giorgio_ne

9 hours ago, Cjg said:

Congratulations! 
I received an email from Darleen at A-P 2 years or so ago and took delivery of a Stowaway. Customs and import duty added to that by the shipping company, at Stansted was a painful £777, from memory.

Think you can  definitely expect to pay 20% VAT and any extras DHL / FedEx etc add into the bundle.

Good luck,

Chris

Did you pay £777 and an additional 20% VAT on top, or the £777 amount covered  VAT + Customs + Import Duties?

Dear All,

I have received an email from Astro-Physics. After waiting for seven and a half years, I am now in line for the purchase of a Starfire 130 GTX 🤩

I am based in the UK and I would like to know what taxes, custom duties, VAT etc. I'm expected to pay on top of the refractor price and the accessories I'd like to order.

Insurance and shipping will be communicated separately by AP and I can handle that, I do not have any idea however on what other charges I'm expected to pay, when and how...

Is there here any UK based AP customer that could kindly give me some indication?

Many thanks in advance.

Giorgio

James Webb Space Telescope Science Guide

Available for free, curtesy from NASA:

https://www.nasa.gov...ce_pub-v1-2.pdf

I saw and held a prototype of this camera at the tiny Moravian stand at the last astrofest. Build quality is definitely there.

Assuming that your OS is Windows have a look at this article:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/cut-paste-folder-and-files-have-disappeared-after/1fa00d54-3777-4af0-ac6e-1f621a7ffc26

Have a look at this blog, it concerns the EM-200 but I believe it could also be applicable to the EM-10.

https://digitalstars.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/making-an-adapter-box-for-a-takahashi-em-200-mount/

The QHY INDI driver already supports the Polemaster. Have you tried using on Ekos own polar alignment utility?

Yes, it seems it works well. Check this post on Cloudynights:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/586532-new-skywatcher-az-gti-goto-wifi-mount/?p=9860983

I’m interested to know if it is possible to use 1.25” filters with this camera.

Sorry!

This should be the correct link:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/S7959-new-medium-dovetail-telescope-accessories/1371081_1971053752.html

It's a vixen style aluminium saddle with a single brass clamp.  It has several fitting holes, four of them are 19mm spaced unthreaded holes.

This saddle on AliExpress seems to have 19mm spaced holes:

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/b6OIEfjL

7 hours ago, stash_old said:

Why use Skysafari when Kstars does all that Skysafari does - not a criticism but a question because I have been asking why Ekos is not totally separate (you can't run Ekos without Kstars on any O/S) especially as Indilib allows CDC and other planetarium software to connect/control.  Is it because your mount is mobile ?

I don’t use Skysafari as my main planetarium software over KStars, but it is really handy in some situations when I’m near to the scope and I quickly need to sass out what targets are within my visible horizon.

7 hours ago, stash_old said:

Plus your picture doesn't show any power wires connecting to the PI - I understand you run from the Rigrunner but cant see the cables ?

I’m a bit of a cable freak... All my usb cables are good quality Lindy cables specifically sized for a particular configuration (I have other scopes, CCD, DSLRs and focusers). They directly attach to the Pi. Power cables are also appropriately sized. I use plenty of Velcro cable ties to minimise cable drag. I’m trying to get rid of the mount usb to serial cable by using a Bluetooth to serial adapter but I still haven’t figured out the correct cabling and serial protocols for my mount...

7 hours ago, stash_old said:

Doesn't effect me as I run a DSLR but others have said that the RPI (even the RPI3 which split USB/Ethernet Bus) is just not faster enough with CCD's (frame rate) hence many have gone Rock64,Intel Stick etc . What's your experience ?

I don’t do planetary, solar or lucky imaging with this setup. For solar imaging I use a different configuration based on a Win10 Intel NUC. Focusing might take longer but I’m not bothered.

