ASA DDM60 Pro + Losmandy FHD + OS Veloce RH200 - finally ON

[Boren]

Guys,

It's been a long, long, long wait to be able to put all of this together. Well, the story goes like this:

My primary incentive in getting the ASA DDM60 Pro mount came out of my will to get a setup which will be able to carry a long focal length RC system, along with my beloved short FR Veloce and Powernewts. While my good ole' NEQ6 has proven to be perfectly able to deliver super accurate 10 min. exposures (over full nights, with no frame lost!), I was looking for something that can take me over to the 20 minute domain, using a long FL system. After much ado (and consulting with the best galaxy photographer in Israel - my dear friend, Tal Faibish ( http://www.pbase.com/boren/image/153674877 ) I decided to go for the DDM60 Pro.

However, the story doesn't end here. I decided that this time around I should go for a tripod which is an overkill for the expected weight. Choice went to the Losmandy HD, with a carrying capability of 190 Kg., which is more than triple anything that I have planned to put on it. As my astroimaging are all far from home, I had to go with the folding version http://www.pbase.com/boren/losmandy_folding_hd_tripod BUT - this took ages to ship. For some reason it was stopped for a very long time by security in Kennedy airport, and then it took ages to release from Israeli customs, who insisted on doing a physical check on it. They all probably thought that it's a bazooka, or something.

Anyways, 2 nights ago it all finally combined. You may like to see it slew quietly here (this was so awesome out in the field, that I shot a YOUTUBE video of it, and posted it on my site):
http://www.pbase.com/boren/image/153663046
or it's pack and go setup here:
http://www.pbase.com/boren/packngo
and a nice (I think) view of it here:
http://www.pbase.com/boren/image/153663780/original

All that remains now is to connect the robofocus focuser to the PC for temperature compensated accurate focusing, and I can breath for some time :-)

I'd love to answer any questions you may have, whether here or on private.

Cheers,
Harel

[NickK]

Sadly my DDM60 budget disappeared into the house purchase.. but I love the focuser addition!