What did the postman bring?

[Geoff Barnes]

I've been thinking of upgrading my focuser for a while now. As always budget limitations dictate what I can afford so rather than getting a whole replacement focuser I thought I'd try one of these. The Lacerta adapter, gets very good reviews and certainly feels very solid and chunky, and surprisingly heavy.

I'm wanting more precise focusing at high power for planetary viewing in the coming months, so we'll see how we go with this.....

[Stub Mandrel]

30 minutes ago, Geoff Barnes said:

The Lacerta adapter, gets very good reviews and certainly feels very solid and chunky, and surprisingly heavy.

I'm wanting more precise focusing at high power for planetary viewing in the coming months, so we'll see how we go with this.....

Hi Geoff,

Is there a plastic insert in the pressure block (the bit that presses the spindle into contact with the tube)? Or is it plain metal? I've used PTFE on my home amde focuser and I wonder if a plain block would be less likely to slack off over time. 

[Geoff Barnes]

Hi Neil,

If I recall correctly the video I saw said to take the existing strip out of the Skywatcher focuser and insert it in the new Lacerta one. I will have another look and confirm later. There are no instructions included with the Lacerta so I need to refresh my memory 

Edit: Yes, you take out the block with the Teflon pad from the original focuser and insert it in the new Lacerta one.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Geoff Barnes

[fiestazetecmk2]

Hi.Yes you have take the skywatcher one out and fit it .as I fitted the same to my 200p dob.it is very well made and improves the focus Alot. Well worth the money.

[johninderby]

Just a little self adhesive mount to attach a photo tripod head. Fitted to the mount it allows you to mount a tablet or phone in a covienient place using a small ball head and a tablet/phone bracket. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01NCLMIN2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited May 11, 2019 by johninderby

[johninderby]

And an inexpensive mini flight case from eBay. Trimed the foam that came with the solar filter to fit and now have somewhere to store/carry the filter.

[Geoff Barnes]

21 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Is there a plastic insert in the pressure block (the bit that presses the spindle into contact with the tube)? Or is it plain metal? I've used PTFE on my home amde focuser and I wonder if a plain block would be less likely to slack off over time. 

I fitted the Lacerta Micro Focuser today, easy and straight forward job. Yes, the plastic insert from the SW original came out and slotted perfectly into the Lacerta. Once installed the focuser feels really firm but ultra smooth and no adjustments were necessary once I'd tightened the grub screw to a suitable tension.

Now looking forward to trying it out but not hopeful for a few days with poor weather forecast.

[John]

This nice little piece of 4.5 billion years old rock. It's a culmulative eucrite type meteorite sample which formed deep within an equilibriated body, possibly the asteroid 4-Vesta:

[Saganite]

22 hours ago, Geoff Barnes said:

I've been thinking of upgrading my focuser for a while now. As always budget limitations dictate what I can afford so rather than getting a whole replacement focuser I thought I'd try one of these. The Lacerta adapter, gets very good reviews and certainly feels very solid and chunky, and surprisingly heavy.

I'm wanting more precise focusing at high power for planetary viewing in the coming months, so we'll see how we go with this.....

Good choice Geoff. I have upgraded a couple of focusers in the past with these and I think they are superb value for money, and so easy to fit...

[Geoff Barnes]

7 minutes ago, John said:

This nice little piece of 4.5 billion years old rock. It's a culmulative eucrite type meteorite sample which formed deep within an equilibriated body, possibly the asteroid 4-Vesta:

Can you explain for the uninitiated (like me) what exactly we're looking at there John, mineral wise I mean. The orange/brown parts are iron based presumably?

