Stu

1 hour ago, josefk said:

Hi @Stu i also wonder about that top mounted bridge concept attached into both sides of the mount - i've talked about it with Derek at one of the astro shows before. The TTS panther follows that concept.

Cool. I sourced a couple of dovetails so I can build myself something out of 18mm ply and will see how that goes with my 150mm

50 minutes ago, woldsman said:

Hello - a follow up query. As will become obvious, I don’t know what I’m doing.

I ordered the Neoteck multimeter. Before using it, I read up on safety. Seems like the key thing is always to insert the black probe first.

Testing the D battery pack, I got a positive voltage reading of 27.4. See the attached image. Reversing the leads, I got a reading of -0.000. I’m concluding this indicates center positive? If so, 27v seems way too high. Although the handset lights up green (indicating the sd-1 is center positive?) I’m concerned the voltage may be too high with the battery pack.  However, there are eight 1.5v batteries so I don’t understand why the reading is not 12v. Even this is on the high side as 9v has been cited as the correct input.

I’ve also no idea how to test the polarity and voltage of the usb powered lead as this has a single pin and although there are two electrodes at the end there is insufficient space to insert both probes.

It looks like you have the multimeter set to AC rather than DC. If you rotate the selector switch anti clockwise five clicks you should be on 20V DC so should get an accurate reading.

43 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

A sketch like that, showing an image from a 4.75" cheap achromat worth perhaps £150 versus a Japanese hi end 4" apochromat costing c £2k does beg the question..why pay out the £2k??🤔🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Dave

Indeed! I recall getting better resolution on Zeta Herculis with a Heritage 130p than my rather lovely and expensive Vixen FL102S. It just shows that aperture does count for that and the the optics on the Heritage scopes are actually very good.

Do I prefer the aesthetics of the views in the Vixen to a 130p? Yes I do, but in that instance (and likely some others) the resolution benefits of the additional aperture do show through.

22 minutes ago, 900SL said:

Given the number of posts from noobs who appear to be unable to articulate or clearly define their specific equipment, settings or parameters, it would cost nothing to have a sticky at the start of each 'beginner' section setting out some helpful guidelines. This would enable the more experienced forum members to possibly identify the issues that the OP is struggling with, rather than facepalming at yet another post that requires clairvoyant capabilities.

I generally try to assist in these threads, but occasionally, before morning coffee, I let go with both barrels 😆 

You know what they say, if you can’t think of anything nice to say…..

Grab some more coffee and maybe hop back into bed and get out of the other side.

Plenty of reasons why newbies may not provide full info; language barriers, simply not understanding what we need in order to be able to help. Actually in this instance, all that is likely required is a picture of the eyepiece, the scope is irrelevant.

Now, back on topic and be nice!

57 minutes ago, MartianHill said:

It may be worth bearing in mind that this forum is open to all ages, experience and ability levels.

It costs nothing to be positive and polite.

Exactly! Thank you 🙏 

27 minutes ago, josefk said:

Hi all. I have an AZ100 mount question for the SGL hive mind.

Specifically does anyone have practical experience of completely “overloading” the mount with a 25kg plus (short) OTA on one side?

I have this weight on the mount split across dual mounted scopes on occasion and somehow it can be even nicer than mounting a single ~15kg scope on one side (though I don’t know if I’m imagining this “even better damped” sensation).

I’m considering a larger aperture scope (than my ~8” CC) and the real step improvement for the targets I have in mind would be 12” and heavy (though probably short). 

I really really don’t want to have to think about another mount plus new scope (…and I don’t want a Dob)

cheers
 

 

Firstly, I do agree that dual scopes seem to behave better than single scopes for reasons I can’t explain. I guess the errors just balance out but I agree, balance and motion seems better.

I’ve not tried overloading the mount, but I suspect the mount would cope with 25kg despite being rated at 15 to 20kg. Of course you do so at your own risk in case of damage to the mount, but the most likely risk is that the whole rig topples over if not counter-balanced correctly.

The most I’ve used is my 150mm f10 PST mod. Not sure how much it weighs, maybe 15kg, I’ll check it soon, but it is very long so does suffer from some vibrations.

One thing I am planning on trying is to make a rig that mounts the scope on top and uses both clamps, somewhat like this example that Peter Drew uses. I think that it will spread the load better and possibly reduce vibrations. Not sure how well it would work with a Newt (which I assume you are planning on, might make the eyepiece height too high?

1 minute ago, Littleguy80 said:

Couldn’t believe my luck when this came up on ABS on Easter Sunday! I have a birthday coming up so I’m putting it away for that. Should give some time for the clouds to clear 😉

Excellent! Reckon you’ll love that Neil 👍

What you clearly need is a 600mm! 🤣🤣

https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=213216

@Flame Nebula just a polite note to stop bypassing the swear filter with asterisks as per the CoC.

Many thanks,

Stu

49 minutes ago, PatrickO said:

 For lunar observation do you find an erecting diagonal preferable?

I'm fairly new to astronomy and lunar observation appeals a lot. Just wondering how more experienced observers do it.

Thanks, Patrick 

I think a few do, who are sensitive to orientation but I think most prefer the higher quality of a mirror or standard prism (ie not correct orientation). The corrected prisms generally do show artefacts on bright stars and some degradation at higher powers, so personally I don’t use them. There are lunar maps which show left/right reversed views to make identification easier, or software apps that do the same so it is a manageable issue from that perspective.

8 hours ago, lunator said:

I've had a look through my imaged and had dug out 2 pics, one from 2007 and one from 2022. It amazing to see the orbital motion over 15 years. The image scale is very different but hopefully it is clear.

Cheers

Ian

Amazing! Just shows the benefit of keeping long term records.

On 28/03/2024 at 13:26, josefk said:

The trouble is its difficult to pre visualise exactly which detail of the Lunar surface will become the focus of the sketch so therefore which area to pre-draft...(i suppose this is where experience wins)

Perhaps you could use the NASA Lunar Simulator to check out exactly what will be on view to decide the best targets?

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5187/

1 hour ago, paulastro said:

Mike, you still didn't answer my question in my first paragraph as to why you thought I needed to be told the difference between an image and a visual observation - which has nothing to do with the question asked about what aperture it needs to see spiral structures in galaxies.   I thought it was patronising and unecessary.

 

Gentlemen, you are supposed to be friends, can you please behave like it!

Thank you.

Stu

13 minutes ago, PatrickO said:

My interests are visual observation and occasional planetary/lunar photography. Not planning any DSO photography.

I'm presently using a Celestron C6/8 mount, but it limits how near the zenith I can go.

My scopes are a 120mm achro refractor and a 200mm SCT. 

I'd like a sturdy GOTO mount with a very quick/easy alignment. I'd prefer to avoid polar alignment.

I'm thinking of the Ioptron AZ Pro, but would appreciate your opinions.

Any suggestions or advice gratefully received.

What level of budget do you have Patrick? That will help others advise better.

I wonder what the date is today? 🤣

Sounds like a nice problem to have  

Just a few thoughts…

The Orion Optics dobs are made from aluminium and so are a decent amount lighter than the others available.

The Skywatcher and GSO based optics seem to be of decent quality these days, so if going for OO I would likely try for 1/10th wave spec just for peace of mind and whatever edge there is over standard.

I believe the Celestron StarSense units are well recieved, and the StarSense itself is excellent for locating objects. The Stella Lyra scopes from our sponsor are also worth a look.

I assume your aims are for deep sky observing? Aperture obviously matters for this, so it is worth considering a larger model. Truss dobs are actually quite manageable if you assemble them at your observing location, or perhaps you could look into something like an Astro Tuff Truck which would make moving the scope around a lot easier and avoid any lifting. This would take a 16” or 18” truss dob I think.

https://www.astrotufftruk.com

https://www.astrotufftruk.com/productsandprices/dobtruklarge

There are various manufacturers of truss dobs which are worth thoroughly researching if going down that route.

Hope that’s of some use for starters.

46 minutes ago, Flame Nebula said:

Hi Stu, 

I appreciate your words of warning, and deep down I know you're probably right. 😉

I think the choice of AZEQ6 mount is pretty solid,as it is effectively the centrepiece and future proofs heavier scopes. Of course, from what I've seen in astrobin (and I've looked at a lot of planetary images, as you can imagine), even the best 5" refractors don't match larger apertures. 

Another path would be to go down the SW 200pds, (8" F5) route, because that would bring me closer to experience what it might be like with a similar length scope to 300mm f4, but less diameter to hold and lighter at about 9kg. If I struggle with that, then..... 

It would also get me used to collimation etc. 

Plus, outlay for 200pds OTA is relatively low(£425,new,flo).

I'll give it serious consideration. 👍

Best wishes 

Mark 

 

I guess my point is that there is a lot to learn! Don’t imagine you are going to walk into top notch planetary images straight away as it takes time and practise in all elements. I was just trying to indicate that if you start with a refractor, you KNOW that your collimation is good so you can just concentrate on capture and processing until you have perfected that, then move up to the larger scope with the additional complexity of collimation and greater seeing and cooling sensitivity. If you are trying to get all that right straight off the bat then it can be hard to know which bits are going wrong. You will potentially spend a lot of time getting the scope right and much less time actually imaging and getting data to process.

Others may disagree with me, and I’m a complete armchair imager ie I’ve never done proper imaging, only smartphone snaps but I’m on the forum a lot, and I read posts across the imaging areas too and so am familiar with many of the struggles! I’ll shut up now  

Wow, beautiful images Francis. Photos of the rig please!! 👍👍

@Flame Nebula another observation….. the standard advice for starting out in deep sky imaging is an ED80 on an HEQ5 mount. Reasons? It’s a great mount with more than enough capacity to hold and track the scope. The scope is optically decent and has a relatively short focal length and is physically small. All these things help it to track well; it doesn’t act like a sail in wind and guiding a short focal length is easier than guiding a long one. Starting with a large and complex scope which is harder to guide and needs collimation and also acts like a sail is hard!

Why do I mention this? Well, planetary imaging is a skill in itself, and there are many variables to control. Seeing conditions are important as is the collimation and cooling of the scope, not to mention the processing.

Now, to go from a standing start, to imaging with a 12” newt is a big ask in my book. You have many things to get right, so whilst you will likely get there eventually, I suspect it would be better from a learning perspective to start the process with a bomb proof scope so you learn the basics of imaging and processing, then step up to the larger scope so you already know the basics and can focus on the cooling, collimation and simple handling of the larger scope.

Perhaps a 5” apo might not be a bad place to start, the SM125 is a great option, and is lightweight and not too long but will still chuck up some decent images. Then move on up the scale to the 12” either directly or via an intermediate scope.

There’s a theme in my party pooping posts as I’m sure you can tell; just getting the best/top end kit to start with is not always the right path. I’ve seen more than one newbie throw thousands at really top end imaging kit with no idea how to use it, and we never saw an image out of them.

Start realistic, learn the ropes and move on up would be my advice.

Just as an observation @Flame Nebula you are putting a huge emphasis on getting it right first time based on ‘paper research’ and feedback from members here and elsewhere.

The trouble with that is that everyone is different, with different circumstances, eyesight, likes and dislikes, and you may find that your preferences in reality don’t match those of the people who are giving very good and well meaning advice. You are asking a huge number of questions about multiple topics, all of which are great and are stimulating some really good threads, but I can see that it is potentially becoming overwhelming.

I think there are some basics which make total sense for your aims such as the AZ-EQ6 mount, but personally if I were you I would be looking at buying used kit wherever possible and to be prepared to make some mistakes and shift kit on if it doesn’t suit your purposes. I guess I’m trying to gently say there is no substitute for putting in the hard yards of gaining experience in all aspects, including learning how to setup and use the kit, how to observe and image and process the results and plain and simple what you prefer. These things take time. I’ve been observing nearly 25 years and despite using some top end kit still haven’t knowingly seen The Pup for example. I’ve seen some newbies on here claim to have seen it first time but, cynic that I am, I doubt that; it takes time and experience to know what is an artefact/reflection/poor seeing and what is real. In terms of kit, I’ve bought and sold over fifty scopes and believe that I know what I like and enjoy now, but for instance still have ‘unfinished business’ with large dobs where I have by no means got the best out of the 16” I have.

So, personally I would switch my focus from trying to reach an end point in one fell swoop, to treating this more like a journey of discovery and see where it leads you. Buying good used kit is key to this as you can shift it on without losing anything much apart from a bit of shipping; treat it like renting if you like.

I hope that doesn’t all sound harsh, it is meant in  the most positive way I assure you.

Stu

1 hour ago, bosun21 said:

Completely finished with the focuser changeover now. I have taped the redundant fixing holes and used black foam to completely eradicate any light ingress. What was initially frustrating at the start with nothing whatsoever lining up as they miraculously seem to do on the YouTube videos I'm pleased as punch with the final outcome. 

 

Looks great, they are excellent focusers. I have one on my incomplete 12” truss dob project which I will sort out one of these days!

6 hours ago, Ratlet said:

The app is a bit weak though.  You cant save observing lists so you just need to search for each target in the software.  I think iPhones can integrate it with sky safari but I've no idea how good/bad that is.

The SkySafari integration works very well so you get the best of both worlds 👍

50 minutes ago, Ags said:

Is StarSense really that great?

In short, yes! It works really well, I bought a new LT80AZ on offer, mainly just to get the StarSense. I have used it to good effect on my other refractors, it is very accurate. You just need a method to mount it on your scope, which is not too tricky to sort in these days of 3D printing. Actually, I must try it on the 16”!

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

@Stu the whole point of musical chairs is that when the music stops, you remove a chair. Not add one!

Ah well young Jeremy, if you read the story correctly that’s exactly what happens!

Starting point:

GP-DX

GP2

Middle bit:

GP-DX

GP2

GP

SP

Now:

GP2

GP

SP

End goal:

GP

I’ll get there! 🤪🤪

I do my own head in sometimes, changing things around and selling things I then regret selling. I have lost count of how many Vixen EQ mounts I’ve had. I think two GPs, a GP2, two GP-DXs, two Sphinx’,  an SP and an Atlux! Craziness!

I think the one I enjoyed most was a GP which was beautifully fettled, with simple dual axis drives and I had it setup permanently in the garden. I used it alot for lunar and solar observing.

I do really enjoy the Skysensor 2000PC controllers; I re bought a DX with SS2k quite a while back but really haven’t used it much. Now that I have the AZ100 with motor kit, if I want Goto, I use that, so I’m now playing musical mounts again!

Current EQ mounts:

GP2 with single axis drive

GP-DX with SS2K

I guess I’m trying to get back to a simple dual axis driven Vixen GP, so this is the crazy process I’m going through…..

I have just bought and received a lovely GP in excellent condition. 

I’ve sold and delivered my GP-DX with SS2k.

I have bought a black SP with green Vixen MT1 motors and DD-1 controller.

I have now put the motors from the SP on my GP and also fitted the ADM saddle upgrade, with a 1.25” saddle to avoid marring my dovetails, and so I get back to a dual axis driven, lightweight EQ for the FC100/FL102S.

I will then sell the SP without motors and the GP2 and be back to one EQ mount which will hopefully get a decent amount of use.

Someone please make the madness stop now!! 🤪🤪