James

Well there you go Excellent!..

As per all the above In 15 years I've never even bothered with cone error, not on my CG5/HEQ5/EQ6 etc. If your polar alignment is reasonable (for visual you can be pretty flexible on that) and you do a three star align (two stars one side and 1 on the other) you won't need to worry about it Park the scope at the end and start next time from the parked position and you'll be fine I get the wanting to get rid of it bit, I really do, but I don't think it matters James

I have replied I'm working through all the refunds in turn so any other orders of yours will be caught soon There will be some emails going out tomorrow to those whose cards have expired/been replaced or the transactions are too old for a simple PayPal refund. None of that is a problem, it'll just need a quick email James

Welcome to SGL John, I've been a couple of times to La Palma and two things struck me, one - seeing the Milky Way from inside the kitchen where we were staying, with lights on, the view was great literally just walking out the door and two, when up on the Roque one night seeing both detail in the Milky way almost horizon to horizon and the fact that the stars even low down on the horizon weren't twinkling. That was a bit eerie to me!

Lovely images as always Dave Good to see you remembered your camera and tripod You've controlled the light pollution well Dave - isn't the first one aimed straight at Holt? (runs off to look at a map!) James

A lead acid battery giving 11.7v is effectively dead for use with the scope. Connecting it to another battery (or any charger) for a few minutes will result in the voltage going up, but it won’t last, check again in half an hour and it will probably be back down at 11.7. You really need to get a proper charger for it (I suspect you’ll need a new battery, lead acids don’t like being emptied all the way). If you use AC power then things will probably improve but if your are away from an easy source of power then you’ll need a new, fully charged battery

Will you have access to a car? It's common for the coasts to be cloudy/foggy and the clear skies to be higher up.. I've never been on one of the guided tours at the observatories but yes, they need to be booked well in advance (and it'll be chilly up there potentially!). I can't say whether one of the tours hosted by companies like Alacants link above ( http://www.starsislandlapalma.es/en/starsislands-companies/specialized-companies/astro-la-palma/ ) are going to be suitable for you but it's definitely worth speaking to them/picking their brains. If you do have a car then it depends what part of the island you're on - distances are short as the crow flies but very long otherwise due to the winding roads!. If you're in the north west then try driving part (or all the way) up to the observatories and find a spot next to the road. This also applies if you're on the east side near Santa Cruz. If in the south west, get up as high as possible - I haven't tried around the Volcano visitor centre area but I bet it's nice up there. If in the middle area (Los Llanos/El Paso) then try driving up to one of the viewpoints ( https://www.adastralapalma.com/astronomical-viewpoints/ ). Not the best of maps. The astro tour folks usually go to these miradors, some don't serve the title of viewpoint, at least not for astronomy (one in Puntagorda near where I've stayed has a streetlight at the corner!) but prepare for a treat though. I could see the Milky Way through the kitchen window from where we were staying. With the lights on. (albeit fairly dim ones). let us know when you know more precisely where you'll be staying James

That’s a lovely one Lenny

Obviously this image doesn't show the seeing, but it was a good night (I'm now paying for it!) The scope looking at Saturn is an old SW ED100. I broke the front lens a few months back but was able to swap it out with an equally old (10 years+) lens from another... Pot Noodle and biscuits strategically hidden by the chair... (Photo cropped to remove the glow of Exeter from the right...) James

Hope you all, or at least some of you have been out tonight. Completely different, fantastic detail on Jupiter, Cassini vision in Saturn’s rings (just...).

Hope so!!

Yes, that's exactly right

I didn't pick a good night to test a couple of scopes did I? One that had been dropped and one that has had a lens cell pilfered from another scope. Seeing was terrible so I feared the worst with the scopes but I've been reassured by others reports of bad seeing!! But I'm getting a kick from being out just a week after the shortest night.. James

Everytime I suggest to my wife that a bigger telescope or an observatory is a good idea she asks "Oh yes? And how often will you be able to use it?" So, no bigger scope or observatory yet... American and Australian astronomers must face the same pressure?? Surely? James

Thank you for the kind comments . I'd substitute the expression "OCD" for experience above I love my little Polarie but I have used it almost exclusively at 14mm-35mm focal length where I could be fairly relaxed about polar alignment. I've also used other trackers and yes, it's tricky to get a polar alignment that you then don't lose by adding more kit on. In such cases, where I've wanted to be more careful with the PA a wedge is essential, in the case of the Polarie I used their Polar Fine adjustment Unit which is very helpful, very small, if pricey. I've also attached a Polemaster to another tracker (and am waiting to try the iOptron with iPolar built in!). I think, with a bit of care you'll be able to get some length of guiding time set up but you'd have to be confident that none of it will move when you're changing/setting stuff up. I found that holding the Polarie with a ball head just wasn't enough - with the fine adjustment unit I could move it much more precisely.. James

Lovely image as always Dave Not to be outdone, my other half also approved too...

