pilkinn

Thanks for your interest this is now sale pending.

Not sure you've posted in the right topic here Dave.

I think this was intended for use with the Megrez 72, Z70, Megrez 80, Megrez 102 and FLT110. I used it with a Megrez 72 but I no longer have that scope so this is surplus now. In excellent condition with caps but no box. Selling for £95 including postage. Payment via Paypal (you pay fee or send as gift) or bank transfer.

This is the original iOptron Sky Tracker. Comes with the polarscope, case and manual. In excellent condition. Please note this is NOT the v2 version which has the azimuth adjustment - I used a panoramic head to adjust the azimuth. Although this model has been superseded by the v2 and now the pro versions it still tracks extremely well provided you get it polar aligned (just the same can be said for the newer models). However as this is the older model I'm selling it at for just £95 including postage within the UK Payment via paypal (sorry, you pay the fee or send as gift) or bank transfer.

Juan did answer and seems a nice guy. Unfortunately he couldn't mod my 60D but I'll bear him in mind for future.

Can anyone recommend a DSLR astro modification service please. I see Astronomiser no longer does it. There is a site called cheapastrophotography but the guy hasn't replied to my emails. Thanks.

In excellent condition. Comes with original box, adapter, cap and USB cable. I lost the software /driver CD but the can download it all from the TIS website. £155 posted in UK. Payment via paypal, bank transfer or cash (£150) on collection - item in Guildford, Surrey. Thanks. Neil.

For the polar alignment... if you have a smart phone then just download the app (there's one for Apple and one for Android). I use the Android version called Polar Finder which has an option for the reticle found on iOptron polar finders. Just use the "iOptron" and "telescope" settings (it inverts the picture to match the actual view in the polar finder) and then move the skytracker accordingly. Works fantastically for me, I haven't really taken any serious pictures yet (sky too bright) but have tested it with 3 minutes shots as 70mm. No trails were seen.

Depending on which method you're using, MaxIm should have no problem doing the alignment. Just rotate one set of images 180 degrees, save and then do the alignment. Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

Will this be EQMOD compatible?

With Bobs knobs the idea is that you could be looking through the eyepiece and tweaking the collimation knobs at the same time. I reality I don't because I always have the dew shield on as those SCTs dew up very quickly most nights. Bobs knobs are still a good idea as you get a better feel than using an Allen key or screwdriver. I would recommend checking the collimation regularly - even every session as all it requires is to de-focus on a bright star. Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

When using EQMod and things go wrong, press "Park" and let the mount move to where it thinks the Park position is. Then unlock the clutches on the mount and physically move the mount to the park position - counterweight bar pointing directly down, telescope in-line with the counterweight bar pointing north towards polaris. Then clear the alignment data - press on the >>> button to see the advanced settings and then press the delete alignment button. Then "unpark" the mount and try doing the alignment again. If you have your location settings set correctly, the mount should slew to roughly where your alignment target star is.

For planetary, a C11 + EQ6 is fine. Mirror flop is not an issue - once you have the planet in focus. I use an add-on focuser with mine and only use the C11's focus knob for rough focussing (and move the mount when the image flies oout of the fov !). However, If I had my time again, I would have got a C9.25 instead of the C11 for panetary imaging. It was just that a second hand C11 came up first. The C9.25 puts less strain on the mount, is easier to handle and by all accounts gives just as good results. The only plus for the C11 is that it does capture more light and so you can use lower exposure times and therefore higher frame rates. This I found particularly important when imaging Mars with RGB filters. From results I've seen from C9.25s it doesn't look like you get any better resolution with a C11 as you might of expected.

I agree that DSO imaging with a SCT is tricky - I've tried it myself with my C11 at native focal length and it isn't easy. However, there comes a time when you yearn to image something different. This means turning away from the normal large fuzzies that fill the forums and start looking at some galaxies. These are mostly small, very small. I just can't get excited about an image having a 60' x 40' area with a galaxy in the middle measuring 3' x 40". This means a longer focal length is required to reel in that galaxy. People are always advised to get a "fast refractor" because it means that you need "less exposure time". You only need less exposure time because you're squashing the same amount of light into a smaller area. Then they come back asking how they can make things "bigger". I think too much emphasis is placed on the f-ratio. What's more important is the focal length and matching that with your camera AND the target you're after. True, starting with a fast system gets you going, but sooner or later you need more focal length. If you can get that AND a larger aperture at the same time (and hence keeping the f-ration manageable) then all well and good but not many can afford a mount capable of holding (and guiding) such a beast.

You'll find that many things will cause less frames to be captured than you expect. I've found that the size of the target makes a big difference if you're got the display window open. Last night using the same setup I was running at a lower frame rate with Jupiter than Venus as the latter is much smaller. Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2