What did the postman bring?

[callisto]

52 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Another “me being the postman “ as I travelled past the Widescreen Centre today …I bought  a nice  11/4” Williams optics dielectric diagonal ( I was going to go for the 2” but the additional weight wasn’t welcome on my small scopes  

Lovely...I've got the 2" coming 

[tico]

The fantastic book : The Backyard astronomer's guide. 

Edited October 19, 2021 by tico

[Ludd]

I delivered a fairly large package to my own house on Sunday.  To my amazement, the skies cleared and I was treated to some amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as M13, M27 and M57.  

[callisto]

4 minutes ago, Ludd said:

I delivered a fairly large package to my own house on Sunday.  To my amazement, the skies cleared and I was treated to some amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as M13, M27 and M57.  

Well that's a damn fine scope 

[Richard_]

34 minutes ago, Ludd said:

I delivered a fairly large package to my own house on Sunday.  To my amazement, the skies cleared and I was treated to some amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as M13, M27 and M57.  

Wow, that's huge! Over the past few days we've had a large influx of dark grey clouds in our area, so I'm guessing that we've taken your receipt of your clouds. You're welcome 😂

[JeremyS]

42 minutes ago, Ludd said:

I delivered a fairly large package to my own house on Sunday.  To my amazement, the skies cleared and I was treated to some amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as M13, M27 and M57.  

Is that a miniature house?

🤣

[Ludd]

20 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Is that a miniature house?

🤣

Well it is a bit on the miniature side.  I have lived in it for nearly 4 years and I still bang my head in doorways.  And I am only little.  

[Adam1234]

3 hours ago, johninderby said:

This is the manual for the Orion version which might be of help.

https://nimax-img.de/Produktdownloads/51359_1_AnleitungEN.pdf

This is so much more help than some of the other very long winded and complicated instructions I have found.  Some of the other sites on RCT collimation physically gave me a headache.

[Newforestgimp]

10 hours ago, Ludd said:

I delivered a fairly large package to my own house on Sunday.  To my amazement, the skies cleared and I was treated to some amazing views of Jupiter and Saturn as well as M13, M27 and M57.  

WMD ?

[Newforestgimp]

8 hours ago, Adam1234 said:

This is so much more help than some of the other very long winded and complicated instructions I have found.  Some of the other sites on RCT collimation physically gave me a headache.

Let us know if it works out, bit concerned I will make mine worse 😂 

[johninderby]

Couple of bits from FLO and a Rigel QuikFinder from another SGL member.

QuikFinder and ZWO T2 to 1.25” filter adaptor are for the Svbony mini mak and Baader T2 to 1.25” adaptor for my Baader prism.

Edited October 20, 2021 by johninderby

[Adam1234]

6 hours ago, Newforestgimp said:

Let us know if it works out, bit concerned I will make mine worse 😂 

I had a brief look last night and mirrors didn't look out of alignment so hopefully no adjustments needed yet!

[Stu]

A mounting plate for my Nexus to add it to the AZ75, and a selection of Allen bolts to allow me to fit the dual format saddle from my AZ100 to it too.

[fwm891]

Well another package from FLO, a Scopetech Mount Zero arrived just a short time ago. Needless to say it's till in it's packaging! Nay it's now sitting atop my Manfrotto Art.028 tripod with my Starwave 102ED Ascent mounted already.

Super smooth motion. Simple assembly, I've placed a small piece of aluminium strip between the saddle bolt and the Starwave's dovetail bar to stop it being marred. The altitude axis never really became 'free' for balancing but free enough to allow me to get near enough.

I ordered the flexible slow motion controls too. They sure help.

At the moment I've moved the Starwave's dovetail bar and ring back towards the focuser as before, the ring's hinges hit the mount stopping it from full vertical and horizontal access. Now with the rins and dovetail moved back and the mount zero's vertical arm tilted back I can now get full vertical and horizontal movements.

Photos to follow when I get some clear stuff to try it all out...

TBC

Edited October 20, 2021 by fwm891

[Stu1smartcookie]

2 minutes ago, fwm891 said:

I've place a small piece of aluminium strip between the saddle bolt and the Starwave's dovetail bar to stop it being marred.

Now thats right up my street !! Good show . ... looking forward to the pics 

 

[StuartJPP]

20 hours ago, Ludd said:

I delivered a fairly large package to my own house on Sunday. 

I thought that the "Human Cannonball" act was halted due to health and safety concerns.

[Hawksmoor]

Our postman delivered three quite small packets containing; two 8mm springs, a 300mm length of 12mm square aluminium solid bar and a packet of replacement pencil sharpener blades. Have you guessed what project they're for yet?  Todays more utilitarian project however., was cleaning out the back inlet gulley that collects waste from our kitchen  sink  and the bathroom toilet soil and vent pipe - so my astro-project is even more exciting than that!😉

George in a stormy and locally whiffy Lowestoft.

[Laurieast]

13 hours ago, Hawksmoor said:

Our postman delivered three quite small packets containing; two 8mm springs, a 300mm length of 12mm square aluminium solid bar and a packet of replacement pencil sharpener blades. Have you guessed what project they're for yet?

A Foucault tester! ? 

[Pixies]

13 hours ago, Hawksmoor said:

Our postman delivered three quite small packets containing; two 8mm springs, a 300mm length of 12mm square aluminium solid bar and a packet of replacement pencil sharpener blades. Have you guessed what project they're for yet? 

The Squid Game?

or something to do with diffraction slits?

[paul mc c]

Have had enough of blasting the wife's hair dryer in the early hours, this arrived today..... now to sort my cables out. 

[TerraC]

Ooooh Postie just arrived..    

 

[Captain Scarlet]

Something I collected from @Grumpy Martian yesterday. OO with 1/10 grade mirror. A big upgrade to my existing 8” (a SW 200p which I’ll make available here in due course).

I’ll need to swap in my Baader Diamond Steeltrack focuser.

Magnus

[Mark at Beaufort]

9 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

Something I collected from @Grumpy Martian yesterday. OO with 1/10 grade mirror. A big upgrade to my existing 8” (a SW 200p which I’ll make available here in due course).

I’ll need to swap in my Baader Diamond Steeltrack focuser.

Magnus

Magnus the VX8 is a fantastic scope I always regret selling mine. I remember my first nights viewing I observed NGC 891 not the easiest edge on galaxy to see.

[Xiga]

Bought a 2nd-hand Newt, my first one! 

It's a Vixen R200SS, 8 inch F4. Interestingly, you can get an x1.4 extender for it, which turns it into an F5.6 and 1,120mm FL scope. Might be an option come galaxy season. 

Based on the specs, i was expecting it to be light (just 5.3 kg) and it really is. It's also quite compact too, at just 70cm long, so should be easy enough to manage. With only having a belt-driven HEQ5-Pro, i would never go for a normal 200/800 sized Newt, so i'm really hoping the mount will be up to the job. We shall see!

The previous owner was unsure how old it is, maybe the mid noughties. The mirror needs a good clean, but I won't be touching it until I've seen what it can do. 

Now to start collecting Newt accessories, collimation tools etc. It never ends 😂

Edited October 21, 2021 by Xiga

[Laurieast]

A Starwave dovetail clamp from Altair Astro, so I can easily swop the guidescope from one scope to the other. 

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by Laurieast