Stargazers Lounge Uses Cookies
Like most websites, SGL uses cookies in order to deliver a secure, personalised service, to provide social media functions and to analyse our traffic. Continued use of SGL indicates your acceptance of our cookie policy.
Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'reflector'.
Found 48 results
-
I recently purchased an Orion XT10g which will be replacing my Evolution mounted EdgeHD 8 and a 10" Zhummel Dob. This scope will give me the extra aperture that the Zhummel has as well as the tracking and GoTo of the Evolution. I made a few upgrades before I took it out for its first night under the stars... Center spotted the primary with Catseye's Hotspot (already have set of their collimation tools) Installed Protostar FlockBoard along the full length of the tube Replaced the focuser with a Moonlight CR focuser Added a couple Farpoint lifting straps Added Bob's Knobs to the secondary holder. Last night it had its first light. Overall I'm quite happy. Collimation was easy as expected using Catseye's tools. Alignment (two-star) was similarly quite quick and easy. Objects were found easily and well within, if not near the center of my lowest power, widest field eyepiece (17mm Ethos) Skies were clear and transparency was above average. Seeing wasn't the best so I kept to low powers. Very impressed with the optical quality. Using my GSO coma corrector I got near perfect images even at the edge of a 100º field of view. As was the case with my Zhummel Z10, the GSO corrector is plug-and-play. No need to do any adjusting or fiddling. Panning around via the hand controller was very smooth. No backlash noted. Now the only issue that I have is that the azimuth movement, manually that is, is very stiff. Stiff to the point of really not possible without toppling the whole scope over. I've already raised this concern with Orion and they are sending a new base out to me. I'm hopeful that issue will be fixed.
-
While doing darks, i realized one of the darks was a bright white. i was rummaging behind my newtonian w/ my headlamp on. Looks like light can pass thru the gap around the mirror?! What is the best way to avoid that?! Best, U.
-
From the album: Kevin Hurleys Deep Space Objects
M51. Skywatcher 150P with Nikon D3200 at prime focus. EQ3-2 mount with RA motor. Unguided. 10 x 30s subs - aligned and stacked with DSS into a 2min 30s exposure at ISO 800. Post-processed with Startools - binned, cropped, stretched and colour balanced. This is an updated processing of previous image posted here. -
So, I have been testing three different kind of lasers, each one is supposed to be the "best" in each category or what you want to call it, the hotech and HG is almost the same, but whit the difference in how you lock it down. The Catseye is very different in how it works. I made a Youtube video of my thoughts https://youtu.be/ERF33hNVieQ What do you think? which one do you use? Regards, Daniel- 4 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- collimation
- laser
- (and 6 more)
-
I recently decided to give the SynScan app a try on my new Orion XT10g. Now using the hand controller I was familiar with the "Brightest Star" and "Two-Star" alignments methods, indeed I always use the Two-Star method. With the app however I see that the Two-Star has been replaced with the level north two star. What is that? And since there's no manual for the app, what precisely does level north mean? I'm guessing that you level the OTA and point north but with what precision? Any idea why that replaces the Two-Star method from the hand controller? OK, so fine. I did the Level North alignment. I noticed that as it goes to each of the two stars and stops, while waiting for you to center the star, a couple of the directional buttons are flashing. What's interesting is that the ones flashing are not the ones for the direction that the scope needs to move to center the star. Again, what's up with this? Finally, after aligning and doing a Goto (reasonably accurate), once it arrives at the target again, one of the directional buttons is flashing and there's a message above the object name that says that I'm to center it. Huh? Can someone help me make sense of all this. And, is there a manual for this app ?? Thanks. -
Hi guys, firstly - sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. I've just ordered a Canon 600D to start doing some astrophotography and it arrives tomorrow - I'm stoked. I've been wanting to get into astrophotography for a while now and I'm so happy to finally be pulling the trigger. The last item on my shopping list is a solid beginner telescope which would couple well with my Canon 600D. The research I've done is all pointing towards a newtonian reflector. My primary goal here is to take some pictures of stars and planets with the Canon 600D attached to the telescope. I've been looking at the Sky-Watcher 114/900 as it's relatively cheap, which I think is great for someone just starting off - but was wondering what your opinions were seeing as you've all been through this before. Do you have any other recommendations? I'd like to keep my budget up to £300, and that's stretching it really. Thanks for taking the time to help! -
Hello I have a telescope -SkyWatcher Explorer-130P SupaTrak Newtonian Reflector auto Telescope and it has a heavy duty tracking device ( pic attached). I have had this scope for a few years and did pretty much basic with this and never understood how to use this device. I have the time now to spend with the scope during this social distancing time and I am totally unaware of how to efficiently use the tracking. I know how to move up, down, left and right. I don't think it has wifi and it looks very basic ...please can someone explain how to set this up. Pleaseeeeee can someone help .......I have searched everywhere but I can't find any material on this. Also , If i buy SynScan ( with wifi ) will it work with my scope? Thanks in advance xx
-
Hi, want to get a new telescope, SkyWatcher Evostar 90 EQ2 or SkyWatcher heritage 130p? i saw many suggested refractor is good for planets, i mostly target planets, moon and some star only, live in city. need some advice. thanks.
