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fifeskies

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Everything posted by fifeskies

  1. fifeskies
    Stellarium , a free download programme is very handy for sitting in the warm looking at what will be in view from your location so you can plan out your session before you go out in the cold.
  2. fifeskies
    Jupiter and Saturn Declinations over next few years Both are on their way back North 😎
  3. fifeskies
    You do better than me for latitude (assume you are around 38 North , I am 57) but even so Jupiter and Saturn are a long way south this year. They will be moving North over the next few years so views will improve. (Jupiter faster than Saturn) You should manage to see the banding on Jupiter easily with your 8se, just needs a better night , and in a couple of years you will see it much nearer the zenith where the air is better.
  4. fifeskies
    A velcro strap might be easier
  5. fifeskies
    No , the releasable ones simply remove when you press the trigger , so you take it off for re-use. Releasing the trigger is actually easier when 2 are joined together though I don't really see why that is the case.
  6. fifeskies
    I am assuming the issue is that the dew shield slides back down at higher elevations without the lock screw Perhaps you could use a releasable nylon cable tie to prevent that (wound round OTA just below the shield), they are available in very long lengths, hardly ideal and a bit of a faff to use , but maybe as a short term solution until you decide something more permanent I use them for cable management You can use 2 joined together if need be.
  7. fifeskies
    He tried to test it but wasn't able to because of all the rain dear.
  8. fifeskies
    I am not sure exactly how this screw fits and where (a photo would help) If the screw hole is clear of any obstructions (ie lens cell) you can use a "tap" to rethread the hole to the next size up, just make sure the small amount of metal swarf does not fall into the scope. Hold the OTA tube so the hole is at the bottom and use the "tap" pointing upwards and make several small cuts of thread and remove each time , rather than cutting all at once.
  9. fifeskies
    I much prefer a waxing or waning Moon as I agree the need for a filter reduces away from full Moon Another reason I prefer it is that either the early part of the night or the later part will be returned to darkness as the moon dips below the horizon (or is not up yet) so there is more freedom to look for the DSO objects that need the darker sky. You get to enjoy the moon but also take in some of the other delights. Its good for outreach type events too as there is the exciting wait for a moonrise, or the ability to show the fainter objects once it sets. Younger audiences in particular will appreciate the bigger range of things you can show them over a session that way. We need an app to allow us to scroll the moon back and forward across the sky on demand 🤡
  10. fifeskies
    For large extended objects there is also the interplay between rods and cones that can distort the perception of what we "think" we see since the retina is not uniformly populated with them. Our less sensitive spot centre vision can make a small object hard to see so dodging averted vision is needed. Once the object spreads wider into the more off centre area the brain tends to fill in the centre detail in a much more natural way than having to scan around on a small object. A kind of persistence of vision effect kicks in, though it is "learned" which is why practised observers often see more. It's all just smoke and mirrors after all. (well for certain mirrors (diagonals are mirrors 🤪)
  11. fifeskies
    Yes as much as I love the moon I sometimes resent its presence on the few clear nights we seem to get as it rules out a lot of other targets
  12. fifeskies
    Its the same with sound 🙄 What I consider quiet can be regarded as a cacophony by some others Makes creeping about in the middle of the night a challenge at times (for astronomical reasons I might add).
  13. fifeskies
    As aperture goes up I am fairly sure the exit pupil will increase wider than the eye will open to under a bright view of the moon. So after a while there will not be any brighter a perceived image as much of the light is being lost, but there will be finer detail resolved in the bigger scope. This will also vary with age. (older among us have a smaller maximum iris opening) The use of a moon filter has another benefit if you are going to other objects after the moon as dark adaptation is not lost as badly.
  14. fifeskies
    which is why the "perceived" brightness gets uncomfortable and a moon filter can be an asset. The energy falling on the retina is far larger. The common understanding of brightness will be described as an image "too bright to look at" without a neutral density filter to reduce it (to 10% typically) A full moon in an 8se will be too bright for many viewers without a moon filter. I personally find it helps to see the moon as well , for me the contrast change brings out more lunar detail.
  15. fifeskies
    sorry but that is not the case for me when my 10 inch scope gathers all the light from a 10 inch circle and pushes it through my tiny 5mm eye pupil circle I can assure you it is far brighter than looking direct at the moon without a telescope , especially if the magnification of the eyepiece is low. It allows 2500 times as much light through so even at higher magnification it is still uncomfortably bright Without my 10% moon filter I cannot bear to look through my big scope at the moon. I get the large dark "sunspot" effect in my vision if I try it like a bright sun will do during the day, that never happens looking at the moon with a naked eye. I don't feel I need the filter with my smaller refractors at high magnification however unless the moon is near to full.
