Nigella Bryant

Surely it wouldn't act much of a sail considering it's housed in an observatory dome. The only huge momentum would be while slewing to an object, perhaps two or three at most during a nights imaging?

An f4 I think 1558mm in length. 5ft 3in in old money I think. At the mo, my 12inch f4 is 1200mm or 4tf.

I'm 99% sure I'm going to press the pay button on the CEM120 which I think will be good combo for my 12inch f4 Newtonian and guidescope @20kg load and future proof if I decide next year to upgrade to a 16inch newtononian @32kg load. Thanks everyone who's chipped in, it's been very useful.

I'd only be looking at the non encoder at what I can afford but with guiding would that still be good if it's not 100% beta tested. I'm really taken with the Cem120.

I have considered the Ogem as it's only £150 more than a CEM120 but I'm weary as there's literally nothing out there about them, apart from their own Web page. I did email them asking for more information about the mount and all I got back was an obtuse reiteration of my question. "what would I like to know" da, a download on spec, a pdf brochure of an actual mount. Their website seems to contain mostly computer graphic simulations, etc. So I'm now weary about that. Wasn't a fantastic promotion of their mount.

Cus in light polluter skies more shorter image's stacked are better than less longer one's. I saw a convincing talk on this recently.

My top price to spend is£3500

That's what I was thinking, along with USB 2 and 3 connection, GPS and WiFi built in. Keep thought's coming, lol.

Welcome, I live in Bristol too under bortle 6 sky conditions but you'd be surprised how much you can see. I've only just taken up astrophotography and I'm amazed what can be done. Here are my first examples from my Bristol back garden. I use a 12inch newtononian.

How are you getting on with the eq8. I am thinking of getting one.

Hi all, wanting some opinions on mounts. It will be the last mount I'll buy having turned 60 last year and retired. I currently run an OO12inch f4 Newtonian on a neq6. It's at the top of weight capacity for that mount at 20kg with guidescope, etc. I did rebuild and tune the neq6 with rowan belt mod, upgraded bearings on worm gears, added the upgrade counter weight bar plus weights. It is sweet as a nut and after two or even three star alightment puts the object within the field of view of my Canon 1000dm camera. I can also do unguided images for 45 to 60 secs which is enough in Mt light polluted sky. That's the background. Now I know my mount is way over capacity for imaging and in the next couple of years before I go into the heavens myself I'd like to own a 16inch VX f4 Newtonian. So I'm thinking of going for a new mount this year for keeps and I'm looking at either an EQ8 or a CEM120. The cem120 would be at the top of my price range. I'd love opinions please. BTW, telescope is housed in an observatory a 2.7m pulsar dome.

One image, unguided exposure for 30secs, right? I can do that as a newbie lol.

Thanks, I'll have another go at the layer's.

I hadn't noticed the double star problem but is more likely due to layering one image of a shorter exposure on top where I didn't match the layer's of the core properly. I really struggled to understand the techniques of layering in photo shop, I still do. Sorry I didn't mention that I tried layering a shorter exposure of the core of the nebula.

Yeah, seems bright and big but took me ages to process and lot's of looking at YouTube instructions, lol. I know it's far from brilliant but a start. Yes guiding not perfect not aligned with pole star correctly and unguided sub's. I love the newt but a steep learning curve to be honest with that and getting the mount right, Neq6. All equipment is second hand, lol.

This is my first DSO, taken in January with my Canon 1000dm and 12inch f4 newt

So I'd have to take 10x30secs darks at iso 800 to match the light's? Also what about flat's and bios, I've read about? Thanks.

Hi, I use a Canon 1000dm for lights, image was a stack of 10x30second exposure at iso800. Stacked in DSS and photo shop CS2. Taken using APT. Mount Neq6 unguided. Only used four 30th of a second darks, no flat's which is something I need to apply and take next time I take a deep sky object.

Hi all, I know I need to improve on this but had to share my first telescope image of M42 taken in January with my Orion UK 12inch f4 Newtonian

Hi, will take some pics of inside dome tomorrow, thanks Nigella

Hi all, I've an older pulsar dome. Can someone get in touch with me with all the items needed. I'm not particularly interested in automation just being able to rotate and nudge the dome electrically. I bought a wiper motor but that burnt out so not sure what I did I'd just connected it to a 12v transformer and hadn't worked out how this was going to run , ie track wise. I quite familiar with electrics, but not electronics, etc, so was just thinking of a forward backward switch. Any help would be great. Ella

I bought a second hand 60mm supposed to have been in good condition but when I received it I looked it over and the blue UV/IR had two large spots and the rest was foggy when looked at in bright light. I was disappointed in the seller. However I sent it off to Telescope House UK and they examined it changed the blue filter and all for £30 so pleased. As the scope was half the price of a new one I'm still happy. All my thanks to Telescope House and Bresser UK.