DaveL59

woke to temps of 2C here, shed windows frosted over but nice clear dome, so the heating seems to have done its work overnight 🙂 Hopefully it manages with colder temps over winter too, time will tell.

as if those numerous satellites weren't enough https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54797917 will these madcap ideas never cease?

came out very well then 🙂 I need to experiment more really and with a scope on the EQ mount so it's less faff, but other things at the mo like sorting stuff for the kitty's eye op tomorrow mean I've not had time to mess about with the setup etc. One day...

very nice image 🙂 I had a brief play with the SPC900 but direct into the 70/700 and wasn't good at all, did think about a barlow but lacked time to mess about with the Oak tree looming in its path across the sky. Hadn't thought to try it afocal tho I guess you had a lens on the webcam rather than just a nosepiece?

They look in very good condition, 1Q too so an export quality model, don't even look like they've ever been used. Serial number would give the approx year if that matters. Worth making sure the leather straps are good and give them a leather feed so they don't suddenly fail when you're not expecting it 🙂

so having a play and considering what the CN thread says about a resistor in series or parallel with the motor I tested the motor at 0.7 ohm. Any high value resistance across this will bleed off some current but will not make much difference unless it is very low value I think, as in <10 ohms. I connected some I had across the motor and while you can slow it to a degree I wasn't convinced this was going to work well. Using a 250 ohm wirewound pot I had to get below 7 ohms to make much difference and the real reduction was below 3 ohm, so effectively if you all but short the battery the motor will run slower. Upside is 3v across the motor, but you need to shunt almost half the current to slow it down. So I put a resistance in series with the motor instead, ok it drops the voltage to the motor and but it does still turn, more slowly: The above with a 25 ohm resistor doubles the no-load rotate time, going from 8 sec to around 15 sec. But on the SW130 it turns much more slowly and can stall if there's much resistance. Upside was very fine control of focus I expect, but perhaps just a bit too weak. So... Since I had a few 15 ohm ones left over from the dew heater for the skycam dome I figured give it a go. After all, lower R means a shade more volts across the motor and a touch more current flowing. Off-load rotation slower than without but faster than with 25R, perhaps 12-14sec vs the original 8-9 sec. On the SW130 much slower but more able to drive past any resistance. So I've modified both with this value for now and will see how that goes, I can always revert to a lower value if needs be. So far a nice easy mod hidden inside the motor casing. I'm fine with this regulating to a very slow speed since fast focus changes can be done by hand using the button on the side to disengage the gears. Am considering if a bypass switch across the resistor might be worth fitting for when battery starts to fade or when using heavy eyepieces, after all I'm seriously dropping the voltage across the motor this way. One for later tho when I receive the parts for the detachable connector and revisit the internals.

Not sure if its been covered before as I didn't find any topics on this one via search. So while browsing around on the bay I came across these, available as new old stock from the US. A google around found a couple threads on CN and elsewhere and seems to say they aren't at all bad and might be usable on other scopes. So I figured what the heck, buy 2 and maybe improve the usability of the wobbly LT70AZ and perhaps add ease of use to my other scopes at not too much cash. This morning the postie called and dropped off a package which contained Had a quick look at the LT70 and hmmm, almost but not quite. Methinks some minor mods may be needed here: As you can see the drive part is off-centre to the scope control but I think I can see why: Initial thoughts are to cut the Tasco bracket to match the length of the metal focuser plate and it may then snug in just right. I'll also need to figure a good way to interface to the focus knob or just remove it and fit something that suits better. Ideally non-destructive tho in case I want to return it to OEM for sale down the road but the simplest route may well be to cut matching slots for the motor unit to engage with and I do like "easy" 😉 For the TAL100RS I'll need to make a bracket up as that is a much wider plate under the focuser as well as the focus shaft being thicker, so the Tasco bracket won't be a direct fit as-is. Will again need a means to interface as I defo do not want to hack the TAL knobs about So what about the SW130 newt? Well, dead easy in fact. First pop the silver trim disc out of the focuser knob. The Tasco bracket is an easy fit under the focuser tube too. Now the U-bracket in the tasco slides neatly into the exposed wheel and secures to the bracket The button you can see to the top of the unit is the clutch release so you can manually focus if needed for rapid/large adjustments. So there you have it, a low cost motor focuser 🙂 So I do plan on making a few mods to these to slow the rotation rate such that you can achieve finer focus adjustments and also to make the lead detachable from the motor unit. Along the lines described in the CN thread here: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/32182-do-you-want-a-good-cheap-focuser-unit/ According to the thread these run at around 1 rev/7 secs which seems a bit coarse to make small tweaks to focus, tho of course I've yet to try this out in action. I may find they are just fine but reducing the turn rate seems a useful mod so will likely do that on one at least.

this morning the nice man in red knocked at the door and handed me a box freshly arrived from the US. Inside were these Hopefully will make the LT70AZ more usable at least removing the huge wobbles when focusing 🙂 Bought 2 as I may pop one onto the TAL100RS and should work on the SW130 too and even the wee NG 76/350. Not sure it'd work with the TAL-1 but that scope is pretty stable anyway.

