Show us your set up in action at night.

[Stu]

1 hour ago, IB20 said:

Finally got the 125mm back, but I will expand on this elsewhere in the forum.

 

 

 

But but but, the Tak has fallen out of the cradle! 🤪

[IB20]

25 minutes ago, Stu said:

But but but, the Tak has fallen out of the cradle! 🤪

😅 haha yeah so it’s like that cos I have to mount the L bracket on the saddle for the PST so everything turns 90°, not ideal but am looking into some solutions. A 5” frac seemed to become a priority though 🙃

[M40]

Another 125mm had its first light tonight. Very mucky out there but had to play

 

 

[bosun21]

Attempted first light on the Vixen ED102 and first use of the HEQ5. Only managed minutes on the moon before I was clouded out. Maybe next time.

[bosun21]

Out again! This time with both setups. Proper first light (🤞) for the Vixen ED102S and HEQ5 but I just couldn’t leave out another opportunity to image Jupiter again. 

 

Edited January 26 by bosun21

[Sunshine]

5 hours ago, bosun21 said:

Out again! This time with both setups. Proper first light (🤞) for the Vixen ED102S and HEQ5 but I just couldn’t leave out another opportunity to image Jupiter again. 
 

Vixen 102S oooh, what a beauty!

[Mr Spock]

The start of tonight's session.

[Geoff Barnes]

My SW 12 inch Dob pointing at Jupiter this evening. Those who remember my photos from a couple of years ago may remember the scope pointing almost vertically at Jupiter, now it's at about 35 degrees altitude and nowhere near as clear an image. I did just about manage to see the shadow transit of Europa I think it was which made it worthwhile. Orion is nearly clearing the tree tops now and that will be much higher in the sky for some quality viewing pleasure.

[whooshbang]

Sizing up Jupiter last night with the ES 127

 

[lrh]

I was directed here from a Welcome thread. I'm very jealous of everyone's setups!

I feel like this is cheating since it isn't 'my' scope, but just for a bit of fun, here are a few pics of me observing with the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma, taken while I was working as a telescope operator / support astronomer there.

Opened up just before sunset to allow the dome to cool and get ready for twilight sky flats:

 

The control room after everything has been set up, and the first exposures of the night are being taken:

 

To give a sense of scale, here's a selfie taken near prime focus, just after filling the CCD enclosure with liquid nitrogen after a full night of observing.

 

 

Luke

Edited February 5 by lrh

[Sunshine]

10 minutes ago, lrh said:

I was directed here from a Welcome thread. I'm very jealous of everyone's setups!

I feel like this is cheating since it isn't 'my' scope, but just for a bit of fun, here are a few pics of me observing with the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope on La Palma, taken while I was working as a telescope operator / support astronomer there.

Opened up just before sunset to allow the dome to cool and get ready for twilight sky flats:

 

The control room after everything has been set up, and the first exposures of the night are being taken:

 

To give a sense of scale, here's a selfie taken near prime focus, just after filling the CCD enclosure with liquid nitrogen after a full night of observing.

 

 

Luke

I’ve got this beat, mine is a Tak! Kidding aside, what a scope! jealousy overload!

Edited February 5 by Sunshine

[Sunshine]

Great seeing tonight! Jupiter looks stunning all dressed in it’s usual stripes.

[Grump Martian]

Bought a Celestron C6 last night. Collected it near Bournmouth on our way to Swanage.Low and behold a brief opening in the clouds allow me to set it up for a brief stargaze.

Edited February 10 by Grump Martian
Added content

[Vroobel]

'Firts light' and tests of a turned into OnStep GoTo basic SW EQ5 (2GT belts and an older custom 3D printer board). I'm going to describe it wider soon. 

 

 

The GoTo seems more accurate than the one in my Celestron CGX. 😳

Unguided tracking of Betelgeuse, 7.5* over the Equator; respectively 60s, 120s, 180s (ASI2600MC-Pro and SW 250mm Evoguide 50ED with SW FF; 3.2"/pixel). It's made as a mobile mount for my modified Canon 6D and a Sigma 40mm F/1.4 Art which I'm going to buy very soon. 60s subs can be easily taken without the guiding. 

 

 

 

Edited February 12 by Vroobel

[DirkSteele]

Had an awesome 5 hour session under Bortle 4 skies on Sunday. A long weekend away with the family meant we escaped central London. Took the FC-100DC with me.

[DirkSteele]

But my goodness it did get chilly but I was well wrapped up. My Think Tank Photo backpack holding all my eyepieces certainly bore the brunt of it. Photo as I was packing down…. 🥶🥶🥶

Technically part of set up at night….😉

[whooshbang]

And the clouds rolled in

 

 

[Vroobel]

It's time to say sorry to my modded Canon 6D. Here is my newest and shortest setup in its beta version: Sigma 40mm F/1.4 Art, modded Canon 6D, Optolong L-Pro FF clip (if needed), 30mm guider and ASIair Plus on top of my recently finished SW EQ5 OnStep GoTo mod. It's something for a few hours trip outside the city, quite portable.   

Like every my scope, also this one will sit on a Losmandy dovetail bar when a proper saddle arrives. I will finish it and make it tidy then. The camera can be positioned horizontally (in the pic) or vertically thanks to an excellent Arca-Swiss L-bracket and two clamps. One smaller clamp is used for attaching the guider on a free side, very clever.

Waiting for tests...

 

Edited February 22 by Vroobel

[mikeDnight]

FS128 on GPDX.

It was clear a short time ago honest!

Edited February 23 by mikeDnight

[Sunshine]

3 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

FS128 on GPDX.

It was clear a short time ago honest!

An FS128 makes clouds look good, enjoy!

[mikeDnight]

Some folk think you have to be off your rocker to pay so much money for an apo refractor. Well here I am, off my rocker!

Edited February 25 by mikeDnight

[scarp15]

Not quite that recent, yet the scope (and eyepiece) continue to provide occasional use and will act as a reminder to self; to make the effort to get back to dark sky observing sometime. 

 

[josefk]

Is that a wooden eye piece case in the chair in the pic above @mikeDnight?  Looks nice. 

[mikeDnight]

23 minutes ago, josefk said:

Is that a wooden eye piece case in the chair in the pic above @mikeDnight?  Looks nice. 

Yes it is! 😊  There are a few additional eyepieces fighting for space now, but its largely full of binoviewer pairs of pseudo Masuyama's  such as Ultrascopic's, Ultima's and the like.

[josefk]

Indeed VERY nice then @mikeDnight👍🏼