fifeskies

These are very good connectors , just be very careful to establish the system polarity as there are examples around of both options , even within one manufacturer who uses them as original power connectors. The EQ8 and the newer EQ8R have opposite conventions.

But given that caveat , they are very reliable and I can recommend them , they will never disconnect by accident. 

37 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

Have you had a chance to observe yet? Any improvement to the conditions?

I have noticed a slight improvement  in that the few hot spots in the distance (direct view of lamp post head) have almost gone now, but my ROR was already way up the top of a long garden away from the streetlights and so it is largely the same when looking up. Bortle 4.

Helps to keep night vision to not have the bright spots that catch your eye when you forget not to look over in the road direction.

The entire garden now seems darker as there is no "glow" from the road however.

Its the huge glow from the big town other side of the hill (low to south) that needs new LED lighting, now that would improve things.

another before and after set

bear in mind the camera does make it look brighter than it actually is.

Even the before lighting wasn't exactly floodlight levels, though it does look bright in the photos, but a lot darker now.

The light  is concentrated onto the actual road and not allowed to spill off to the side onto the buildings.

Just had our old fluorescent street lights changed in our village to new LED that are much more directed down just onto the road.

Much less upward and sideways light spill.

Compare in particular the spill onto the 2 storey house on the left in the 2 photos.

On the right , the houses are now in shadow.

From my garden the village is a much darker place, though some directly under the new lights now have floodlit gardens.

Fortunately my garden is not one of them, and my observing spot is up a long garden away from the road. 

(I do have a lamp out the front of my house, but the house blocks it from the garden).

Previously I could see a few street lights from my garden as bright hotspots in the distance due to side leak, the same lamp-posts  are almost invisible now.

Top photo is before , bottom one after

If I need to remove the Losmandy and Rings (to put my ED80 on instead for example) , I actually remove the anti slide out safety bolt at top or bottom of my Losmandy and just slide the Losmandy out, having already demounted the OTA.

That way you only need to loosen the clamp by a small amount, not fully unwind the star knobs, reduces puck thread wear.

A 6mm eyepiece will give you x200 with your 300mm scope , this is a high magnification for most days given the turbulent atmosphere on this planet.

Your in Finland I see so probably have superior air quality, you may be able to push to x300 on a good night. This would equate to a 4mm eyepiece.

Decent eye relief is important and many sub 10mm eyepieces begin to struggle in that respect.

for 200euros you can pick up a very good quality eyepiece 2nd hand.

Delos eyepieces have 20mm eye relief even at the sub 10mm range, and I use these with my 254mm scope, quality is excellent , clear over the whole view and high contrast. I bought mine 2nd hand for around the 200euro mark.

I have a 10mm for planets (which gives me x158 in my long tube scope). Jupiter and Saturn very clear at this magnification. When 2x barlowed to x316 the view if often mushier as the atmosphere in UK is just too erratic at that magnification 95% of the time in UK. They look far better at x158.

With conditions for very high magnification being rare I would suggest you go for something around a very usable 8mm giving x150 which will be fine in most viewing conditions and not only on planets.

You can 2x barlow it to x300 when atmospheric conditions permit.

Or a 6mm for x200 , (which x2 barlows to an unlikely x 400)

That would work fine as a guidescope in the majority of setups.

Unless you use the diagonal it will probably need some extension tubes to reach focus.

(in this scope the guiding field is around 1/2 a degree, or diameter of full moon)

Here are a couple of simulations of the performance.

A small simple safety feature if you are worried you might forget to close the trapdoor.

Mount a battery powered automatic light on the underside.  The type activated by movement.

With the door open the light shines everywhere to remind you the door is open as you will be triggering it as you move around (make sure the trapdoor opens so that the underside faces the mount)

You will never forget to close the trapdoor before starting your observing, and a bonus is that after you close the trapdoor the light goes out after a short while so doesn't even leak through the gaps.

Handy to see where the steps are too when ascending/descending.

Print at home is unlikely to give a long lasting quality print.

It would be far better to obtain permission from someone to send off for a commercially produced copy of their work.

I have seen some stunning quality poster prints made by others of their best work, including some produced on aluminium sheet (expensive).

Cibachrome prints are very high quality and long lasting as the dyes used are among the very best.