7 hours ago, stash_old said:

I have never found a problem with RealVNC server on the RPI's only the network connection ,especially the Wifi weakness so what do you mean by "Performance" ? Again not criticism just interested ?

I use WiFi plus, in my opinion KStars feels a bit sluggish when running on the Pi. Plate solving is also much faster when delegated to the instance of KStars on the laptop (I downloaded the appropriate index files).

7 hours ago, stash_old said:

It does make me laugh that your great set up relies on a £34 device - totally out of proportion to the rest of the kit - but it works LOL

That’s so true, but I also think the client/server architecture of INDI is so much more efficient if compared to ASCOM and the whims of MS Windows. Once the INDI drivers are properly configured, the Raspberry Pi behaves reliably just like an appliance. I took particular care in choosing an aluminium Pi case and attaching a vixen mini dovetail to it.

In my opinion, the best way to use and appreciate INDI is through an OTA mounted Raspberry Pi and a remote laptop or desktop running a separate instance of KStars.

Although my Pi has the full INDI/Kstars combination installed on it, I use it only to manage the hardware connected to it and to guide the mount.

I run any INDI client software on my laptop or desktop. I don’t bother using VNC or any other Remote Desktop software for two reasons: performance first. Second, KStars is available also for Windows and Mac OS and only needs to be configured with the network name or IP address of the Pi sitting on the telescope to manage it as if it was directly connected to it.

Astroberry or Stellarmate OSs can be easily burned on an SD card and deployed on a raspberry Pi in a few minutes!

Kstars for Windows, Linux or Mac OS can be downloaded from its website.

Last but not least INDI has a Skysafari plugin that allows me to use Skysafari on my iPad to select targets and slew the mount. As I do so, it’s amazing to see the scope position being updated in real-time on KStars on the laptop.

In the attached image is one of my setups: FSQ-106, EM-200, Qsi 690 wsg8, Lodestar X2, SestoSenso focuser, Raspberry Pi 3b+

The Rigrunner power socket also has two USB ports delivering 5amps each. I use one of them to power the Pi. I do not need to use a powered USB hub!

Why don’t you create your own aperture mask? In this way you will also avoid diffraction spikes.

I have a lakeside motor fitted on my FSQ-106ED and using a Hitecastro MountHub Pro Compact to drive it. I'm hellbent on migrating to INDI but there are no drivers yet for the Hitecastro MountHub Pro Compact... I'm in a stage of 'analysis paralysis' deciding between three options:

1- Buy a Pegasus Astro Controller only. It should be able to drive the Lakeside motor since the pinout of both motor and controller are compatible with Robofocus. It seems smaller in size than the Lakeside controller (and 20 quids cheaper).

2- Buy a Sesto Senso. Very elegant solution that incorporates both controller and motor in the same unit albeit expensive at £329.

3- Get a Lakeside Controller. I'm put off by the bulkiness of the box since I want to fit it on the OTA.

4- Get both 1 & 2 or 2 & 3 so that I can fit a motorized focuser also on my other FS-60CB.

 You should be able to explain my profile signature... Advice anyone?

I think that two-way radio enables true real time communication in a way that mobile phones or any other internet based service will ever do.

Each one has its own space. Mobile calls or Internet based services require the communication to be established first and then typing something (on text based comms). This introduces a lot of time waste. On two way radio I can talk to people as if they were near me all the time.

I currently use cheap walkie talkies to talk to my wife indoor. Quick, immediate exchanges (e.g. Dinner's ready, I'm going to bed etc. )

I think talking over radios with a few astronomy buddies would be a lot of fun and very useful. Wether patterns, satellites, incoming airplanes, tech glitches could be discussed immediately at a flick of a switch. Every evening could be like a star party minus the people tripping over your kit.

I have a pair of Bresser 10x50 that I got from Lidl 5 or 6 years ago. Last week I bought a pair of Zeiss conquest HD 8x42. I always thought the Bresser's were fantastic until I looked through the Zeiss!