Show us your Frac

[25585]

On 16/02/2018 at 20:04, Peter Drew said:

Ready for Mars!. 5" F15 triplet APO.

Marvellous. Surprised at the small straight through finder however. 

[Alan White]

14 minutes ago, 25585 said:

Surprised at the small straight through finder however.

Clearly the SW 50mm finder is too good or cheap to replace with a hand made one.

[Stu]

38 minutes ago, 25585 said:

Marvellous. Surprised at the small straight through finder however. 

I imagine finding Mars is not that tricky....

[Peter Drew]

1 hour ago, 25585 said:

Marvellous. Surprised at the small straight through finder however. 

Straight through will be necessary considering the low altitude of Mars.   

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, 25585 said:

Marvellous. Surprised at the small straight through finder however. 

Ha - brings how just how bloomin' enormous that scope is! I'd assumed it was was an ordinary one.

[Trikeflyer]

Just got this skywatcher 120 equinox (thanks Mick) and skytee 2 mount (thanks Steve @ ens). Deforked the Meade etx 125 (not a frac I know ...)

[25585]

1 hour ago, Trikeflyer said:

Just got this skywatcher 120 equinox (thanks Mick) and skytee 2 mount (thanks Steve @ ens). Deforked the Meade etx 125 (not a frac I know ...)

Opposite to how I mount mine, frac on top & SCT on side.

[Knighty2112]

For better balance on the Skytee you need to avoid the top mount and put an extra saddle on th other side of the T-bar. Here’s my two ‘fracs from a few nights back, which when balanced do not require any weights to be added. The upside of this is that rather than relying on the clutches to stop the scopes from plummeting downwards if the altitude clutch is released the scopes will stay approximately in the same position. I plan also on using some of my other scopes in combination with the Celestron Omni 120mm ‘frac, but as this is strictly a ‘frac only post I can’t mention them! Hehe!  

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Knighty2112

[Trikeflyer]

25 minutes ago, 25585 said:

Opposite to how I mount mine, frac on top & SCT on side.

Good point I did debate this with Steve at ENS.  The reason I'm doing it this way is because I'm utilising the Meade screw holes for the short dovetail bar and they are on the bottom of the scope.  If I use the side mount, I'll either have to attach the dovetail using rings or jubilee clips or change the orientation of the scope so that it is side on which I'm reluctant to do. Knighty2112 makes a good point about balance though.

[25585]

On 22/02/2018 at 11:40, Knighty2112 said:

For better balance on the Skytee you need to avoid the top mount and put an extra saddle on th other side of the T-bar. Here’s my two ‘fracs from a few nights back, which when balanced do not require any weights to be added. The upside of this is that rather than relying on the clutches to stop the scopes from plummeting downwards if the altitude clutch is released the scopes will stay approximately in the same position. I plan also on using some of my other scopes in combination with the Celestron Omni 120mm ‘frac, but as this is strictly a ‘frac only post I can’t mention them! Hehe!  

 

With counterweight(s) on the shaft a scope should balance on the top mount vertically OK. The weights also allow for additional load compensation.

 For me the EQ5 tripod with pillar and scope on the top means straight up head height, that extra inch or two makes a difference.

I might try a side by side arrangement on top, in fact.

 

[parallaxerr]

Nearly completed my equipment draw down to one all-purpose scope now. Here it is in a bit of a hybrid visual/imaging setup trying out my new ADM guidescope clamps. The clamps make removing the guidescope complete with guider quick and easy and I've made up two wiring looms, one for visual and the other for imaging. I hope to continue DSO imaging and have a crack at some planetary too.

Received a Sky-Watcher reducer/flattener yesterday only to find it needs an M48 adapter not T2, which I already have - another purchase required! Boy have I spent enough on Astro this last 6 months! Still, sold a few bits on too, so recuperating some cost.

Now I just need the baby to sleep through the night and the scope might actually get some use!

 

[25585]

Congrats on your new family member Jon ?

[parallaxerr]

8 minutes ago, 25585 said:

Congrats on your new family member Jon ?

The baby or the telescope? Haha, cheers Rich

[Alan White]

1 hour ago, parallaxerr said:

Nearly completed my equipment draw down to one all-purpose scope now. Here it is in a bit of a hybrid visual/imaging setup trying out my new ADM guidescope clamps. The clamps make removing the guidescope complete with guider quick and easy and I've made up two wiring looms, one for visual and the other for imaging. I hope to continue DSO imaging and have a crack at some planetary too.

Received a Sky-Watcher reducer/flattener yesterday only to find it needs an M48 adapter not T2, which I already have - another purchase required! Boy have I spent enough on Astro this last 6 months! Still, sold a few bits on too, so recuperating some cost.

Now I just need the baby to sleep through the night and the scope might actually get some use!

 

Nice set up John, very nice indeed.
Good luck with the baby sleeping!

[avtaram]

Fc-100 DC waiting for first light.

Avtar

[JeremyS]

2 minutes ago, avtaram said:

Fc-100 DC waiting for first light.

 

Congrats!

[marcus_z]

1 hour ago, avtaram said:

Fc-100 DC waiting for first light.

Avtar

Nice! That's an occasion to change your avatar

[avtaram]

Found a nice light aluminium case for my Tak on Amazon, made a bit of a mess cutting the foam though.

Theres room for another 3 delites in the case, so far I have a WO reticule finder, Tak 1.25" prism diagonal, Pan 24mm, Delite 18.2mm.

I'm thinking of getting another 3 Delites, 3mm, 7mm and one other possibly 11mm or 9mm.

Avtar

[Chris]

On 28/02/2018 at 16:24, avtaram said:

Fc-100 DC waiting for first light.

Congratulations. I'm sure you'll enjoy first light from all the other reports I've seen. I can't believe how many SGLr's own these premium refractors now!

Edited March 7, 2018 by Lockie

[Stu]

Very nice Avtar, welcome to the club  

[Davey-T]

Lovely scope, wish I could justify buying one, I've got a few of those cases and they used to have three catches but then they started leaving the centre one of for some reason and I've had to fit one, looks like you had the same problem.

Hope we get some clear skies soon.

Dave

[Timebandit]

On 28/02/2018 at 16:24, avtaram said:

Fc-100 DC waiting for first light.

Avtar

 

On 28/02/2018 at 17:44, marcus_z said:

Nice! That's an occasion to change your avatar

 

Naaa, that little frac or Tak ? is really just the finder for his Dob ?

 

 

 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, avtaram said:

Found a nice light aluminium case for my Tak on Amazon, made a bit of a mess cutting the foam though.

Theres room for another 3 delites in the case, so far I have a WO reticule finder, Tak 1.25" prism diagonal, Pan 24mm, Delite 18.2mm.

I'm thinking of getting another 3 Delites, 3mm, 7mm and one other possibly 11mm or 9mm.

Avtar

A hot knife cuts foam perfectly, just don't let the wife catch you!  Great scope by the way! 

Edited March 7, 2018 by mikeDnight

[garryblueboy]

New TS 130 photo line APO can't wait to try it out 

[25585]

Like the mount.