  16. fifeskies
    Do you need any cupboard handles 😜 A big finder is unusual on a dob because of the balance issues , often a Telrad is a better option , though less accurate A possible use for these is to put a losmandy plate onto your dob so it can be used with an EQ or Alt Az mount , the curve should match the OTA radius (a bit unworkable with a 12 in flextube though , would need a plate on the inside at the very least , and full tube rings are better)
  17. fifeskies
    Anything left on astroturf for any length of time will leave a crush mark on it so I would avoid heavy slabs. (Even slabs on a shed floor will make the shed bearers mark the astroturf more) Bolts rising through the turf from below would work , just use spacer nuts so any pier does not actually clamp down onto the turf. Another option might be to make a nice bit of raised deck that could be left behind if you ever move. A 6 x 6 section is easy to make. Once you have that to build onto it makes things a bit easier. I assume you know about the lightweight plastic skypods , these appear second hand now and then. They sit easily on a small bit of decking There are good ideas in the DIY observatory thread for adapting lightweight plastic or wood sheds for this kind of use, take a look at those to be inspired
  18. fifeskies
    Those "hoops" fit onto the tube then you need finder rings (perhaps along with a bar) the rings or bar will screw onto the hoops You may need a weight on the other side of the tube from the finder to keep the balance right Finder rings that adjust can help align both finder and main scope, and also make the exact "hoop" positioning less critical if there are nor predrilled holes for them.
  19. fifeskies
    So many threads look the same and are very close in size (maybe only having a pitch difference on the thread as mentioned above.) There are a lot of cheap Chinese adapters available that are at the very least good to check which is which. I use a permanent marker to label them (or for smaller ones tag them in a jiffy bag.) Just be very gentle as you try them out as fine threads are so easily ruined , and a quick wipe of them first with a soft cloth is always a good idea. Check them for visible damage too. Once I find out what thread needs adapted to another I may then order up a better quality adapter if it is an important part of my imaging train. Having test items takes out the guesswork. Same applies to screw sizes , with the old metric vs imperial chestnut often appearing I have a box full of various adapters so I can try to match up any thread.
  20. fifeskies
    I would try to avoid the big cigarette lighter plugs if you can , they are not as good as turret connectors. There are many suitable supplies around , you wont have to look too far to get one if its just for the mount. Anything that can deliver 5 amps will do but I suggest going slightly larger so you can add a dew heater or camera at a later stage. The smaller ones with just thin cable out to a DC plug are generally not as good as they struggle to deliver full voltage through such thin cables when the mount slews with both RA and DEC motors at the same time. (The high current when motors kick in makes the voltage dip at the mount end which can upset tracking) You can also power from a large leisure battery and avoid the need for mains (except to charge the battery now and then) , handy if you need to use away from home.
  21. fifeskies
    Is it just the mount or are you powering eg dew straps , cameras etc Initially I used the Maplin supply but then upgraded to the big brother Yaesu , but it powers everything , dew heaters , mount , cameras and LED lighting in my observatory. They come up for sale 2nd hand now and then , I bought mine 2nd hand. Skywatcher mounts tend to run better on a 13.8 supply
  22. fifeskies
    The Heritage 150 will give you the best views, a lot of people have used this as a first scope. It is very easy to set up and use, and a 10yo can get to the eyepiece very easily You are very likely to only be initially going for the big wow targets like the Moon , Pleiades , Perseus double cluster , Orion nebula and whatever planets are around in particular Jupiter and its moons. (even though it is low in the sky this year). These are easy to find with a Heritage using the finder you get with it, so lack of goto is not such a big deal. At 10yo by the time you have done the round of the big bright easy to find objects you are probably getting near the end of attention span anyway. There are plenty free smartphone apps to let you know what is worth a look in the sky. With a bit of practise letting the app set you in the right place I am sure you could track these down with the finder then enjoy the view in the 150. So there is room to expand what you look at. Only issue about all this , is the fact that telescopes are having major supply problems due to COVID disrupting both manufacture and supply, you may struggle to find one in stock.
  23. fifeskies
    I was referring to the post by Spaced Out where he said "I bought a starsharp mask recently to replace an old starsharp mask that I accidentally broke" his post was immediately above mine so I thought it was clear enough that I was adding to his observations about the old and new StarSharp types sorry for any confusion (have edited my original post to clarify I am referring to the StarSharp type only) I have not used one of the WO clear plastic Bahtinov masks
  24. fifeskies
    EDIT : re Spaced Out "I bought a starsharp mask recently to replace an old starsharp mask that I accidentally broke" I have 1 of the new style masks , I find them very durable (just as well since slewing scope and forgetting to remove the mask has seen it bounce on the floor 🙄 ) I believe the new ones are made from waterproofed MDF (ie wood fibre not polluting plastic), and I would say just as robust or even more so. I do have an older style one as well for my 80mm, cant say I see a lot of difference between the 2.
  25. fifeskies
    Happy to help any time. I got my Altair Pier second hand and it reduced the amount of concrete work , also easier to return it to a shed , not that I plan to anytime soon.
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