hadyn42

Great idea guys, thank you......Looking forward to looking in and learning etc.

Best regards,

Hadyn - Isle of Man

Hi Fraunhoffer.

You could try using a good quality Velcro sticky tape, I use a 2" wide Velcro and 3" in length with the strips stuck on the three tripod legs and some on the hand controller. It makes easy access to the hand controller.

Regards,

Hadyn - Isle of Man

55 minutes ago, james123 said:

I'm staying till the 20th to Hayden. But can't get down till the 15th. Aye there's a few going now Derek. Cant remember if I met u last year was down that way and popped over on the thursday and sat night

Hi James

I think we did meet up. It will be great to see everyone again in October.

Christina and Hadyn - IOM

3 minutes ago, johninderby said:

It’s only been available for about two weeks so it could take a little while before anyone has had the chance to try imaging with one. You migjt try asking FLO if any have been sold yet.

Hello John

Thank you for that information. 

I will send them an email later.

Kind regards,

Hadyn

Hello Guys

Has anyone got or had any experience with the Stella Mira 85mm triplet as yet please?

Just asking as I am thinking of buying one to do some astrophotography, I will of course be buying the reducer /  flattener along with the telescope. There doesn't seem to much chatter on the forums regarding this model at the moment.

Best regards,

Hadyn - IOM

Hello Derek and everyone.

We have just booked today with Lesley and the with the IOM Steam Packet for the GSP Autumn Event.

Plan to be there just after lunch on Sunday 11th October and stay until Tuesday 20th October 2020.

Best regards,

Christina and Hadyn - IOM

Looks as if you had a great night Nick...

Just had 30 mins viewing last night before the clouds blew in.

Regards,

Hadyn - Isle of Man

12 hours ago, Physopto said:

Be good to see you and Christina.🤔

Don't forget the cakes 🤣

 Derek

Helllo Derek

I don't know what you mean about the cakes!

There should be LDC, FC, and GC available on site when we get there. I hope your back is a lot better now Derek, you need to get Annette to rub some of them spirits on your back that you have in stock. I always thought that your Engineers when you have a sore back you get it get rubbed done with an oily rag.....

Lets hope the weather is kind to us and we do get a few more attendee's on site Derek, is there a certain number of folk needed before the event goes ahead? Just asking this question as we need to book time off work and of course our ferry arrangements.

Best regards,

Christina and Hadyn

Hello All

Just to let you know that we spoke to Lesley today and have booked our pitch, we arrive on Wednesday 19th February at around 3pm.

Best regards,

Christina and Hadyn - IOM

Hello Derek

Thank you for taking up the mantle and organising the Spring and Autumn Galloway Star Party.

To everyone who is reading this: A Happy New Year to you all.

Christina and I plan to book up with Lesley for the Spring event this weekend, so that should be five of us so far Derek.

Adrian has booked up as I have just had a message from him, up to now we plan to arrive on Wednesday 19th February and we probably depart on the Monday or the Tuesday (24th or 25th). 

Best regards,

Christina and Hadyn - IOM

21 minutes ago, paulastro said:

I couldn't resits having a quick look at SGL this morning before my day gets completely out of hand.  I then checked to see how many of us were on line - expecting perhaps one or two, after all it is Christmas.  And blimey, over 67 if I counted correctly.  I'm quite relieved I'm not the only astronomy nerd this morning who needs an astro-fix. 

So to all my fellow nerds, a vey happy Christmas to you all.  And, if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you also have a great day and are spending it  exactly how you want to give you the most pleasure. 

Hello Paul and everyone.

A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to you All from the Isle of Man....

Just having a browse on here having a bit of "me time" and looking if there any other nerds like me on here and of course looking for a bargain or any other important stuff on here too. Just chilling before we get invaded by the family wanting their Christmas Day meal. 

Best wishes,

Hadyn - IOM

Hello All.

Just asking for some advice on buying a suitable telescope primary for imaging with some viewing / observing the heavens above.

