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Meanwhile, in the cheap seats...... (M45)


Uranium235

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Right, time for the first couple of projects with this dinky little telescope. Not sure if ive got the collimation right, but a fair bit of time was wasted trying to get the CC to sit properly in the drawtube - I bloomin hate safety undercuts! Why cant all manufacturers just agree a standard distance? So im off to B&Q to get something I can use as a spacer to force the compression ring to properly bite the undercut. Anyway, for just over a hundred quid - im quite happy!

If im feeling a bit mental, at some point i might remove the collar from the skywatcher CC with a hacksaw, then file it down so it can be sunk into the drawtube with a threaded connection.

Still some pending modifications to make too, like fitting the fan and internal/external thermometer and blackening the drawtube - but I will leave those for cloudy nights :)

M45

15x450 (L)

130pds, Atik 383L+, NEQ6

Setpoint: -25

Calib: Flats and Bias

Thanks for looking! :)

Rob

10756266583_6c053086d9_b.jpg
 

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Cheers Rik :)  So far its been quite good for what little I paid, it might also be worth mentioning as a "what first scope for AP" - where most (including me) would automatically say "80ED". Though there is some tinkering involved (as with all newtonians).

Just got back from shopping and I found some large polythene washers, so Im going to try fitting those in a bit. Hopefully it will put an end to the very hit and miss task of fitting the coma corrector in the drawtube squarely.

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I am surprised the SW coma corrector doesn't fit nicely. My MPCC is very solid in my 150P-SS drawtube and would have assumed they would match up. 2" is 2" right? I am really starting to think it is the DS focusers that let SW kit down. I think for the money, the 130P-DS will take some beating as a starter AP set-up. It is half the price of the ED80+FF/FR and I would hope it's not 'twice' the hassle.

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 I bloomin hate safety undercuts! Why cant all manufacturers just agree a standard distance? So im off to B&Q to get something I can use as a spacer to force the compression ring to properly bite the undercut. Anyway, for just over a hundred quid - im quite happy!

Hi,

Great capture, I am not a fan of these safety undercuts either, I am sure that they were designed with screw compression collars in mind and not compression rings.

Regards,

A.G

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RikM, on 09 Nov 2013 - 1:34 PM, said:

I am surprised the SW coma corrector doesn't fit nicely. My MPCC is very solid in my 150P-SS drawtube and would have assumed they would match up. 2" is 2" right? I am really starting to think it is the DS focusers that let SW kit down. I think for the money, the 130P-DS will take some beating as a starter AP set-up. It is half the price of the ED80+FF/FR and I would hope it's not 'twice' the hassle.

The focuser on the one I have has a compression ring, and when I tighten up either one of the grubscrews, it pops one side of the imaging train out by a tiny amount - which in this game is too far. Im almost tempted to rip the ring out and go back to screws only.

I do have an MPCC (untested on this scope), which I believe can be screwed directly to the drawtube via the TS M54-T2 (incorprating an internal M48 thread). But it slightly defeats the object of why I got it in the first place, which was to operate at f4.5.

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Nice shot Rob - there certainly doesn't appear to be any issue with your collimation.    Stacks of fine detail in the background (or foreground) nebulosity, but I do find the very pronounced diffraction spikes a little overwhelming.

I have the same issue with my SW CC.   I brought a 2" compression fitting for the end of my stock synta focuser and, as you say this has a tendency to push the coma corrector out on one side.   I find gradual adjustment on the compression screws, while maintaining some pressure to keep the CC correctly seated does do the trick, but can be a bit of a fiddle!    Not sure how it will fare against the Baader MPCC, I have read some favourable reviews @F5 - though the screw mounting may be better.

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Thanks Jake, the diffraction spikes are a little manic i know - but it would be the same with any other newt, especially on this target. I have done some Ha work with it and the diff spikes are a lot smaller (still processing that one).

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Thanks Jake, the diffraction spikes are a little manic i know - but it would be the same with any other newt, especially on this target. I have done some Ha work with it and the diff spikes are a lot smaller (still processing that one).

I struggle with the same, though the better the seeing and collimation and brighter the target, the more pronounced they become.   It may be a modest scope, but you've certainly got it nicely tuned up.     I actually quite like spikes in moderation, especially those on a good deepfield shot from a well tuned AG or CT 12 :)

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laser_jock99, on 09 Nov 2013 - 6:10 PM, said:

Nice to see some underated scopes in action. Good work!

Underated is a bit of an understatement :)

It makes a great little project scope for people who fancy a bit of tinkering, and its not so expensive as to give you a heart attack if you mess it up! I think once the focuser is modded to a threaded connection it will only improve it further (will be great for accurate collimation too).

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Update: The M54-T2 adapter is now en route, so it wont be long until I have threaded connections and an internally housed coma corrector :)

Hacksaw at the ready, and preparing the CC for major surgery. (I'll probaby G-clamp to the desk so all is steady when cutting the collar off).

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