Dean Hale

I used these stand offs from FLO. Provides clearance and helps with the routing of cables.

Finally managed to try this in the garden. The graph is much more stable now. Think i'm on the right track? Please, if i'm missing something do chip in. Forgot to enable multi-star but will try that next time. Thanks

Five 35mm film canisters for a very cheap desiccant cap jobbie. £3 from eBay. Unfortunately a mm or so too wide may have to get the potato peeler on them. Otherwise can still be put to good use and will be fine for storing M4,5,6 bolts etc.

1 hour ago, Roy Cropper said:

Good heavens above. That picture needs some kind of Cert 18 warning!

58 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Those are seriously good looking rings! 

All from FLO if you fancy browsing and  flirting with temptation. A few members have them which swayed me. Doesn't take much to be honest.

A pair of more blue tube rings (they are rather nice), spacers and a couple of right angled adapters.

Isn't it nice when something works the first time which is quite unusual in this game? Well for me so far it is.

I've been curious around trying guiding and luckily last week a camera came up within the ads on SGL. It's cloudy and rather windy here. I don't think it's dropped below 30mph since late last week and being impatient why not test through the attic through the window. At the least to see if I could get the camera to focus. Quite a chore with the guide scope, but finally sorted. Used an old SVBony helical focuser I had lying around which was much easier to use.

Onto installing Phd2 and NINA. Amazingly simple. Plug and play. Understanding what is being presented is another matter but shall read further. All running on a Beelink mini pc and it seems rather responsive.

Yep, the graph looks like an earthquake is happening and useless but at least I can see something is being returned. I'm easily pleased. Think I may have a beer.

A mono Altair 290m from the SGL ads courtesy of @callisto. Always well packaged and speedy postage. And a guidescope from FLO. Quite a neat little item and good value.

I recently upgraded the saddle to the ADM version. @Adam J does this help for comparison. The supplied saddle is fine, i just wished to try a slightly longer version for a little more grip when i add longer and heavier scopes.

A more blue fine focuser for the little Tak (very smooth but surprisingly heavy) and some fine adjustment rings.

1 hour ago, Adam J said:

Could you stick something like a coke can next to the mount head for me please? Was looking at one of these but can't get a feel for how big it is. 

Only have beans. Branston too none of that watery Heinz rubbish! The tin is at the bottom of the saddle and the saddle extends roughly 1 and 3/4 inch above. I'm happy with it. Happy to do a side by side comparison with the original if it helps tomorrow?

In the dumping room and relative warmth tonight. Think it could do with a tidy up.

44 minutes ago, powerlord said:

But I mean... She's got a kitchen I assume ? You've not got an obsy. What new amazing capabilities will this new kitchen have? I'd wager nothing. I'm sure once you explain it all logically she will understand. 🤔

I've been married 22 years I'd like to make it to 23. So a new kitchen it is. Much cheaper than the alternative. 😃

I now mount my mini pc to the tripod leg. I use a neewer tripod bracket (price has shot up was originally £5, maybe cheaper options). It will fit onto the screw on the tube ring. With the mini PC you can use the vesa adapter to attach to the bracket or some velcro. The image below may give an idea of how i attached the mini pc to the bracket (although to the tripod leg not the scope itself). It works for a cheap option.

33 minutes ago, gorann said:

With that garden and distance to your neighbours - why are those scopes not in an obsy?

My little love dove wants a new kitchen so that will be the priority. Maybe in a few years when the bank account has recovered. One can dream.

After a year I finally managed to remember to take a picture outside.

Many thanks for all of the replies and suggestions and to @teoria_del_big_bang for breaking down the usage, that's really helpful.

@900SL for the Optima blue top 55AH battery sounds great but lost as soon as you mentioned 'inline fuse to a dedicated 12V socket or two'. We have a really helpful astro society here. Luckily work is starting to come back to normal and i should have the time to meet up and ask for advice around this and see similar setups in action.

@M40 i like simple ideas.

In the meantime i've sorted out the garden power. Simply a waterproof box, 10 metre cable and a RCD so portable home wise for hopping around the garden. 

9 hours ago, Clarkey said:

I am not an electrical expert but I think you need to clarify a 'few hours' - is this 3 or 8? Big difference. Also, how fussy is the mini pc power requirement? Some are happy with higher voltages but some will not run above 12v.

No more than 3 to 4 hours. For the mini PC it states 12v/2amp so not that power hungry?

I've just purchased the VPN travel router as recommended by @ONIKKINEN. It's tiny. 5 minutes to setup to link with the Beelink mini-pc. I have now disabled my home wifi so no more windows updates unless i choose to. Works great with remote desktop, VNC etc.

Hello helpful people

My knowledge of electrical power is opening the fridge door and seeing the light come on. I have no additional insight, apart from a healthy fear of blowing my kit up. It's the dark arts as far as i'm concerned.

Reading various post users recommend Talentcell, Tracer batteries, Car batteries and so on. So lots of options. However, i'm also unsure what cables are required especially for the latter and the amount power i would need. I've tried to understand power consumption reading multiple posts on amps, ohms, oohs and arrghs and may as well be reading a mills and boon novel - it's just not sinking in.

I wish to power a CEM26 mount a Beelink mini PC and a ZWO camera, maybe a dew strap or two down the line. Maximum power would be for a few hours a night.

I currently have the Powapacs Atom Pro in my basket £239 + £20 for the cable however wondering if this is overkill and other (ideally cheaper) options are available?

So and with my thanks, would you be willing to share portable power solutions for a similar setup and the required cables. Links to these would be appreciated. 

Thank you

A more blue camera rotator (half the price of the official Tak one). M42 dust cap and an as new filter from the SGL ads thanks to @Spaced Out

24 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Non Astro purchase… DJI Mavic 3 drone… got so bored with not being able to get out and actually see anything night or day right now, so decided to get something to play with, even when the cloud is around

Very nice. Can you airdrop me some pork chops. They do seem like fun. 

Indeed. The next ordeal. 

18 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

Well, that’s not really possible, to have a one fits all really, but with my set up I can just swap out the camera for an eyepiece, but leave the flattener in position…

I should have said a filter drawer is also being added to the mix which is why I wish to have the two sets 'once i take note of the distance as mentioned' and prefer the ease of unscrewing whole rather than odd bits hopefully that makes sense? 

Cheers @fireballxl5. I can remove the CA ring which knocks a chunk off and when i find my tape measure i can check how close to 56mm i am or not. Thanks @Stuart1971 I should have asked first. The intention is two sets of adapters one for visual and one for imaging so no need for me to fiddle unscrewing bits in the dark apart from attaching to the tube. Madness maybe.

Don't laugh i've just spent a small fortune on adaptors and i need some advice lots most likely. This is my first attempt with using a flattener and a Takahashi FS-60CB. I'm realistic and know more suitable scopes are out there for astrophotography but i'd like to give it a go. I'm easily pleased.

So, has anyone any idea if this looks correct? I've pointed it at a windmill a few hundred metres away, the only structure in my line of sight and it seems ok (at least i can get focus - lots of sea fret around so not the clearest image) however i'm unsure what to look for to see if anything is amiss and not even sure if it is possible to do a daytime test? 

The adaptors are Tak Multi Flattener, Tak CA ring, Tak Reducer/Corrector to T Adaptor, ZWO M48 to M42 Adapter Ring, ZWO M42-M48 Extender 16.5mm and ZWO M42-M42 Extender 21mm then the ASIAIR 486MC.

Any pointers appreciated 

Many thanks