Alan White

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-star-adventurer-astronomy-bundle.html Link to Star Adventurer for use with a camera and lens.

All my local ones shut down fully and most remain so. Quite rightly they need to to protect the employees, my ballast and cement needs as well as timber ones can wait. Great that you will have two observatories.

Having talked this through with a number of members of CPAC and others too, I will run with the one 50mm Waste Pipe, with 1 x 135 degree bends each end forming a slow bend upwards. At present this will be empty, but going forward probably only have 2x 12v supplies and perhaps a cable to the mount for EQMOD. Clearly it will all change as time goes on.

I wondered how the slope was going to be resolved, a very neat method indeed. Will this same base be used for the dome or is the plan for 2 observatories?

Sounds like a great evening Mark.

Mods if this is in wrong place, sorry. Does anyone here own one of the great value RVO piers at all? If you do some feedback please. Cannot decide if it is too narrow for the height etc.??? Thanks 👍

You are comparing two very different mount type here: AVX is a German Equatorial Mount SE is an Alt Az mount. Both have good reputations at the price point, but achieve two very different things. I have owned an AVX and it was very reliable and capable for its size. The handset and software worked well. It was a bit noisy when it slewed to a target, but quiet enough when tracking. I have not owned a SE mount, but friends do and again very reliable, but you can only use shorter scopes with them, normally an SCT type. Hope this helps a bit, hope other with better SE knowledge chip in.

Now that looks a most interesting kit, wifi, pc control, very interesting indeed. So how long have you been running this kit? Was it easy to import to the UK?

Wouter this is great and wonderful of you to share such a thing with us all. As already said, knowing what something looks like makes it easier to find. I will watch the project as it develops.

And I thought it was so you knew which was the Top Ade! 🤣

@MultumInParvo So a check in to see how the build has progressed Ian? I am looking at a fixed pier myself now, but it will be out in the open, is that 150mm concrete option working OK

I look forward to watching this, thanks for letting us all know.

Alan, very nice arrival, hope it works well. I looked at one at Astrofest, it was superb. Lookslike the FLO sticker held up and delivered the Cloud to you, sorry.

So how did this go? Interested as I too am at the plan a pier stage and the hole is the first step, we’ll second after pier design is decided. Hope you are ok by the way, long time no say hi Alan

Welcome back, glad for you that you have your mojo back for astro. The weather may have its moments in Cornwall; but it also has great weather and skies at times.

Wonderful image Craig, Almost tempting to become an imager, almost 😉

That was an amazing bargain. Great scope and a great mount. I am an observer, not an imager, so no help other than you can get a focal reducer for the scope. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/pro-series/skywatcher-85x-reducerflattener-for-ed100.html Super visual scope, had one a while back and loved it.

Dave is a member of my astronomy club (CPAC) and shares his finding on a regular basis. So nice one being published Dave. I still find it amazing that such citizens science is possible with a home based observatory. How times have changed for the better with all this modern kit and software etc.

So as this has been missed from question on my other thread. So here is my question. Started the Pier and cupboard project with available materials during lock down; keeps me sane, keeps me active and exercises body and mind. So anyway, a 1m duct for 12v etc to a future Pier for visual use, but may become more in years to come. I have a length of 50mm or 2" in old money uPVC drain or a 110mm or 4" drain pipe. What's the wisest choice to cut under the existing concrete slab from cupboard to pier location? Your thoughts much appreciated, thank you 😀

Well a total rethink as the doors would have got complicated and the shape other than looking nice did nothing as a cupboard or usable space, the odd corners if anything made everything challenging! As a renown 'Wood Butcher' complicated and wood are not good bedfellows for me, so a rethink and slight change, this only wasted a few short bits of used timber, everything else is reused. All timber is old fence rail that I kept in the garage for an astro job one day and that day is here. So was in the corner and triangular: Now a rectangular store / electrics area: This will use a 30" wide door, so a standard size if needed, but tempted when timber supplies are back to make my own. Plan to clad the side and door in feather edge or shiplap timber and stain to match fence of observing pad. And yes it is straight, something odd with angle picture taken at, mostly was all balanced in place, this due to lack of screws, but on way from Toolstation via Royal Mail. Front timber is levelled, you can see how out the pad concrete is, this allows for the floor to be cast in concrete, Plan is to stop water ingress under a wooden floor and gives a decent surface for the transformers etc to stand upon. All electrics will be in the narrower right hand side, on a boarded wall and the rear (left in picture) wall will be clad too. Surfaces for charts and Moon Map etc. So a little home for my observing pad, certainly not the shed or observatory I had in mind last year. But I will up the situation with a duct into the cupboard and foundation for a pier going forwards. Oh yes, and the fruit trees x3 are all into bud or leaf: Crabb Apple nearest, Cherry to right and Plum behind Crabb Apple. The Cherry has its first ever flowers (low down and white), which is rather nice. Sorry a terrible image, that's why it is last! A very nice long weekend of distraction from the world as it is at present, also have done quite some gardening too. The pier foundation will be 600mm x 600mm Area with about 900mm depth if I can dig that far down here. And thanks to @AdeKing for the ongoing chat via messaging on piers, mounts and the striking likenesses in our astro lives. It's always so helpful to talk things through and a pleasure to share our hobby remotely. You all take care now.

Plans for approval, that is good news and progress, very quick. It took from outline consent to plans approved by domestic management of 18 months for me.

Wonderful stuff Nick, I managed to miss last nights late cleared cloud as it was clouded mid evening and forecast said wall to wall cloud due, so of course it cleared later! Nice to see the Vixen 102 out to play as well.

I too like the eyepiece location for the Newtonians, as to mirrors, my old SW150p had a great set, The OOUK wins on size and weight, its an aluminium tube and slimmer. As to the fight, well it's more about my heart than what I see, The Vixen I have is superb optically and punches above its size and weight, I prefer the image it presents to my eyes. But I have a fond spot for a 150mm Newtonian, so that's why it's still kicking and screaming and not going. The reality is that one day I may go for a second refractor in 130-150mm size, but my pockets cannot do that presently or in the near future.

Yep, the air needs clearing, I found the local conditions back to normal last night, not the crazy good I have had. Cannot complain though 😀

Only just seen this post JOC, very nice set you have pulled together. A matched set is always a pleasure to use and indeed look at too. Enjoy your new one.