Jonny_H

I reckon it's Musk. He is creating artificial clouds in the evenings to keep Astronomers off the scent of his SpaceX operation......🤔

........Or the weather here in the UK is utter garbage! 😉

Don't get me wrong, I still and always have followed the manual - undoing them to adjust latitude and retightening them once done. After all I am sure they must be doing something.

I too assume that their purpose is to stop shift/slippage etc.....I also assumed that if this is the case you would feel a degree of friction to the latitude adjustment if they are tight (since the manual states that you must undo them to change latitude).

The post is purely to satisfy my curiosity 🙂

Hmm.....ti's a tricky one this. Looks like I will have to negotiate with the wife! 

Re: the wheels solution - that could be viable along with marking out the position of the mount somehow on the patio.

Re: the wheel options - are there any off-the-shelf solutions or do I need to get into a bit of DIY?

Hi all,

I thought i would ask on here in the hope that you can give me some suggestions.

Like many, I don't have an observatory. The position of where I would have to have one just isn't possible, I.e. smack bang in the middle of the patio. Similarly I cannot install a permanent pier there either for the same reasons (I would have no issues putting a pier there but Mrs Jonny H definitely won't have it) 😁

So this leaves me with lugging my mount and equipment from A to B.... then from B back to A when I'm done for the night. Polar alignment each time etc etc etc....you know the score.

So.......my question is when you do not have the luxury of installing an obsy or fixed pier....what are the alternatives?......besides moving house 😂

Any thoughts welcome.

Thanks,

Jonny

Hi all,

A quick question for those who own an AZ EQ6 GT....

Do you find the fork tightening knobs (using the description from the manual) a bit on the useless side?

On mine they don't seem to make any difference whatsoever. I don't get any slippage or anything but regardless if they are undone or done-up reasonably tightly - it doesn't make a blind bit of difference when using the latitude jackscrew (whether with or without load).

Just wondered what they are actually for. I assumed that if done up tightly if would create a noticeable friction when using the latitude jackscrew?

Just curious is all 🤔

16 hours ago, Swoop1 said:

Having the skies clear enough to see the moon would be nice.

This....

I feel like there is some kind of conspiracy going on as of late. 

Full moon or not I would take anything at the moment. My scopes and mount have been for decorative use only the past few weeks/months!

16 hours ago, Astroscot2 said:

Have I done the right thing?

 

I don't think you have. I would suggest sending it to me before anybody notices 🤫😉

9 hours ago, Buqibu said:

I hope you have copyrighted this!? 

A lot of the retailers on here will be all over this! 😉

On 06/08/2021 at 13:53, smashing said:

My OH is away this week... surprisingly this 2600MC-pro happened to arrive whilst she wasn't here...funny that.

 

Funnily enough this happens to me quite often!

It is rather strange how these accidental on purpose coincidences pan out! 😉

15 minutes ago, jacko61 said:

Just a quick point. The ASI533 is 17.5mm from the sensor to the front of the fixed* black ring. 

graeme

* I say fixed - I've tried to move the one on my 533 and it's solid so it's staying there. 

You are right. I think my 6.5mm must have been referring to the sensor to the back of the fixed ring (mine doesn't seem to want to budge either and I am too scared to apply force 😆)

That means I am down to a 9mm difference then.....

12 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

8" f/12 Classical Cassegrain

Correct. Sorry I should have elaborated rather than using acronyms! 🙈

So thinking about this further - even with the 4 inch extension tubes that came with the scope along with the 21 & 16.5mm extenders that came with the camera (taking into account the 6.5mm spacing between the sensor and first ring) - I am still 20mm short.

Just trying to work out if this is correct or not? 🤔

Hi Harry,

There are never stupid questions - only stupid answers! 😉

Anyhow- I don't have any experience with this scope but just my initial thoughts - how are you putting the eyepiece into the scope? That probably sounds silly but are you just popping it into the end of the scope (so the EP is horizontal) or are you using a diagonal in which case the EP will be vertical?

For visual work you will need to use a diagonal i would imagine in order to achieve focus. Again I am not familiar with this scope at all but you may also need to add extensions to gain focus as well as using a diagonal.

I will let others chime in though.

Regards 

Jon

Thanks Graeme.

I have the StellaLyra version but I think the Orion, TS and SL are more or less the same.