-
Hi, my current telescope is Celestron ExploraScope 70AZ, thinking upgrade to skywatcher heritage 130P(came with 25mm ajd 10mm EP) , if i do, can i use the eyepiece (4mm) and x3 barlow from my old celestron on the 130P? One more question, i ordered a eyepiece camera Svbony SV105, i wonder what is magnification of this camera and how it work to change magnification. -
Hi I have an opportunity to acquire for visual imaging, a 2nd hand (manufactured 2000) Russian TAL1 reflector telescope for about £60. Is this a reasonable price,? Being new to astronomy & not currently owning a telescope I've no idea whether TAL is a quality product, so I'd welcome your thoughts.
-
Note: This scope is in the USA, so international shipping may prohibit a sale. However, without the heavy Scopeguard case the shipping cost will be substantially reduced. I can provide a full frame image taken with this scope if anyone is interested. Reduced to £3155 for the complete package. I will consider offers, but this is already close to my bottom price. I’ve decided to sell my Takahashi Epsilon Ɛ-180. The scope and optics are in good cosmetic and optical shape. There are a few minor tool marks around the collimation screws but otherwise no issues. The primary mirror is centered with a Catseye Hotspot. The scope will come with the Takahashi corrector, rings and top plate ($457 add-on), front cover, Scopeguard case ($500 add-on), BT Technologies dovetail bar ($150 add-on) (has a blemish but is super solid), Astrozap dew shield and cap with focus mask ($175 ad-on), Precise Parts Tak corrector to M48 adapter ($110 add-on), the Takahashi collimation tools, an M68x1 male to M54x0.75 female and a M54x0.75 male to 2" compression ring adapter ($100? add-on) (these allow you to use the scope visually with 2" eyepieces.) I replaced the stock focuser (included) with an Optec TCF-Leo focuser with temp probe. With the included scope adapter and Tak corrector adapter this is a $1400 add-on. Total new cost = £5900 All of this for £3155 plus shipping. -
Hello All! Currently, I have a Meade ETX 90 telescope. I really like it and get great views of the moon and planets out of it. However, I am hoping to upgrade to a large reflector. I am looking at various scopes ranging from the Orion SkyQuest XT8 to the forbiddingly pricey Orion SkyQuest XT12i Intelliscope. I know that aperture is one of the most important things to consider in a telescope, but I also realize that people can get "aperture fever" and go for scopes that are unnecessarily large. I am wondering; Is a bigger aperture worth the price jump from 8'' to 10'' or from 10'' to 12''? How much more will I be able to see? I have heard that the best telescope for a person is dependent on the kinds of things they want to observe. I don't really look at deep sky objects (though I am getting increasingly interested in them), and mostly enjoy the moon, planets, and a few double stars. I want a telescope that will accommodate this, but is also able to have a great grasp on deep sky objects. Honestly I think I am on the right track with the scopes I am looking at, but I really want some advice on which size is best for me. What do you think? Thanks for the advice!
