matthasboldlygone

That's an interesting one if it tells me how far out it is, maybe I'll spend some time today RTFM

Good exchange of ideas here. Consensus is the Polar Alignment is really important and should be done as accurately as possible. I guess I was looking for shortcuts, next clear night I'll be out crawling around under the scope trying to peek through the PA scope and twiddling knobs and screws 👍

Using Synscan on a HEQ5 Pro mount. Would a very good 3 star alignment compensate for a not so perfect Polar Alignment. Will the software work out it's not perfectly polar aligned. I've seen youtubers saying just point to N on the tripod roughly towards Polaris, set your rough Latitude and then spend the time on the star align, while others are saying that is wrong and you MUST start with a very good polar alignment. Cheers

Good tip, but I do have to move it around a bit as things disappear behind trees. I've embedded some bricks into the grass already. I keep looking at my garage roof, seems like a lot of wasted space and above some of the trees, could be a nice permanent tripod spot. 👍

A very brief break in the clouds, Polaris cloud covered so no chance of alignment, just pointed it roughly in the right direction and 'slewed' it around. My first pic of some stars .... I know, but it made me smile 🤗

Thank you

Some good replies, it does appear to come from ye olde English and that definition has been dropped over time. 👍

Ooops, sorry 😛 Interesting idea, I'll do some more research. I guess it would collect dust and bits, but that would be collecting on the lens anyway.

Looked it up in the dictionary ... doesn't sound like the way I treat my scope 😂 1.turn or slide violently or uncontrollably. "the Renault slewed from side to side in the snow" 2.(of an electronic device) undergo slewing. noun: slew; plural noun: slews; noun: slue; plural noun: slues a violent or uncontrollable sliding movement. "I was assaulted by the thump and slew of the van"

It arrived on schedule by DHL. All packaged very well, no problems. I've put it all together and it is a bit of a beast to move around. The counter weight is heavier than my complete eq3 mount. But it is much sturdier. Just have to be careful moving it around, remember to put on my hernia support belt . Luckily my patio doors open full width so I should be able to move it in and out ok, maybe without the counter weight. Tonights challenge, weather allowing : Get it outside on to the patio and level it. Try a basic polar alignment. Move it around to a bright star with the handset manual controls and see what the tracking is like. Fiddle with polar alignment. If I can get a 2 minute video of Jupiter remaining in shot I'll be very happy. 🙏

Thanks Philip, I've given it a good blow and a gentle brush (not sure it's camel hair but very soft). Looks cleanish I guess. £16 for 100ml 😱, I know nothing in this hobby is going to be cheap, I guess it comes in a presentation box which is nice. I see it for £11 without the box. Looked up the composition and it doesn't seem to contain anything 'wonder'. Reading their own advice they suggest avoid cleaning except finger prints and pollen, don't worry about a few specs or dust. Ready to try again on the next clear night due in two weeks, if I find a mushroom growing inside it I'll rethink 👍

All started well tonight, been out for an hour and half or so but the temperature dropped quickly and everything dewed up at around 1am, fuzzy views, dripping off the tripod and tube. Bought it all back inside, but do I now need to clean everything. If water has condensed on the lenses and now evaporated will it have left noticeable residue? I have a refractor and can wipe down the outside of the big lens at the front, I can maybe get to the mirror on the diagonal, but what about the insides and bits I maybe can't easily reach? I hoping the eyepieces are somewhat sealed so just cleaning the outside will be ok? What cleaning equipment do people use, and anything I should avoid? Cheers 🛀

I'll post some comments on Monday from a beginner perspective, see how moveable it is in real life etc. It's a big plunge

Notification it's been shipped, arriving Monday, damn those guys at FLO are quick. I'm only on my 3rd cup of coffee and they're already shipping orders I place at 1am 😀 👍

I guess even quite near the price is still more, I have to draw a line somewhere. And from what I read it's bigger, heavier, has a larger payload but I don't think I will need that. And it's all getting quite complicated with tweaks and differences here and there. But the HEQ5 seemed to fit my requirements. I'd be interested to know why you think that would be a better mount?

I did it, after so much thinking and consideration I've just ordered the Sky Watcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Upgrade from FLO. I feel better now, until the bank statement arrives As a beginner with a cheap scope this has been a hard purchase. Should I buy a nicer scope on my cheap mount, or put my cheap scope on a good mount. In the end I decided to work from the ground up, build on a solid base. I really wanted something motorised with tracking, I could have sorted out a motor for the cheap mount but this just felt like bodging stuff on. The existing tripod is wobbly and everything feels a little 'cheap' (but still good for the price). The GoTo features should be fun, although I still want to learn the star hopping and discover objects myself, sometimes I'll just want to go and look. The tracking will help me get into the imaging and processing side of things and discover the benefits and flaws of my existing scope. After looking at Youtube and listening to those motors I felt the Rowan belt upgrade was worth it, hopefully it will also make it a more desirable sale if this hobby doesn't work out in the coming months / years. I suspect it may be larger and more cumbersome than I imagine, but I could do with a work out here and there. Solid mount Lots of users and good reviews All the features I need Can handle the weight of everything I intend to put on it (I hope) Good resale value for a quick exit strategy Also added a Celestron / Skywatcher power tank, 7ah. 7-10 day delivery time, I'm going to be checking everyday waiting for that Dispatched notice. Thanks for all the tips and advice I got here about mounts. 👍 🎉

Yes please

I'm not sure what your obsession with Louis is, if you want to be his friend PM him and ask him to play. Good night.

After 15 years of running a forum I got to tell the 'types' quite well, you're one of those aren't you lol 😛

You're lucky, there's no close topic button I guess what I want is to see everything, take some quick pics (without hours of processing), let others peer through the eyepiece at a large crystal clear view of Mars, see galaxies and nebula and generally have fun. In reality that isn't going to happen... Taking images is definitely high on the list, and I've now come to accept they will take processing. Not professional level, just something nice to share with friends. Seeing through the eye piece, some deep sky goodness, nice Jupiter, Saturn and Moon views. But from looking around I guess everyone gets that hazy wobbly atmosphere even with the best equipment. Quick and easy setup is important I think. So I am leaning towards a good refractor, maybe an ED if I can stretch the budget.

Great tip 🤪 I wouldn't have thought of that... I wonder if there's a way I can close this now, think I have what I need on the original topic

Well, yes the topic went quickly off-topic from the initial point. It was more a light hearted comment to the wealth of info coming my way. There's another topic about what I was planning to buy but thanks for your input.

I found a Newt in my pond this morning 😛

Can someone just tell me what to buy 😂 🤷‍♂️ I guess I need 20 scopes all setup and have a look through them at the same thing. I have found a local observatory but all meetings cancelled till further notice. Maybe google images would be a good place, but with the processing and photoshopping (and blatant lies) I don't always trust what I'm being shown. The search continues, but I am now thinking one scope won't fit everything I want. 👍

Thanks, it's starting to sink in now and make a bit more sense 👍