JOC

That's a stonking tripod - looks like a Mars lander!!

I must admit I've never tried that - I thought the standing advice with this sort of thing actually was to pick stars that weren't too close together and hence I've also always picked stars a long way from each other.

FWIW I hadn't even considered that computers would want to run 'headless'. However, with SGL help (Considerable, wonderful, amazing SGL help) I experimented with a R-Pi media server and learned just so much in the process - as well as getting a functioning system I ended up with a huge feeling of accomplishment. My headless R-Pi and attached media disk is attached to my network and thanks to dial-in software on my windows PC I can shift files onto and off of the media disk and log into the R-Pi itself to control it if I need to. Of course to set it up I needed to initially attach it to a mouse and keyboard, but once done it is happy to sit under in a cabinet serving my media files (in fact I'm listening to R-Pi Plex server music as I type via Alexa/Amazon Echo which also 'talks' to it). I now understand the theory of why you would want a headless system and the potential of what one could do. I suspect R-Pi is as far as I will ever go with the concept, but I would like to find something else that I could set up one to sort out as the whole process was totally fascinating. I suppose when you use one to control imaging things it gives you the ability to sit inside in the warm at a PC whilst logging into the headless system to see what it is up to and to control various commands that it can send to things or just leaving it to carry out a pre-programmed set of instructions from some software you've previously setup, i.e. open the shutter for 400 times and hold it open for 15 seconds on each occasion. With the benefit of hindsight - NOT! I was so concerned as to whether I could deal with this sort of thing and in fairness I wouldn't have touched it with a barge-pole without SGL encouragement, but the reality wasn't actually that difficult and I definitely think you should have a bash with one. If anything it showed me what you did with something like a R-Pi. Apart from knowing it was a small computer I had never managed to see what you did with a computer with no keyboard, mouse or monitor or why they were of any use to anyone. If I can manage to get my head around it (and actually have such a system up and running - Yay - go SGL help!) then I think anyone can. Oh, yes and apparently these mini R-Pi and similar win over leaving an old full size running because they take far less leccy to keep going.

I will always be grateful that I tripped over SGL when I was looking to get a telescope. There is that great thread about what you might see in the beginners section - which is worth cross posting on this thread I think: Thus, I went into it with my eyes wide open. However, it has also been interesting to see what I can take directly with my camera and also afocally with camera at the telescope EP and I know that I could take 'photographically pleasing images' if I spent more time with it and I suspect so could many other disappointed people - a webcam, a portable computer and some free software appear to be a good starting point. My telescope also came in plain packaging (thanks FLO) which is also quite fair. The only thing I wish folks had told me was how cold it could all be during the winter when the observing darkness is better in the evening and how much time it was going to take me to take it outside, set it all up and take it all down each time I wanted to use it. Those aspects I hadn't even considered and to my mind are as valid a consideration as what you might actually see.

Mine is very sensitive to Eyepiece weight. If necessary use just the cheap, light plossl EP's that came with the scope. Even when it's 'driving' to locations I find it's better to drive it with as little weight in the EP holder as possible and then add my EP's when it gets there.

So he might have done, but sometimes folks miss out on things like making sure these sorts of systems know whether you are East of West and sitting in Dartford very close to the meridian this might be an important consideration. Most of these automatic systems seem to want to know where folks are and at least the SW app. produces this sort of information in an easy to digest way. Also, leading zeros are also very important to these lat/long things as is making sure that you are entering degrees in the degrees field, minutes in the minutes field etc. and that you are entering the right version of the data, when you can enter things like decimal degrees, degrees and decimal minutes etc. As far as I can see no-one had made these sorts of points and getting the wrong data in the wrong field will certainly cause issues in any automated system. I cannot honestly see how the referred to Bresser manual is going to know where the user is standing to be able to inform the user as to exactly what values they may need to enter into things and it is very easy to skip over things like E/W and leading zeros until they are pointed out - at least someone point out the date and time order as again that is easy to trip over. Things like dates and times in the correct format and an exact location are easily obtained from things like the SW app. and I can't see any reason why that information would be wrong for a Bresser telescope.

It will either be + or - or East E or West W

I beg to differ having owned an 8" collapsible Dob I'd never consider a non-collapsible version - it's just so easy to store (taking about the size of a dining chair) and move around.

Bresser don't make a collapsible version do they?

If you need a ready source of data for your setup try the sysnscan init 2.0 app for your mobile phone and switch on the GPS - this will let you double check the format of all the entered data. Other things - check your North alignment if part of your setup - use North Pole star north not compass north. Also try to do the setup with the lightest of all your EP's in the telescope - heavy EP's sometimes unbalance things. Make sure you finish driving the scope with the recommended two clicks (it might be up and left or something similar - the book should say), check you have entered the correct + or - into the Lat and Long set up and also make sure you have included any leading zeros in the Lat and Log coordinates (I had fun with that one myself), also make sure you have correctly identified the stars you are aligning on (this also caused me all sorts of issues) and check you are entering the correct times in terms of 12 or 24 hour clock times.

