AstroNebulee

This little peach was delivered today, happy times, just need the clouds to do one as I didn't order clouds with it 😉😁 , it will compliment my explorer 150p nicely on my eq3-2 mount

Hi guys Thank you for your replies, I have ordered a generic wall plug charger that does variable voltages and different connectors to hopefully fit alright as I think the socket is centre positive but could be wrong, will have to see about lashing a lead up from USB if needed, plenty of those laying around here and I'm not adverse to some soldering. Clear skies

Hi I know the Skywatcher single axis motor for the eq3-2 is battery powered but I see you can plug in dc power to it, does anyone know which dc power adapter I can use it with please, as prefer to run off mains electric rather than batteries

Hi I know this image is over processed and not sharp but as it was crop the image enlarged itself. I captured this last night on my skywatcher explorer 150p and svbony 105 x2 barlow and with sharp cap, font know why it was captured in b/w, will have to check the settings in sharpcap. The gain was at 70/100 and histogram was knocking 65,its the best I've managed so far and can at least make out the two gas caps on either pole this time. I'll have to play around with sharpcap more as only second time using it and first time with the 150p. I've read that I have to debayer the avi file in pipp first so that the colour comes through then use my stacking programme but don't know the pattern to use for my camera.

Hi I know this image is over processed and not sharp but as it was crop the image enlarged itself. I captured this last night on my skywatcher explorer 150p and svbony 105 x2 barlow and with sharp cap, font know why it was captured in b/w, will have to check the settings in sharpcap. The gain was at 70/100 and histogram was knocking 65,its the best I've managed so far and can at least make out the two gas caps on either pole this time. I'll have to play around with sharpcap more as only second time using it and first time with the 150p. I've read that I have to debayer the avi file in pipp first so that the colour comes through then use my stacking programme but don't know the pattern to use for my camera. Here are my settings for this particular capture [SVBONY SV105] Resolution=640x480 FPS=30.00 Colour Space=MJPG Output Format=AVI files (*.avi) Frame Rate Limit=Maximum Exposure=15.6ms Timestamp Frames=Off Brightness=4 Contrast=19 Hue=5 Saturation=0 Sharpness=8 Gamma=163 White Balance=6500 Gain=70 Banding Threshold=35 Banding Suppression=0 Apply Flat=None Subtract Dark=None #Black Point Display Black Point=0 #MidTone Point Display MidTone Point=0.5

Hopefully they can get the skywatcher scopes as most skywatchers are out of stock at the moment, I ordered a skywatcher skymax 127 ota recently and probably won't be in stock until mid August as skywa factory in China is struggling to kerp up and on reduced staff atm. They will be rewarded by thus fantastic hobby/fascination/compulsion 😁

I plumped for a 32mm ep and it provides a good fov and eye relief.

This was back in May this year and the planets have now changed position slightly, I have a limited view of of just after east to nearly south, its elevated, so the angle to Jupiter and Saturn isn't that much, if I was lower down the planets would be higher but difficult to get lower

Hi I have now bought a svbony sky glow filter which has helped a little in showing the 2 main bands on Jupiter a bit and have an 80a blue filter on order as they says its the Swiss army knife if filters and may help but realise that Jupiter is still to low down at the moment, I'm using my new skywatcher explorer 150p eq3-2 now and can definitely see a difference even using a 3x barlow, have taken done videos on sharpcap last night so will process them now the clouds are rolling in the next few nights

I mainly use clear outside and met office, I think the BBC one is far from accurate

The 2 delivery drivers and postman brought this to me today my new skywatcher explorer 150p eq3-2,a Cheshire colimater and lens pen, all in all a very good day, got the scope set up now and keep everything crossed for clear skies here in Cornwall

Hi John Thank you for your advice and help, i will definitely love my new scope when o]it arrives, after some good advice of going for the 150p as the 200p was way to big for my purpose in a first floor flat and the weight, so 150p will sit nicely and as stated 30% more light gathering than the 130eq and hopefully the 150p has a centre marked primary mirror, mount arriving on tuesday so hopefully ota arrives then and cloudy skies will ensue after some clear skies forecast for this weekend here in cornwall, this will be my last upgrade for a while now until i move or saved up enough for a better mount, clear skies everyone :)

Yes these are photos with the smartphone using a nexyz phone adapter

I have collimated the best I can with my laser, I have a Cheshire hopefully coming on Monday so will give it a check then, but as pixies said earlier could be a spherical mirror rather than parabolic even though it says parabolic

It may well be that it's a spherical primary rather than parabolic and it's a new astromaster 130eq so not sure but you could be right pixies.

Hi pixies That's a great idea and pice of software, I'll definitely look at that and use it

I've plumped for it and ordered the skywatcher 150p with eq3 mount as it's at the top of my budget for now and can always upgrade the mount later and get goto aswell, this has been funded by the sale of my astromaster 130eq (and xbox which I've not used in ages) now someone else will get the pleasure of astronomy and a wonderful hobby, thank you for your advice, the astronomy bug has well and truly bitten deep

Hi ricochet Thankk you all sorted now and got it just about spot on now with only a slight offset and a sharper image now.

The secondary now I think I've got in centered as best I can in ficus tube, still could do with going yo the right a bit I think (towards the mirror but needs to undo the central screw)

Hi this question will of been asked before, I think I've collimated my astromaster 130eq well but as the secondary is offset a little on these models does my attached photo looking through my collimation cap look OK, I know the offset thing and doesn't look to far out, does this affect the view into my ep or can I move it closer to the centre by undoing the dreaded centre screw they say never to touch.

Hi John, I have collimated it with my laser collimation tool and checked the laser for collimation and is fine, I centre marked the primary correctly as astromaster 130eq wasn't centre marked, I've a Cheshire on order from flo just waiting on that to check collimation, the star collimation looks good aswell, I've read on the net that the secondary in the astromaster is slightly offset for a reason that escapes me, the top Jupiter and bottom Saturn were stacked and processed but middle Saturn was live view in the ep and venus, can't remember what combination of ep now

Hi John Yes I read this aswell, I will continue viewing the planets as much as I can and already with a photo taken and stacked of Jupiter with my webcam I can see the beginnings of the hrs, but when looking through the ep it's just very overexposed due to chronic abberation and low down, I have used a baader polarising filter aswell before a bit marmite I know

The focal length is 650mm so for 5mm= 130x or with x2 barlow =260x which is a very step push put plausible I think. And 8mm will be 81.5x so will go with the 5mm starguider.

Thanks Mike, I may try a couple of starguider eps first as much cheaper than a new scope, but I like the sound of 30% more light than my 130eq (just 20mm makes that much difference) I like my 130eq and a good scope will give it a chance with the starguiders. The astro essentials plossls are medium grade and affordable to have a few in the collection I guess and thought I'd go for these first before going for starguiders. The starguider are either in 8 or 5mm Mike do you suggest the 8mm as my first as cannot afford both

Hi Mike Thank you for your reply. The only thing about the 130eq is wanting to get more detail on the planets and moon, I have no issues with the mount per say, I have 4.7, 7.5, 10, 20 and 32mm astro essential plossl from flo a celestron 2x barlow and a 3x barlow on order so this may suffice, I know staguiders are highly recommended on here but we're out of my price range at the time. I was thinking how much difference a 150mm scope would be considering its not much bigger than a 130mm but if you say the difference is considerably better I'd think of the skywatcher explorer 150 as smaller in hugeness than the 200p