DaveL59
-
Posts
3,309 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
14
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Blogs
Posts posted by DaveL59
-
-
7 minutes ago, bosun21 said:
Yes I have already thrown the supplied diagonal in the bin, and fitted a little 1.25” dielectric that i had spare. I will fettle it where I can and will probably pass it down to one of the grandkids.
I built my own holder using a spare prism so that I could pass the OEM setup to my daughter/grandkids once they've moved house. But I've used the scope here and there, showed nicely on the moon with no CA using both regular and zoom EPs. I did replace the legs with wood ones tho, bought an old tripod off the bay and swapped them over, much more stable that way 🙂
-
2
-
-
20 minutes ago, bosun21 said:
Just bought a starsense telescope to hack the unit onto my Dobsonian. Don’t know what to do with the scope though 🤔
is that the LT70?
all in all it's actually not bad, tho the plastic focuser isn't the best it can be improved some, I'd detailed some of what I did on the thread where we'd explored hacking the starsense setup if that helps. Likewise the tripod/head but if you can fettle it makes a fairly reasonable light grab n go, or pass it on to the kids to use 😉
Oh yeah, and use a 'proper' star diagonal rather than the erecting one supplied which is pants.
-
1
-
-
I can almost see a time when that flick Independence Day comes true, only it'll be us as the invading species having stripped our own world of resources and turning to others to do the same 😉
-
The idea of us spreading out to other planets esp outside our own solar system is both interesting but also terrifying. We've made a total mess of our own planet and to consider stripping it further of resources to deliver such an enterprise seems foolhardy, at least until we find a way to stabilise what we have and then find sustainable ways to launch out to explore elsewhere.
Then you add in the issue of how to sustain ourselves on other worlds. The scientific consideration of taking seed stock from our planet to then farm on another seems like arrogance and madness to me. So rather than find ways to utilise what is native on another world, we introduce plant/animal species (likely GM'd) from here and aggressively farm them, likely causing damage to the pristine eco-system of said planet?
Sure, you'd hope that we're learning from our mistakes here, but on a new world it'll be a case of survival which could well spiral into a wild west attitude where we toss those lessons aside to do what's easiest. I can see us repeating our own history, destroying alien species into extinction and ultimately ending up with a new world that is as broken as our home planet has become 😞
-
1
-
-
As @wulfrun has said, I'd suggest that fused lead I linked earlier be modified to connect direct to the battery, which will give you a short fused spur. You'd then buy an M-F extension with the 5.5/2.1mm plug/socket to run to your mount.
You can of course modify your existing lead which would lose the option of using a Ciggy socket later should you ever need to, but I'd recommend you fit a fuse at the battery end if you do this. The fuse would protect the device and also the cable from overload/short circuits. Also you do need to be absolutely certain you have the +/- wires identified so you fit this correctly to the battery. If you get this wrong, bye-bye mount electronics, much the same as if you connect the croc clips the wrong way round. If you did this mod then you'd not need an extension as you would just use the modified wire to hook to your mount directly. In many ways, less connections/plugs between source and device is generally a good thing as it avoids losses at the connection, but for 12v xA power it isn't gonna make much difference.
-
1
-
-
16 hours ago, woldsman said:
It’s illegal to point a laser pen at a flying aircraft.
yes but that's kinda like the other saying we hear so much - 'guns don't kill'... sadly while these things are available they'll always end up getting misused. Same with drones as we've already seen around airports.
1 hour ago, JOC said:Given this ease and speed of use I see no earthly reason to have to deploy a laser and risk a chance of causing a mishap when the risk can be eliminated entirely by not using one. It seems a no-brainer to me, if you don't need to use one to accomplish the task (and I see no reason why anyone needs to) then I can't see any need to take the risk, however small, of using one.
I'd agree, esp since Kent is in a fairly busy area in terms of air traffic crossing at various altitudes tho at least London City ceases operations overnight which reduces it a little. Easy to say you'd look and only use the laser when you see no aircraft and in theory when looking up at night there appears to be large areas of sky with no obvious aircraft but personally I'd still prefer not to be aiming a laser up into the sky. You only need a police chopper up in the area spotting you and who knows if they'd then feel a visit to you is in order...
Perhaps when showing others what's in the area of view, a phone on a holder to a low power eyepiece would give a better audience view and even allow some pics to be taken for them to enjoy later too?