That is at least a starting point I can work with.

I will wait to see if any other owners have resolved similar issues also.

Thanks,

Jon

I have failed miserably at resisting.

My bank account has taken a bit of a bashing over the past couple of weeks........thanks FLO 🙄 

I love you really....😉 😆

Hi all,

I hope you are well.

I need help (don't we all 😉) with a backfocus question re: my 8" f/12 CC and 533mc pro.

I thought I would use tonight as a first test for imaging with the CC (to date I have only done a bit of visual work).  However I couldn't for the life of me achieve focus. I spent about 45 mins trying all sorts of combinations with and without the scopes 2" and 2 x 1" extension tubes. This in conjunction with and without the ZWO 21mm and 16.5mm extenders for the camera but to no avail.

Where did I fail the test? I have had no issues at all with this camera and other scopes I own or have owned, e.g. Esprit 100, 150PDS. The CC however seems to be my nemesis!

Any tips/pointers would be hugely appreciated.

Regards,

Jon

10 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

You can’t go wrong with that, love mine.

Thanks Stardaze.

Only issue is that I fear I will quickly want the 10, then the 14 and so on.... 😀 

Still.... noone said this was a cheap hobby! 😆

Hi all,

Just received this from Mr Postman.

Finally took the leap in upgrading my EP's. Just need this bad weather to do one so I can test it out! 🙄

Regards,

Jon

We have certainly come a long long way. 

I think technology has advanced extensively and has allowed amateur AP'ers to take very nice photos indeed of DSO's, planets etc....this with instruments a fraction of the size of the ones that only professional AP'ers could use and take photos back then.

I think that makes sense....i've been up since 4am! 🤔😊

Thank you for the info.  I have been looking at the Morpheus range recently too. As you say they certainly seem to hold their own against the heavy hitters.

Lots to think about....let the research and reading continue 🙄

1 hour ago, bingevader said:

I think the biggest question to ask is, what's your budget!?

I've been very gradually moving to 82º EPs and I'm very happy with those that I have purchased for my 8" dob (so not terribly demanding!).

However, this has been going on for some years, at Christmas times and birthday times, as my budget wouldn't stretch to anything else, or over a shorter time period!

Yes budget certainly plays a role! 

In answer to that - I don't really have a budget as such. I have no objections in paying a high premium and build a quality eyepiece collection over a longer period of time.

Having said that....some pieces are eye-watering expensive and i certainly can't justify spending £800+ on a 21mm TV Ethos for example. That would get you a rather nice scope!!

I would probably say £200 - £250 ish is the maximum before I would start to think otherwise.

I don't think i would have any issues with my 8" CC but my Esprit 100ED would certainly be more demanding I think. Whilst I would probably use the CC more for visual work I don't want to, if it can be helped, solely base eyepieces for it. I would like to keep the option of the 100ed open also.

Thank you for your responses. I think this highlights the complexities of selecting/choosing eyepieces which seem to be equal to or not far behind choosing a telescope.

My query was really very much generic at this stage albeit a wider apparent field would be one of my criteria. I guess it was more the 'quality' I was wondering about but it seems like this in itself is a minefield!

Regards,

Jonny

Hi all,

As per the subject - I have been getting urges as of late to 'upgrade' the few eyepieces that I started off using. These being the BST range and more specifically the 8mm, 12mm and 18mm.

Whilst my scopes and setups are mainly around AP, I do enjoy a visual session also.

My current scopes are a SW Esprit 100ed and Stellalyra 8" CC and have been using the 8" CC more recently for lunar visual but  I plan to use both scopes for visual and AP.

Anyhow.....I have enjoyed my BST's but a part of me is wondering whether I am missing out on better image quality/colour quality etc... by having 'better quality' eyepieces? 

I have read very good reviews on eyepieces from the likes of TV, Pentax & Baader, but by upgrading your eyepieces to more premium brands - do you see noticeable differences over say the BST's?

Ideally I would like to try out several pieces to see which best suits my eyes but I wanted to get views/thoughts from the forum as a starting point.

Thanks,

Jonny

Yes whilst the power outputs are capable, I believe it recommends within the manual to power your mount separately......I don't think I am making that up at least....🤔

Just another confirmation.....I use the 120MM mini as a guide cam with the ASIAir Pro and it certainly recognizes it.