NASA have licensed some of their images for posters , not sure if M29 is among them.

examples of hubble posters:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hubble-Telescope-Space-Posters-Set/dp/B07J5N4TYS/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&hvadid=79852070128667&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvqmt=p&keywords=posters+nasa&qid=1598789414&sr=8-17&tag=mh0a9-21

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/594025623/nebula-posters-set-of-4-hubble-telescope?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_d-art_and_collectibles-prints-giclee&utm_custom1=86cb58fc-190d-4d56-8990-72cdd9fe3186&utm_content=bing_357842796_1297423923513858_81089037095361_pla-4584688613184130:pla-4584688613184130_c__594025623engb&utm_custom2=357842796&msclkid=a1c008cda3e412be18d557863b4219f0

There is a solution I know of that I think matches your requirements

USB connections combined into a single Cat6 sender

The receiver outputs these into a single USB output

Unfortunately this is expensive

https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-Port-2-0-Over-Cat5-Extender-Cost-effective-Black/dp/B00T9RTT2U/ref=psdc_949408031_t3_B01NBN1HD3

There are probably more economically priced versions.

This one is rated for 50m or so

If you need the 100m version of this,  its seriously more expensive

I think the small EQ3 weights which are 1.85 kg or 3.5 kg will fit onto the EQ5 shaft

(or at very least can be drilled out to fit.)

Pop up 2nd hand now and then

Another option is to use the velcro fitness ankle weights closed tight round the counterweight shaft for a very light OTA. Might need a big "penny" washer at the bottom so they don't slip off.

The EQ4 is a perfectly fine mount for something like a small refractor, or a 4 inch reflector, (or a lightweight 4inch SCT.)

The 200p is a very capable and excellent telescope as it is easy to use and a great starter telescope as you get great views of DSO without too much difficulty . It is however a big heavy telescope that needs at least an EQ5 size mount to stop it wobbling around. 

(I used to have one on an EQ5).

It is just that the two components do not fit together particularly well , not that either has anything intrinsically wrong with it. Overall you still got a good deal.

If you plan on getting a small refractor/SCT as well as the 200p then keep the EQ4 for it.

(when you get one scope they soon begin to multiply)

If not you could sell on the EQ4, someone will be looking for a smaller mount for a refractor, especially if they want a lightweight travel kit.

To mount the 200p I would look out for a bigger mount. They do come up often 2nd hand here or on other astro sites.

(I eventually put my 200p onto an NEQ6pro).

The EQ5 tripod is great and very solid , however it is rebated to take the EQ5 head.

(The EQ3 head also fits)

Make sure the head you have is compatible.

(I suspect you may need to obtain or fabricate an adapter plate to be able to use it with the mount head shown in the photos.)

The 200p is a big OTA for the small head its shown on, you might be better to sell on the tripod and find a full 2nd hand EQ5.

It can come down to how good the polarscope alignment is in the mount body.

I have an NEQ6 as well , and I have not bad alignment as is , but I have heard of others where the polarscope needs some serious tweaking to get it accurate (there are 3 little screws to do this).

The Sharpcap result is liable to be the best way to verify actual alignment of the mount.

(just beaten to the reply)

Oops , its 20 East, didnt read it carefully.

 but still , even at 45 North you are less affected by the "wobble" than us in the far north.

Easiest way to measure the "offset" is just to set your mount up and let it do a full RA circle and measure it from a marker or a wall nearby.

You dont say which direction your shed is sitting.

You might be lucky and find the offset takes your scope further away from the side wall.

I said

"Remember that due to the equatorial offset , the turning circle of the telescope is wider than you might expect ."

Just noticed you are at a low latitude (20) , this wont be such a large issue for you , I am at 57 North and it does make a big difference.

I would make the "deck" full depth and use a side folding trapdoor cover over the stair section.

So you lift the trapdoor style cover to the side , (let it flap against the rear wall) , step up onto the deck , then drop it back down.

This then allows you to place your pier central between front and back walls , and to have a generous space around the pier to work from.

I assume you will put some kind of bannister to stop you stepping off the deck as well.

In the dark , distracted by tinkering , its easy to forget where you are exactly.

I would consider making it a bit wider too , there is space before the door to expand it a bit.

Remember that due to the equatorial offset , the turning circle of the telescope is wider than you might expect .

