Show us your set up in action at night.

[Patty]

Just finishing off another EAA session with my new favourite rig. Samyang 135mm F/2 lens with ZWO ASI183MC camera, ASIAIR Plus, ASI EAF autofocuser and AZ GTI in EQ mode. This rig is so light and portable and quick to be able to start imaging that I don`t mind if it`s freezing outside. I simply put it out on it`s marked spot and disappear inside to a nice warm malt whisky, start imaging on my tablet and wait for the finished product to appear. I do enjoy sitting under the stars whiling away the hours but sometimes it`s just toooooo cold!

[markse68]

Should be wrapping pressies but the sky is clear and the seeing is really great- had a lovely clear view of Jupiter earlier and Mars is revealing a lot of detail. The Tal 100r can’t compete with the 150p but Mars polar cloud/cap was more visible with it 🤷‍♂️ Contrast I guess 

Mark

[ONIKKINEN]

First light of a newly installed Helmerichs carbon tube:

Perfect conditions for heavy frost, was above 0 and raining in the afternoon and then plunged to -6 for the night with humidity licking the 100% mark all the way. Also perfect conditions for 3'' fwhm seeing, but beggars cant be choosers so the scope goes out.

Its mildly interesting that anything with electronics in it, namely the 2 cameras and the mount, are free of frost while everything else is completely frozen. Almost looks like the clean cameras dont belong in the scene with how dry they are.

[Sunshine]

On 23/12/2022 at 23:13, ONIKKINEN said:

First light of a newly installed Helmerichs carbon tube:

Perfect conditions for heavy frost, was above 0 and raining in the afternoon and then plunged to -6 for the night with humidity licking the 100% mark all the way. Also perfect conditions for 3'' fwhm seeing, but beggars cant be choosers so the scope goes out.

Its mildly interesting that anything with electronics in it, namely the 2 cameras and the mount, are free of frost while everything else is completely frozen. Almost looks like the clean cameras dont belong in the scene with how dry they are.

That scope looks like it’s been dipped in liquid nitrogen 🤣

[Vroobel]

Hi,

Not tonight, that was on 21st Dec. 
A comparison of two Altairs, respectively in order of use: the 102/715 EDT and the 102/1122 ED.
The first one is better, no doubt...

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by Vroobel

[Sunshine]

4 hours ago, Vroobel said:

Hi,

Not tonight, that was on 21st Dec. 
A comparison of two Alrairs, respectively in order of use: the 102/715 EDT and the 102/1122 ED.
The first one is better, no doubt...

 

It’s a refractorpalooza!

[scarp15]

Out in the yard with the 'big-un'.

Mars was captivating the Syrtis Major, Sirus Sabaeus, Hellas region sharply distinct, even Grace my daughter came out to take a look. Interacting between 10mm Delos and 7mm DeLite. Good clear sky, therefore will take a look shortly for M1 and M35.    

 

[Stu]

Cracking views of Mars this evening, followed by M42.

[Vroobel]

On 26/12/2022 at 05:14, Sunshine said:

It’s a refractorpalooza!

Presently they have two different purposes. The triplet is of course for astrophotography, while the planet killer is to allow me to spend time nice, when the first one work hard. 

I wrote that the triplet is better, but I mean it's better made. It's quality is not only because of better glass, 7-8 years difference in the production brought huge savings in materials. Look please at the rings used. Even the modern knobs are empty inside. 

Recently I found that my stepper motor attached to the focuser in professional way lifts the planet in the field or drops it slightly while refocusing. The triplet keeps the planet in one place. Without the motor I was unable to observe it. 

 

 

I love the F/11 scope. It has perfect correction confirmed by star test and the Ronchi test, it allows to watch planets in magnification 250x and the Moon in 320x (with proper Ortho EPs) with no aberration at all. It's cheap and I highly recommend it to planet watchers. But they have to forgive the savings... 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Vroobel

[Franklin]

1 hour ago, Vroobel said:

It's cheap and I highly recommend it to planet watchers. But they have to forgive the savings.

I agree, I had one of those Altair F/11 102ED's and it was great for high power stuff but, as you say, to keep costs down they've skimped on the rings and dovetail. I put an extra long, extra wide bar on mine so the rings could be attached with 2 bolts each. It's not that heavy but it is quite long and I wanted a more robust connection to the mount. In the end I used it mainly with the lower extension tube removed for binoviewing. Great scope for the money if lunar/planetary/double stars is your thing.

