DaveL59

nice build, I'd just say the heatshrink is to help with handling in the cold nights if anyone asks 🙂

ahh no chance with a scope here esp with those trees, I'd need the scope at head height to stand a chance for where they are from here. Sky does look nice and clear tonight tho, for a change.

I can see them, kinda sadly thru 3 sets of trees from my garden. Shot just now with a 300mmAPO & x2 TC. Defo getting closer together, that gap would fit in my little fingernail and I've relatively small hands.

drat missed the chance listening to the latest new conf and suddenly skies cleared. Can just make out a single bright dot but well down in the treetops and moon behind the oak. Looks lovely but no point getting the scope out for it now.

Just dropped off a few mins ago... a classic aus Jena Sonnar 180mm/F2.8 lens with Pentacon six to M42 adaptor. A tad dusty and I'll need to service the focus and aperture but considering this dates from around 1964 its not in bad shape at all 🙂

as per my signature, a few lol. The Celestron is the LT70AZ Starsense explorer, a pretty basic scope on a wobbly mount, but purchased for the Starsense license for the app. It can be used on other scopes with a little DIY to sort a mounting method. Only thing is that the phone app has a smaller database of objects compared to the full starsense rig that has its own camera, but it makes a useful guided push-to setup to quickly find things in the sky.

A model with the starsense guider system would probably be the easiest, since that'll use an on-board camera to plate solve the area of sky in view to determine where it is. No need then for you go have to go thru a star alignment and the need to be able to pick out alignment stars etc. Just turn it on and let it do its bit then you're good to start. I've no experience of that setup as the starsense I have if the cheaper bolt-on phone-app type on a low end scope which works pretty well, but I'm sure others will be along to advise. welcome aboard by the way 🙂

On my EQ5 the alt adjuster bolts are 8mmx1.25 if that helps. I'd doubt that M6 would be up to the job, but then again on that side it's only really preventing the head tilting downwards as the other bolt is the one carrying the real load.

hi Dave hope the family is ok, not fun to have to dash off in current times. I put my daughter thru that a couple months ago in fact, gave the family a scare for sure!

The other issue from reading is the E-mount and mirrorless lenses have a very short focus index from the mount to sensor. I'm guessing your astro camera is C/C2-mount? Likely easier to get an adaptor for a more regular SLR/DSLR lens where there's the available length to build an adaptor to suit (44mm vs 15mm) tho I didn't see any for Minolta A-mount (sorry can't bring myself to call it sony, being a Minolta user lol).

That was my thought too John, no witness marks from the bolt on the cam so perhaps the offset weight of the head & counterweight was enough to keep things safely in place against the rear bolt, at least for visual.

There was someone selling bits off an EQ5 in the classifieds, ok it'd be white but if its the same size might be a quick cheap option if they still have that bit, unless you already have that kicking around in a drawer/tin somewhere or want to fabricate from scratch.

Assuming it's similar to the EQ5 then yeah it's to tune the polar alignment on the AX axis, acts against a pin in the tripod head. I don't have any spare but could check the thread on the EQ5 if that helps. Could be different in the Vixen tho so hopefully someone who has one can give a more accurate measure. edit - oops my bad, just re-read and you're after the ones for the 2 empty screw holes. Shouldn't there be a plate there that is bolted by those two and also has a large bolt that acts against the cam to drive the latitude angle? Like this...

hmm that does seem unavailable as a ready adaptor, found this on DPR How to attach a Sony E-Mount lens to QHYCCD 183C cooled camera: Astrophotography Talk Forum Forum: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) Is your E-mount lens all electronic control from the camera or has manual controls? If electronic aperture it sounds like a non-starter as you'd have no control there at all.

surely tho you'd need the sensor to be 2-planar curved? Doesn't mention that in the article and the pic looks like its only curved in one plane.

hmmm that does look neat, wonder if Sony will ever do something like that for the Alpha since we also have in-body IS using sensor shift?

