sbooder

Just remember to re-grease the leg adjuster threads every 6 months, although they are brass and screw into ally they can still seize a little if not maintained.

My tripod is outside permanently and all I do is have an old bird seed tub over it to stop the centre bolt getting wet and I also have good quality marine grease on the leg adjusters. It has not let me down in 3 years.

OK, for those who know me I am a confirmed observer but I got a new D3100 and thought I might as well have a go at some simple prime focus on DSOs. Well here is my first go. It is M57, taken through my SW 10" on the NEQ6, no guide scope or software during photographing, just 10x30sec exposures followed by 10x30sec darks and stacked in Deep Sky Stacker and edited in PS CS5.

I am quite pleased for a first attempt.

Hi sbooder, im thinking of doing the thumbscrew mod, what size thumbscrews do I need?

Thanks

As said above, the thumbscrews come loose very easily. I even tried little springs on the TSs before I did this little mod, to keep pressure on the TS to stop it coming loose but it did not work very well.

But to answer your question. I used the thumbscrews from old scope stuff like old 1.25 2x barlows and diagonals, they are the correct size.

The only real problem I had was having to take out the reticle a couple of times to clean it of my greasy mitt prints...D'oh!...gloves!!

My pleasure.

Hi All,

Like others with the EQ6 I had replaced the hex screw adjusters for my polar scope reticle with thumbscrews to make adjustment easier, but I found they were forever coming loose which made me bin the idea and think of another way to do this.

I decided to work on the premise that the polar scope its self both inside and out must be turned to an acceptable degree of accuracy, and as the polar scope is threaded all must be fairly well centred?

Working on this hypothesis I took the reticle out to have a look and to my delight I noticed it is made with a concaved edge much like the end of a 2” EP adaptor for a focuser (the bit that goes in the barrel).

So I rummaged through my box of O-rings to find the perfect fit (both for the reticle and the inside of the polar scope) the fit is important. One must find a ring that is perfect, not too tight around the reticle, so as not to deform because it is too stretched and not too tight in the polar scope, so it will not be compressed unevenly.

Once I found the perfect fit (sorry, I have no idea what the O-ring came from or what size it is, I may get around to taking it out and measuring it at some point) I placed the reticle back in perfect position in the polar scope so the Polaris bubble was correct position when scope is parked.

Then using Dion’s O-ring insert idea to keep the polar scope EP from wobbling in conjunction with my new reticle O-ring and screwing the EP back in place firmly I set about testing the reticle for centring.

Testing on fixed terrestrial point, this puppy is spot on for a full rotation. I took the mount off and gave it a little shake and replaced and tested again…Still good, and the best thing is no thumbscrews or hex screws, there is just no need for them.

I have used the mount twice since doing this and have had top alignment both times.

Hot Pear and Almond tart with Vanilla ice-cream mmm...Ice-cream! But I found it a bit too crunchy with flaked solar filter (not to mention expensive).

I see Mark, that you opt for Chocolate Inspiration for your Solar Filter box, my preference is Vanilla.

Just joined the team. I use to have SETI@home running years ago but never got round to loading it onto newer machines.

I am going to stop looking at this thread...I can't take it any more, so many nice EPs I can not afford...go away you are all horrible! (he shouts while stamping foot).

Is it OK on the forum to have EP envy, because I realise I have it in spades!

It is getting there slowly!

Could not agree more. FLO are by far the best astroshop I have found. Good advice and info from both Steve and Martin, and the fastest delivery I have ever had of anything.

Oh very nice. How much were the Baader Hyperions?

Just a word to praise FLO. I Ordered SW250 DS on NEQ6 Pro on Monday night from FLO website, Martin phoned Tuesday to tell me all my order would arrive Wednesday, and Wednesday morning, sure enough it all arrived in good order.

Thanks Martin and all at FLO, Top company.

Looks like a couple of boxes to me, if you enlarge the pic.

It is interesting to see how we all have varying ways of laying out our cases.

It is a start, and two new EPs to come a 28mm 2" and a 1.25" 32mm WA.

Just got my Maplins case, and I notice that the foam bits are all the way to the bottom.

What did others do here, did you try and cut it off the correct length or did you pull out all the ones for the space out and cut to length to lay flat in the hole?

Thanks Andrew, I am now going to order one.

Andrew, what size Maplins case is that one please?

Not the best case or eyepiece collection but I am aiming to buy some decent ones.

I ordered a backplate for a Crayford focuser at 3pm German time today, and it has been shipped already, and I got update emails at every stage.

Top service.

I have always used the camping mat stuff, it is light and it takes self adhesive flocking a treat.