Get the Dobsonian 200P - I've got a Skywatcher collapsible version and that's just great (takes up less storage space). You will probably find the telescope come with two EP's a distance one and often one around 10 mm so you can get a fair look at the planets and moon and some of the DSO's. Some people moan about these Plossls (that's the type of EP you might get), but mine were Skywatcher ones and I found they were quite OK to get going with - in fact I still have them in the box to use. The best money spent initially would be on a different finder - the scope will probably come with an optical straight through finder like a classic 'captains' telescope, but the upgrade that he will want after one use is a finder with a right angle viewing place at the end - often called RACI optical finders - Right angle correct image. If he struggles with that then the best device is a basic red dot finder (I have a Y mount on mine and use both). Lot of folks will rave about something called a Telrad red dot finder, but TBH a cheap £10+ second hand basic red- dot finder (RDF) with the correct mounting foot will do the job quite well and is a very worthwhile 1st or 2nd purchase after the scope

Please excuse the ignorance, but when something like this does happen is it a fast event, perhaps happening in moments - like a 'bang' or will it occur over a longer time - if so over what sort of time?

I like the basket idea - I suspect that my local Poundstretcher would sell a hook on or sucker-on bathroom shower item doing a very similar job for not a huge investment. A hook on version would be more secure, but I bet you could soon adapt a 'sucker-on' one with a couple of wire coat hangers. Though it's not the controller I had issues with (though my nice WiFi unit now render it obsolete) finding somewhere to put it, I still have issues with uncontrolled EP's and all their tops and tails. Hence any basket I had might need the gaps lining with some form of soft fabric. I am not disciplined enough to meticulously replace each in their box during use with all the tops and tails back in place. Instead all three pieces tend to roll around in coat pockets getting muddled up until I return at the end of the night frozen cold and dump the whole lot on the table, along with finders, wires, phone's, telescope covers etc. on the. what I ought to do is to work out what I am going to use and only take those out already topped and tailed and leave the others inside. However, I end up outside changing what I want by the moment, then discovering I've left something inside, rush back in and throw stuff around finding what I want and adding to the chaos and then it takes me about 45 mins the next day to put is all away neat and tidy. (Someone please tell me that I am not alone!). Oh, for a permanent outdoor location where everything could be left in a ready to use state.

I wonder if I was far from that described location when I had my milky-way experience. That was probably 13 years ago now during a drive between Colchester and Aberdeen. We were def. towards the North of England driving through moorland type landscape in the middle of the night and the sky was that spectacular we stopped for a break to view it.

@ron, hhow much of a chance did you give STTNG? To be sure the early episodes lacked the slickmess that later ensues once a cast has found its feet, but certainly the longer it proceeded the better it goT From season 4 onwards it really started to gel!

Anothr thing you might find useful is to install this app on a mobile phone with GPS turned on - synscan init 2 that will give you all the details in the right order and the right units to enter into your handset each time. Ditto above comments you will hardly be aware of any movement on the handset unless the speed is set quite fast.

I can't wait to see it, but I refuse to give into Prime membership which is a money grabbing con imo. So I will wait until it becomes accessible to me. Discovery - I stuck with it and it is growing on me, though I do wish these franchises would stop using the mirror universe storylines. I am still not convinced by the placement of the apparent technology into th ST timeline esp. As it has no later reference, but they do seem to embarking on a fair ongoing story arc so I'll keep watching for the moment.

Should I go and get a bath towel?

Paving the way for an intergalactic highway?

I couldn't find the advert when I wanted to show you what we had before - so used an alternative link, but what you found here ^^^ look exactly like ones the ram is walking on and they can be filled with gravel and laid on membrane in exactly the same way FWIW they were a doddle to click together, but I am bound to say the flatter the surface the easier it is. Their advantage is, comprised with non-waterproof membrance, that they will drain nicely. If I get down there in the next couple of days while it is still light I'll try and get you a photo of the path I laid for the ram.

We bought something similar to these for our ram paddock https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gravel-Grid-Membrane-ECO-Driveway-Grids-Car-Park-Paving-EuroGravel-BLACK/223230170693?hash=item33f98e1645:m:mRgp4TXlmUDjjXSt2u84Nxg We didn't bother with a membrane or the infill stones - just dropped them into his mud last year - this year it's a made a good walkway for him. However, a line of something similar properly dropped onto that membrane you've purchased and infilled with a suitable gravel might make a nice path for you.

Could you 3 print a personal hovercraft and avoid touching the ground at all!! ? I have a similar quagmire/underwater for many days now area to my barn - you know what? Yesterday morning I actually caught myself looking for fish in it!

I use an application called Synscan Init 2.0 on my Goto unit. Most of these things seem to need similar data and I find that the Synscan app. on my mobile helps me to ensure that I have the correct information in the correct format to enter into the system. Even though you seem to have it sorted you might still find the app. useful?

Out of all the Morpheus I could easily have talked myself out of the 4.5mm with already having the Pentax. I really didn't need both. However, I too will be interested in the comparison. On the occasions that conditions have been good enough for it I have actually found the Pentax difficult to use. I have successfully used it on the Lyra double double and got all four, but I don't find it easy to view through. I have vague hopes of the Morpheus being a different experience. NB. Yup, I will have the 17.5mm one day, but I had to take them as they came up. The trouble is I can't afford for them all to arrive like backed up buses so I am hoping to get the savings sorted before I spot it.

I hope you enjoy it.