Show Us Your Cat(adioptric)...

[iapa]

5 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

If you arrange the cables carefully the drag cancels out 

It was my first attempts at putting that rig together.

However, you will notice that all cables run under the telrad so the all come out together at the side and to the centre of the mounting plate. You would have wept at the beauty of the cabling loom I created for the 'late' Newt, a glory incomparable.

I'm planning a wee plastic box with USB and power ports that will sit between the mount plate bolts so one power and one USB to the OAT and gear.

[Davey-T]

6 minutes ago, iapa said:

It was my first attempts at putting that rig together.

However, you will notice that all cables run under the telrad so the all come out together at the side and to the centre of the mounting plate. You would have wept at the beauty of the cabling loom I created for the 'late' Newt, a glory incomparable.

I'm planning a wee plastic box with USB and power ports that will sit between the mount plate bolts so one power and one USB to the OAT and gear.

Always good to have a plan 

Dave

[Dave In Vermont]

12" LX90 in my dusty shop.

 

Since this shoot, I've re-done many things, such as adding a Crayford dual-focus, new internals focuser set-up, lots of things...

Me like this monster!

Dave

[Hicks]

This is a closeup I took a few days ago after finally finishing off a project to build a controller board for the new moonlite focuser I treated myself to just before Christmas There's about 10lbs of counter weights just off the top right of the photo, 5lb on top and 5lb on the bottom to balance out the moonlite and right fork arm.

With the raspberry pi attached to the right fork arm I've finally managed to bring the cable mess under more control. Just a single power cable (4 core) now runs to the ground (bottom right of the photo).

The filter wheel is at a rather odd angle as it's the best rotation I could find that gave the maximum DEC slew possible before either the guider or the filter wheel impacted the base. Finder becomes pretty useless once I've switched to imaging with that rotation, but luckily plate solving makes up for it and even with that rotation I still lose about 22 degrees sky around true north.

Also for anyone who saw my other post on the controller board, yes the focal reducer inside the moonlite focuser in this picture is backwards, good job you can't see it

[cardigan wearer]

My Cat is ready to be put down! I stripped it down last week for its first ever clean since I have had it. Written on the side of the primary mirror 8/1/97 ! must say its views now are much brighter sharper and contrast increased.

 

[DRT]

My new C5 that arrived today to complete my travel set-up...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Here is the trusty Celestron GP-C8 (21 years old), fully kitted out with 14x70 RACI finder, Denkmeier Filter-Switch Diagonal, and Tele-Vue 31mm T5 Nagler (a.k.a. "Panzerfaust")

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Two more images in solar imaging mode, with the Revelation Superfocus R&P focuser in place.

[Rick Towns]

I replaced the LX drive and forks on my 2080 for an LX6 drive and forks - now I have a hand controller and dual-axis drives.

[Joel Shepherd]

I started assembling this rig (Celestron Edge HD 8" on an AP Mach1 mount) in early winter, but the weather has been so uniformly awful here that it wasn't until last week that I was able to walk through the polar alignment process and pull a few lights. If we get a break in the weather, it'll be worth the wait: little distant galaxies look like big boys, and guiding error is consistently below 0.5" RMS (against a pixel scale of 0.66"/pixel). I have found the finder to be very finicky, and the thread for the optical or imaging train does not engage easily. Once things are together though it looks very promising. The mount, also, has already shown it deserves its reputation.

[CraigT82]

My skymax 150 ready to image the evening moon.

The bits of plywood between the mount and tripod allow space for a M12-M10 thread reducer (the tripod is an EQ6 figment)

 

[John]

Ah, the urban astronomer !

[Davey-T]

Are you sure that tripod is a figment Craig ? it looks pretty real to me 

Dave

[CraigT82]

1 hour ago, John said:

Ah, the urban astronomer !

Ah yes... I think every astronomer should experience the joys of urban astronomy. Somebody shouting 'what you looking at mate' every 10 minutes!

[RT65CB-SWL]

 

Here is my 'modded' Meade ETX105 OTA - with 1.25" visual back attached...

 

 

...and after a 're-mod' to the backplate - without 1.25" visual back.

Edited 10 hours ago by Philip R

 

 

 

[iansmith]

Here's my Edge HD11 all decked out for a night of imaging

Cheers, Ian

[m.tweedy]

Here's my fully pimped C11 on its final outing at Kielder Starcamp Spring 2015. Been in storage since due to back surgery. Awaiting mounting in my Observatory that is nearing completion.

[Luna-tic]

Here's my Celestron C6 and Orion GEM. It's all new to me, having fun learning how to use it. I'm currently building a travel case on wheels for the setup, will post a few pictures when complete

[N3ptune]

On 7/10/2017 at 17:35, m.tweedy said:

Here's my fully pimped C11 on its final outing at Kielder Starcamp Spring 2015. Been in storage since due to back surgery. Awaiting mounting in my Observatory that is nearing completion.

I like your insulation job on your telescope, it must be helpful to prevent dew formation on the tube a night.

[Mr niall]

On 27/12/2016 at 10:23, Gilles said:

This is my Celestron Orange C90 spotting scope.

That's a fab looking scope!

[garryblueboy]

My C11 Edge HD 

[ollypenrice]

14 inch LX200 GPS. As a bit of an SCT doubter over the years I have to say that I think this gives stunning views. Also the GoTo is insanely precise! This was Alan Longstaff's telescope and has a cable hand made by Steve Richards, to boot...

Olly

 

[m.tweedy]

On 13/07/2017 at 00:57, N3ptune said:

I like your insulation job on your telescope, it must be helpful to prevent dew formation on the tube a night.

It does. It also saves it from the little dings when manhandling it.

 

[Tyson M]

I let my cats out to play last night! 

[Dave In Vermont]

Here's one of my kitties - the 150mm Maksutov:

 

 

 

 

 

MeOW!

Dave