-
Hello guys, I may have found exactly the forum I need here I would be really glad if you could help me a bit please : I love stargazing on the mountain next to home (low light pollution), but now I want to level up. I mean, I'd like to use a device that is better than my eye to see the night sky. The problem is I am quite lost between telescopes, lenses, reflectors, refractors, and hybrids devices etc. So here I am, coming for your advice that will be, I am sure, of great help. Here's my question : what device is best suited for my use ? I'd like to see constellations and close deep sky like big galaxies (andromeda M31 for example). I am aware that refractor lenses are less bright than reflexion telescopes but I'm not certain which one to buy. > The main purpose would be a looking through device, but ideally if I can plug my Canon DSLR it would be fantastic. What are best brands for an amateur ? I prefer to pay more but once than cheap but twice and have a budget of around 250-300 € (if one is a bit above but really effective I can go a higher). Thank you a lot in advance for your time and advice ! Golfox2
-
Hey everyone ! I am new to this site , don't know how to properly use it , but hope someone will help me As the topic says , I am trying to buy my first telescope , and am quite excited for it. I have been reading wuite a lot about astronomy , so I know most of the basics , but have many many unanswered questions ... xD I was originally looking for a scope for viewing the planets , but well , after learning more , I thought that maybe a scope that can show only planets will eventually get a BIT boring , and will not be used much (although I still admire the planets and still will want to observe them). Just a quick info on me : I live in a city , have no place to go / or car to transport my scope to a darker place , live in a building , hope to observe from the rooftop. My ONLY CONCERN about this is that from my balcony I can see Vega at night , and as depressing as it may sound , nothing more .It may be because there are buildings covering my view (I at least hope so that's the case) or light pollution , although the place I live is in the orange to red zone in many light pollution maps. So originally I stumbled upon the Orion Starseeker IV 80mm GoTo refractor. http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/GoTo-Computerized-Telescopes/Orion-StarSeeker-IV-80mm-GoTo-Refractor-Telescope/c/1/sc/15/p/113919.uts Thought it was good for the GoTo and stuff , but after doing some research , got concerned about the sturdyness of the mount.Some said it was too shaky (I have almost constant winds of about 10mph at night here) . Plus after some while I discovered DeepSpace and got even more interested in it than the planets . So I started to seek for reflectors. After a while I discarded Dobsonians as an option , cause I do want to do astrophotography ( just amateur , not gonna spend money on expensive DSLR s or sth) . And maybe in the future I will want to do some more serious astrophotography , so it will be very sad , if I have to change the scope later , if I want to... So after doing some research I am currently watching these scopes . 1. Orion 9827 AstroView 6 Equatorial Reflector Telescope . https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000XMSR0/ref=psdc_499154_t1_B01N2HJBQC 2. SkyWatcher Explorer-150P EQ3-2 Reflector. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150p-eq3-2.html The only downside of these is that they're not GoTo (The second one has an option , but it's out of my price range) , but I think an additional RA motor drive will do the thing. At lease if I will be able to find anything in my sky ... That's it ! If you own/have used any of these scopes tell me more about them ! What you like/dont like etc. ANY GENERAL ADVICE IS APPERCIATED . Thanks ! -
I have acquired an old 1960s Newtonian telescope which I am reconditioning as part of my STEM Ambassador volunteer work with a school in Bury St Edmunds. It's currently I my garden but when it's in a fit enough state it will move to the school grounds and hopefully be the seed of a new Astronomy Club in the area. I've already started doing after-school solar system and rocket making/launching sessions, so hopefully the scope will grow the club into something accessible to many children in the area. The reason for the post is I'd like to discover more about the provenance of the scope, so I wondered if any SGL members would be able to help? The primary mirror is 300mm diameter, the secondary elliptical mirror is 63mm (minor dia) by 90mm (major dia). Estimated focal length 1560mm, so f/5.2-ish. The tube is 1.6metres from the back of the primary box to the front of the tube; the front tube is 390mm diameter. It stands on a massive concrete block, angled at 52 degrees, which takes 4 men to lift... So far I have stripped it down, cleaned the bearings and regreased them so it is useable. I successfully collimated it with a Cheshire - first light showed not much coma, so happy with that for now. The focuser is rather tired and it needs at least a RA drive to make it easy to use, and the primary needs recoating. I believe it originally came from Norwich Uni, but I have no details. If anyone recognises this magnificent instrument or knows anything about it, please let me know - it'd be great to share this with the school as excitement mounts! Current state, in need of a lick of paint Original state (old photo)
- 30 replies
-
- 13
-
-
bit more from a frosty last night c gem pier in obsy sct 9.25 hd 720* logitech some colds hands and i did some other stuff will sort later but for now enjoy these close ups sit at least 3 feet away from yor monitor please to get the full beauty of the moon pat
-