In fact I'm finding that with the mod I can release with just a little squeeze on the trigger and its much lighter, yet so far still seems to hold well on my A77ii with lens and my bino's. The spring I used is quite stiff tho as it was one of a group I ordered from when I shifted the mirror further up on my TAL-1 reflector. It is set to be slightly longer than the space it fits in by virtue of that bolt so does exert sufficient outward force on the trigger. Its effect is multiplied by the fulcrum arrangement of the trigger mechanism. I do wonder if the same effect might be had by simply shortening the OEM spring so that it's say 3-5mm longer than the space it fits (casing edge to the internal bore of the plunger). Of course there's no easy way back if that doesn't work tho you could then rig a similar bolt/washer/nut arrangement to increase the effective length. What bino are you using on this tho, large and heavy, or regular 10x50 type? I can't comment on the bigger version as I tend to use a 10x50 which is fairly light, or Swift Audubon 8.5x44 which are heavier but physically around the same size.

Sounds like you may need one of these: Adapter Ring for Pentax PK K Lens to Canon EOS EF Mount: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo There are focus confirm versions too which might be handy if you use the lens for daytime shots. This from a quick google rather than knowing either make. Been a long time since I had a Pentax and never had a Cannon.

I'd agree with you Kat, fungus will potentially etch the coating and glass and is a fair bit of work to fully dismantle and clean every part of the lens and assembly, then regrease the relevant parts with a modern synthetic lube so focus runs smoothly. Getting the lenses correctly installed and focus correct needs a lot of care and of course the correct tools to carry out the works. Sure if it is slight traces you can treat with a dose of UV/sunlight so it doesn't spread but far better to find one that hasn't been infested already - I'd suggest it to still be worth giving it a UV dose tho as well as exercising the focus/aperture to slow any potential effects later on.

wow, you'll likely need to buy the matched lenses to go with it but an interesting idea I guess. Ain't gonna be cheap for sure.

I picked up the 100RS on an EQ5 with a set of eyepieces etc for £260 about 18 months back, lovely scope and I believe from the original owner, well cared for too. I consider it to have been a very good buy 🙂

I have a pair of Charles Frank Nipole miniature bino's in my collection somewhere around the house, obviously badge engineered JPY made and imported so actually not bad 7x23 IIRC. Did bid after one of his small desktop newts a while back but went way over what I was looking to pay.

I think there may be a 2x barlow in the kit? Perhaps not the best quality if it's an all plastic body but worth a try. A decent quality x2 barlow would be worthwhile depending on what is supplied with the scope and a better short-FL eyepiece as the 10mm's supplied are pretty poor. The 20/25 is generally usable even if not the best but a zoom eyepiece will cover the range and be better than the supplied ones. With a good barlow you'll be able to adjust the magnification to suit the target and conditions and also be able to use them on a future scope if you eventually upgrade. Another option in the zoom range is SVbony 7-21mm which isn't expensive and performs pretty well as does their 8-24mm but that is rather large and heavy.

Hi Adam and welcome aboard. For focus, you need to adjust until you get the smallest/sharpest image of your target. Going outside of focus you will get a fuzzy ball/disc and racking back you will start to see the black dot in the centre of the disc (the secondary) and the spider vanes. Unfortunately at 500mm focal length, your scope with the eyepieces will only give you, if I'm not mistaken: 25mm x20 10mm x50 Did you get a barlow lens supplied with it? That would increase the magnification by whatever factor it has printed on it. x2 or x3 usually. If you do a search for the thread "what can I expect to see" on here it'll give you some guidance of what to expect. A 114mm scope will be limited in max magnification, according to specs it says x228 but in reality probably closer to x150 before you lose detail. You'd need shorter FL eyepieces to get up to that and being an F5 scope probably not cheap ones as it is a fast scope.

Noticed the other night they were real close, could cover both with a fingertip. Sadly they were low behind the treetops so no chance with a scope. Cloudy/rain ever since of course 😞