billhinge

Hi I'm purchasing bits and pieces for my ideal scope based on 1st gen Altair Wave 80mm APO. Original version came with a 3" focuser. I'm looking to add a Riccardi reducer so thought may be time to upgrade the focuser as well. I have changed the focuser on a SCT before but not on a refractor. If I buy a native Feather-lite or 3" Baader what types of fitting do they have tube side? I removed the focuser from the Altair and there appears to be a 104mm od screw thread on the OTA with a kind of dovetail adapter screwed onto this, the focuser is then held on to the dovetail by 3 grub screws and a thumb screw I looked at the manufactures sites but they don't really explain the fitting side

Sorry, wasn't sure where to post this but it is related to cameras I have an Altair 80mm f6 Apo, currently with the native Atair x1 dedicated flattener. I'm looking to buy a new camera later this year but am worried about coma in the corner of the image I was thinking of buying a KAF8300 ccd but read about end of life status, argon leakage, microprism effects so its put me off slightly. So I was thinking I may wait for something more modern like the QHY268C. So for an APS-C (IMX571) would you stick with the dedicated Altair flattener or go with the APM Riccardi x1 or 0.75. My thinking being while the Altair flattener may be dedicated its built to a price point The thing I'm confused about is backfocus, currently the Altair 80mm is supposedly 55mm, blurb on x0.75 says The illumination and correction is made for chips up to the APS-C format or the best known Kodak KAF 8300 chip - so far so good Adaption towards the refractor - required backfocus The corrector modifies the focussing point. It wanders towards intrafocal. Having screwed and not pluged in the corrector/reducer to the focuser You need to have a backfocus of at least 170mm. (Hmm?) For focusers with a free aperture starting at 68mm we recommend to put the reducer inside the focuser. But it also says Backfocus to CCD from the female M63 End to the CCD Chip: TS Triplet APO 80/480mm / APM Apo 80/480mm / Lomo APO 80/480mm: 81mm - Looks good, why would the Altair be different APM APO 80/500mm: 80.7mm Given it works for the TS and APM 80mm triplets is it safe to assume it will work for the Altair 80mm f6? If so, does it mean backfocus will be 81mm rather than 55mm (where did the 170mm come from?) Thanks Steve

Thanks Dave, I generally use my back garden and I can see Polaris in the general direction of my neighbours chimney but sometimes I get a bit of cloud in the north so it can be a pain , clouds always seem to be in the most inconvenient place!

I have just bought the Primaluce Eagle since I wanted remote control and I'm putting together my forever telescope system for my retirement in a year or two. I'm a bit confused as to some of the new toys and software available now I always find Initial alignment is always a pain due to roofs, trees or clouds so I started looking at ipolar or polemaster then I read that sharpcap can be used with a guide camera instead (run from the Eagle) Now I read that Astrotortilla does plate solving. I wanted something quick but primarily accurate Are these all alternative ways to achieve the same thing? I already have a guide camera (the Altair IMX224) in the Altair 8x60 viewfinder

Great image, well done What I find fascinating are the red nebula, eg C275, just imagine what it would look like if we were resident locally in Andromeda!