-
5 minutes ago, Louis D said:
Looks like stupid laser pointer use isn't limited to this side of the pond:
sadly not and of course once it's shown on TV series or news, loads more want to give it a go for a laff. It's not so much blinding that's the risk for aircraft but the fact that it lights up the windscreen and cockpit, wiping night vision for those operating under VFR which isn't good news when on final approach, esp in a tight built up area with tall structures lining the way.
-
In fact, if you have some crimp terminals then this might be an easy option
Cut off the socket and crimp the lucar terminals in its place then you just need the M-F 5.5/2.1mm extension cable and you're there. Do check the fuse rating and swap to a 3A or 5A tho and carry some spares just in case.
-
Ah ok, so with that battery you'd need a cable with push/lucar connectors to attach to the battery, IIRC they are the same size/type as the crimp-on connectors used in cars. Of course these can also be yanked off if the cable gets tugged but kinda better than a croc connector that may accidentally short across the terminals.
Not finding anything suitable on the long river place but not hard to make up something like that if you have the crimp plugs and tool, ensure you use insulated push connectors tho to prevent accudental shorting if something gets dropped across the terminals, makes a nice loud pop etc does that 😉 Inserting a fuse isn't hard either using something like this (swapping the blade fuse for a 5A one of course).
A local sparky would be able to do that easily if you can't find one to buy or make one up yourself. You could either go the whole length from battery to mount or have a short lead for the battery made and then just get a simple extension lead to go between that and the mount:
You'd need to order carefully to be sure it can carry the current and if the plug end is right angled etc per you requirement, or of course get one made/modified to suit - i.e., removing the ciggy plug on your cable and replace that with fuse & insulated lucar plugs.
-
What battery are you using?
Some allow you to bolt the cables to the battery terminals which means you could leave the ciggy socket permanently attached rather than relying on croc clips. Might also make other solutions feasible, such as wiring a fused short cable with 5.5/2.1 plug direct to the battery and then only needing a 5.5/2.1 plug/socket extension lead to run to the scope.
-
1
-
-
They do seem to be struggling, their last one made it to the ISS but seemed to have a number of issues en route. Teething troubles perhaps or a sign of blight in the operational leadership as seems the case in the aircraft side judging by Boing's issues there?
-
it's a pity they don't sell the type of flying socket that is latch/lockable tho you can get bulkhead types for boats/motorcycles. I fitted one in the car that I run a multi-outlet 12v/USB adapter from to drive the various devices I have. Basically you insert the cig plug and turn and it stays put, maintaining a good contact.
The one I fitted was something like this but a single-outlet version
-
The car ciggy plug is usually tip +ve and the side spring part -ve. Worth double-checking tho with a meter if you have one. As with other's suggestions, do put an in-line fuse on the +ve and if you can a protection diode as its easy in the dark to hook the croc clips the wrong way round.
-
11 minutes ago, Ade Turner said:
I’ve Reolink PoE cameras covering most of the garden backed up with Arlo wireless. The Reolink images are great, very clear but their detection protocol is rubbish. The Arlo’s are the reverse - terrible image quality but brilliant detection and they’re well concealed. Together they compliment each other.
My setup is Hikvision, works pretty well, using Annke cameras re-flashed with Hikvision firmware. Gives 1080 picture with line-crossing and area intrusion detection options and the NVR can email alert. Agree re Reolink, I had a couple and they weren't great, not sure their implementation of ONVIF was that good tbh, it sure didn't want to work well with my Hik NVR.
I'd not rely on just CCTV tho to watch over kit outdoors unless you're watching it all the time. The PIR triggered light indoors kinda works because it makes it seem you've disturbed the occupant who may well now be looking at you and calling PLOD/loading the shotgun 😉
-
1
-
-
Not had a chance to try it and I don't have those eyepieces, but I bought the Celestron NeXYZ phone holder which has reviewed well by others on here. I went that route since my Galaxy Note phone isn't small and I didn't feel any of the cheaper alternatives would manage well with this phone. The nice aspect is you can easily adjust the phone position so the right camera is aligned where it needs to be over the eyepiece, similar to the one used on their Starsense Explorer scopes. The large clamp for the eyepiece is adjustable also and seems to hold things quite securely.
