jjohnson3803

Another common complaint on camping forums is the fiberglass tent rods / poles break relatively easily. Many people buy replacement aluminum poles. The more I think about it, the more likely I am to buy a cheap camping tent and cut out a portion of the mesh roof. The included rainfly would be protection against bad weather. I also wonder if cutting out a section of the floor would be feasible - set the tripod in the hole then lift and rotate the tent like a dome if necessary. Some of the tents I've looked at have certainly been light weight enough. Might be awkward though.

Looks like the Omegon (or a clone). I've been considering that one as well - quite affordable.

I use SkySafari when observing, either with push-to encoders or to get alt and az when using just a Wixey. Since I use it on an iPhone 7, the screen size leaves a lot to be desired, but I really don't want to carry around a tablet as well. For planning, I use the Cambridge Atlas, Jumbo Pocket Atlas, or my field edition Atlas 2000. I'm in heavy light pollution so the 2000 goes a lot deeper than what I need at home. I've downloaded a number of the free online atlases, but I always end up printing out the charts which is not that convenient either. The Jumbo is probably the best compromise for me. If I could find a suitable mount, I'd probably go back to using RA and Dec circles like when I started in this hobby decades ago. Otherwise, I'll keep searching for the sweetspot among atlas, etc.

Yes, probably not unlike my last plumbing adventure:

None. I'm in such bad light pollution that I can only see three stars in all of Ursa Minor, much less anything in the pan of UMa. ☹️

"How Cosmologists Explain the Universe to Friends and Family". Not the best book in my opinion, but not bad. "Cosmology" by Sten Odenwald. I really like this one for a non-mathematical (or minimal math) book. He does talk about particle physics, etc. since it's a big part of modern cosmology. There's also an Oxford series "<topic> - A very Short Introduction". I have the Stars book and it does have a bit of math in it. I don't have Galaxies or Cosmology yet, so I don't know how deep the cosmo book goes.

I've been considering one of these for quite awhile, but haven't bought one. Many people complain that the pop-ups are difficult to collapse, contrary to the manufacturers' claims, so I'd probably get one with poles that sets up like a regular tent. My other concern is the amount of floor space inside since I'd also want to use it for blocking stray light. Not sure how well it would work if I had to sit inside with the end of my OTA sticking out of it. But if one goes on sale locally, I might buy one just to try one out.

I like the looks of that. I use SkySafari when observing, but this looks like it could a nice addition to the "armamentarium". Is the app available for iOS / Apple?

Not a scope tent, but I use a round Weber charcoal grill cover. If the weather is really dicey, I put my scope(s) and mount back in my car. Two black polyester shower curtains on a PVC frame serve as a lightblock when needed. Somebody wrote about partially cutting out the roof screen of an inexpensive camping tent and adding zippers. I've not heard of the Coleman Blackout tents - I'll have to check them out although I already have three general camping tents.

In addition to position in the case, I put a small piece of masking tape on the side of some EPs. Works well as a tactile guide in the dark since they're the same outward physical design. I've also considered a dot of silicone caulk or similar, but the tape has worked well so far.

Concrete blocks seem to be a popular alternative to pouring a concrete pier. FWIW.

No pic handy, but I use an Apache waterproof plastic case. It came with pluck foam, but the pluck foam came apart after a year, so I replaced it with stacked sheets of medium density packing foam that I had lying around. I turned a hole saw bit anti-clockwise by hand to cut vertical holes for the EPs in the foam.

Excellent! I have a Twilight 1 tripod that I'd like to use for other things, but that peg is in the way and I don't want to grind it off in case I sell the mount someday. I like your aluminum box solution.

Perfect! Shame on me for not being more diligent in searching for the correct button!

Apologies if this is the wrong forum or if it's in an FAQ, but is there a way to change the SGL screen display to dark print on a light background or is that something I have to do in my browser(s)? Thanks!

Do you have an observatory to keep your rig in or does it need to be (semi-) portable?

I have a SW AZ5 and I've been pretty happy with it (purchased from FLO). Might need the factory grease cleaned out and replaced, but it's not critical as far as I'm concerned. The max load I've put on it (on a Manfrotto 475B tripod) is about 5.5kg and I think that's close to the practical maximum load (for my set-up). I use the short slo-mo knobs which are a huge improvement over the long, dangling ones in my opinion.

I have a Manfrotto 475B which is a great piece of gear, but can be a bit heavy for travel. Anybody have suggestions for an at least somewhat lighter weight tripod with a crank column that can handle up to 6kg? I have a Benro 27-something or other (no crank) and while it's rated at 12kg, it starts getting a bit shaky at around 4.5kg. Thanks!

Have you had any issues with the software? I've seen some discussions of problems and although I was a software engineer once upon a time, the last thing I want to do is futz with software / firmware as part of a hobby.

May I ask how you made your az pointer? Looks like it's held on magnetically with a steel plate on the crossbar? I've been using hour hands from clock kits, but they're thin and bend easily. Same question about the az circle. I buy vinyl 360-degree "gauges" and glue them to thin wood discs which fit over the columns. Wondering if there's a better option. Thanks!

My personal evolution (or devolution, if you prefer) has gone from a C8 with wedge (recently sold finally), to an ST120 on an alt-az, added an ST80, added a 90mm Mak for lunar. The scope that sits by the door (and the one that is used much more than the other two) is the 80mm on a SkyWatcher AZ5 on a Manfrotto 475B tripod. The 80mm rig is a one-hand carry and is convenient and fast when I'm time limited. Plus it's ridiculously easy to transport to dark sites, etc. I admit I wonder now if I should sell the other two. I'll leave the apo /achro / 80mm / XXmm discussion to others. If anything, I might consider something like an AT92 or one of the new 90mm's from TS if I ever replace the ST80.