Hi everyone, I'm trying to figure out the cause of these weird star shapes I'm getting with my 130pds. I had them before, but someone narrowed it down to being pinched optics. So I loosened the primary retention clips, which seemed to fix the problem. Now that I've been able to get back out for another night of imaging, they seem to be back again! I made sure that the primary retention clips are still loose - should they be touching the mirror or not? I've also made sure that the primary collimation locking screws aren't done up too tight as well. Collimation through my cheshire looks to be spot on to me. Here's my image of Andromeda with the odd stars in question: -
I recently had to move from my residence and amongst the items in my store was the first telescope I had ever used. It as a Celestron FirstScope 114 that is no longer in production, a 4.5 inch f8 classic newtonian. Unlike the current model PowerSeeker 114, it has a EQ2 mount rather than an EQ1, and a red dot finder instead of the unusable 6X30 plastic unit on the PowerSeeker. So after probably a dozen years since last using it I decided it might be interesting to put it through its paces. I fondly recall seeing things like the polar ice cap on Mars at opposition, the GRS spot on Jupiter, the Cassini Division on Saturn and some deep sky objects like M7, the Double Cluster, the M81 M82 pair and a lot of more with this scope. After using a CPC 1100 almost exclusively since, I wanted to confirm to myself that I had really seen those object through the scope. The carton it was packed in was not completely sealed so it was covered with a great deal of dust. Looking down at the primary I could see some dark smudges - I didn't know if it was dirt or deterioration of the aluminum coating but luckily very little dust. I decided I would try the scope out before attempting to dismantle and do anything with the mirror. I cleaned it up the best I could and assembled it with more difficulty than I recalled having in the past. I used to keep it fully assembled with the latitude set at 9 degrees, the counterweight midway between two of the tripod legs and set it down with the polar axis roughly pointing North. I found that this way a could track an object with the RA slow motion control with only occasionally having to adjust the Declination. I tried to do the same this time but was constrained by having to set up on a narrow balcony rather than on the open ground. After having to wait a few day for the unseasonal clouds to clear (It looks like the bad weather issue also applies when you resurrect an old scope?) first target (Drum roll!!!) Albireo which was high up in the eavening sky. I had difficulty finding the target - I guess it was too much to hope that the battery in the red dot finder would still be alive after a dozen years. Using a 20mm eyepiece that came with a Celestron 102SLT I anxiously searched around and after a few minutes located the unmistakable colorful pair. Encouraged I switched to a 9mm eyepiece from the Celestron Eyepiece and Filter kit - and I must say I was pleased. At 100X the image was sharp and somewhat surprisingly, the collimation seemed very decent. The big difficulty was the stability of the mount. A touch of the slow motion controls would start it shaking, taking maybe 5 to 7 seconds to settle. Focusing was the real challenge. I would make a tiny adjustment to the focus wait for it to settle then try again till I felt I had achieved the best possible. That was all I had time for the first evening and packed up not too disappointed. A couple of days later I had the scope out again. I first tried Jupiter low down in the SW. The seeing was bad but I could clearly see the two equatorial bands and three moons. In the past I had used the 4mm eyepiece from the above mentioned kit for a magnification of 225X. There is a 2X barlow in the kit but I had wanted to use the minimum amount of glass possible. This time I used the barlow with the 9mm eyepiece from the same kit for a magnification of 200X but with a more comfortable eyepoint. When the seeing was more steady for brief moments I though I could see some structure in the belts. My next target was Epsilon Lyrae - the double double. After some difficulty finding the pair and battling with the focuser, I had a rewarding view with both pairs clearly separated at 200X - nice airy discs (almost points) with some hints of diffraction rings. And finally for the pièce de résistance, I turned my scope to Saturn about 50 degrees above the horizon. With the 32mm eyepiece the rings were obvious. I carefully changed to the 9mm barlow assembly and frankly was amazed! The Cassini Division was in your face visible - no challenge at all. I felt the coloring of the bands on the planet was move vivid that through the CPC 1100. I could clearly see the shadow of the planet on the rings. Titan was visible with direct vision. The view was crisp to the extent that I thought it could take more magnification. With the CPC 1100 I once had the magnification up to 400X and though I could see the Enke gap as a darkening in the outer ring - but the FirstScope does not break your budget or your back! In conclusion I remember reading a review of a 4.5 inch newtonian (I think in was the Orion XT4.5 Dobsonian) and the reviewer mentioning the apo like views given by the diffraction limited spherical f8 primary. Having never had the chance to look through an apo refractor I can't confirm either way but clearly these cheap reflectors are nothing to sneeze at. Were it not for the unsteady mount I would have loved to continue using this scope. I imagine this scope but on a good quality altazimuth mount would make a very good beginner instrument. Hopefully I can pass it on to a youth who is passionate enough about astronomy to tolerate its quirks as I did and put it to good use. Thanks for reading!
