astronymonkey

I'd agree with the above, an engineering workshop will probably do it for a few beer tokens. If they use a threaded insert then you would be able to keep the same internal thread .

I have 2 places I use depending on what I need ... one does sheet steel fabrication, the other does metal fasteners and fixings. Both are great for little jobs which only takes them 5 mins.

Cheers

It's good to see you had a good good run of clear nights. I remember visiting a few years before covid and enjoyed it despite having cloud that weekend.

Any more photos ???

Cheers 

Hi,

For my 16 inch dob I use the bag that a mattress came in that I got for free from a bed shop. It's from a double mattress and covers the scope from to top to the ground.

It's nor breathable but is good for keeping the rain off with a bungee tied around it.

Cheers

https://www.diy.com/departments/antinox-protective-board-h-2-4m-w-1-2m/1328561_BQ.prd

This stuff works and is dirt cheap.  I use it on my 16inch dob. 👍

Have you thought about flocking the inside of the tube rather than paint ?

I'd do that on a Newtonian but I'm sure others.will be able to say if should be done on an SCT.

Cheers

8 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

Looks like you've got M31 there.

For visual on smaller scopes, almost all DSO will be various flavours of white smudge.

I'm just starting out, but I've found that sketching is a great way of describing what you see.  You can then check the stars against stellarium or a star map to see if you were right.  It's also good fun, cheap an easy.  It also helps you actively observe and take in more detail imho.

Here's my sketch of M31 from a couple nights ago.  Done with a 130/650mm scope at x20 magnification.  Done with pencil and paper (well a cheap sketch kit from Lidl) and then an image of it inverted on my phone.

 

 

Love this , I still like the use of a hand sketched observing report. It really helps you concentrate and tease out the detail of what you are seeing.

The only thing I would add is to calculate the field of view in degrees or minutes and add that to the info  as it helps if you move on to star hopping and you get an idea of how far you are moving the scope and also how big you expect an object to appear in the eyepiece.

Great job .

cheers

Hi Hermann, I didn't clock that it was the secondary a a different type of scope ! I have it just on the primary of the Newtonian, I don't have anything on the secondary but it's a different optical arrangement in your scope so I'm sure someone will come along with a more suitable suggestion.

Cheers

This type of thing is what I've used on my newtonians. Cheap and cheerful but do the job.

https://www.ryman.co.uk/ryman-ring-reinforcements-pack-of-500-1

It's good to see that so many still have a soft spot for these eyepieces and given the price of them now I'm pleased I bought them when I did a number of years ago.

I've thought of selling them every now and then but eyepiece technology doesn't move that quick so they are unlikely to go out of date or become obsolete.  I think the 82degree FOV is a real sweet spot too , having looked through ethos and couldn't really see the added value  the wider field would bring ... but that's just personal opinion.

I know there are some who think that dobs get over promoted , and I agree that everyone has their own reason for using a particular scope. For me though, I am purely visual  , enjoy deep sky , and the combination of a big mirror and a nice eyepiece is something I enjoy. I don't tend to have the time though these days but one thing I can be certain is that when I do get out with the scope this combination of mirror and eyepiece never seems to get old !

Cheers

Hmm, I'm thinking this may need  a hairdryer on the outside tube to warm it up and expand it a little. It sounds like a bit of bonding so the expansion may help.

Cheers

I remember a long time ago at a star camp being told to get good eyepieces secobd hand as the resale prices are normally good and you'll get your money back. The guy said that way you only really "borrow" them for a while as they don't end up costing you anything.

Subsequently I bought a scope second hand about 6 years ago and I could probably sell it for the same money ... so I like to think it's not really cost me anything as its only on loan 🤔 🙃 😉

I've got the full T4 set and went to Delos for the higher powers. I wear glasses so the longer eye relief of these eyepieces are an advantage.

In my f4.5 dob the cope well, much better than the stock eyepieces.

On 21/08/2022 at 14:54, Sunshine said:

Those are amazing! untracked dob you say? i'm inspired!

Me too! Very impressive.... arrgh ...note to self , you can not afford to get into astrophotography

I went from a 200p to a 16inch which was a huge leap in light grasp but a huge step back in practicality.

The big scope sees more when fully set up over a weekend of star camps but pound for pound the ease of use of the 200p makes it more likely to get taken outside at home. The 200 is a great scope 👍

Hi all,

Having not done any observing for a number of years I was wondering if TV Nagler eyepieces were still considered in they same way as they used to be .

I know Ethos stole their crown, then Delos followed by Delite bur what are your thoughts on the dear old Nag ?

Cheers,

I'd say darker skies can add a magnitude or so to what you can see especially with DSOs when you are trying to spot contast against the background sky.

In a lot if cases the scope is seeing the object but the sky is just as bright so drowns it out, that's why even a big scope will struggle in light polluted skies.

So it's hard to truly say what you can see with a given scope but if you are struggling to see something and it's on the limit of visibility, get the scope to a dark site and you'll definitely see it.

Cheers

1 hour ago, badhex said:

Oh yeah, I'm certain it can be much better than the above - I was only using a 73mm and to be honest I barely caught it at all

Hi Badhex, it's good to try to show what is visible in the way you have, as often views get over stated along with what is achievable as the aperture gets bigger. 

If this is what you can see with 73mm I'd say the OP would get slightly brighter views but with increased magnification due to the longer focal length.

I must admit I've never looked at the veil in the 200p I have but this post has prompted me into having a go with it.

