michaelmorris

I had a similar fledgling wasps nest in my garden shed a couple of years ago.

I simply broke it up with a stick. The queen kept trying to rebuild it and once a week I destroyed it. After a 5 or 6 weeks she didn’t come back.

On 24/01/2019 at 23:14, michaelmorris said:

 

I had real issues getting my 120mc to work properly with all sky eye. Now it is working great. Here are my top three tips for using a 120MC/MM camera with Allskeye software.

Use new, high quality USB cables

Experiment with using the ASCOM rather than the native ZWO driver

Create a bad pixel map.

I hope this helps

If you're after a very fast lens with a controllable iris, you could have a look at discontinued Computar CCTV lens such as the 2.6mm HG2610AFCS or 2.0mm TG2010AFCS or TG2010FCS-L.  These quality f1.0 lenses are amazing, but nowadays rarer than a rare thing on EBay.

On 14/02/2019 at 21:19, happy-kat said:

An old project but not forgotten. I have been thinking there is an old unused PC with very likely a giant heat sink in it and I have a very noisy Celestron neximage 5,  this begs to be tried to see if cooling it might make it usable as the sensor size is good and it does long exposure.

I have a (rather noisy) ZWO ASi 120MC.  The new 'Bad Pixel Map'' feature on the latest version of Allskeye software has very successfully cleaned up the images.  As long as there are ASCOM drivers available for your camera, it should work with Allskeye?

www.allskeye.com

On 24/01/2019 at 23:14, michaelmorris said:

I've experienced a number of issues with trying to get this software to run with my ZWO ASI120MC over the past month or two.  However, Mike's hard work and superb user support has meant that it now works well.  (Solution has been to use the 32-bit version of the software, dial down the USB transfer speed right down to 40 and shoot in RAW 16).  I also replaced all the USB leads.

I've tried the bad pixel map feature in 9.12.0 and unfortunately the exposure fails when trying to create the bad pixel map (see post in Allskeye community page).  However, I'm sure Mike will try his best to sort it out.  This guy is a hero!    

The immediate fix seems to be to use the ASCOM drivers for the ZWO ASi120MC. Dark frame subtraction now working. ?

Hopefully it won't clash with The SGL star party again.

I've experienced a number of issues with trying to get this software to run with my ZWO ASI120MC over the past month or two.  However, Mike's hard work and superb user support has meant that it now works well.  (Solution has been to use the 32-bit version of the software, dial down the USB transfer speed right down to 40 and shoot in RAW 16).  I also replaced all the USB leads.

I've tried the bad pixel map feature in 9.12.0 and unfortunately the exposure fails when trying to create the bad pixel map (see post in Allskeye community page).  However, I'm sure Mike will try his best to sort it out.  This guy is a hero!    

On 05/10/2018 at 16:52, rodrigol said:

Hi,

I'm not sure about the pillar as the ground was not cooperating for this. So, I decided for a double floor. The wooden floor with holes for the tripod legs, which will rest on the concrete pad. Walking on the wooden floor should not transmit any vibrations to the tripod. 

I have found that one of the great joys of having an observatory is that polar alignment is pretty much a one off affair.  Not having a pier will remove this advantage as the tripod is bound to occasionally get knocked. 

34 minutes ago, feilimb said:

@michaelmorris

Have you had a chance to try out the idas filter yet with the asi294? 

Yes, but I haven't yet done any processing beyond alignment and stacking in DSS. The colour cast with the D2 is a bit  blue/green with more of a colour cast than the P2, but less than with a CLS filter.

I have recently bought an ASI 294 MC and I'm using it with exactly the kit you are using.  There is a Male T2 to female 1.25" adaptor in the box which threads into the thick (10mm I think) adaptor that attaches direct to the camera.  I've read that when used this close to the sensor, a 1.25" sensor only gives marginal vignetting, which can be compensated for by using flats.   However, I've chosen to go down the route of using a single 2" IDAS light pollution filter attached to a FLO focal reducer to 2" adaptor.  I attach the 2" adaptor to the focuser draw tube using a Baader Click lock adaptor.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-click-lock-2956256-m56-celestron-skywatcher.html

This holds the focal reducer orthogonally and, for all practicable purposes, as firmly as if you had screwed it on. 

I already had both the FLO adaptor and the Clicklock adaptor and the filter I wanted was only available in 2" https://www.firstlightoptics.com/light-pollution-reduction-imaging/idas-d2-light-pollution-suppression-filter.html , so this solution seemed to make sense.