I have been looking at the following telescopes listed below: 

(1) Williams Optics ZS73 II with flattener and rotolock connector, with the 50 mm guide-scope

(2)  WO GT71 with 0.08x reducer / flattener with the 50mm guides-cope and rotorlock connector.  

(3) Also considering SW 80mm Espirit with flattener. I have seen reports on not being able to attach a suitable guide-scope to this telescope due to the length of the dew-shield.

My mount by the way is a SW HEQ5 Pro with the belt mod just done on it last year at Lucksall by FLO. 

I do have a SW 120mm Equinox telescope which I bought a couple of years ago and just use it for observing the night skies. 

Looking forward to some great advice from you folk out there please?

A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to you All.

Best wishes,

Hadyn - Isle of Man

58 minutes ago, greealilee said:

Hayden,

When ever needed please give me shout, one of the reasons I went for this scope was size after working with my C8 but also the wide field of view. You go on about the learning curve, trust me it never ends but in a good way that is. Look at these 2 images of M31 the first was taken a year ago and at the time I was happy, the second one was taken 3 weeks ago and is still work in progress. Yes the curve goes on!

Hello Lee. 

Well what can I say, only to say that you have come on leaps and bounds! Never ever will I be able to take a picture like that, but I don't give up easy. Did you use a field flattener from the WO range Lee?

Can I ask did you use your Lodestar or the purple camera plugged in for the guiding?  I wasn't going to mention the "guiding word" as I know that's another steep learning curve. Also were you using PHD2, you see I do know some of the terms used in astrophotography but not too many clues on how to spell them or use them, lol.

Got to go out to do a job now, so there should be no more questions from me for awhile!

Kind regards,

Hadyn

6 minutes ago, blinky said:

I use an off axis guider on mine,keeps it all nice and neat

Hi again Blinky.

That sounds a good idea, if you have some info on the Off Axis guider and what other bits are needed etc please could you let me know with some links / pictures etc?

Kindest regards,

Hadyn - IOM

59 minutes ago, greealilee said:

Hayden,

If there is anything I can help you with please let know.

 

Lee

Hello Lee

Thank you for your comment regarding help, it will be very much appreciated Lee,  as I do know its going to be a bit of a steep leaning curve for a 68 year old, ha, ha.

I have not purchased the gear as yet,  just testing the water. and will probably wait now till after the festive fun is over and postal services are back to normal. I do have an old ED80 refractor, but I really do like the size of the WO73 as I do a fare bit of astronomy outreach events over here on the island and just use it with my Skytee mount and ED80, but I would like to use the WO to hook up my Canon 600d or my Samsung modded cctv camera hooked up to a 10" monitor to show the Moon etc to folk.

Kindest regards

Hadyn - IOM

15 minutes ago, blinky said:

Ive got one, having a wee issue with it at the moment which might well be down to low temperature and WO have asked me to run a dew band round the cell.  Other than that, I really like it, I have the dedicated flattener which works well, and is adjustable - I have to move it about 1mm further out that recommended due to me using a mono camera and filters.  Anyway, cracking scope, well made (assuming the dodgy stars go with a little heat) and looks lovely!

Hello Blinky

Thank you your reply. I really hope that you find the cure for your problem, I take it you have only just bought the scope too?

Could you please let me know how you get on with the problem that you are having with it, as of yet I haven't hit the buy button?

Also are you using the WO guide scope? Link: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/william-optics/william-optics-50mm-slide-base-uniguide-scope-with-125-rotolock.html

Just wanting know how the guide scope  can be be adjusted for windage and elevation please?

Kind regards,

Hadyn - IOM

Helllo Greealilee

Thank you very much indeed for your pictures and info regarding the dovetail bar and the extra weight.

These are the pictures of the scope that I have been looking for and whats more you have got the ZWO focuser too, which I bought about a month ago and not used it as yet on my ED80.

Thanks again.

Best wishes for Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.