Cheers

16 hours ago, OK Apricot said:

It was the Eastern and Western areas in particular that I was looking for. May have to look into Oiii then!

Out of curiosity what are peoples experiences with 12" mirrors? 16"? 

In a 16inch its a stand out object and one of those things you can sp3nd a lot of time on. Low power wide field isn't always possible with the longer focal length of bigger mirror so you can never see it all in one go I  the eyepiece.

In a dark site with an Oiii it's probably one of the best objects to look at with a large aperture scope due to all the detail you can pull out. I remember spending about an hour on it at a star camp a few years ago with a queue of observers at the eyepiece.

Dark skies, no moon, its spectacular and i would say its brighter than the photos Badhex has posted above.

I've downloaded this star atlas and printed and laminated it in A3. I use it for star hopping with the dob and have it on a camping table if I go to star camps.

I do use an app but find a printed map less hassle and more in tune with the analogue workings of a dob.

http://www.deepskywatch.com/deep-sky-hunter-atlas.html

Cheers

I guess the first thing would be to put the scope where you want it and then add weight to the end of the bar to see how much you need. I'd only slide the scope up a 5 or 10mm as the further you go the more weights you will need.

As  a starter you could just blutac some weights to the end to get an idea , or use some coins the weight them on the kitchen scales once you get the balance .

You then have a few options, get a weight made up at a metal fabricators,  add some washers to the bar if that's all you need  , or just tape the weights on to make it more permanent.

I'm sure others will join the discussion  who have more experience of a eq mount. As a dob user we have different balance issues but I made mine by working out the weight I needed, calculating the volume of lead that would lake, then I cast some in a sand mould in the garden. I then wrapped them in self amalgamating tape so they were protected and bolted them to the mirror cell.

Final option is a longer bar, but that may increase vibration and flex.

Cheers

Hi ,

Can you not rotate the tube in the rings to allow the focus screw to clear the end of the bar.

As for the other axis, would a bit more counterweight give you the adjustability you need ?

Hope you get sorted.

Cheers

On 30/05/2022 at 19:26, Louis D said:

In our neighborhood, thieves generally go for the quick, easy targets, cars and trucks parked in driveways and on the street.  I can't recall any backyard break-ins.

I agree,  things that can get stolen quickly, and there is a market for, are the the things they are more likely to pinched. I'm not sure anyone would know what to do with a telescope unless it was pinched to order in which case its going to be a challenge.

With many thefts being opportunistic i tend to make the garden difficult to get into and  look well protected, and  hopefully persuade them to go elsewhere. I've read that it's all about what it looks like from the road, an alarm box, dummy cctv, pir light, high gates and fence all mean you have considered security and to be honest there will be easy pickings elsewhere.

A mate caught a guy on his doorbell camera trying car doors on his drive. All the guy was doing was going from car to car along the road looking for one what was unlocked. Nothing fancy, just looking for an easy target, in this case all that was needed was the car simply to be locked . So make you house look secure and hopefully they will look elsewhere.

cheers

HI All,

I've used a digital system made from a wixey angle gauge with remote sensors, along with a similar system for the azimuth using a digital angle gauge that's shows rotation angle.

These work on  the same principle as the setting circles but a few tips though when using are:

- make sure the base is level, I use a bubble level app on my phone and just lie it on the base when setting up.

- Make sure the tube is level when horizontal ... not all bases are 100% square with the tube.

- Use the accurate location on your chosen app, this is important as the object will be at different coordinates In the sky depending on where you are.

- Make sure the app is using the correct time.

- Get moving as soon as you get the coordinates, remember that In  4mins the sky has moved one degree ! So recehck the updated coordinates as you zero in on the target

-Use low power as a finder eyepiece. This gives you the best chance.... just think if you have 1 degree of sky in the eyepiece then any error in location, levelling, or timing will add to the chance of missing the target.

In a bigger scope, with a longer focal length, the magnification and FOV reduce . As a result the points above get even more important than in a smaller scope with lower mag and wider FOV.

In reality I tend to star hop, but I've always done that and it's one of the fun bits in hunting down an object. For some difficult to see objects I have used the setting circles and push too, but I only tend to set it all up if I'm planning a full night or I've got a good reason such as being at a star camp.

Cheers

I also have a full dew heater setup on my 16inch dob which covers

- Secondary

- Eyepiece

- Red dot

- Finder front lens

- Finder eyepice

All of these are fed into a 4 port controller ,  the ones for the Finder joining up via a splitter before going to the controller.

All of these are linked to a golf cart 17ah battery and it can happily do 2 full nights at a star party without needing a charge.

Dew can spoil a night of viewing hence why I opted for the full set up .

Frost can be a problem but this can keep it at bay. There have been times when I've been set up under cloudy skies so haven't started viewing till late at night when frost has already formed on the secondary.  In this case is have a small 12v hair dryer which does the job .

Finally, prevention is better than a cure so I keep eyepieces in my pocket (or pop a handwarmer into the case with them),  I lower the scope to horizontal (or pop the end caps on) between targets when I'm looking through star charts etc. And I try to find a local amateur weather station online where they often show live feeds of the current dew point to give me an idea of how close it is to getting dew.

Cheers

If it remember correctly on the 200p there is a small hole behind the small cap on the end cover which can be covered with filter film for solar viewing ... saves you from having to use the full aperture.

Others might be able to confirm this ?

If so, make sure you do a proper job rather than just selotaoing it on from the inside . The heat metls the glue on the tape, the film falls off and you lose your sight !

Thanks