bosun21

It appears that the telescope is sold without any extension pieces so focus should be achievable as it comes. This leads me to think that the collimation of the mirrors must be way off if focus is unachievable. Search on YouTube for collimating a Newtonian as there are a lot of good videos on the subject.

I have used the Starfield on all the various modalities of the EQ5 mount. For plonk and point it's better to mark the points of the tripod legs on the ground making it quicker and easier for subsequent setups. When I used the tracking motors without go to I found that just getting Polaris in the polar scope FOV was sufficient for a nights observing. I placed three golf tees in the grass marking the tripod legs. I however seem to be a bit of an outlier in that I love go to. If set up correctly it works every time and allows me to spend the saved time at the eyepiece.

You can still get the laser dot on the central spot on the primary with a secondary mirror that is not correctly positioned. I initially use a concenter to set the secondary correctly and then a cheshire and cap for the primary. Once set I then use a Hotech laser for a check and tweak before every session.

I now have the focuser fitted and centered, along with collimation. What did you use to block the light leaks? I was thinking of some sort of spray foam (black). Any recommendations?

When I visit the Scottish Highlands and Islands each year which is Bortle 1-2 depending on where i holiday the skies when clear can be overwhelming. The sheer number of stars in the sky is amazing and sometimes throws me when trying to get my orientation in the sky. The difference is not like between a 5" and an 8" at home. You don't truly appreciate a dark sky until you experience it for real. I have only taken scopes up to 6" when I travel due to weight etc. I look forward to my trips every year. Only if the clouds played ball more often.

I am in a similar position as yourself in that I have just bought the AZ-EQ6 about a month ago and can't decide which scope(s) to put on it. I have the 10" go to dobsonian to use in the meantime. I love planetary imaging but the 10" basically has that covered. I will be getting a refractor again for sure, probably a 125mm SM. Decisions, decisions 🤔.

Remember that the mount comes with a 2" Stainless steel tripod which is very stable. I am just going to stick with it for now anyway.

The planet is a good match for the AZ-EQ6 and will easily take the weight. Using them on grass is fine but if doing AP then you have to be careful about sinkage with the weight which can ruin your images.

The wooden tripods are better at absorbing any vibrations and also your fingers don't freeze when touching it in the winter. Oh and they look much better.

🙄 I wouldn't attempt to lift it as one unit as it will be very top heavy. Tripod first then the mount head. The head is a heavy lump. The AZ-EQ6 is the limit for me with a takedown setup.

The quality and glass type of apochromatic refractors focus the three colours to almost the same point with a doublet and more or less spot on with a triplet. An achromat doesn't get them as close to the same focal point.

Welcome to SGL 👋.

If visual and planetary imaging is your goal have you thought about a go to dobsonian? These will provide you with the full go to and tracking the same as an AZ-EQ6. I have the 10" version which I use for visual, EAA and planetary imaging. I also bought an AZ-EQ6 for another telescope of which I have still to buy once i make my mind up. If you want to seriously consider doing astrophotography then the AZ-EQ6 will be a better bet for the equatorial set up.

I also have the 10" go to version which I recently bought and found that when at really low altitude the problem of the friction clutch slipping is easily solved with the addition of a counterweight. This allows the scope to be balanced and smooth throughout the altitude movement.

Great news Paul 👍. Hopefully the clouds will clear allowing you to put it through its paces.

I feel more confident with this lens arrangement than the previous one. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for a positive outcome 🤞.

Polar alignment is the physical positioning of the mount RA axis itself to the north celestial pole. Regardless of the software used you still have to make the adjustments physically to the mount.

The AZ-EQ6 is a heavy mount with it's 2" tripod. The mount head alone is over 15kg. I was surprised how heavy it was when setting mine up for the first time. That along with a 9.25". will still require time to set up. The Starsense unit still requires polar alignment, it only does the star alignment for you which is fine for Alt/Az.

Setting up a 9.25" on a suitable mount won't be that quick to set up either especially if using an EQ mount with polar alignment etc which is crucial for imaging. I reckon I could wheel out a 12" dobsonian quicker.

Hi there 👋. Welcome to SGL.

Since the ASIAIR units are made to operate fundamentally with other ZWO electronics and software I highly doubt that they will be compatible. The only non ZWO equipment that is listed as compatible are some mounts and DSLR cameras. You can drop them a message asking about this.

That's along the lines I was thinking of. I was going to use a concenter to position it correctly and held in position with Blu Tack which will allow for small changes in position. Mark and drill accordingly. I wonder which telescopes they actually fit out of the box.

Where are you in Oxford? I also live in Oxford. I'll send you a message regarding help you may require.

Thanks for your replies. The holes don't line up with any on the Steeltrack focuser so I can't use that method. I think I know of a way forward with this so I'll post how I get on. It's good to know that some fine movement can be done by manipulating the fixing rods once in position. Thanks again.

Cone error (CE) value is reset when doing a three star alignment as opposed to two star and brightest star. Is it CE or NPE error that you are getting?