[Vroobel]

12 minutes ago, Franklin said:

I agree, I had one of those Altair F/11 102ED's and it was great for high power stuff but, as you say, to keep costs down they've skimped on the rings and dovetail. I put an extra long, extra wide bar on mine so the rings could be attached with 2 bolts each. It's not that heavy but it is quite long and I wanted a more robust connection to the mount. In the end I used it mainly with the lower extension tube removed for binoviewing. Great scope for the money if lunar/planetary/double stars is your thing.

Something like that? There is the original Vixen/SW style bar underneath.

I'm ready for a direct comparison, but still something else is to do. 😐

BTW, the focuser 10:1 reductor also works not so smooth like the one attached to the triplet, but it's better than nothing.

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Vroobel

[Sunshine]

21 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

Something like that? There is the original Vixen/SW style bar underneath.

I'm ready for a direct comparison, but still something else is to do. 😐

BTW, the focuser 10:1 reductor also works not so smooth like the one attached to the triplet, but it's better than nothing.

 

Wow, look that the lengths of those two! does Altair still make them? or are they older models.

[Vroobel]

The bottom one is the Altair Starwave 102/1122 ED (FPL-51) - the excellent planet killer. They do it, together with the TS and I think also other brands. Recently even the TecnoSky released very similar tube, if I'm not wrog it has 1100mm fl.
The top one is the great Vixen A80M Japan (not the A80Mf). That's why I want to finally compare them. 🙂

Edited December 27, 2022 by Vroobel

[Franklin]

4 hours ago, Vroobel said:

The top one is the great Vixen A80M Japan (not the A80Mf). That's why I want to finally compare them. 🙂

I recognize that beauty, bit over the top for a finder isn't it? 😄

[Vroobel]

1 minute ago, Franklin said:

I recognize that beauty, bit over the top for a finder isn't it? 😄

Slightly. 😆

[Stu]

Had the AstroSystems 150 f6 out this evening to have a look at the Moon and Jupiter. Excellent views of both 👍.

[Mart29]

That's me through the cctv, with my phone light on cus i knocked the bloody rubber cup off the eyepiece! 

[markse68]

Was going a bit stir crazy- great to be back out again tonight. Mars was looking so great in the 150p that it seemed sensible to swap to the 200k and it’s true you know- aperture is king  It’s just easier to see things with the 8”- the same things just bigger and clearer.

I really do need a taller tripod though- on my knees with a crick in my neck from the straight through finder.

Mark

[Sunshine]

2 hours ago, Mart29 said:

That's me through the cctv, with my phone light on cus i knocked the bloody rubber cup off the eyepiece! 

This is the very definition of "show us your setup in action at night"

[Guest]

Ok, so it isn't my set up but i have looked through it several times now.  This is Big Blue, the 36 inch reflector operated by the Richland County Astronomical Society in Belleville Ohio.  What can you see with it?  Well the last time I looked through it we were looking at star clusters in Andromeda.  

Here is a link to the Sky and Telescope article about it.

https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/ride-big-blue-to-places-you-never-knew/

Edited December 30, 2022 by Mike Q

[powerlord]

First light for 2023, AND first light for stuEFW*.

At the mo, stuEFW being used just to flip between no filters and l-ultimate for rgb stars and at the mo, some moon video. But once my askar sii/oiii filter arrives it'll ebable me to do full hso/rgb with my asi2600 easily.

 

Stu

*:

 

Edited January 2, 2023 by powerlord

[Vroobel]

Hi, 

First night with ZWO EAF. I love it! 🤩

Guiding isn't best, but I don't care, finally several hours without the rain till 5am (including flats and darks). 

 

[Stu]

Another session with the FC100DC. Enjoying both the MaxBright IIs and the Bino Bandits, they work brilliantly together. I’m set up well now, also with two dew strips on the binoviewers which keep the eyepieces nice and clear.

I also did a quick test for @Saganiteand found that they come to focus easily without a GPC when attached directly to the Baader T2 mirror diagonal, very handy.

[Ratlet]

Baltic.  Absolutely Baltic.  Still, the scope star tested well and the seeing is ace.  I kind of regret selling the mak now.  First time I've stumped out and not had enough power in the eyepieces for the scope, the moon just gobbled it up!

 

[Vroobel]

42 minutes ago, Stu said:

Another session with the FC100DC. Enjoying both the MaxBright IIs and the Bino Bandits, they work brilliantly together. I’m set up well now, also with two dew strips on the binoviewers which keep the eyepieces nice and clear.

I also did a quick test for @Saganiteand found that they come to focus easily without a GPC when attached directly to the Baader T2 mirror diagonal, very handy.

 

If I properly understand, is the Bino Bandit a double eyecup with heaters? Could you please share some details about that with me (us)?