My ROR space is a clear 2.2 x 2.2 metres internal, and its still tight when I have my big CT10L on the pier, but I can still just get past it at all 4 directions when the OTA is horizontal.

(I park horizontal to fit under the roof).

I think you do mean a wired USB hub.

This one is 12v powered and so if you have a decent 12v supply already powering your mount and astro gear then its ideal, metal construction and comes recommended by others (on SGL) , I am considering one myself.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SCE4E0I/?coliid=I31SQ4DM73TPH0&colid=O8D8T0874ZQT&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I purchased the aluminium blocks pre-cut. (from a friendly auction site).

Drilled the aluminium with an electric hand drill for the screw holes.

Screwed plate on , marked the bolt position , with black marker ink on the end of the bolt through the wood bearer just let it touch the plate.  (I did use a sander to give the bolts a cone shaped tip to help them align)

Took plate back off to drill the through hole. (pilot the bigger hole with a small drill to keep it true) , made it slightly bigger than the bolt pins.

(if I remember right its 10mm bolts and a 12mm hole, drill the hole up in stages rather than going too big too soon , that helps it stay aligned.)

Just a simple job as its fairly easy with a decent drill bit in the soft aluminium , its also rust free.

I engineered some catch plates that engage as the roof closes.

Normally I just have a single locking pin elsewhere that locks the roll off track and hold it closed , but if high winds are expected I lock down the catch plates with wingnuts for additional security.

There are 4 corners that engage as the roof reaches the closed position , so even if unexpected winds appear when I am not around the pins hold the roof down since the roll off track lock prevents the pins from disengaging.

+1 for upgrading those 12mm rods to 16mm

especially for the longer setting , will kill a fair bit of oscillation for you , my pier has 16mm rods and is pretty much vibration free.

( cheap on an auction site from far east ).

Almost twice as much metal in the 16mm  (x1.8 as it goes by diam squared)

"and I plan on having a little eyepiece shelf where the step is. "

I expect it has just enough space for a wine glass too if I'm not mistaken (or a cool bottle of beer)

Auction sites have a big selection of plastic and metal ducting available for home delivery at reasonable prices , I was about to do this but opted for a large concrete base and an Altair Astro pier.

The overmounted tube wont need to go all the way to the top so the existing plate arrangement could stay as is , the final shape being stepped narrower at the top.

Might be worth drilling some rebar into the foundation at the join.

Check out any local agricultural drainage suppliers as well , they may have some offcuts, same for any local industrial ventilation contractors.

I did similar with my 200p , an Orion Optics carbon fibre 10 inch originally on an OO dob base is now on my NEQ6 and I repurposed the OO dob base for the 200p I had been using on the NEQ6

(the 10 inch is fine inside my ROR where the walls keep the breeze off the big tube).

Dob base had to be tweaked to fit the narrower OTA , but I find this a very easy drop and use scope that is up and running in minutes. I take it out in the car to dark sites as its very portable.

The aluminium base avoids any wetness problems on damp grass.

The OO dob bases are expensive however but very high quality.

I still have my 200p , my first Newtonian , and the stock eyepieces are basic.

My initial budget upgrade was to Celestron X-Cel eyepiece , this range are a big step up , they are much larger with a vastly improved field of view.

the stock eyepieces are only 50 degree field of view , the X-Cel are 60 degree.

These eyepieces are around £66 new (from FLO) but are very common on the 2nd hand market where they go for around £40 , tho choose a reputable seller , maybe on here or similar. I got my 25mm X-Cel for £30 at the time in a bundle lot.

I was very surprised by how big an improvement the wider clearer view was thru my new eyepiece.

I would upgrade the 25mm first. The 10mm is a bit high magnification for most nights.

I also picked up a 20mm ES maxvision for about the same price , an old range but still good with an even wider 68 degree field.

Both these eyepieces have a decent 15/16mm eye relief , so good if you wear glasses, as I do.

These 2 eyepieces really improved my view of clusters like the Pleiades and of nebula like Orion M43 , much sharper and contrast seemed better too.

Although I now have eyepieces costing in the hundreds the step up from the medium quality budget range is probably not as big a move as the step from stock eyepiece to budget.

Getting the final extra performance out of scopes is expensive