Delivered today.  A lovely shiny new ZWO ASI 294 MC-Pro one shot colour camera.   Thank you FLO. ???

Thanks

Ironing stool from Aldi with a new homemade much larger seat fitted and the height adjustment retaining bolt replaced with a large 'pin' made from a coach bolt with the thread cut off.

4 hours ago, Muzz said:

Hi All,

Having recently acquired a Skywatcher ED80 I am looking for a finder scope.

I am wondering if it's worth getting this in due course first. It would serve as a finder / Guidescope if / when I go down the route of guiding.

Would save having to buy another dovetail for on top of the scope and would save having to buy a finder now then replace it in future?

Not sure if being daft but thought it might be an option.

Clear Skies,

Murray

It sounds like a sensible option to me.

Looks like a great project. I built mine about 8 years ago.

The main lesson I learned was -

A - Workout how many plug sockets you think you will need

B - double it!

Anyone yet tried a Lodestar with an Evoguide 50ED?

Looks great. ?

13 hours ago, happy-kat said:

EID - like watching an ant brush his teeth on a blade of grass under your feet.

Unknown - hedge 30 feet

WO - nada nothing

Thanks, but I'm afraid I don't really understand your conclusions.  Which ones come to focus?

I'm toying with the idea of getting a Skywatcher Evoguide 50ED to use as a small guide scope with my Lodestar 2 guide camera.  In order to reduce the risk of flexure. I always like to attach cameras using a threaded connector rather than a push fit.  So, before biting the bullet I want to make sure of one thing.  Can I screw the Lodestar into the rear of the Evoguide using a T thread to C thread adaptor and get the camera to focus?

Looks like a great product.  Just one thing, is it just me or is the music in the videos much too loud, almost drowning out the narration?

I'm off to the Kelling Heath Spring Star Party in April.  Hopefully someone there will have an Evoguide and I'll be able a look one. 

I have some more questions about this seeming excellent little scope.

1 - The dew shield at the front appears to have some baffles/threads on the inside.  Can anyone confirm whether these are baffles or a thread?   If it is a thread, do you know what size thread it is?

2 - Can anyone tell me the external and internal diameters of the dew shield?

3 - One of the proposed uses for the Evoguide is as a superior finderscope.  I presently have a Skywatcher straight-through 9 x 50 finderscope with illuminated reticle.  https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-straight-illuminated-magnified-finderscopes.html  If I get an Evoguide I'll want an illuminated reticle eyepiece that gives me a similar or larger FOV as my present finderscope.  Any suggestions?

4 - Could I mount it in a standard Skywatcher finderscope bracket?

Thanks

On 12/02/2018 at 12:09, FLO said:

The Skywatcher EvoGuide 50ED weighs 865g (a regular 9x50 finder weighs 465g). 

With the rear section (shown faded in diagram below) removed a regular 1.25-inch diagonal or erecting diagonal will fit and achieve focus.  To be confirmed! 

With the rear section fitted the Evoguide will achieve focus using, say, a ZWO ASI-120 or Starlight Xpress Lodestar.

Skywatcher also include a par-focal ring for convenience. 

HTH,

Steve

 

Oh dear, that's another £150 that will be leaving the bank account! 

Seriously though, if this is half as good as it sounds like it is going be, this could be a really good seller.

The more I look at this the more I think I might get one. Ideally it could fulfil multiple roles.  Guidescope, finderscope, grab and go ultra portable telescope, Ha solar telescope (with Coronado 50mm Ha etalon on front and blocking filter on back) and possibly, at a push, wideish field imaging scope.

For me, the key thing will be how much back focus it has.

1 - does it have enough back focus to mount a diagonal + eyepiece on the back (like the Stellarvue 50 Nighthawk/Little Rascal)?

2 - does it have enough back focus  to mount a T2 to C mount adaptor on the back with a Lodestar screwed into the C mount adaptor?

Also, could I mount it in a standard Sky-Watcher finderscope bracket?

6 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

gosh that means that the timing of separation and the speed that they had achieved must be precisely matched to the rotation such that they fall back at exactly the right moment to "hit" the Cape at where it now is ?

Whilst the Earth's rotation will certainly help shorten the the return track, AFAIK it is a not the whole story.  From what I understand, the boosters do actually partially retraces their path through space as well as retracing their ground track.