Kind regards,

Hadyn - IOM

Hello Guys

I am thinking of buying a WO ZS73 telescope for both astro-photography and viewing  and was wondering does anyone use it for astro-photography with a DSLR camera ?  I have been looking for some specs on the length of the draw tube and cannot find any pictures or details on it.  I also intend to buy the the Flat 73A adjustable  flatterner, Or  the Flat 6A III 0.8x  reducer with it too, but not too sure will the Flat 6A work with the scope??  If you have any pictures of the fully extended draw tube I would be very grateful please, or if anyone has some answers to my questions please?

Kind regards,

Hadyn - IOM

Hi Colin

Very nice pictures indeed, the M45 picture is stunning, what scope and camera are you using?

Well done.

Best regards,

Hadyn

5 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

Hello Haydn, the EQDIR cable should plug into the handset port on your HEQ5. Here's the one that FLO sell:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/lynx-astro-ftdi-eqdir-usb-adapter-for-sky-watcher-eq5-pro-heq5-syntrek-pro-az-eq5-gt-az-eq6-gt-and-eq8-mounts.html

Good luck - you'll never look back once you have the computer hooked up to the mount and everything else!

Hello Gav

Thanks for the info.

I found a short version of the lead in my pile of astro stuff that gets moved around from room to room, ha,ha.  Just tried it now and it works fine thank you.  Just need to order a longer length or a an usb live extender.....

I hope all is well with you.

Regards,

Hadyn

1 hour ago, cjdawson said:

Hi Haydn,

If you are talking about a USB EqMod cable, I thought they were ESB to RJ45, not RJ11.    Just looked up an EQMOD cable and found this one from RVO, which shows to me that it is indeed an RJ45, so shouldn't be able to fit into the autoguider port.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/EQMODHEQ5.html

Hi Colin

How are you keeping and are you managing much imaging your way?

Thank you for the info.

Regards,

Hadyn

Hello Guys

I intend to use EQMOD to connect my laptop into my HEQ5 Pro mount and it to use to control my mount. I will be also using CDC and APT.

Please can anyone tell me what FTDI  USB to Serial lead I need to connect my PC to my HEQ5 Pro mount? I have already got the ftdi-usb-rj11 - 5 meter lead and it seems that it will only fit into my mount into the Auto Guider port as the connection which as mentioned is the USB to RJ11. Please can someone tell me is this the connection (Auto Guider Guider Port) that  I need to use?

Best regards,

Hadyn - IOM

On 17/11/2019 at 18:54, wackyscot said:

Just heard that The Astronomer Royal John Brown suddenly passed today - so sad, a true legend that remembered Mike only a few days ago.

David

Hello Guys

Sorry to hear of the passing of The Astronomer Royal John Brown, so glad that we maned to see him on video mentioning Mike before he passed.

Christina and Hadyn.

Hello Guys

Can anyone help me please?  In ten days time I will be giving a short talk at our IOMAS meeting under the the heading of "members observations" and I would like to mention  our trip to Drumroamin and I would to cover the GSP Autumn Star Party 2019. 

If anyone has a couple of pictures of the folk attending there and a night sky shot too that I can use I would really appreciate this please?    I can use a couple of mine, but they are very amateurish, but you guys well do I need to say more!  Pete, if you are reading this have you a got a group photograph as yet please that I could use?

Best regards,

Christina and Hadyn - IOM

Hello All.

Just to say a big thank you to Mike, Lesley , Ralph and of course you folk who were at the Autumn GSP 2019 event at Drumroamin!

It was great to meet up with you all again and we do think that we did make a few more friends again this year!  Thank you all for making Christina and myself from the smaller island most welcome. As you guys know we had at least four nights stargazing, which was the great bonus!

The Tuesday morning's  02.15am sailing was cancelled, so we stayed in Preston for another night and got yesterday afternoons (Tuesday) 14.15hrs sailing home and arrived home safe and sound at 18.30hrs.

Just to warn you that if there was to be a GSP 2020 Spring event that we will be there God willing!

Take care all and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year....

Best regards,

Christina and Hadyn - IOM.