Hmmm... IGAD refers to part of the manufacturing process (Ion Gun Assisted Deposition) and the 31.7mm just means it's a 1.25" filter but I'm not aware of a Type Z filter. It may be a very old filter that IDAS used to do? The I in the name suggests type 1 in which case it's very old! Sorry can't help more. James

Thank you Mark The beach is illuminated by the lights of Budleigh Salterton right behind me, many of those lights go off at 1.30am ish (12.30 ish in winter) - half an hour after taking that shot it was much darker. Had I looked the other way I'd have been flooded with light pollution from Budleigh, Exmouth and Exeter It's the 'public' beach but it's quiet usually at night - the occasional dog walker excepted. To the left of the image you might see a little water. Catch it at higher tide and you can get some nice photos of the water there and the trees with stars beyond. In early July it's pretty light but you should be able to get some Milky Way shots, around 1am would be best/darkest with Sagittarius just a little past due south. I would recommend Dartmoor... but... due south from Dartmoor you get a bit of LP from Torquay/Torbay etc and to the south west you have Plymouth in the distance.. but it's all relative, I don't know what you're light pollution is like at home Where I am in East Devon it's generally dark imaging anything to the east - but by July the Milky Way is slipping overhead and to the west. I'll haver a think Mark and PM you James

I don't have that habit.. quite... I do tend to point out the ISS whenever I see it. My 'dark site' (aka, my safe site with free leccy, water, toilets) is in fact a local campsite so often when I'm doing stuff there are people there who'll come over and see what I'm doing and ask lots of questions. The owner usually warns people I'll be around so it's rare to be disturbed with lights. I've found the majority of people to be really quite interested in what's up there, even the young ones. I'm still feeling my way around working out the point where I need to stop talking about it though as I can't see their eyes glaze over in the dark!! James

Thanks Dave, full on GEM The Jupiter reflection really does show the distortions in a wide angle lens. In reality, obviously, the reflections were beneath the planet James

Thank you Helen, James, Ady I'm lucky in the spring in that the south-east where the Milky Way is rising is out to sea. The nearest light pollution in the picture (apart from Sidmouth on the left which highlights the distinctive trees anyway) is 30-35 miles away in Dorset After the summer lack of darkness the Milky Way is more on the other side of the sky and I have to contend with Exmouth, Exeter etc... or drive a long ways past Exeter, Torbay, Torquay... but not too close to Plymouth.... James

Probably the last nightscapes I'll be doing until at least August now as the days are drawing in and astro-dark is nearly gone here in Devon. Not to mention the Moon!!!! I spent a few hours on the beach at Budleigh Salterton in Devon last Thursday taking some photo's (and eating way too many biscuits). Here's a couple of the results - first one a 60 second tracked exposure. I've blended in a stationary shot of the beach (my first time trying that!). The second image is the centre of the Milky Way just above the southern horizon. This is a 90 second tracked image (using a Star Adventurer Mini) but I forgot to even think about the ground so the foreground isn't great. Seriously relaxing being on an empty beach at night!! First picture: Taken with a Canon 6D, ISO3200, 60 second exposure (I know, it didn't need ISO3200!) with a Sigma 14mm at f/1.8, Second picture, same camera, ISO 3200, 90 seconds tracked through a 24-105mm Sigma Zoom at 35mm. I've loads of ideas for next time... but it'll be next February before the Milky Way is in the right place again! James

I have the 36mm versions of these filters and am desperate to have a go with them. Unfortunately my efforts have been delayed somewhat by dropping my scope fully laden with camera, filters etc 😫. Luckily not much damage done although the focuser got damaged on my leg (so did my leg!). Cue much shamefaced embarrassment at work though ... astro-dark will have gone by the time the moon has so should be interesting trying them in astro-twilight.. James

Lovely pic Dave, a nice way to end the season

Lovely images Dave and don’t worry about the light pollution, I find it often adds to an image like the ones you’ve done