CCD-Freak

I use a dovetail plate mounted to the top side of the mounting rings to mount various guide scopes. Makes for quick mounting and removal. John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I was checking my QSI-583 that I was selling before I shipped it and I was having trouble getting the filter wheel to work even though it worked fine the last time I used it. There has been so many software updates since I last used it I did not try to solve the issue. I had updated the ASCOM platform to V6.4. I had updated AA7 with several service packs and of course Windows has done numerous updates. Fortunately the person I sold the camera to has not reported any problems. I hope you can solve the problem. I think QSI still has the ASCOM driver for the 583 on the website. Good luck. I hope you can solve the issue without too much gnashing of teeth. John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

The 80mm Stellarvue guide scope went on today quite nicely. I am just about all set for the trip to a park about 100 miles from home. I may have some issues with all the smoke blowing in from the California wild fires. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

This is one of the reasons I chose the SS 15028HNT over a RASA system... https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/716612-its-a-sad-day-when/ OUCH !!! I an working on mounting my guide scope today. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Looks good....I like the custom brackets. I will be working on getting mine mounted on the AP900 today and mounting the guide scope. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I installed an EAF focus motor on the SS 15028HNT today and it looks great with all the red. I then tweaked the collimation that was just slightly off after shipping. Collimating with the laser was a 10 minute job. Now I will mount my guide scope and get it ready to go on the mount. Looking forward to testing it if the weather clears as forecast this weekend. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Well....I pushed the BUY button and it arrived yesterday. The weather forecast actually looks pretty good for fist light this weekend. I want to get it all checked out before my imaging expedition to SW New Mexico in October. Imaging at F2.8 under Bortle 2 skies should be a blast! John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I sure hope so....I love my ASI-533MCP and a mono version would be great for merging color and narrow band images. John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Nice image....was it a single image or a stack? Looks like the seeing was good. John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

A buddy of mine makes a curved cable router for Hyperstar and RASA scopes. https://jwbozeman.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fhyperstar-cable-router John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Balance won't be a problem with my AP900 mount which will dwarf the 15028HNT should I decide to get it. The picture shows my 8" F3.8 imaging Newt. It will also carry the RASA 8 should I decide to go that way. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I agree the RASA is better than the Hyperstar but I don't care for either. I don't like the camera in front of the corrector with the cable diffraction issues and heat from the camera cooler billowing through the field of view. I might decide to live with the RASA 8 since it is a bit faster and costs less. I like the diminutive size of the 15028HNT so it is a tough decision. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

More "mud in the water".......When you overlay all the wavelengths and adjust for the difference of the block size there is not much difference in the spot size. I would love to have the new Tak E-160ED it more than two times more than the 15028HNT. And I am not a fan of the Hyper Star 8 and RASA 8 so that is why I am interested in the SS. Is the slight difference in the spot diagram going to show up when one factors in typical seeing? More research to do. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I have read the CN thread several times. Only a few have had issues and they were attempting to use full frame and heavy cameras. Most of the other posters were having good results. The SharpStar Facebook page is full of great images made with the 15028HNT. The thread is over a year old and I hope SS has worked out some of the early production issues. I have not pushed the button yet and I am still looking for input. Your thread here does cause concern. I hope those problems have been fixed in later production. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Alan's review in S&T is what got me interested in the SS15028HNT to start with. I just got an e-mail from Alan and he indicated he enjoyed testing it and did not have any serious issues with it. My finger is quivering !!! John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Good info...I will read that thread. I am not afraid of collimating the scope. I have an 8" F3.8 Newt so I have learned to do it so that does not scare me too much. If the correction is good and the scope holds collimation well I may "Push the button". John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

The little devil on my shoulder is saying..."Push the button...just buy the bloody thing !!!!" LOL John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

My finger is hovering over the BUY button for this very cool looking little astrograph. The siren song of imaging at F2.8 is calling me. Does anyone have any experience with this instrument? John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

My hard drive was littered with incomplete mono LRGB images so I decided to give OSC a go and I have not regretted the decision. At some point I may get another mono camera since I do like shooting Ha but I am waiting for some new mono camera with great specs to be released. John CCD-Freak WD5IKX M20 ASI-1600MC-Cool V3 ES 127EDT

Since the ASI-294MC-Pro is soooo popular it is not a big surprise they came out with it first. I hope the mono ASI-2600MM-Pro comes out soon....I will be all over that. (^8 John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Yeah.....I have done the rubber O rings and they do work great and look good. (^8 John CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I am surprised the rubber covers are still on the knobs after all these years. I am sure they will fall off at some point. I am getting this scope ready for imaging and I hope to give it a good trial run out at Copper Breaks SP (one of my favorite dark sites) at the next new moon. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Most of the pieces came from my ham radio "Ye Olde Junque Box" and the Vixen style adapter "toe" I found on E-Bay. I got the belts and cog wheel from MPJA.com All I had to do was drill and tap some holes and then screw it all together. Hopefully this will give you some ideas. Looking at threads like this give me good ideas for solving how to mount things. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

This is a usually fun thread on the other side of the pond so I thought I would get it going here. Today I made a custom bracket to attach a ZWO EAF focus motor to an older Orion 10" F4.7 Newt I am fixing up for imaging. It uses the finder shoe for attachment. What did you do today ?????? John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

This is a usually fun thread on the other side of the pond so I thought I would get it going here. Today I made a custom bracket to attach a ZWO EAF focus motor to an older Orion 10" F4.7 Newt I am fixing up for imaging. It uses the finder shoe for attachment. What did you do today ?????? John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX