M40

This has happened to me in the past so I just tried it without the mount connected and got the little box flashing. Stopped it by going into task manager - processes - end task. Connect your mount, then start eqascom setup, search and find the port, then start eqascon run. Hope it helps.

Have a look here... https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/208-eeva-electronically-enhanced-visual-astronomy/ EEVA is a different skill again but it's certainly the direction I am looking to take. Give it a go, you never know, you may get hooked

Looks like Pegasus astro do an auto dew heater controller but this is food for thought. I made a simple arduino dew point alarm with the idea being that it just gave a traffic light green - amber - red warning indication that dew was about to form. I wonder if this can be used somehow as you already know temperature, humidity and dew point all you need to add is an output and a few adjustments. Time to blow the cobwebs off. @skybadger - too heavy for me that

Interesting challenge you have, I am not into AP other than simple one shot lucky pictures so can't help in any way there, but looking at your comment about 2 -3 nights per target and not completing, I did notice that one person on here had two identical telescopes with two identical cameras, filters etc set up as a combo with the idea being that it reduced the data gathering time. So have you considered that amongst your existing kit, you already have the required stuff but by doubling up it could reduce your data time? Also have you considered eeva? Very short time required for each target. Look forward to seeing other replies. All the best.

Hello Sean and welcome to the site 👍 Enjoy your telescope, as for the shaky mount, one of the things you will find as you look around is that just about everyone will say that the mount is more important than the telescope if only to minimise the shaking. Have a look around and don't be concerned about asking any questions.

Here's an interesting link that might help find a club that's near a railway.... http://www.astronomyclubs.co.uk/Clubs/Counties.aspx

It would probably be worth doing a search to see what astronomical societies are in your local area or alternatively one's you can get to easily and maybe contact them to see where they go. You mention Southern England but you can get to Loughton via the tube and they have a very active society here.... https://las-astro.org.uk All the best and welcome to the site.

Logic suggests that as your DOB is cooling down, it is warmer than the outside air, therefore dew is not a problem so I am going to say off. I wouldn't point it straight up though. To be honest, I keep my telescopes in the shed so they are only a few degree's if that higher temperature than outside so it's not something I have really considered. I tend to leave a loose cover over the dew shield and by the time I have polar aligned it, it's good to go. Be interesting to see other answers.

Superb 👌 my only problem is that ideas like this keep removing my excuses 🤦‍♂️

I would be interested to know, has anybody used zoom eyepieces with binoviewers?

Hello and welcome to the site 👍 I wouldn't get stressed over people viewing but not commenting; like me, people look but if they can't help they move on and hopefully someone will be along to help. I have found this is to be a very helpful and knowledgeable site and if people can help, they will be more than happy too.

If you check the counterweight shaft end bolt to see if it is 12mm, you could get one of these... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/counterweight-bar-extension-for-skywatcher-neq6.html In certain combinations I needed to extend the counterweight shaft by about 5 - 10mm and this sorted it out perfectly.

Note to self, must stop buying stuff...

Think of it being similar to a car. If you throw a cover over a car once its in from the rain, you are trapping any moisture between cover and car, not good for the car. It will be the same with a mount, any dew on the mount will be trapped between mount and the TG. I tend to take the telescope in and leave the mount under the TG cover but I throw a builders bucket over the mount thereby keeping an air gap between cover and mount. I might also add that I went up a size in cover. It tends to get a bit close to the floor when its just the mount, but there is plenty of cover for when I leave the telescope on the mount.

Having been outside, your telescope and all the other stuff, when you bring it inside, will be colder than the inside air temperature, and as long as where you keep it remains a few degrees or more higher temperature than outside, the telescope and other items will dry naturally .... here comes the caveat .... as long as air can get to them. If you put it inside a case then there will be no air circulation and the telescope will either remain wet or take longer to dry out. So as Jiggy 67 says, don't put it in the case or if you do, leave the lid open. When I bring my stuff inside, I keep it in a shed, leaving it uncovered and just cover it up the following day.

Hello and welcome back, loving the dob in the kitchen , my stuff was initially in the dining room 🤣 sounds like you have it well planned, enjoy 👌

Hello and welcome to the site 👍

I stuck on a Baader steeltrack focuser and lakeside focus controller. You don't need to go with that selection, but adding a focuser and controller made it so much easier getting focus. The Lakeside controller being an ascom device enables you at some point in the future of remote focus control. It does add a fair amount of weight though. Does the ADC make much difference?

Hello all, I couldn't understand why all of a sudden, polar alignment became an issue and it felt like the azimuth screws had stripped. Found the challenge quite quickly in that the north peg had become loose somehow. Tightened it and all is good. Just a nudge then that its worth checking the obvious first.

Hello Astra and welcome to the site 👍 I ended up with just the two I ordered, looks like I could have made a few pennies if I had got the 500 🤣

I bought and just use a Kendrick dew shield for the skymax but then other than during the star align process, I don't look straight up with that telescope. The dew shield adds about 200mm to the end of my telescope and looking just at the planets or the moon the dew shield works fine, as at the end of playtime, the telescope and mount can be soaked but the corrector plate is dry. So my question to you is what do you look at, if you look at objects at a high angle, then I would say budget for both with a dew shield as an essential item and something to be purchased at the earliest opportunity. Hope it helps.

Hello all, I am looking at the above and wondered if anybody has used a windows tablet with the software?

Well this was me earlier getting ready to have a go at Jupiter, then someone bought something and the clouds rolled in so it all got put away without even seeing Polaris..... come on then, who bought something 🤔😉

I gather that it's in the wrong orientation because being mounted on the HEQ5 the eyepiece can be at a very high level? Have you considered ditching the tripod and putting the mount on a short pier? If you make with the tape measure you could work out the ideal height of the pier and then build a todmorden type pier for a few pennies. If it doesn't work knock it down and all you have lost is a few hours, some cement and a couple of concrete blocks.

The drop in anchors work fine.......unless the concrete is too sandy then they may just pull straight out regardless of how hard you hit the thing. If the chem fixing is not an option then I would go for the rawlbolt type fixing that david_taurus83 mentioned.