Marvin Jenkins

Pictures? The attachment button has disappeared it just says loading next to a paper clip icon! I will post a picture when normal service resumes. Marvin

Note scope and tripod on the left. The one on the right is my eq5 on eq6 tripod, which freed up the 1.75” tripod. Problem is this tripod as previously stated has the cast equatorial peg which means the extension cannot be used. First cut off the EQ peg and grind flat. On top of that problem the threaded bolt thingy is the wrong thread to go into the extension tube. I drilled out the threads of the base of the extension tube. I cut a length of M12 threaded bar and wound a nylock nut onto it. Slide the threaded bar through the extension tube base and down through the tripod head. Wind a normal M12 nut up the threaded bar, until it clamps the extension tube base to the top of the tripod. Slide the leg spreader plate up the threaded tube and wind on a second nyloc nut to secure the whole thing. Pop the whole AZ5 head and top bit of extension onto to pillar and do up the three black trapping knobs. This combo is now excellent with just one second of damping at focus. Costs about three quid. If anyone wants length of threaded bar dimensions, Hillary and I will post. Anything is better than that little black tripod thingy it is supplied with. I think it’s max payload is an ASI 120MCS with lense for meteor watch.

My personal laws of astronomy are similar to fight club. 1/ don’t talk about astronomy (eyes roll) 2/ don’t talk about astronomy (yawns) 3/ don’t talk about astronomy, do it when you can then go on about for ever getting the results from laws 1 and 2.

That limit is ultimately defined when you can no longer get your boots on! Although there is a space time anomaly that can be utilised by simply wearing bigger boots. This ratio of multiple socks increasing in layers to be accommodated by ever increasing boot size could lead to an unstable irregularity called “Clown feet”. Marv

I had one more phone pic. I thought I had attached them all.

Thank you for the info, it is most welcome. As to selling it NO WAY! One moon landing fanatic right here.😂

Found this lovely magazine from way back (no date sadly). An odd size, somewhere between A4 and A3. Some amazing photos and paintings!!! It is in French but the back page says it is produced by the The American Rockwell Corporation. I got it for 1euro in my local charity shop. Marv

I feel your pain. I got my first scope October 17th 2017. Four clear nights over new moon then two unexpected clear nights that I missed in the next five months. Sorry to say this but your waiting may go on a bit. To quell the flames of disappointment you can buy more kit if you can afford it. I wouldn’t recommend zoom eyepieces though, just don’t ask why😳 Marvin

I don’t have a zoom. Thankfully!🤣

Laughed out loud at a report today on the BBC that outlined a call from scientists all over the world to tackle the problem of space junk. The report was short and ended with news reader saying that unless something is done it will stop future satellite deployments!!!! I thought the satellites were space junk. After all we have a guy chucking his car into space as a gimmick. Marv

I don’t know why everyone isn’t using goto without a scope! 60” 4k tv, internet connection and a scrolling image run of the Hubble archive. Nice and warm. No need to learn any silly constellations as you will be indoors. Combine it with wiki for info gathering and your done. No weather issues, light pollution, or satellite constellations to moan about. You can even observe deep sky objects in the day. Now that’s a future worth gunning for. 🤣 Marv

I get what you are saying. I started without goto, quickly moved to goto which felt like cheating. I have come full circle and use a five inch newt on an alt az with laminated star atlas and hours of pre planning ruined by bad weather. I am loving it, the basic stripped down nature of the observing, grabbing bins for a minute then going back to the EP. I can honestly say that low level AP saved me! as I went very quickly to imaging. However it sucked up my meagre cash so I have no experience of other scopes. I am sure that what I want right now is an ROR so I don’t have to get everything outside and setup, that would be like a high end scope right there. I think I have come to terms with the fact that I need to use what I have as much as possible. Now how do I get the money for a 16” Dob???🤣 Marv

I once had visitors that expressed a desire to look at the stars. That evening was clear I setup the EQ5 goto. They seemed fascinated by the whole setup and polar alignment. So I gave it my best outreach presentation/ Brian Cox and then got to thorny issue of not grabbing hold of the scope or kicking the tripod. It is something I am a bit paranoid about so I may have overdone the warning a little. Imagine to the surprise of guests when I tripped over the power cable pulling it out of the mount and falling into one of the tripod legs. I had to go through the whole PA and alignment again in silence but It felt like a stadium of stifled laughter. Marvin

My empty tube has just gained a huge upgrade. I finally received my Geoptik EQ6 tripod to EQ5 mount adapter. My imaging rig is on the right. On the left the simple clean lines of my 5” newt AZ5 on the left over EQ5 tripod and the wobble difference is amazing. Sorry #Mr Spock, it is a lot more grab now and a bit less go but it is my gng setup. Marv

I don’t have much in the way of scope kit of much value so with insurance the way it is in France I would probably end up with a Telrad. As to #stu plural Morpheus I would be comfortable with ‘multiple morphs’. Now, where is Olly when you need him? Marv

I like the price on request. “Well how much is it” is that enough of a request? I just won 70 mill on the euro millions so are you going to continue to play a strange game. If I wanted a super car then do we play charades?

Modern art.

A once or twice in a year night is something really special and it looks like you got one of those. I noted that you said only ninety minutes. I have on average four or five of those amazing nights a year. An hour and and half under perfect conditions is mind blowing. I always see myself out all night with coffee but those nights always come with early start for work the next day, so they are always snippet. Your Crab Nebula is the one that grabs me the most. When I started in 2018 I dreamed that one day I could see it. The first time I did see it I was amazed it was there at all. A few weeks ago I got eyes on with a 5”newt on a nice night and it was perfect. I hope you get more of those nights and I hope they are new moon and Friday/Saturday. Marvin

I know it looks big compared to all these lovely fracs but it is just an empty tube.

There are only two certainties in life. Death and Taxes, be prepared to accept both.

Your skies sound amazing. Is there any downside? I understand your dislike of Bortle rating, it is very simplistic and doesn’t translate to properly dark places. I have not used the other scales but I am in B3 for sure but that is such a broad thing. The atmospheric moisture with three big rivers can fog you out for a month and when not fogged give you seeing that is ….. not seeing. Running Man again sometime soon for all of us but probably jetstream first. Marv

Yes you did👍

Nice to know us B3 dwellers have just enough eye sight to do it. Observational astronomy is on the decline, we all know that. It is not a result of AP becoming more popular but just that you need to be driven and dedicated. Most of all you need dark skies. #jetstream has them but at a cost in life style most country dwellers would run from. I personally would love to have that darkness. #jet stream, what do you think the Bortle limit would be? I saw repeat nebulosity around the running man with a 5” newt in B3 skies. Am I seeing things as I think at that aperture you are B1 or better. Just want to say that I am a completely worn wreck at 50 but my eyesight is crazy good. Often I go places with friends and say look at that, and then I spend sixty seconds working out what they are doing.🤣 Marv

I get it now. I am not going to ask about why it is bright in the middle or this lovely thread about a comet next to a cluster will degenerate into camera statistical madness. Keep us informed and do please post the result. M