Ags

I was hoping that it would work with very short subs, but I don't want to replace one hassle with another.

I was considering the EQ5 as well. I have seen nice results with the EQ3, but I suppose there are some lucky good ones.

I had hoped that a TalentCell replacement for my old lead-acid powertank would make my AZ-GTi behave well, but despite clearly having more power (motor noise much louder), the mount still does its random slewing thing - in an hour observing session it zipped off sideways like an astronomical rabbit four times. Beyond frustrating when it is past midnight and time is limited. I will try upgrading to the latest firmware, but I have no real hope this will help. So I am going for the nuclear option. Computers are bad. I am looking at a simple EQ mount with clock drive. Limited in functionality, but presumably incapable of glitching on me? I don't like big kit, so I am thinking about an EQ3-2 carrying a small frac or a C6. The C6 would do planetary imaging and also lucky imaging of DSOs at F6.3 or F4 - so exposures of no more than 15 seconds. Because the EQ3 is electrically and mechanically simple I fancy trying some DIY like a belt mod. The mount head would go on my Berlebach Report 112 tripod. I have never owned an EQ mount so any input is appreciated! A final annoyance is the AZ-GTi is unsellable given its dodgy condition. I suppose I could use it as a door stop.

It's an idea but I think it might also be confusing. As the book can be folded in half , maybe left/right pages are less relevant? Also, you can think out the box and turn the book upside down 😆 By the way, I am left handed, but use my right hand most of the time. I remember my mother's horror when she found me drawing with the "wrong" hand - hopefully we live in more enlightened times now...

I got my copy of the production version today. I might be biased but I think it looks fabulous!

Got a copy of the final version of my double star book today. Red light torch test:

As long as you haven't sold a kidney...

Nice boxes... what will you put in them? 😄

Not sure, as a guide Discovering Double Stars took about three months. This one would be bigger but would re-use a lot of the code. I will start a separate thread for that book and start sharing draft PDFs from the outset.

I think a pocket book with color, ring bound, and about 300+ DSOs would cost around EUR 30 ish, with a freely-available PDF. Done in a facing page format, with DSO chart and info on the left page and notes / sketching space on the right. Would people be interested in that? Another book I want to do for myself is one on periodic variable stars.

I like the feel of a paper map and a red light torch - but I hope the digital form works for you. Maybe I should produce a night vision pdf with black paper, red text and so on? Or do you just put red cellophane over the screen?

Been working on doing a cheaper version on Amazon, using perfect binding (i.e. paperback glue binding). It only saves a few pennies though.

😀 😀 😀 Looking forward to hearing how you like the physical book!

To ensure it is clear, I DON'T put the scope out to cool down. Scopes attract atmospheric moisture, that's why they dew up. More insidiously, they attract clouds too.

@badhex I have been testing with a ZS66 so I expect the ZS73 will work really well. @JeremyS I will start work on my next book shortly, probably a Messier/Caldwell spotting guide and log. That's the one I will use most myself. Although I am tempted to also add a bunch of planetaries and globs to the book too, simply because I like looking at them and they are pretty good despite light pollution. Thinking of a smaller book format than US letter, so the book can live in a shoulder bag or coat pocket, which will help with the dew situation.

It's been a hectic day with rapid-fire changes. People don't know how exciting being a technical writer is. 🤣 A cup of tea and bed for me... 😴

@JeremyS and @Knighty2112 many thanks! I uploaded the cosmetic change to RA to use hours/minutes. No space for seconds so I have used a decimal place on the minutes, which matches what some of my sources do.

I see I provide decimal degrees and degrees with minutes. I will release an emergency patch.

Oh bother. Book just went live. Link to shop added here: https://transtextuals.web.app/discovering_doubles.html Direct link: Discovering Double Stars (lulu.com) Personally I think RA and DEC should be in Radians, but that's just me.

@Nik271 I have added the note about position angle and separation being dynamic. I have also change the book versioning scheme to include year to make this explicit on the book cover. Also, added a mention of SGL in the Acknowledgements section. I am configuring the first print edition now.

@Tiny Clanger your suggestion is implemented:

Regarding heavy-duty paper, I can choose between two weights on Lulu.com - thin and slightly thicker and coated. I'll go for the latter but also look into more printing options. Regarding observer notes - I think that is a very good idea and chimes with ideas I have for future books (e.g. a "Messier/Caldwell workbook" with plenty of room for observer notes. For this book, I will look at adding a small space for notes in the "Doubles by Constellation" section.

I have added the Doubles by Constellation section as discussed above.

@Sunshine I will look into adding waterproofed versions but will have to do some digging - that is quite specialised printing.

No issue - if you missed it I didn't do it right 😀 In technical writing we say "The reader is always right!" I will however add a "Doubles in this book" section following your suggestion.