Stephenstargazer

Put simply it does not control motors but provides a connection to planetarium apps (including Rowan's) for manual mounts. DSC = digital setting cirles, enabling use of encoders without 3rd party hardware. 

Heads up ! The DSC 100 (or75) Controller for manual mounts is now listed on the Rowan website. 

https://rowanengineering.com/products/dsc100

Maybe the Handset will be next?

I am very fortunate to have met Ian at several Preston Montford SPA  weekends, including last year, bravely despite his health. Incrediblly knowledgeable, but able to converse with everybody, and so willing to advise,. One of science's true gentlemen,  a polymath and communicator.

I too hope his Digest can be preserved with a suitable tribute. My signed copy of his book of Gresham lectures will alwys be treasured. Best of all I have fond memories of time in his company at a telelescope and in the lounge.

I went into a (very wet) field near my house at the end of twilight on (windy) Tuesday with 15x50 IS bins and picked out the head of the comet nicely. For a bonus Uranus was an easy find too. It is a good Western horizon but by no means dark sky. No idea what I stepped in though.....

If you like to mix eyepiece and camera views then a flip mirror is the easiest solution. Getting them parfocal can be fiddly, a simple helical eyepiece holder helps. It tends to rule out a focal reducer as you are likely to have insufficienf back focus.

You should be able to pick up a Vixen one cheap as they have included them with many scopes sold.Try a want enquiry?

Oh for goodness sake stop it ! I have stew and dumplings for tea and glad to have it too. 😛

Congratulations! It occurred to me that the only possible effect this side of the pond was a dimming of twilight. As it was raining here I stayed inside and followed news coverage. How sad that a response of so many was to get out a bright phone during totality ☹️ 

I believe to make a pinhole camera you would need to remove the objective lens first. 🙂

@Alan WhiteThe telescope count is meant to be static pending house move! In fact quite a lot may need to go into storage. Thanks for encouragement,  6" Newton sounds a natural with the 75 !  

Viewing positions (at my age) will be much easier than my long departed truss dob, amazing though its views were. A low tripod and adjustable chair beckon 🙂. My telescope   journey nearly started with a 6" Newtonian, but I chose a compact Maksutov for 'convenience' and I wonder how that may have affected subsequent choices.

(Excuse temporary deviation from topic)

10 hours ago, Ratlet said:

Hope you're not coming down with Aperture Fever. 

No, not really, I have been up to 14" and returned. My f/9 8"cat is enough. However a light 6" f/5 reflector would be a nice widefield to push around on AZ75, easier than a 125mm reffractor in several ways, including wallet.

On the AZ75 that must be just like pushing a small dob around, very natural and potentially even smoother. Even easier eyepiece position so I can feel a Newtonian coming on.......... 😈. Just need one more good reason.

When next in Cornwall try Stargazy pie !

On 29/03/2024 at 16:13, Chaz2b said:

Questar 3.5”…

I have the  plain field scope version (ex WD) , which does not come out much but so wondefully constructed I doubt I will ever part with it. The full bling and mount ones dont tempt me, but I can see the appeal.

On 13/03/2024 at 18:35, Lumos said:

DarkClearSkies.co.uk.

Did you not spot the irony in  the title... 🙂 but thanks for the link !

Perhaps this can be launched for the motorised users at the same time as the DSC control box  for the manual hardliners?  Looks very appealing and user friendly ! (Mainly due to myj touch screen phobia)

Only just clocked the spiffing new website 😋 congratulations @Dek Rowan Astro 

On 15/03/2024 at 22:24, PeterC65 said:

the additional cost and effort of the built in screen

Actually Peter the screen is a standard plugin that fits  the RPi. Having controls or the view on a 2nd screen is user friendly in practice.

I am glad Arnaud @Astrowl has explained his personal aims with the project. He has been prepared to share this with his users and is always making improvements. A look at the exemplary manual.will show how neat and easy the controls are - great for those like me who are not tech savvy. 

As for mixing with visual I can put an Astrowl Box on a turret with a couple of eyepieces. It is so  small and light. And yes I, (or we)  could go in to the warm to watch remorely, maybe for a transient event. (Eventually I may even need to !)

I dont think there is a comparable single device yet, but who knows..

On 15/03/2024 at 23:07, Astrowl said:

Except if a big company like ZWO produces a similar product, I will probably buy it immediatly and stop the Astrowl Box. But, I think it will never happen.

