observing pad just so happens to be big enough for 2 piers, clearly not planned 😉

Who hasn't seen Mr Dalby and the video on Rats Cages! Just cannot decide if it's all hype and sales pitch as he was, maybe still is, the maker of said piers. A lot of piers have the Rats Cage and work well. Same way folks will say put 5 Million square Miles of concrete under the pier and Peter Drew gets on with a paving slab and concrete blocks. Always a choice to be made.

Anyone in this hobby is soon too poor, it gets expensive if you let it. Settle for simple and short steps into it and take your time, the sky will always be above your head.