-
2
-
-
1 minute ago, Ade Turner said:
Not seen a combo like that before, looke interesting. At the moment I’m looking at the Switchbot system: Switchbot motion sensor
I’m thinking of coupling up their mini pir mounted in a clear waterproof housing on the tripod to one of their mini button pushers to activate a wireless doorbell in the house. I’ve got the bits already for something else so I’ll experiment when I get chance 👍
always handy to be able to fiddle with stuff. I adapted a couple of wireless panic buttons for my house alarm, rigging them to become flood sensors since those aren't available as such for the system I have. A kitty dreamie biscuit and a couple wires to the push switch, job done. Thankfully so far they've not needed to alert me of a burst flexi-hose which is what made me find a solution in the first place 🙂
-
1
-
-
13 hours ago, newbie alert said:
Oops... Much that it likes slightly more than 12v I think 19 might be too much for it.. might be worth looking at the board, especially where the power socket is
I think the upper limit is 15v for these, believe it says that in the manual but its been a while since I looked at that. I use a 12v 5A buck converter to regulate the power to mine when hooking up the car starter LiPo pack since open circuit that delivers above 12v, might be 16v from memory.
-
54 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:
I have seen naked eye comets and plenty of meteors so would have to be a supernova preferably one close by..
Not listed but a large asteroid impact on the Moon would be nice 😀
Alan
oooh now that'd be something but what'd happen if a big chunk broke off and headed our way? 😮
For me, supernova I think as that's the one on the list yet to be seen.
-
1
-
-
4 minutes ago, jetstream said:
This is horrible and scary, very sorry to hear of this.
What I like about dogs is that these criminals will know of the animal when they case out the place and will normally go to an easier target, well thats my thinking anyway. I walk my dog all over, I'm in a remote place, but lots of people see me with Nico and know about him. Neighbour has a guard dog too and between us not many come down our road, just cabin owners etc.
I cant believe whats happening all over.Sickening.
True but unfortunately I'm a cat person, oh well lol.
As for dogs, size doesn't even matter much if they make noise. Old lady that lived across the hall at a flat I used to live at had a wee yappy terrier, darn thing would go crazy even when the outer door opened and she'd walk it around the blocks daily. A few weeks after she moved away we got broken into and a couple other places too, even the policeman that had moved into her place. That one was funny tho as he hadn't secured his bedroom window properly so it was easily forced open, seems they tell you all the things you should do but sometimes forget to themselves.
-
2
-
-
5 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:
When trying to predict how a villain will approach a 'job' it doesn't help to think like an honest person.
It also helps to remember these people sleep about 8 hours, like the rest of us, which leaves 16 hours for their 'activity'.
We tend to put limited time into work, family and hobby. Little time into security matters.Sadly overt security measures can in fact mark your house as being worth investigating. Bought a nice detached 4-bed house in 1/3 acre in SE London many years back. Formerly owned by a little old lady who passed. Her kids had arranged to have those roll-down security shutters fitted on the rear windows to keep her secure, ye olde metal crittal windows behind them (pity they didn't just get better windows fitted really). Anyhoo, we bought it, moved in and started doing the place up after a decade or more of neglect, sort a kitchen, rewire etc.
Then after replacing some of the downstairs rear and side windows with new uPVC, someone decided to try breaking in. They popped the beads out on the small side window and tried to remove the glass. Luckily the ones I fitted you bonded the glass to the inner side of the frame, so instead of coming out the external pane shattered but the inner was fine and the glass unit remained in place. They then tried another of my new windows and bent the frame on it but again didn't get it. OK so police duly called next day, no evidence of fingerprints etc but some advice on security etc. I started to look into alarm systems I could fit and while deciding wouldn't you know it but a couple days later they came back. This time they tried to force one of the casements on the huge crittal window (1.5m x1.5m huge), bent the frame and cracked the glass. Police again visited and again nothing. Joke was that the huge window had a secondary glazing panel on the inside so they'd not have got far anyway lol.
So, I've decided on an alarm and just need to go get it when... third try, this time the side door into the kitchen, removing the cat flap and breaking out the panel then helping themselves to my HiFi and various other bits, even my daughter's school bag - probably to cart stuff off in. All the while on all these we were asleep upstairs, that was the scariest part of it all. Thankfully they didn't come upstairs!
Of course, police came, fingerprinted all over and nothing but we then had the task of trying to clean up their special powder that really doesn't want to come off even glazed tiles. That was 3 visits in a 2 week period which made us and the police suspicious but no evidence to go anywhere with. We were also advised that they often leave it 6 months for insurance to have replaced the items then come back for the latest models, how comforting! Police also advised that while those security screens can work, they also advertise that you have something worth stealing so they'd come and try anyway. If they can't get in via the window they'll try a door and even the wall.