I know it is selfish, but I sort of hope that does not happen for some time, mon ami  🙂

43 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:

I would have thought a WiFi enabled camera and a tablet app would be a better solution.

You may be missing the point that the Astrowl is intended to be a smart complete EEA camera/eyepiece, for ANY telescope hence the screen, and is controlled by ANY (old or new) device with wifi - and you can infact view live on that screen too. The Seestar, Asiair, Astro Devices, Rowan etc all use the RPi / clone  / web interface solution tool because it saves having to make and test software to be compatible with a mulitplicity of devices.  For instance I could use any of my Windows laptop, my Android 7" tablet, or partners i-phone at will, and possibly even at the same time (not tried that!).

By making a box that only requires an external USB battery pack or supply (common as muck) it makes for a neat package that will expose and stack images, selected post post process, save the results to download later.

Others query the cost, but no mass manufacturer is offering one. If you want to save money you could make something similar from scratch and write the software? The closest equivalent is probably a ZWO camera + Asiair, though that has multiple functions beyond EEA, and it has to be said, more complicated controls for those that want them.

Back to the original plot - the Seestar does way more but with rather significant optical limitations and no visual options. 🙂

PS I understand (form S&T review) a Seestar can only work with a smartphone (not a nice big tablet) because it uses both the wifi connection and the internet over cellular. So maybe not so good in some dark places?

On 04/12/2022 at 14:13, Dek Rowan Astro said:

There is insufficient room in the enclosure for a connector like that, or another switch for that matter.

We did consider fitting a auxiliary output but managing what users would connect to it is impossible, and I can guarantee someone will try to jump start their car and wonder why the controller started to smoke 😉

A 5v USB power bank may work, I'll check out the schematic and if the power side look plausible, give it a test.

ATB

Derek.

This is the last I have heard about the AZ75 control box. Is it going to be offered or not?? Especially now the Rowan planetarium is pretty nicely sorted on ths AZ100.and even better if usb c power to the 'Pi'

@Dek Rowan Astro ?

On 06/03/2024 at 17:54, Deadlake said:

Has anyone got a AP-Z and a AZ75, any comparison at all.

Yes, within reason you can put what you like on an AZ75, it may be too much but nothing will break. I have had  AP and APz for a long time and am now careful not to overload. OK if nicely balanced and treated with caution, but it is possible to disturb the slow motion worms.  Then it requires a strip down to reset them. Not difficult but beware the fine threads and avoid temptation to overtighten. The end play can also go out, but again can be reset.

It is however a brilliant mount with lighter scopes and if Carlesberg made slomos this would be it. 🙂

The Seestar 50 does very well (having seen one in action with a beginner who was blown away) and may tempt more into EEVA. But as others point ouf the single fov is limitting. Scale it up to a Seestar 100 and it all gets rather expensive? The price is achieved on a small device with no change of fl.

If you are tempted  by the Seestar ease of use but already have a scope on a goto mount, then I famcy you might want a smart camera - something like a point and shoot. The idea has already been prototyped and produced in the Astrowl

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/401112-highly-portable-eea-device/

However neither of these will satisfy an 'imager' which is a different goal to enhanced viewing. It seems whatever an astronomer chooses to do the gear is always going to be 'horses for courses'

Check with Rowan, the AZ75 can be fitted OR  retro fitted with encoders. This potentially makes a great push to mount which is my prefered set up with an FC 100 DF (see below on UNI 28).  In particular the horizontal stop, AZ clamp and finely adjustable clutches make it a joy to use especilly when changing eyepiece or swapping in a bino viewer.

For portable use the direct connection of clamshell is good and you should not need to carry a  counterweight or tripod extension. There are  some well made optional parts (if you want) and  build quality is as good as the service and support. So the value is in long term ownership and flexiility IMHO.

He probably picked himself up and laughed to the camera. We sent humans then because we did not have capable computers. Perhaps we still dont, though they have done amazing things elsewhere such as Mars and  Voyager. 

 Nil by mouth during observing. A brandy as I write up my (brief) logbook. 

I keep a running book of purchases and sales with a balance. When the balance is too low, I justify a buy as being a necessity and therefore does not count. 🙂 I am quite good at the big bits, but the small accessories are tempting and accumulate. I like fiddling with assemblies when there is not much viewing to do. Sometimes it even works! A hobby within a hobby ? 

On 13/02/2024 at 08:24, DirkSteele said:

Had a long weekend away

Nice bit of travel kit. How is the Sightron?