[StarryEyed]

[JeremyS]

Knobs as per @johninderby's suggestion earlier on the Postman thread. Allows easier + quicker changing of EQ head between SW pier (used at home -first pic) and tripod+pier extender (for trips away - 2nd pic)

[johninderby]

One day Skywatcher will start providing these quick removal knobs. Or then again probably not. 🤔

I see you went for the red option as well. 👍🏻

[JeremyS]

4 minutes ago, johninderby said:

One day Skywatcher will start providing these quick removal knobs. Or then again probably not. 🤔

I see you went for the red option as well. 👍🏻

Yes red looks smart and it goes well with the orange/gold Geoptics Viven/Losmandy dovetail plate on the EQ6 (which is just out of shot).  Red was out of stock when I placed the order, hence the short delay in delivery.

I might look to see if they make slightly shorter screw threads so there is not so much screwing in to do (I initially used with the spacers that you have, but there was a still a bit of residual play where the EQ head joins the pier, which seems to be due to the compressibility of the plastic that the spacers are made from)

[johninderby]

With the pier extension had to use the spacers as not enough clearance for the heads of the knobs. Aluminum spaces perhaps?

Hmm have some unused new black stainless steel knobs with a shorter thread somewhere.

20mm thread length, 25mm dia. head.

Edited May 10, 2019 by johninderby

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

With the pier extension had to use the spacers as not enough clearance for the heads of the knobs. Aluminum spaces perhaps?

@johninderby

Would these stainless steel spacers be OK John or would they corrode? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainless-Steel-Spacer-Standoff-Collar-Stand-off-Spacers-M5-M6-M8-M10/291169910104?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160323102634%26meid%3D94c907384b64416facaf9bceaa2e1623%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D143122929582%26itm%3D291169910104&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

or perhaps these aluminium ones: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9MM-Dia-Aluminum-Stand-Off-Spacers-Collar-Bonnet-Raisers-Bushes-with-M6-Hole/192855554925?var=492989573372&hash=item2ce7163b6d:m:mpBUixH-J37CPEaiORb6zkg

the latter are 9 mm OD, whereas the original plastic spacers are 10 mm OD. I presume no issue?

[johninderby]

Depends on the quality of the stainless so I’d go with the aluminium and the OD won’t matter.

.

[JeremyS]

10 minutes ago, johninderby said:

so I’d go with the aluminium and the OD won’t matter.

Thanks John - I ordered the Al ones

[adyj1]

Postie delivered a Canon 1100D I got cheap from eBay (£50 from a Cash Converter shop).

I'm quite pleased with it on initial inspection 😄

[Debo]

46 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

Postie delivered a Canon 1100D

Looks more like a 1300D to me 😉

Edited May 10, 2019 by Debo

[adyj1]

12 minutes ago, Debo said:

Looks more like a 1300D to me 😉

but apparently not to whoever packed it!

( or maybe listed it) 

Edited May 10, 2019 by adyj1

[Craney]

5 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

but apparently not to whoever packed it!

( or maybe listed it) 

So, the big question.....   is a 1300D better than an  1100D   ??

[John]

8 hours ago, Geoff Barnes said:

Can you explain for the uninitiated (like me) what exactly we're looking at there John, mineral wise I mean. The orange/brown parts are iron based presumably?

Here is a lot more information on this particular meteorite Geoff. It was found near Dhofar in Oman hence it's name, Dhofar 007. It's basically an achondrite which cooled in a magma chamber within it's parent body way back at the formation of the solar system around 4.5 billion years ago:

http://www.meteoritestudies.com/protected_DHOF007.HTM

Through a variety methods of sample analysis, scientists can tell when the material originally formed, what it's constituent minerals and chemicals are, major events during it's life, approximately when it was ejected from it's parant body, how long it was in space and approximately how long ago it fell to Earth.

Each meteorite tells it's own story and helps to unserstand what was happening during the early phases of solar system formation and sometimes major subsequent events.

 

 

 

 

[John]

5 hours ago, StarryEyed said:

That eyepiece reminds me very much of the Aero ED 30mm - I wonder if they are related ?

[Gina]

The 1300D is a more recent version of the 1100D and presumably better and worth more.