LondonNeil

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dvxgrmk95o Won't be visible? Satellites are so...?

The offer had changed again with discount back to 15% and from the email I have they will, until the end of September, include a free 2" diagonal. The diagonal is this one https://www.svbony.com/diagonal/ So if after a2" diagonal the deal is getting more tempting. I need a new diagonal..... for a C8 ..... so a 1.25" then. Harrumph!!

Very different pricing! Svbony. Com Srp £315 Discounts10% Postage etc - not sure, negligible possibly Total about £284 Aliexpress Srp given as £445!!! Discount. Early bird reduced to £271 Postage etc- add tax to the above price usually.. although it doesn't show what that would be and is rarely the 20% you might expect. Total possible it's £271, could be quite a bit more.

The discount has dropped from 17% to 10% so I'll wait ..... hopefully it'll go waaaaaay up in a bit...maybe

Mixed review, overall pretty positive though. What is EOFB?

I found this. https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/geoptik-vixen-style-piggyback-bracket-for-sct-telescopes.html I could likely mount that to the c8 using existing tapped holes that were for the fork mount attachments. I'd just have to drill that bracket for the correct bolt spacing. So £59 to try it and see how the evolution copes. Watch the classifieds for a used piggy bracket going cheap if it doesn't work!

The evolution is an alt az mount, there is no counterweight, so unfortunately that idea doesn't fly. Otherwise it's a fine idea.

I was/ am exploring ways to not have to jump 2 tripods and mounts to the park which is my viewing area.

Hmm, yes I hadn't considered it could get top heavy. A T mount though is way beyond financial possibility for some occasional use with the kids unfortunately.

I'd piggy the mak127 on the top of the c8 so the torque on its evolution mount would be just the extra weight acting at the same moment arm. I might even have it nearer. If you picture the c8's dovetail mounting it to the evolution at 9 o'clock as viewed from the rear the mak127 would be at 12, or 1045. I've weighed the c8 at 4756g bare ota, so about 5500g with diagonal, EP and dew shield. I don't seem to have a weight noted down for the mak, I'll put it on the scales later, but i've read the ota is 3200g, <4000g ish with diagonal, ep and dew shield. The total before any extra mount hardware is therefore about 9500g, so about 9800g with an extra dovetail and mount to piggy the 127. Compare that to the 11.5kg capacity celestron state and it ought to be fine. Compare also it to the c9.25 that also uses the evolution mount, celestron quote 9070g which will include diagonal, ep and dew shield. The torque on the mount is (very very roughly... and in the odd graminches unit) 9070x9.25/2=41949. The c8 with mak mounted at 12 o'clock would be 9800x8/2=39200, ie less. Hence why I'm fairly confident the mount won't struggle to do this occasionally. As for 2 eps close together, it's one turned to oneside (2 to 4 oclock) and the other above by about 7 inches and turned to the otherside (8 to 10 o'clock) so both usable I think but I do appreciate avoiding head clashes may need a bit of care! If balance allows I suspect the 127 would be a little forward of the c8 too. I don't mind drilling and taping extra holes. This is a 40+ year old c8 that originally was on a fork so it's been drilled for a dovetail once before. I just thought....I could I perhaps just rebolt one of the fork mount attachments and add a vixen shoe/ mount to that.... but the mak127 would then be carried by just the primary cell on the c8 rather than spreading some load to the collector assembly.... not ideal but then a single fork mount attachment could carry half a c8 ok so it's not a ridiculous option to consider for a quick trial perhaps. Hmm.

I've a Mak127 and a celestron C8 and it might be useful to occasionally have the 2 piggyback. Key word there is 'might'. The main use case is to have a second EP pointing exactly at the same view as the other so when my kids are out with me there is less fighting over a view and that means less stress for me. Currently both scopes have vixen/skywatcher dovetails on them and the c8 is just in a celestron evolution mount. The mount has 11.5kg of capacity so should manage the 2 ota fine (there's roughly 2kg of headroom but the additional hardware to mount the 2nd ota will reduce that a bit) I'm trying to work out the easiest way to mount the 2 in order to try it. I'm Currently thinking it would need me to drill and tap holes in the c8 and to attach another dovetail bar to its top (which would mean careful disassembly and reassembly). Drill and tap the dovetail to attach a vixen mount to it, and the mak127 would then mount into that. Alignment of the 2 scopes would require a bit of adjustment of that vixen mount attached to the c8 dovetail. Does that seem the easiest and best way? I can think of a couple of alternatives but I think the above is cheap, neat, robust, although a little faffy to do initially due to needing to disassemble and reassemble the c8 to drill and tap screw holes for the extra dovetail. I could avoid that by using tubes rings on the c8, mounting the 2 dovetails (the one to mount in the evolution and the one to piggyback the mak127) to the rings, and a vixen mount to the extra dovetail as above.... less faff but extra cosy of tube rings. What would you do? Am I missing an easier method? Thanks

I've yet to try filters. I'm sure of you grey the right filter for the target that it will help a little, but I don't think their is any miracle filter.

Bortle 8-9, although I've made a little cart from an old Pram and use it to trundle to the end of the street and a bit of green space. That is noticeably darker although I'm not sure I belive the lp maps which show it at bortle 7. It has a much less restricted view too. I don't bother with targets that are north of me though, it's all just an orange glow.

Not a comparison of the 2 starwaves but the 102ed was reviewed by a member here I bought that scope from him but haven't been able to use it yet (cloud, life..... very frustrating!) I don't know where you are but if near se19, you're welcome to come and have a look at it and through it, if it helps.

It this design works, it looks very simple to build. Far easier than the usual Dob eq platform with the segments. I'm looking forward to reading how it works for you!

If I had the time (unfortunately I don't with 3 young kids) it could be fun to build a little raspberry pi to do it. Pi w zero WiFi, camera, connector, case, sugar, comes to about £85. Buy and install windows... away we go.

Well fingers crossed they do complete and release it, I'd consider it a super upgrade to my gtiX.

True. You'd think skywatcher would be shouting from the roof tops, 'Hey, you don't need to spend £300 with celestron, we give it to you for free. '

Pro 2.5.2 I got from play store back in about april

Just had a play on my s21. I've got the latest and correct app version, the SynMatrix AutoAlign is described in the help/manual, but I don't seem to have/ can't find access to the camera. I've not connected to the mount though, just exploring the app.

I just thought, it will be interesting to see how this copes with light pollution. That can trouble starsense. Still, I may invest £3.62 and try. https://a.aliexpress.com/_EQrs2PL

Sounds very interesting! I await the bracket keenly

So it's salinated then? 😉

Just thought, synscan spo doesn't allow looking at the sun unless you flip a tab to allow it. Is Venus far enough away usually to view without flipping that tab? It would be an extra safety feature to leave that lock active.