JOC

That looks a fine effort by your group event @Stu Some of you are taking green pics - you must all have different filters to me - I've got a nice gold background from the Baader solar film - mine is most sun-like!

Grrr.......shoo, clouds, shoo!

Isn't it great? We're all looking at the same thing at the same time LOL

I'm currently trying for a photo afocally through the Morpheus, however, clouds won't cooperate and it's too bright outside to see if I'm in focus through the viewscreen.

We've got it here in Essex, Mum, Dad and me have all taken a look and all seen it through gaps in the cloud, Mum wanted to know if I had a poppy seed stuck to the EP LOL, I'm running with Baader film solar mask over the 200P and a cover over the gap well tethered on with bungees in the wind. I'm using the Morpheus 12.5mm and we've got exactly what I was expecting to see.😀 Quite chuffed as a long time since I last had the scope out.

Have you read the advice here: http://www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ That page is the Royalty of how to collimate a reflecting telescope. If you do everything Astrobaby says to the letter, no matter how daft it sounds you will succeed even I did!

Follow this http://www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ Do not deviate in any way, carry out every instruction no matter how odd it seems and you should get success. A Cheshire Collimator is a good thing to have.

I tend to be very wary of the sun, I much prefer the idea of a full aperture solar filter securely fastened at the sun end of the telescope so that no concentrated suns rays can get anywhere close to my expensive telescope bits and pieces. Then everyone can come and take a peek at a decently magnified image (and I get the impression that this will only be a tiny dot on the sun) as the automated system tracks. I don't think I'd feel comfortable pointing the open end of any telescope at the sun without some form of covering.

I've got a home-made Baader solar full apperture filter for the 200P that I keep safe in a special box - I reckon I could use that and my solar finder and stand a chance of seeing mercury go across the sun with a suitable EP - I shall be at home on the 11th and could easily pop outside if it was sunny for a few minutes at lunchtime if I had things set-up.

So when does night start? If the competition wanted astronomical night it should have said so, otherwise it's the period that starts with sunset and this was tonight 🙂

Well done @Paul M - that's the sort of thing it looked like, but I'd never seen a picture of exactly that object.

Guys, could the thing with the cross hairs in it be some sort of collimation cap?

I'm convinced 5 from the top is something like this: http://www.bixnet.com/dd120xc.html to be used along side other connectors in this sort of layout - which might help explain other bits and bobs - I bet there was a large battery somewhere in the set-up https://www.bixpower.com/product-p/ups250-dd90x.htm

The thing marked YC with the slider above the IR blocking device looks like some form of voltage output controller so that when it is plugged into a 12V battery supply a different output voltage can be selected for what needs to be powered. You need to search for a suitable socket to plug it into on an item that might need 18-19V power as that is what it is set to at the moment. I must admit the end looks very similar to computer socket (was there a portable PC in the kit?), or maybe something like a dew controller (a strip of fabric with a cable running through it). The two tall cylinders with IR markings on one end. I think these are generic cameras for fitting into the focusser unit to take photos of thing like planets. I think the IR rims are separate items and I bet they unscrew to produce two separate infrared filters like this one: https://www.tringastro.co.uk/altair-astro-planet-killer-685nm-premium-ir-pass-filter-with-ar-coating-10246-p.asp The last photo looks like some form of sender/receiver for a web based connection. If the telescopes had an onboard computer on their tripods this might plug in to it either obtain GPS directions directly or connect to produce a WiFi signal which could then be used to hook up a WiFi receiving device like a portable computer or mobile phone so that GPS data can be obtained to drive the system.

The image directly under the red dot finders in the second set of images is an automatic shutter release for the camera. The camera has a bit of plastic on its side edge and if you prise it out the cable connector should connect to one of the sockets that will be revealed.

Second from the top is a threaded adapter for attaching something of a different size to the focussing unit of the telescope, I use something similar with the T ring of my camera to enable it to attach to the focus unit

The thing marked Plossl under the ED eyepieces is a Plossl eyepiece of the given mm length, I think the one below that is also a plossl eyepiece - they might be the two original cheaper eyepieces that could have been supplied with the telescope when it was first bought.

