GTom

Thank you Adam!

For planetary work I'd lean to the new "B" filter, for deep sky to the old one, to make use of as many photons as possible 🤣. Will be using an SC and a triplet apo for these jobs, I think I'll be fine with the "old" design.

I am considering upgrading to 12" with an LX200 system. AP capable mount is a key pivot point of the project though: 2nd hand setups rarely come with wedges leaving two options: buying a wedge or defork and buy a heavy GEM.

Deforking sounds like wasting precious equipment, I wonder if there is a not-superheavy wedge available in the UK for LX200 scopes? The Meade X-wedge alone costs almost as much as a decent 2nd hand GEM.

Many thanks for all comments, while doing my research on the ota-s noticed that Meade LX200 users quite often satisfied using guidescopes for AP and complain little about image shift, flexure, etc. The c11-c14 camp is quite the opposite, OAG seems to be a must.

The added weight is both bad and good news: I can manage the weight. Not comfy, but perfectly doable. The good news: once the heavy stuff in place, WIND becomes much less of an issue...

Wow, that's new, I am doing my homework before buying an 11-12" SCT and found several comments on cloudynights claiming the LX200 STOCK OTA-s have manufacturer installed mirror lock, the LX90's not. Hence I decided to forget the LX90's, but seems the stock LX200 doesn't have a mirror lock either?

On 12/03/2023 at 16:09, Spaceship said:

The primary mirror is held against a spring. You need to lock the mirror in place first. My 12” is the older Classic. I had mine apart when I installed the new focuser so it was very easy. You’ll need to create a mirror lock tool first. (See attached).   I also attached a Moonlight Crayford focuser to minimize the amount of mirror movement. Hope this helps.   Watch enough videos until your confidence is up. It’s pretty straight forward. 

Considering a larger SCT to step up from my grab and go C5, can't decide between 11" (Celestron non-edge XLT) and 12" (Meade LX200, UHTC, non-ACF): I need some input from those who had the pleasure comparing these two scopes (F10 version from Meade), what would be the verdict? 

Visual, planetary and DSO AP all considered, DSO would be using the Starizona 0.63x - not planning Hyperstar. Some mobility is required, but lucky me I can lift the 12" LXD200 - very likely would be in trouble with the 14" Meade.

Just asked Retevis, they expect to offer the MONO version by October. Perfect timing for Black Friday

Indeed, cutting at ~450 would bring visible advantage if you have lenses in the imaging train. I'll have a 3x Barlow (svbony sv213), will check how much purple fringing does it add to the picture. It is claimed to be an APO Barlow, still, APO's have trouble with deep blue too (the Scope is an sct, shouldnt be an issue):

Question here for Baader's LRGB-set: older stock says "CCD optimized, no haze, no reflections etc," new stock is "cmos optimized". Is there any practical difference between the two?

Same question here for Baader's LRGB-set: older stock says CCD optimized, no haze, no reflections etc, new stock is "cmos optimized". Any practical difference between the two?

Thank you Chris, indeed, Canaries start around £100 out of seasons. Good to hear that it is a working thing!

Anyone flown with telescope gear larger than the cabin bag allowance? Some flights are still reasonably cheap if booked in advance, I was wondering if anyone flown to e.g. the Canaries booking an additional seat for the scope?

Easyjet names Musical instruments, I wonder if the option could be used for e.g. a C11? https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/musical-instruments

Browsing for options to get a c11 brought me to the quite surprising C11-AVX setup offered by multiple UK retailers almost at OTA price. I wonder how many are using this combo and if the owners eventually kept the mount?

16 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

The other thing to remember also, is a lot of the time the seller will put a much lower value on the package, so you won’t get the full fees to pay either, I know for a fact when I have bought from China they have put a much lower price on the package, usually about 25% of the actual value, BUT what then happens if it goes missing, or damage, the seller can only claim for the value they put on the package, so how will that affect the buyer, I have taken the risk, but there is a risk…..🤔🤔

If you pay with paypal you are insured up to the total amount you paid. Still, electronics DOES die from time to time and you are stuck even if you "just" see severe banding on arrival. One single trip back will cost about the same as the price difference between the chinese and the uk supplier.  IF the chinese supplier agrees with your claim

Couldn't found my way trough the gov. website maze, found this link on digital cameras, saying you pay 3.7% general rate, 20% VAT and whatever the courier is charging. AFAIK Royal Mail charges 8£, others much more.

https://customsdutyfree.com/customs-or-import-duty-for-digital-camera-body-to-united-kingdom/

That results in a final bill of approx £900, depending who is shipping. The tricky bit comes when the camera doesn't deliver as expected or delivers a fault.

unfortunately it is just as obvious as wind will create waves on any larger open water surface. No additional taxpayers money is needed to be spent...

