Graham Beamson

Thank you Robin, Steve, Some interesting linewidth effects there. Next week I should have an Atik314 (pixels = 6.5 x 6.5 microns) that I'll use as my spectroscopy camera and I'll use either the Lodestar or the ASI178 as the guide camera. I've got field flatteners for my f6 and f7 refractors - would using one before the Alpy be of any benefit ? Regards, Graham.

Ah, I've just read your first post - I missed it to begin with. The ASI178 does indeed have 12.5 mm backfocus and playing around with it I discovered I got a better focus with a 5 mm spacer - so by trail and error maybe I've got it about right ! Something else I could do is to try my 120mm f7 refractor - that might give less coma than the 80mm f6. While I was looking at Vega I thought I would try to find M57 but with a 30 second exposure on the guide camera the stars were all so 'mangled' that I gave up on it.

Hi Robin, Yes, it is with the star away from the slit. On the slit the star almost disappears and does indeed look like a burger. Away from the slit the behaviour of the star as I go through 'optimum' focus is so strange that there must be something wrong. Moving the focuser one way the star becomes a large 'blob' and moving it the other it very quickly gets bigger and so faint that it disappears. At 'optimum' focus there are moving streamers coming out of the star image (some sort of seeing variation ?) and a long exposure gives a triangular star image that looks like a bit like a comet. Unfortunately I didn't record any images to show what was going on. Even with this strange focus I managed to get some reasonable-looking spectra of Vega, Deneb and Altair. I've just tried readjusting the guide camera focus and the Alpy rotation relative to the guider, as described in the manual. Maybe I've got a better focus of the guide camera on the slit, so I'll try again the next time I have some stars. By the way, I've got a lot of dust on the reflective slit that won't come off with a blow duster. As the coating is on the back is it safe to gently wash the front surface with a lens cleaning cloth and lens cleaning solvent ? Here are my Altair, Deneb and Vega spectra. I'll probably put them on the RSpec forum as well. Regards, Graham.

Hi, I purchased an Alpy 600 just recently and have been setting it up, focussing the various parts etc. I have the base module and guide module, but not the calibration module. It has been rather slow because of the short nights and cloud. I was out last night and was able to put a star on the entrance slit (as seen in the output of the guide camera - a ZWO ASI178) and obtain reasonable-looking spectra of Vega, Deneb and Altair. However, I’m concerned about two things: 1. My spectra are not centered on the sensor of the spectroscopy camera - they seem to be off-centre by about 1 mm in the non-dispersive direction. The spectroscopy camera is a Lodestar X2. 2. My focus, as seen by the guide camera, seems quite bad and strangely behaved. When I adjust the telescope focus (an 80 mm, f6 refractor) one way I can see a star get bigger as I go away from focus, but going the other way the star gets fainter and disappears. Also, at the best focus I can get the shape of the star is very strange - there is lots of flaring so that it looks a bit like a comet. I must be doing something wrong - can anyone advise me ? Thanks, Graham.

Thank you everyone. I've just had a 'phone call from Gareth at HOUK and he is still having a lot of difficulties. He can't find a new assistant and is working on his own. He said that my observatory is next on his list. I told him that it can wait and that he should have a few days holiday to look after his family and himself. Regards, Graham.

I have an observatory on order from Home Observatories UK (HOUK) and am finding it difficult to contact them for an update. The last installation that they did that I know of was the 17th and 18th of July. Has anyone been in contact with them since then ? Thank you, Graham.

Very impressive video Stuart - I especially liked the soundtrack ! Regards, Graham.

Wonderful, it looks really good ! Graham.

Yes, very exciting Keith ! Regards, Graham.

Hi Keith, That's very impressive. It should be a nice base for your pier and observatory. Tom, another of the HOUK customers waiting for an observatory, has suggested Ardex K301 as a self levelling concrete resurfacing and levelling compound to fill in my concave concrete base and prevent water gathering underneath the observatory. Nathan recommended it to him for his concrete base and it has worked well, so I'll look into it. Regards, Graham.

I agree, I think they must be having a difficult time, as have many small companies during the covid pandemic. I'll just wait patiently and try not to hassle them. I've got a few concerns about the concrete base for my observatory (it's slightly concave so gathers water when it rains and the extra thick section where the pier bolts down is flush with the rest of the base, whereas I think HOUK might be expecting it to sit 3 inches above) which I need to discuss with Gareth before he begins fabrication.

Thank you Malcolm, What you say is very true. Good communication makes a huge difference to a customer's experience. As it happens I've just had a telephone call from Gareth at HOUK - he must be doing what you describe - making his 'phone calls at the start of the week. He has 2 more observatories to do and then he is on to mine, so it will be another 6 weeks or so. Phew ! Unfortunately Nathan no longer works for HOUK. Graham.

