Ags

HEM15, ASIAIR Mini and ASI120MM ordered today!

I have only used the fixed focal length Speers WALERs and they are very good.

Spelers WALER zoom behind a nice long Barlow.

Most night I can see two, maybe three on a good night.

Great news!

Astronomik L3? Maybe not aggressive enough for visual use - it seems to pass 430-570.

Not sure how much value I can add in a review. I will post my thoughts., but I will only be ordering the mount next month.

Nah, I'm going with a HEM15 instead.

Good info, thanks! What's the diameter of that circle?

Tried tonight with my Long Perng 90... it's not the scope for the job. I'll try again with my C6 on another night. Jupiter was very soft tonight - last night's superb seeing was not repeated.

Wasn't the best night as clouds were blowing through, but there was enough clear sky for a few good looks at Jupiter with in my 90 mm refractor. Seeing was very stable tonight, the best I've seen Jupiter this season. It's always surprising how the false color around the planet vanishes when I get focus just right. I had my barlow nosepiece screed into the Svbony 3-8 zoom tonight as I was hoping to split Sirius later. The view was best fully zoomed out (5-6 mm effective focal length), but the additional eye relief was very pleasant! Sadly it clouded up before Sirius came into view, but I did get a look at M42.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p11070_Multiplex-Plywood-Tube-Ring-Pair-customized---for-tubes-201mm-to-250mm-diameter.html

Maybe you need to buy a bigger telescope? 😀

I think that image puts an end to the debate of whether Pluto is a planet.

I might have some clear sky this weekend. I am not sure to try with my 90 mm refractor (too small?) or my C6 (stars too hairy?).

Scientist reprocesses 1930s newsreel and proves sky is grey.

I did find the article a bit funny. They were poring over images from deep space probes arguing about how blue is blue and what processing methodology is best, but you can simply point a decent telescope at the two planets and see for yourself. If you read the article and knew nothing else, you would assume the two planets are not visible from Earth. I can imagine further headlines like "Scientists reprocess 70s images of tomatoes. Definitely pink!"

The charger you suggested works perfectly! I am selling a few bits to fund this project. Currently trying to decide if the ASI220MM is worth €120 more than an ASI120MM. I imagine twice the sensor area makes a difference in getting a guide star...

Surprised using an uncooled camera doesn't make more of a difference! My only experience is running my AZ-GTI and that hardly dents the power levels each night.

You were really lucky the RASA11 didn't get a cold shower. Leave a saucer of milk out for your guardian garden faeries!

Thanks for the charger specs - you've saved me a bit of cash. But to be safe I'll closely supervise the next few chargings.

I have one of these, although I have lost the charger! TalentCell Rechargeable 36W 12V 6000mAh 5V 12000mAh I was thinking of buying another to have two packs and one charger. @Elp why is your imaging so power hungry - are you running a cooled camera or dew strips? Or does the power usage of the AIR or mount spike when imaging/guiding?

I might be moving to an upstairs apartment, so I think the HEM15 might be the only game in town. The move isn't a disaster though, it's part of a plan to buy a pad in Greece or Spain. So an airline-friendly HEM15 would be a winner there too. What's a good battery to power an ASIAIR Mini?

I use a cheap red dot finder and 50mm RACI finder. I have 3 telescopes and only one RDF/RACI, so I spend half my time transferring them between scopes. I use paper charts I created (see link in my sig) as it preserves night vision better and it's less electronics. I start by sighting along the scope tube at something bright enough to be visible in my Bortle 8 skies, then get the bright thing into the RACI view with help of the RDF. Then I hop along to the actual target using my charts, which roughly show the stars I can (barely) see in the finderscope. On holidays I might not have my books with me - then I hop using Stellarium on my phone.

OK, thanks. Do you know if the mount base is compatible with 3/8" photo thread - this is used by all my tripods. I don't need to worry about the counterweight for now as my heaviest scope is a C6. I could go up to a C8. Not sure I could go bigger - a C9.25 is easily in the weight capacity of 12 kgs, but that 12 kg is quoted for a tube diameter of 220mm. Upgrading from the C6 to a larget SCT would be for visual and planetary AP only. Does anyone know if I need the iPolar version if I get the ASIAIR? I presume it can take care of polar alignment with the main camera? Also wondering how many people use ASIAIR visually. I don't like goto but I might like it more if I add plate solving for better precision.