Scientific background: both air density AND refractive index change with temperature. Heat CONDUCTION in gases is very slow, at the same time MOBILITY in the gas phase is very easy, therefore boundary layers warmed AND expanded (higher temp, lower density) by a roof will instead of giving off its heat by conduction to neighbouring layers will simply move upwards creating random, continuously changing convection pattern with different sizes of appearing and disappearing eddies.

Long story short: an astronomer doesn't want to be anywhere near a large temperature gradient. I know, this is terrible news in the country of tiny-weeny "gardens" and horrible insulations.

As we won't have proper nights up here for more than an other month, I'll rather wait a bit with the decision.

I am undecided which mount to use for a transportable c9.25 setup. The gem45 is the top candidate ATM, but considering the AZ-EQ5 and the CEM40 as well.

Have you gathered more AP experience with the mount since?

Your camera is a perfect match to the helical focuser, no need to do anything :). 

I am also considering the biggest prism on the market, available in the TSFLIP "flip mirror" (not a mirror, prism), but afraid that would eat too much backfocus. So far the player one seems to be the best available.

The link: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/881231-any-other-wide-format-large-prism-oag-s-around/

On 22/06/2023 at 19:06, pipnina said:

BT wanted £15'000 to run the fiber cable the next 30 meters down the street to them.

Now THAT IS a problem and curing it it has nothing to do with Musk's megalomaniac plans. Buerocrats, so called IT "experts" (not experts anymore, all work outsourced to India) asking for thousands for pressing 2 buttons on their keyboards just because they got monopoly.

On 16/05/2023 at 12:53, scotty38 said:

Harsh reality but taking pretty pictures versus the proposed benefits is never going to cut any ice with non astronomers never mind governments etc. I mean we can't even agree on things that folk do recognise as affecting the planet/people/universe let alone on things they cannot......

Just looking on the non-astro aspect: I highly doubt that it's more economic to litter the LEO with thousands of satellites, replacing hundred+ each year, than pulling a cheap optical cabel along all ROADS on the planet. Rural US is crying for fast internet (no it doesn't, SOME living there do): their solution is not Musk, all farms have a road...

If someone choose to live on a fully disconnected island then enjoy being disconnected from the noise of the world, no need for screen addiction if you have mother nature around you 7/24, 3D, 8k+resolution or whatever your v1.0 eyes allow. 

People don't have to and must not litter 100% of the planet, if someone can't live without internet (methinks we've done quite well for a couple thousands of years), move closer to broadband. I like chilled beer in the summer heat, yet I definitely do not want a pub in every 500meters in the Sahara. I like good infrastructure, yet I definitely do not want a 6+6 lane highway from my drive straight to Edinburgh. "Business", "profit", some pieces of colored papers do not worth it, period.

Great many thanks for the photos! If you use an 174mm or similar sized guider, can you please share a flat? Had an interesting discussion on OAG vignetting @cloudynights, I wonder what comes up in real life :).

Asked and got a quick response from the Support: the bottom of the helical IS indeed a T2 adapter that can be set via thumbscrews, means that non-mini guidecams have a chance. Genius design 😊!

4 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

There's an ASI294MM in the Offers section in the FLO side for just over £1000, if that's of any use. An older sensor with amp-glow but a larger sensor than the 533.  

At nearly 57°N, I'm not going to see any Astro darkness until about then either.  

One other thought, have you looked at second hand CCD cameras?  

CCD-s are on the table, realistically priced ones are rare though. I am definitely not taking the fight with amp glow.

Honestly haven't researched them thoroughly, I am a little reluctant to adopt new tech. I read loads of troubleshooting on the American forums, in that light I feel it a bit much to pay compared to a well kept used GEM/CEM: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/858363-hem27hem44-owners-club/page-2

Confusing indeed 😁. Worst case I'll bite the bullet and get the ASI 533MM. Not very urgent though we won't have proper nights until late August anyway.

I am assembling a travel astro kit, more or less decided on the OTA, a C9.25, but need a mount. Imaging, including deep sky guided <5min with 0.63x reducer (already got the Starizona one) is also a requirement.

Costs of the three options are similar, only complication is that the Stellardrive mod needs the mount to be shipped to the company. All rated to approx. double the weight of the OTA (40lbs vs 20lbs), imaging gear would be kept <4lbs (2kg).

Anyone using either mounts with a c9.25 or a sizeable scope that represents similar challenge to the mount?

A con for the GEM45 as travel mount that it's latitude adjustment range excludes -14 to +14°, which is borderline for some of my trips. Otherwise that one seems to be the strongest candidate.