carastro

I already went down the route of a laser collimator with my Previous Newtonian, the laser collimator needed collimating, but I just could not find a suitable place to rotate it, and in switching the thing on and off so many times when i tried I succeeded in breaking the end off the laser collimator, so I bought a Cheshire and feel much more comfortable with one of those. Louise and Susaron, those replacement bolts look a good idea, but can;t quite get my head around a thread replacing a hex key. I am presuming they are hex keys as I could not see down the holes today when I tried. I presume these stay on permanently. Rob: Bit unclear on this never having had to collimate the secondary before. I thought somewhere I read that the central screw needs to be loosened in order to adjust the 3 secondary collimating screws, is that not right then? Current state of play is I have checked the vanes and adjusted them so they are the same length, one was about 2mm longer than the others. The secondary is round and under the site tube, but I can't see the 3rd Primary clip (well just a bit of it), so I just need to get the secondary adjusted for this, then hopefully all I have to do is collimate the primary. I already have one. Very nice of you to offer Rob, I am not currently booked for SGL12, but if my local group bottle out of the next local astro camp, I might see if I can get there at the last minute if there is a space, and if I haven't had any joy before then I will take you up on your offer, but I really need to try to do this on my own, just hope I don't mess it up altogether. N.B. I am using Astrobabys collimation guide. Carole

Really? The little spring that the hex keys are held in look far to tight to ever get any back in, but I guess I could give it a go. Carole

Thanks, I didn't really want to pull hubbies hex keys off his ring and then find they were the wrong size. Surely one should be supplied with the scope. My own hex keys (when i can find them) are not bent at the end. I was sure I found them just before I went to kelling, but where I put them is any-ones guess. I'll see what Flo say first. Carole

Well I have been trying to collimate it, it seems a fair bit off. Not had a lot of experience with collimating despite having two Newtonian's before as all I ever had to adjust was the primary, but this time the 2ndry looks like it needs adjusting. a) The central screw on the spider is locked tight, I am not quite sure if I need to adjust this but it's not budging and I am nervous of using force. b ) There was no hex key included with the scope so I don't have a hex key to adjust the tilt as currently I can't see all 3 primary clips in the secondary, I don't think just adjusting the primary mirror only is going to cut it. I have mislaid my own hex keys (assuming I have one the right size, and husband's all are attached to a ring with a 90 degree bend at the usable end. I have been through all the packing several times to see if I have missed a hex key, yet I have a spanner and a screwdriver supplied. Stuck now Carole

Da dah! It's here. Not opened it yet as I was just getting in the shower (no clothes on) when they knocked. Hubby didn't hear the quiet knock, but luckily the dog did, and by the time I put my clothes back on and answered the door, the DHL man was knocking next door. Just going to open it. Carole

Wow

Probably not, that's not really my "thing". I'll take a photo when it's on the mount with camera and guider. Carole

Yup great service, just got confused by first E mail sent to me which seemed to imply FLO were out of stock with the 130PDS, but seems that was not the case and I have had excellent communication since. Apparently all 3 items are coming tomorrow. Great service. Plus good advice beforehand. Carole

Lol, thanks. Carole

Phew, coming tomorrow.

Was so excited on Friday, but today I got a message from FLO to say they will deliver my 130PDS when it is available. Yet they have taken my money and are delivering the coma corrector, which is not much use without the scope. Hope it won't be long. Carole

Well I have been reading this post almost since it's inception, and it has inspired me. Twice I almost pressed the "buy" button and then hesitated as I already have several scopes and felt I was being greedy. Anyway, today I have been and gone and done it. Looking forward to using this little baby. Carole

If you are using a computer, you don't need to use an eyepiece as well as the camera for guiding (if I am reading your thread correctly), you can see what the finder is looking at on screen. Saves a lot of bending and squatting, and saves having to swap over the eyepiece and camera and re-focus. Got mine from Modern Astronomy, system is brill, finderscope on screen, lovely jubbly. Carole

Yup, I know what works for me and what doesn't, I'll just take every-ones word for it as it's not something I need to have to worry about. Carole

OK, I get the polar aligned bit, but I am still to be convinced about whether GOTO would then work accurately if it's not level. Carole

Hmmm, Well maybe the PA and RA would work, but what about Dec if it's not level? Carole

I still can't get my head around how a mount can follow the Earth's rotation unless it is level. You have the latitude bolts for tipping the mount up and down in a forwards and backwards manner, but what if the mount is unlevel sideways, how on Earth (excuse pun) does the RA follow the Earth's rotation then? I can only speak from what works and what didn't work for me. As soon as I had the plate level then my PA worked, I could Polar Align with alignmaster and GOTOs went to where they were supposed to. Nothing worked as it should before I realised the plate was unlevel. Carole

I have the Skyshed pier and have no problems with it at all using an NEQ6, I like the design, it's is easy to install. I did have a bit of problem when I previously had a CG5 GT on the pier as being smaller I could not see through the polarscope as the top pier plate was right where my chin needed to go, but once I swapped that for an NEQ6 that problem went away. Works better with a piggy backed guidescope than a side by side arrangement as less risk of scopes clashing with the pier plate. Contrary to what has been said about not needing the pier level, I did accidentally "slightly unlevel my top plate" once when removing the mount for Astro camp (this is because the top plate needed to be removed in order to get the central rod out). I had not realised I had done this and it took me quite a long time to fathom out why I could not get a decent polar alignment or do an alignment procedure properly. I also could not do a polar alignment using Alignmaster until I levelled that top plate. I don't remove the mount any more and no further problems.

You'll be able to take the Moon and Planets OK with your telescope and mount, you will need a camera suited to video photography, such as a webcam or I think the IMGOH camera which is a bit more expensive will also do some Deep sky stuff. http://www.modernastronomy.com/shop/cameras/cooled-ccd/qhy-cooled-ccd-cameras/qhy-imgoh-mono/ The trouble with an Alt Az mount is the way it tracks which is not suitable for long exposure (which is what is needed for DS imaging), also your telescope focal ratio is too high for long exposure, it will take a lot longer to capture the required data, and of course with your mount this is not going to work. If you got the IMGOH you might get away with doing some short long exposures i.e. not too long, (15 secs or something) and get away with it on bright targets, but you'll get field rotation when you come to stack them, so you will be limited. If you do have a wedge on your tripod as suggested above, this might improve the situation. HTH Carole

Lol

My first comet (Lovejoy) Rosette Nebula in bicolour: Wizard nebula Hubble Palette Lunar eclipse IC63 M78 Reflection Nebula (need to get some more data for this). Carole

Yes I have a box full, all with different threads and you will bet your sweet life none of them are the right size or thread. My Atik EFW2 screws directly to the Atik camera, so no space in between. Thanks Louise, I previously had a 200PDS and seem to recall the DSLR was quite easy, but had more problem with CCD cameras which is why I am asking the question. I didn't keep it for too long as I found it a bit big which is why i am considering this smaller version. Guess I'll have to suck it and see. Carole

How easy is it to get focus with Atik cameras + filterwheel with this scope and a coma corrector? I am tempted but don't want to but it then find focus is difficult. Carole

Totally speechless. 400 hours, I haven;t done 400 hours worth of imaging in it's entirety since I first started. Amazing dedication and skill, what a masterpiece. Carole