-
Hello, i got my Cannon 750D few days, and im thinking of buying some adapters so i can connect it to my telescope. Will a T2/1.25 eyepiece projection adapter and a T2/EOS adapter enable me to connect the 2 together? Also im wondering why a piece of plastic and some metal is so expensive :)))). -Ahgi, Clear skies! -
Hello folks, for long I have been browsing the internet to find a suitable 10in dob and despite lack of reviews, I have decided to take the plunge with the Bresser Messier 10in Dobsonian. There was some doubt at first, especially when considering the popularity of similar scopes from Skywatcher, Meade and GSO. Even though Bresser is relatively new to the market, it has some clever features: 1. The massive 2.5in hexagonal rack and pinion focuser is very solid and the movement is smooth. Despite being only single speed, Bresser sells an a dual speed 10:1 extension. However, I find the movement precise enough and do not need the extension at the moment. 2. Optical finder scope feels a bit cheap but it is a nice upgrade over the red dot finder I had on my previous scope. 3. Rocker box style base allows disassembling the scope into two pieces (OTA and base). 4. Tube rings allows the scope to be easily balanced when adding weight + after adding a suitable dovetail plate, the OTA can be used on an equatorial mount (if you plan to upgrade to an eq mount, I would consider the 8in model, as an eq mount for the 10in would be expensive). The only negative comments I can give about the scope is the production process. There were some minor issues with the assembly with the scope as parts did not fit properly. First problem was with one hole drilled deeper (loosening the particular screw fixed the issue). Another problem was with the altitude wheel as it made the OTA to pop out from the rocker box. (A loose screw on one of the plastic pads between the box and altitude wheels was causing this. Make sure all these screws are tightened and below the surface of the pads). Lastly, I assume there must have been a mistake in the quantity of items included (I got twice as many screws for the rockerbox and 2 eyepieces instead of one, both were 25mm super plossl but the standard was a 1.25in advertised on the bresser webpage, while the other was a 2in wide angle) I did not have the opportunity to test the scope outside properly due to clouds. Update: 01.06.2017 Had the chance to try it out on the moon and jupiter to a max magnification of around 160x. The results were very sharp and detailed views. Unfortunately, clouds rolled in before it got dark enough to observe DSO's. I am waiting for clouds to clear and a package with a 42mm wide angle eyepiece and a 2in GSO 2x ED barlow to arrive next week.
-
After reading astro baby's review of both scopes it seems to me that the130p would be a much better beginner scope. However she also goes on to say that after a few months she wanted a bigger scope. This is what I am afraid of is using the 130p and then in a few months wishing for something bigger. My sessions will be short at this time, so I guess I am looking for a G&G scope. I really like the 200p and on a Losmandy alt az mount it would be (I think) a great visual scope. The weight and cool down time are the main issues stopping me from buying it. Iam looking forward to your thoughts and tips. Thanks Mike -
Hello All, I just picked up my SW 130 reflector today and it looks great. Ofcourse it is raining outside, so I have been looking at a streetight out the living room window and practiing focusing and aligning the finder scope. I am waiting on my Baader zoom but everything looks good so far. Collimation has held from the shop to home. I have it on a vixen porta ll mount. The porta ll seems like a nice piece of kit (as you guys say across the pond ). Thanks to everyone for their help I feel I made an informed decision, that fit my budget and expectations. Mike
-
Hi all after a couple chats with a great artists/teacher mr ken jones a local guy and great advice on sketching I decided to get the sun rise over the Vallis Alps,I used the charcoals and conte pencils as I waited a few hours for the shadows to take the shape they did I was amazed by it yet again the valley being 110km long and around 10km wide I took a few,snaps,to get diferent contrast my chats payed i did not get to finish it as the temperature dropped and the cold got the better of me keep looking up pat
- 29 replies
-
- 16
-
-
- moon
- vallis alps
- (and 2 more)
-
I recently posted about my first successful collimation experience (an SCT). I'm sure we all have our stories, of those moments when we perceived optical clarity. Come on everyone tell us of those collimation 'eureka' moments and your experience of your first observing session immediately following. Paul.
.thumb.jpg.1454bee505f1125688ae2064840d4992.jpg)
