beamish

Well I took the plunge and set to the collimation again to try and improve things but first off wanted to know what the problem was.

I nicked a 1/2" St st ball bearing from my little girls toy box ( Magnetix) and placed in a prominant spot on the south facing wall at the end of the garden then approx' 35m awy focused in on the "spot" from the sun, zero'd in further using the 4x and the 2x barlows stacked and the 4mm TMB/Burgess then the SPC900NC

Fantastic patterens but clearly not right !!

Tonight I tried to sort it out but without the sun a bit difficult- rigged up a super bright white led torch and some tubing and an old EP lens from some spotting bins and then focused the light from about a metre away onto the ball bearing--- phew !! Well I now "know " my scope that's for sure !!

So, yes Ron, I think it was a collimation issue (re the ghosting on Saturn, not thin high cloud) but certainly not one that will bother me again- another Dar Art cracked !!

Karlo

Aye it's a funny ol' world ! Had a lot of fun with the cosmos last night. You can so easily forget how nice it is to put your eye up to the scope instead of focusing via a screen.

The barlowed 4mm was a huge surprise tho ! Just to get it to focus !!! I hardly ever get the chance to use the 4mm alone !

I reckon you should find quite a few folk with loads more experience with it down there. I like the fact that the goto pointing accuracy is much better and improves each time you use it ,or can do if you save your alignment data. I also like the fact that I can pulse guide thru it too and keep an eye on it and tinker as you go along. Sorry, I'm going on.

Karlo

I wish I could give you an "experienced "point of view, but I can't. I've only been using it, no, let's say used it( due to adverse weather) a few times. Like all new kit and in particular s/w there are always little niggles but on the whole I have to say it has simplified things. No H/set, therefore no worries about it getting damaged whilst outside from whatever source, just one cable from lappy to mount and that can now go ( courtesy of the TTL232R) into any USB socket or hub and always remains the same comm port- find any star or planet to align on etc...

If part of your sky is obscurred , like a fair bit of mine , then it's a big advantage having a planetarium to choose from- but I accept it is going to be horses for courses, perhaps you might change your mind ??

The software offers just so much- areal boon if the mount was perm. set up in an obsy .

Karlo

So nothing has changed ,the weather still prohibits any ideas of getting outside. To make one's soul feel utterly miserable the forecast this morning for the rest of the week was more mild, cloudy weather.Perhaps Billy is on the right lines and we ought to take up cloud watching. The idea of Rog's, to pack it all in in exchange for a large dob makes more and more sense, though unlike Rog, I haven't a library of shots in an archive or a wealth of experience under my belt.

Karlo

I know how that feels ! Though thankfully the missus actually on the whole sympathises with my situation- or maybe she wants me out of her way ?? :o

There'll be wars over supply without question