Thank you folks. I know you are all trying to be kind to HOUK, and I try to be kind to them as well, but what is so difficult about picking up the 'phone and speaking to a customer for 5 minutes ? Hey-ho !

They haven't answered the 'phone or responded to an email yet. I know that there are problems in the company - Nathan has just recently left, leaving Gareth on his own. I was told that by another of their customers who is also waiting for an observatory. I would like some reassurance that they will eventually build and deliver my observatory. I think its really bad to leave customers fretting with uncertainty. After paying a deposit of nearly £2000 it would be ordinary courtesy to offer some reassurance.

Thank you for doing that Malcolm - sneaky or not it's very helpful. If they are quoting 12/14 weeks on new orders then my observatory should be due fairly soon - time to give them another call. Regards, Graham.

Thanks Steve, No I paid by bank transfer - the only two options I had were bank transfer or paypal. Anyway, I've just heard from Nathan and he has been off work for a couple of weeks after a minor accident. He sliced off the tip of his index finger with a planing machine. Fortunately he is still able to do everything that he could previous to the accident, but it was very painful for a while and so he needed the time off work. My observatory will probably be another two months, which is fine, I'm sure that when I finally receive it, it will have been worth the wait.

I've just heard from Nathan and he has been off work for a couple of weeks after a minor accident. He sliced off the tip of his index finger with a planing machine. Fortunately he is still able to do everything that he could previous to the accident, but it was very painful for a while and so he needed the time off work. My observatory will probably be another two months, which is fine, I'm sure that when I finally receive it, it will have been worth the wait.

Thank you everyone, hopefully I'll get a call back from Nathan soon.

I ordered an observatory from Home Observatories UK last year and paid the deposit of £1965 on the 14th of October. I was told it would be 'after Christmas'. I'm still waiting. I telephoned at the beginning of January and was told it was in the queue and they would be starting work on it soon. I've telephoned twice in the last few days and can't get an answer. I'm worried that they have gone out of business and I have lost my deposit. Has anyone had an observatory delivered from them recently ?

I ordered an observatory from Home Observatories UK last year and paid the deposit of £1965 on the 14th of October. I was told it would be 'after Christmas'. I'm still waiting. I telephoned at the beginning of January and was told it was in the queue and they would be starting work on it soon. I've telephoned twice in the last few days and can't get an answer. I'm worried that they have gone out of business and I have lost my deposit. Has anyone had an observatory delivered from them recently ?

I did think about building a roll-off observatory myself but I don't really have the DIY skills required and I'm sure I couldn't make as good a job of it as a small firm like Home Observatory UK. Graham.

Hi Again Doug, Did you have any luck contacting Nathan on the mobile number I sent you ? My understanding from Nathan, in one of his emails, is that they have a backlog of work from the last lock-down and are working hard to catch up, so maybe that's why they are difficult to get hold of. That's also why they won't be able to complete my observatory until after Christmas. I hope that lock-down 2 doesn't cause them more problems. I've just been looking at the Altair pier adapter for Skywatcher, Celestron and iOptron piers on their website. Is that the one you used ? I'm looking just in case I have the same problem as you - i.e. Home Observatory unable to deliver their own pier adapter. Is there any height adjustment on the pier adapter ? I use a biggish refractor - a Skywatcher Esprit 120 (840 mm focal length) and even with a 42" pier I think I will need to raise the 'scope by a few more inches to get a comfortable zenith viewing position. Regards, Graham.

Looks very good. I've just had a look at some of your pictures on Flikr - also very good ! You probably have some nice dark skies in Powys. In my part of Cheshire we have Bortle 5.

Hi Again Dougie, Sorry to hear about your problems. I've ordered a 42" pier and adapter for an EQ6-R pro from Home Observatories so I hope that by the time my observatory is delivered (after Christmas was what I was told by Nathan) they will have got their supply of adapters sorted out. Unfortunately with the pandemic everything seems to have gone a bit 'pear-shaped' - manufacturers can't manufacture, suppliers can't supply and shippers can't ship. I've been waiting ages for a few small items from First Light Optics - apparently are problems with supplies from China. Regards, Graham.

Thank you Tony, I'm really looking forward to having my own observatory. I hope it will almost eliminate the work of setting up the 'scope every night and then (even worse) stripping it down again. Also, that it will enable me to make use of short clear periods between the clouds. It's a good tip about stainless hinges and door handles - I'll ask Nathan for those when he begins my build. Regards, Graham.