JimothyC

This is what I’m using and it seems to work ok for me. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neewer-Photography-Accessories-2-5mm-N3-Control/dp/B00OHDARXG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=nikon+n3+cable&qid=1569828923&s=gateway&sprefix=nikon+n3+&sr=8-3

are you using the advanced firmware? 

I’d second looking at STFC, they’re responsible for funding the UK’s involvement in all the large telescope projects. They are now part of UKRI and you can find details of all externally advertised jobs on this site. https://www.topcareer.jobs/

You might also want to look on some of the large telescope project web sites as they may advertise roles directly on there. 

A lot of funding is done via universities and some facilities are managed directly by them. For example Jodrell Bank is run by the university of Manchester. So you could try their recruitment sites as well. 

Finally it might be worth writing to the heads of the major telescope projects and detailing your skills and experience and conveying your passion for astronomy. They may just decide to make a role for you. 

Good luck. 

Looks like a 4x12 guitar cab to me. 

Call FLO and order a telescope?

Looks pretty much perfect to me. I’d maybe dial the stars back a little, perhaps just 5%. But that’s just personal taste, I’m not sure how valid my opinion is. 

Nice work. Looks pretty good for 14 mins data. Just shows what F2 can do for you, it just hoovers up those photons. 

Got myself one of these lovely lenses for a trip to Ibiza. I was hoping to get a nice shot of Rho Ophiuchi which is always too low for me to shoot. But thanks to a well placed tower crane and light pollution all my data on that target is garbage. Thankfully I took some test shots of the Sadr region in Cygnus. This shot is made up of 5 x 120s exposures of HA and SIII and only 1 x 120s of O, no flats or darks. So I'm pretty pleased with the result. Just wish I'd shot more data on this target but I was only messing around with the setup. Shot using a Samyang 135mm F2, ZWO ASI 1600MM and an ASI Air. 

Pimoroni appear to still have the 4GB in stock. Unless I’ve just bought the last one

https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/raspberry-pi-4

What a fantastic image, thanks for sharing. 

With the planets situated as low as they are this year, you may get more bang from you buck by getting an ADC. This should correct some of the distortion effects caused by the atmosphere and lead to sharper views with more contrast. 

Please note that I’m not talking from experience, an ADC is still on my ever expanding shopping list. I’m just regurgitating some previous advice I’ve been given. So as with most things, your mileage may vary. 

I've used a 70mm ED Altair travel scope on a star adventurer, seemed to work ok, but I needed guiding to get exposures of any decent length. Although I'm not sure how good my PA was. 

Nicely done, especially considering the circumstances. Hoping to achieve something similar from Ibiza next month. 

2 hours ago, symmetal said:

The spacing isn't critical like it would be with using a field flattener. The quoted sensor distances just allow the scope to achieve it's maximum focus range, which would be useful if used for terrestrial imaging. When the scope focuser is almost fully back (normal infinity focus position) the sensor spacing is 59.7mm. If your distance is less than that then the focuser will need to be further forward to achieve infinity focus, but should still give the same star shapes. Your minimum focus distance will be increased however.

Alan

Great thanks for confirming. I was hoping that was the case but I wanted to be certain before I take it up with the retailer. Rather wishing I'd purchased from FLO now......

10 hours ago, Davey-T said:

I think mine takes the prize for worst sample so far.

Coma across entire image these are centre of images.

Dave

What was your spacing to the sensor on these shots? I had some pretty dodgy stars in mine, but I've now seen this diagram (this wasn't included in the quick start guide supplied with the scope)

It looks like spacing should be 59.7mm rather than the normal 55mm. My test shots were taken at 56mm using the zwo recommended setup for a filter wheel and asi1600. I'm not sure how to achieve 59.7mm using any commercially available adaptors. 

13 hours ago, symmetal said:

It's just that png files, like jpg, display directly on the forum so don't need to be downloaded to view them. 

As Dave said, slight coma, predominantly bottom right. Better than the other RedCat images shown here. Interestingly CCD Inspector gave it a 'good' result with all four corners similar and the centre slightly out of focus. Probably not enough stars for a proper assessment as it only found 523 stars. Around 3000 or more stars are needed fairly evenly spread over the image give the best results.