You used to be able to get it in 25 gallon drums from smallholding suppliers - it's often used on iron roofs and walls.

All the things marked Barlow and a mulitplication are exactly that i.e. a x whatever Barlow with a makers name - they provide an effective magnification of that amount for any eyepiece that is placed in them. Top photo as of now still looks like something that connects to the canon camera that was up earlier and provides then an attachment onto another fitting. I don't know exactly what it is, but I bet it fits onto the front of the camera body Ah......here are those ED eyepieces: various sizes, but only variations on this one https://www.365astronomy.com/TS-Paragon-ED-14mm-1.25-Eyepiece-50-deg-20mm-eye-relief.html The top two of the second batch of images are both standard looking red dot finders

In terms of indentifying things, you might able to work able the simple things yourself and then just leave the photos up for the more esoteric connectors, and electronic gubbins. As it is there are a lot of photos there and a huge list to work through. If you could narrow it down it a lot you might get more answers. Things like the eyepieces are easy. They are the Celestron orange and black things with usually a cap on the top and a cap on the bottom. You describe those as Celestron eyepiece and then look to see how many mm are written on them. In amongst those is a Celestron barlow that the thing with a socket in the top rather than a bit of glass, that will have a muliplication size written on it, so that is a Celestron Barlow x whatever it is. The telescopes themselves, should have a makers name and a plate or identifier on them - you describe those by the makers name then the name from the plate and they will often have a FL (focal length) and possibly apperture - often in mm and a F number i.e. 5.6 on them. All these details describe the telescopes for selling. The little shiny round things in black plastic frames that probably will find it difficult to see through are filters - mind you don't scratch them. They may not be in their original boxes, but written around the edge of them it should say a makers name and a filter type, i.e. polarising, O-III etc. These are the details that describe the filters The little triangle wedges with shiny silver lenses sticking out the edge are called diagonals - they are used with refracting telescopes like the ones you have in the photos - these may have a name on them and on observation will tilt the image around either a 90 degree bend or I think a 45 degree bend (someone may need to correct me on the latter degrees) - so these are for example Brand name diagonal of 90 degrees - if sold with a picture someone will work out if it has a prism or mirror in it if they want it. The red ZO ASI camera is easily found online, you don't need help with that one as it's in its box Second set of images under the Altair diagonal are red dot finders of various types - handy little gizmos, but probably only worth £15-£20 second hand depending on type. If you do an image search on google for red dot finders (RDF) you should find all those you have to check for new prices. The camera has what it is printed on it, but that looks like some sort of specialised adapted kit that you might need an imager for. Under the camera pictures is a field flattener, it is clearly canon - google image search that and you might find it. Under the field flattener is a T ring - this attaches the camera to the back of the telescope. Under the T ring is what looks like the battery charger for the camera - you had better keep that with the camera Once you can identify what you have Google it all and ask about 60% of new price for it. Have a bash at giving names to things based on my suggestions above, then delete those you've worked out and maybe folks will have a bash at what is left which won't be half as much IMO. Just casting my eye over the items I think with a bit of effort you should make sufficiently more than £1000 for it all to make the extra effort worth while, it looks nice kit.

I've got a 200P Dobsonian Flex tube (it collapses to become a bit smaller to store and carry (though I am told it makes the tube slightly heaver than if it didn't collapse. Mine takes up about as much room as a dining chair to store. I can easily move it in two parts and have had good views of planets, some DSO, the moon and with a filter the sun. Prior to purchase I would commend this thread to you and suggest that you review the photos to get your expectations sorted out prior to spending your cash:

How about some pegged down weed membrane with bark or gravel on top.

We have issues with condensation from the corrugated iron on our animal housing. We often solve it by adding in a secondary layer of bubble wrap plastic on to the underside of the battens that the roof sits on. A bit like double glazing.

Bristol camera's seem to have one too (Google is great at this sort of thing), but I hadn't spotted Belgium until you pointed it out. EP's are often quite heavy expensive things and you might find the postage from anywhere in the UK (or anywhere other than Belgium) is prohibitive