Then some months later we had a much better idea of who it might have been, not that we could prove anything, a neighbour a couple doors down the hill or his associates. Seems they went on holiday and while away they were 'broken into'. Strange that the small glass panel in their back door was carefully placed against the wall next to the door on the outside when the glazing beads were on the inside. Even more so when a while later a friend brought them over items that were exactly what had been reported stolen and their car had been at the house during their holiday. We also noted that there was sometimes someone hanging about in the alley that ran alongside our garden but if they noticed us they retreated back into said neighbours garden.
A few months later and I was woken by noises out front, car doors closing etc. Peek out of the window to see a car parked at the roadside and a group of youths looking under the bonnet of that neighbours car. Next thing they've pushed it back out onto the road and then both cars drive off up the hill. Now being a good neighbour I'd of course already called the police and was describing in detail the 2 cars and number of people. 10 mins later they called to let me know the fools had stopped at the top of the hill to sort something and they got them all 😄 Things went quiet after that, no further troubles, perhaps because they were doing time 😉
So for me, definitely worth getting a feel of who your neighbours are and those who overlook your property. Easy for them to spot a routine or possible valuables and tip of their mates etc. Round here I'm defo not planning to leave gear out unattended, been trouble free, so far but there's some less than trustable characters that pass thru and 2 adult kitties ain't gonna do much protection duty, I'd need my daughter's husky for that 😉
-
1
-
1
-
-
Not seen anything similar on sale recently, but place I used to live I'd fitted a PIR dual spotlight out front covering the drive, being 60ft it was useful to light the pathways to help find the way in the dark. Handy thing it also had was a plug-in unit for indoors that would activate with the floodlight, so it was hooked to a lamp which gave the impression to potential intruders that someone indoors was now also awake. Deterred a couple of stroll-ins to check out my car for sure.
Something like this might work tho, PIR to detect movement and a light turns on indoors to deter intruders
-
1
-
-
6 minutes ago, IB20 said:
Oh I found plenty of those knocking about too, usually in public toilets. I flushed a toilet once at one of the middle of nowhere truck stops and a load of frogs came out. It’s a completely bananas country for wildlife. You can’t even get in the sea without a cone shell, jellyfish or shark trying to kill you. 🤣
sounds idyllic to me 🙂 but then as a kid in Singapore you'd wander in the jungle and come face to web frequently and those brightly coloured spiders were the size of your hand. Used to return home covered in mosquito bites, bites on bites even but I guess I was so used to them that I never even noticed. Hence the 6-monthy shots we used to get tho I guess.
-
On 01/06/2022 at 08:49, IB20 said:
Yeah a big old spider, think I’d prefer the psychopath! At times it felt like Australia was just a lot of creatures that were trying to kill me.
I thought it was the wee redbacks that sometimes hide under toilet seats you have to really worry about...
Spider bites Australian man on penis again - BBC News
-
1
-
-
17 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:
A seat cushion would also be an improvement!
worth getting decent foam if you plan on that. I just redid the seat pads on a couple office chairs using this stuff:
Harder to cut than regular foam but much more supportive and should last well. Memory foam is worthless in seating I find and even high density firm foam only does so well unless there's a lot of thickness to it. Not sure what your seat base is but a staple gun is handy for tacking the fabric under the base. For a single small job a good hand operated one will do but for bigger jobs an electric (or air driven) will be much easier on your hands 🙂
-
1
-
That's it, never again!
in Observing - Discussion
Posted
Tis funny tho that when you want to extend a building your neighbour can object on the basis of 'right to light' etc but we don't get the same in reverse when others go installing floodlighting etc, perhaps we need a 'right to dark' law on the books...
I was lucky with the new neighbour when they replaced the failed flood at roof level with a new LED version of same. Damn thing lit up every time I moved in the garden and its aimed far too high too. A quiet mention and they've adjusted the aim if the sensor so I don't trigger it much but it still blinding when it fires up. Now I just need a way of herding my kitties so they don't set it off when they jump the fences/walk along the garage roof etc etc 😞
At least their garden is to the north side and a high fence between us, but of course other neighbours to the SE where I'd generally be aiming seem to love having bulkhead lights on all night which I get an eyeful with the fence that side being lower.