Collimating- 10” quattro

[iapa]

Tbh, taking you time, it’s not much different to an F5

as above, Istarted with F5 reflectors.

 

[alacant]

4 hours ago, Adam J said:

F4 looks painful

If you can collimate an f5, you can also collimate an f4; it's exactly the same procedure!

Cheers everyone and clear skies. 

[Adam J]

12 minutes ago, alacant said:

If you can collimate an f5, you can also collimate an f4; it's exactly the same procedure!

Cheers everyone and clear skies. 

Its not the collimation that worries me its tilt and CC spacing.

[alacant]

8 hours ago, Adam J said:

tilt

Hi. Avoid sw focusers and you'll be fine.

8 hours ago, Adam J said:

CC spacing

Again, it's the same at f4; it depends upon focal length rather than the f ratio.

There are other more pressing issues with cheap f4s though, but which are easily fixed; the mirror springs and the dovetail. Fit three extra springs over the locking screws (and don't use them as locking screw) , a wide dovetail and a bar (which doubles as a guidescope plate) along the top of the top of the tube rings.

Go on, be a devil. Go for it. You know you want to!

HTH

[Adam J]

3 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi. Avoid sw focusers and you'll be fine.

Again, it's the same at f4; it depends upon focal length rather than the f ratio.

There are other more pressing issues with cheap f4s though, but which are easily fixed; the mirror springs and the dovetail. Fit three extra springs over the locking screws (and don't use them as locking screw) , a wide dovetail and a bar (which doubles as a guidescope plate) along the top of the top of the tube rings.

Go on, be a devil. Go for it. You know you want to!

HTH

Not sure on that one, the light cone will converge at a higher angle at F4 and that makes the sweet spot for focus smaller meaning that any tiny amount of focuser tilt is more apparent, its probably not an issue you would have encountered only hanging a DSLR off the focuser. I hang allot of weight off my 130PDS focuser and its borderline causing it to sag enough to result in tilt I am quite sure I would have issues at F4. You are also more likely to see vignetting with certain sensor / filter combinations. 

[alacant]

3 hours ago, Adam J said:

I hang allot of weight off my 130PDS focuser

Ah, OK. Yeah, sw focusers and weight is not a good combination. I'm sure many of the OPs issues are maybe due to that. 

[iapa]

5 hours ago, alacant said:

Ah, OK. Yeah, sw focusers and weight is not a good combination. I'm sure many of the OPs issues are maybe due to that. 

My initial issues were due to spider vanes being offset, secondary mirror nowhere near oriented, and focusser not being centred (I’ve spoken to it’s previous caretaker and we  have discussed, and resolved, in turn, the issues that they had).

weight wise, a filter Wheel and CMOS camera, nothing excessive. It was one thing that’s not caused me issues. So far

Apartfromfocus, which is bybahtinov mask just now,until I get a suitable bracket for a motor , 

I’ve a predicted cloud free night tonight..........

see what comes out if the forecast is right.

 

[alacant]

1 hour ago, iapa said:

weight wise, a filter Wheel and CMOS camera

Just my experience with sw that's all. I gave up with my ed80 altogether and needed to have my 130pds replaced; both focuser problems. My bad luck I'm certain as I still need to jam in a cocktail stick to make it hold my dslr!

1 hour ago, iapa said:

see what comes out if the forecast is right

Hey, everything crossed for you. Good luck.

[iapa]

The nice people at FLO are going to send me a set of replacement vanes as there's a twist that I cant get rid of.

Clear night forecast tonight so will see what I can get - hopefully 5-6 hours

[iapa]

Those excellent people at FLO have delivered replacement vanes.

Was hoping to fit them Thurs and get everything lined up for imaging on Friday.

Caroline looks like she will kybosh that plan

[Skipper Billy]

I think you are on the East Coast ???  You might not get the full waft of Caroline although it wont be imaging weather!!!

Looks like we are going to get the full blast on the West Coast - upgraded to Amber warning now with gusts over 80kts.

Pretty rare we see a sea state forecast of phenomenal !!.........

My main concern isn't imaging its making sure my observatory has the same postcode over the next 24 hours!

Good luck with the Quattro.

 

Gale warning - issued: 15:46 on Wed 6 Dec 2017 UTC

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, veering northwesterly and increasing hurricane force 12 soon

Wind

Southwest 7 to severe gale 9, veering northwest severe gale 9 to violent storm 11, perhaps hurricane force 12 later.

Sea state

Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high, occasionally phenomenal later.

Weather

Rain, wintry showers later.

Visibility

Moderate or poor.

[iapa]

19 hours ago, Skipper Billy said:

I think you are on the East Coast ???  You might not get the full waft of Caroline although it wont be imaging weather!!!

Looks like we are going to get the full blast on the West Coast - upgraded to Amber warning now with gusts over 80kts.

Pretty rare we see a sea state forecast of phenomenal !!.........

My main concern isn't imaging its making sure my observatory has the same postcode over the next 24 hours!

Good luck with the Quattro.

 

Gale warning - issued: 15:46 on Wed 6 Dec 2017 UTC

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 imminent, veering northwesterly and increasing hurricane force 12 soon

Wind

Southwest 7 to severe gale 9, veering northwest severe gale 9 to violent storm 11, perhaps hurricane force 12 later.

Sea state

Rough or very rough, becoming high or very high, occasionally phenomenal later.

Weather

Rain, wintry showers later.

Visibility

Moderate or poor.

Nah, bit further west, more central - Livingston area, so something between

Southwesterly gale force 8 increasing severe gale force 9 soon, veering westerly and increasing storm force 10 later, and

Northwesterly storm force 10, decreasing severe gale force 9 imminent.

Don't think I need to think about sea state this time

 

My 'observatory' walls and roof consist of a telegizmo 365 cover with a shower tent on top of that.

Actually, the rig right now is just the pier, I brought the mount and ancillary stuff indoors as I was out the country for a week or so.