Alan

That looks pretty good, especially considering it’s an aps-c sensor. Has anyone tried one with a full frame one? 

9 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

From the point of view of testing just the lens surely it would be better to use the simplest imaging train, no filters and no long exposures like 30 seconds should be adequate. Otherwise any number of the other extras could be adding issues to the image.

With the ASI1600MM, I think not having a luminance filter would have caused an issue as there would be no IR and UV filtering. Also if the scope can't cope with 36mm filters on a 4/3rds sensor, then it's not really fit for purpose.  

Exposures were 60 seconds, but the guiding was excellent, in fact I don't think I've ever seen the mount so happy. Probably due to it having such a light payload. 

Thanks all for taking a look at this. Looks like the scope has got to go back. The issues with this scope appear quite prevalent. When you couple this with the fact that the vixen dovetail is undersized and the focuser isn't all that great, it's not looking like a great product launch from WO. You would have though they would have learnt from their previous mistakes, as should have I.

I feel sorry for the retailers in all this who'll have a lot of work on their hands dealing with all the returns and will probably end up absorbing some costs. 

I took advantage of some clear weather yesterday to give my RedCat a test out. Reading all the stories about collimation issues had me worried that I might have bought a turkey. Coincidentally it was also the last night with a shred of astro-darkness, so I had to move fast. 

Picked M101 as a target as it was nice and high up in the sky. In the rush my filter wheel stopped working, so I was stuck with just luminosity frames. 

Setup was a RedCat on an ioptron CEM25p. Camera ZWO ASI1600mm, EFW7, Baader 36mm filters, ZWO mini guide scope and ASI120mm guide camera. 

I'd really appreciate it someone could have a look at my attached image and give me their opinion on the star shapes. I'm no expert in this, but to me it looks like there's some coma and there's something definitely odd going on with the brighter stars. 

Attached file is a png from sharpcap as I was livestacking during testing. 

Hi John,

I run mine from one of these. Seems to last ages. https://www.amazon.co.uk/TalentCell-Rechargeable-6000mAh-12000mAh-Lithium/dp/B0713T4XT9/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MCDBVU1T0XFW&keywords=talentcell+rechargeable+12v&qid=1556206673&s=gateway&sprefix=talentcell+%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-2 

Alternatively it should run from any centre positive 12v supply with a 5.5 / 2.1mm plug. I doubt you'd need one that puts out any more than an amp. I've not tried this, but this one would probably do the job. https://www.amazon.co.uk/LightingWill-Supply-Adapter-100-240V-Transformer/dp/B07P71DTSP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1AYU0YYNBI6C4&keywords=12v+1a+power+supply&qid=1556206777&s=gateway&sprefix=12v+1a+%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-3

Cheers

Jim

They do look nice and would make a nice upgrade to my CEM25P. But the price is so close to the CEM60. I can’t help but think that would be the better long term investment. Although I suspect the price is currently at ‘early adopter’ level and might come down a bit in the future. 

This is great news. I’ve got a CEM25 which is great but I’m running out of payload and the non existent CEM40 looks perfect. I’d much rather buy from you than the, previously only, other option in the uk. 

Is your spacing correct? The Altair site states a backfocus of 66.78mm, although the image on their site implies it's more than that. 

Maybe worth playing around with some spacers. 

Also maybe the issue is how you’re powering the device. Make sure the batteries are all fresh and matching. Ideally use an external 12v adapter. Make sure it can put out at least 1a and is centre positive. 

21 minutes ago, Geoff Barnes said:

Oh my, such a pretty box!

 

My Baader 8-24mm zoom is great but I just wanted to tease a wee bit more detail out of the planets. My 4.7mm ES 82 degree ep is just a bit too much magnification (320x) and a bit fuzzy under the majority of conditions, so I took a guess that the 6.5mm Morpheus would be the maximum focal length for planets, giving me 230x in the 12 inch Dob.

Amazingly huge eye lens, must be like looking through the porthole on a spaceship!

Can't wait to try it.!!! ?

 

They are really nicely packaged eyepieces. I love my 12.5mm Morpheus. I think the 6mm is next on my ever growing shopping list. 

If it can be controlled by EQMOD, which according to the post above from FLO, it can. Then I don't see why not, I'm hoping to be able to do the same myself..