last night using the LT70AZ and svbony 7-21 it appeared orange-ish to me, or at least ochre. More so as mag increased. Adding a 2x and even 3x TAL barlow into the path still gave an orange orb but a little more subtle contrast differences across the disc. I was pushing that scope in terms of ability tho and above 200x things got soft, not to mention the problem focusing and following on the poor, wobbly LT mount. I guess if discriminating reds is a problem then it may well appear white and being very bright won't help. I wasn't very dark adapted when I was viewing having not long had a grocery delivery so that may have helped too. Was certainly less like staring into a lightbulb compared with my previous attempt at viewing Mars 🙂

next door had a light high up but thankfully never used it in the previous few years. Apparently the bulb never lasted long, as in a few uses, and they tired of getting up a ladder. No way was I going to mention LED. They also have a bulkhead light above their patio door which causes enough light but at least its lower so not as much a nuisance. Thankfully a young couple have bought the place now and they're refurbishing with a lot of help from the parents, they have taken that high light off the wall. Hoping they don't replace it with anything as they've left the conduit and wire there, they know I have scopes so fingers crossed they turn out to be considerate when they finally move in. Peeking over the fence just now to see who was bothering my black kitty (another jet black cat almost his double) I see the bulkhead light is gone too, that'll certainly help keep the light levels down in my garden. Reason for checking was little kitty will be off to vetin'ry in the morning to have his injured eye seen to, so was concerned he was going to get himself further injury. All ok tho thankfully 🙂

Moon pretty much takes out everything tho (set to auto-exposure, gain=25, gamma=197) At 1/2 sec with gamma dropped to 148 tho a few brighter pin-pricks do show

Was able to pop out and have a look too after Morrisons had done their drop-off. Only with the LT70AZ as its quick and easy to pop outside to grab a look before the oak tree swallowed it up. Using the SV135 7-21mm a nice orange-ish ball tho barely able to make any detail tho I could see it had some contrast change across the orb, max 100x with this EP. Popped a 2x barlow in and then I could make out a little more but not to the detail you guys saw. Still was nice to look up and get a better view of it tonight and the SV135 acquitted itself pretty well for its first light 🙂

yeah I know, was kinda tongue in cheek comment from me there 🙂 Not a bad fishing trip tho, 2 bites 😄

and with a clearer sky, not too shabby for a simple webcam. Set to 5fps rate and 1/4 sec shutter, gain 20 and gamma 226 and there we are, stars and Mars. Can make out the lens in the centre and the 2 "doubles" above it are the IR floods but isn't bad at all really even with the Devil's floodlight rising in the east. Now I wonder if there's an easy way to rig a windscreen wiper to clear the remnants of the rain off that dome...? @Gina any thoughts? 😉

well glass is considered to be a fluid, so I guess over a long enough period of time it could if left undisturbed eventually flow such that the lens changes shape. That'd apply whichever orientation you store it in but in our lifetimes and our grandchildren's even it'd not be noticeable. Grease in the focuser on the other hand might flow if temperatures get high enough but other than that I'd expect they'd be just fine.

is that a scope or a cannon?!? First glance I thought cannon and the odd thing down the the RH corner the striker to fire it 😉

an extra 100 points to that man! 😛 Mine live in the conservatory, mounted and ready to be stepped outside or can be used thru the open door, tho some juggling required to get the scope I want extracted from the 3-legged spaghetti etc.

Probably some form of aluminium or other alloy but that'll be softer than the steel screws, hence will mark over time as the tip of the screw grinds into it, especially as the assembly tilts to an angle relative to the screw when it can cut in further/easier.

depends on what the holder is made from too, the NatGeo is plastic so very easy to dig into with metal screws. Even ally will get marked over time with steel screws.

You can always black the washer edges to prevent any stray reflections but I see no reason why you can't, so long as there's enough play in the secondary holder to allow adjustments. Was thinking to do the same on the little NatGeo in fact but probably using a nylon washer for that. Doesn't much matter after all if the washer gets dimples so long as the secondary holder can rotate smoothly and not snag or shift as the bolts tighten up.

After a long time since looking at this one, I thought I'd have a look at replacing the finder shoe so I can use the TAL finder in a Synta type holder. So pop the drawtube out and pliers in the tube to hold the nut while I undo the screw. The shoe didn't drop away so I teased it up with the screwdriver to be left with this Drat! That's disappointing given the replacement is smaller in footprint. The old show had been glued as well as a single screw/nut to secure it. Looks like I'll either need to get some leatherette and fill that gap, re-cover the entire OTA or leave this in place and mount the Synta-type foot elsewhere on the OTA. Oh well, nice idea but gonna be some faff then. The old finder does work ok so maybe I'll leave this and just see if I can progress the idea of stripping the grey paint and brassing it then. The other idea on the Synta style shoe was to make it easy to swap the DIY Starsense carrier onto this scope when I wanted to so maybe adding it offset to this shoe would work out ok, can then use a RDF or starsense alongside the optical finder as required. While I had the focuser out I laid some sticky-back teflon tape around the inner rim of the 2 collars the drawtube runs in. Has taken out the slop and made it slide smoothly with a little drag in the movement without the metal on metal screech which is a good thing, esp on those very quiet late nights 🙂

Perhaps a move to remote-controlled mount and EEVA so you can sit indoors and enjoy? I've sometimes thought that but cost keeps me from trying the idea out, not to discount the fact too that seeing it with your own eye(s) in the eyepiece has a definite WOW factor that's hard to beat 🙂

I was more thinking "the Klingons are coming!!" well if it wasn't for the dangly bits trailing behind 😉

only 1 point for me, phew 🙂 but then not having a significant other helps a bit I expect 😄

Lovely images and brilliant that you captured them with so little time on each target, thanks for sharing 🙂