Wonderweb

Only just managed to get the bits together to have a go. I've got a couple of sheets of 3mm proplas premium from wickes and some 2mm black craft foam sheets from the range. I think I've probably spent about £8 so far and I've bought twice as much as I need incase I can improve on my first attempt. I had couple of clear nights earlier this week and needed to put something together quick as I had dew issues on my secondary mirror last time out. I picked up a £3.99 yoga matt from asda as a temporary fix and it works really well. I've attached a picture of it. It looks rough but works a treat. Its just a little bit floppy. I'm just wondering whether to refine this one a bit or try the proplas.

Hi all. Has anyone tried a coroplast dew shield? I have an orion optics ct8 newtonian and I can't find a dew shield that fits ok as the carbon fibre tube has a rim that sits proud by about 5 mm. I am thinking of having a go with black coroplast. It seems really lightweight and rigid, and if I flock the inside it should work I reckon. If I put some 5mm.sticky back neoprene foam on the scope at the back of the rim, I should be able to slide the dew shield over it and it should stay put. Has anyone had any experience with it? Thanks

Maybe its better to let phd2 deal with a bit of backlash than have it fight binding??

Have a look at northern panorama on YouTube. Its a guy in Swedish lapland who regularly images down to minus 25 with his eq6r-pro and it seems like the last thing that ever gives him problems is his mount. Thats why I'd be so surprised if my issue is temperature related.

I did set the worm gear inside the house (so probably around 20 degrees). I also had the mount empty (no scope or counterweights) when I did the full rotations to check for binding. I did spend alot of time trying to tune the backlash as fine as I could get it. The shaft lock nuts are set as loose as possible without any lateral movement within the taper roller bearings. When I slacken the clutches off the scope will drift towards an out of balance position of its own accord. I dont need to set it in motion.

Hi all. Just wondered if anyone has had an issue with their eq6r-pro in cold weather. I recently replaced the bearings and belts on the mount and spent alot of time tuning out the worm gear back lash. When I had finished both axis did full rotations in both directions with no binding. Following this my guiding was between 0.3 and 0.6 total rms. Last night while imaging, the temperature dropped quite sharply from around 0 degrees to minus 4 and my guiding really suffered and I couldn't get better than around 1.1 total rms. Have I sailed too close to the wind with the backlash tuning and as the temperature dropped and the steel contracted it has started to bind? I will check without a scope on my mount and do full rotations when it drops really cold again but just wondered if anyone has had the same experience Thanks Darren

Is there something specific about Derbyshire that limits the seeing?

My current guide setup is 3.22"/pixel and my main scope is between 0.75 and 0.86"/pixel depending which coma corrector i am using. I am.trying to improve my guiding. I am currently getting between 0.7 and 1 arc second total rms with my eq6-r but would like to get it down to around 0.5-0.7 if I can. The mount is well set up and the rig well balanced.

Hi all. I've tried searching for this topic but couldn't find anything. I am torn between getting an off axis guider to use with my orion optics ct8 at 900mm or try a x2 barlow with my 240mm guidescope to hopefully improve guiding at 480mm. I've heard some horror stories of people spending all their time searching for guide stars with an oag and with precious little imaging time with work and clouds, I dont want anything else limiting my exposure time. Is there much benefit in fitting a barlow to my guidescope or should I try the oag? Thanks Darren

Hi all. I ended up going for a really nice set of Barr and stroud series 8 8x42's and to be honest I'm loving just scanning round on clear nights while my astrophotography rig snaps merrily away. My wife finds them really easy to use and hold when she can grab them from me (well I did buy them for her so i suppose I ought to let her have a go every now and then). Just like to say thanks for all your advice and support and also to the shop who were very patient and helpful while I tried every set they had! Clear skies Darren

Its absolutely fine! 👍 Nice to know for future if I ever see a pair for a fiver af a car boot sale!🤣

Thanks all. Really appreciate your input. I think I'd be best to go to my local dealer and try a few out. Better hurry up though or I'll miss santa.

Thank.you all for the advice. Are there any "stand out" 8x40(42) binoculars in my price range (up to £200) that you would recommend

Hi all. My wife has asked for some binoculars for Christmas so she can look at the night sky while I do astrophotography. I have been doing some research which, as usual with this hobby, has thrown up more questions than answers. I am wondering whether she would be better with a lighter, less magnified 7x50's or slightly more zoomed in but wider field 10x50's. I'm conscious of making them as portable as possible so she can use them while we are away on holiday and I have my travel rig set up snapping pics. I am happy to pay up to £200 for the right set Thanks for your help. Darren

Thanks for the info David. I'll look into it. Theres bit more to this than I first thought.