What did the postman bring?

[Frank the Troll]

27 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Good old dependable WO diagonal. 👍🏻

Works as well as any mirror diagonal I’ve found. 

got it at a bargin price and its mint, well impressed, it will do me

Edited February 21, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[Mick H]

Just received this, StarSense AutoAlign with Aux splitter.

That should help my poor old back out.

[Benjam]

15 minutes ago, Mick H said:

Just received this, StarSense AutoAlign with Aux splitter.

That should help my poor old back out.

StarSense is a brilliant piece of kit. The video below will get you up and running in minutes, much easier then the instructions. Enjoy 

 

* I use Celestron GPS with mine, saves having to input time,date, etc etc. 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by Benjam

[johninderby]

A little box. 🙂

[JOC]

@johninderby Ooo.....is that what you've been funding recently 😄

So I got the 4.5mm one of these - thanks @johninderby.  So now you all know what I'm waiting for 2nd hand, BUT whomever has it for sale please don't offer it up for a few months before I've saved up again.  Don't they look nice?  Not quite in the same league as a box of green and black, but I still think they are nice.

 

NB.  I refer to this as my 'posh box'  I keep all the others in a different box and they are handy if I have visitors round or do some STEM work with the telescope.

[John Nodding]

Courtesy of those fine folk at FLO. ZWO ASI533 MC Pro. 120MM & mini guide scope.

[Gina]

I think it's a pity ZWO don't make a mono version of the ASI533 with it's square sensor.  So much more sensible for astro imaging.  It would save turning the camera between landscape and portrait mode for framing.

[johninderby]

33 minutes ago, JOC said:

@johninderby Ooo.....is that what you've been funding recently 😄

Yes indeed.a bit of other green and black. 😁

Edited February 21, 2020 by johninderby

[JeremyS]

28 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Yes indeed.a bit of other green and black. 😁

I just knew this little beauty wouldn’t be long in coming, John. Enjoy!

[johninderby]

4 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I just knew this little beauty wouldn’t be long in coming, John. Enjoy!

 

Did well with selling  bits this week so got a big chunk of the purchase price for the new acquisition in hand. 😁

[JOC]

21 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Did well with selling  bits this week so got a big chunk of the purchase price for the new acquisition in hand. 😁

I hope you enjoy it.

[AdeKing]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

Yes indeed.a bit of other green and black. 😁

I picked up a used one from Shaun before Xmas and it's getting far more use than I expected it to. 

Excellent get splitting doubles.

Enjoy using yours.

[noah4x4]

My wife received a replacement metal knob no bigger than a thimble for her KitchenAide food mixer in a cardboard box 12" x 12" x 12" that was full of paper packing. It would have fit in a DL envelope. What happened to save the planet? 

I was expecting a new Intel NUC which later arrived in an appropriate 6" x 6" x 6" box. Imagine my disappointment when I opened the larger first box and found a tiny knob!

[DaveS]

3 hours ago, Gina said:

I think it's a pity ZWO don't make a mono version of the ASI533 with it's square sensor.  So much more sensible for astro imaging.  It would save turning the camera between landscape and portrait mode for framing.

Definitely. Unfortunately they are limited by the sensors that Sony or Panasonic churn out. I guess there's not much market for mono sensors. The square format is ideal for imaging. * sigh* thinks of 6x6 on 120 film

[Stu]

Beautifully packaged off eBay, this MD5 controller and motor will give me tracking for planetary and lunar observing on my Vixen SP mount with the Vixen FL102s f8.8. Blissful prospect; low tech, simple and relaxed 👍😍

[JamesF]

23 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Definitely. Unfortunately they are limited by the sensors that Sony or Panasonic churn out. I guess there's not much market for mono sensors. The square format is ideal for imaging. * sigh* thinks of 6x6 on 120 film

The mono imager does seem to be losing out a bit in the rush to CMOS sensors.  There appear to be so many different OSC CMOS cameras around now yet very few mono models, and those there are often have technical flaws.

James

[Ships and Stars]

On 20/02/2020 at 19:52, Danjc said:

50mm prime lens that certainly didn’t break the bank. Hopefully it’s half decent .......

 

I've used Yongnuo wireless remote strobes for portrait photography for years now, they're very good. Had a Sigma strobe, didn't get on with it, the YN stuff was much better. If the lens is the same, it's a good one.

[Gina]

I had a 12 on 120 film camera many years ago.  We weren't "metricated" then so it was 2¼" square.

[DaveS]

39 minutes ago, JamesF said:

The mono imager does seem to be losing out a bit in the rush to CMOS sensors.  There appear to be so many different OSC CMOS cameras around now yet very few mono models, and those there are often have technical flaws.

James

As far as I can work out, the only mono CMOS cameras are the ASI1600 clones and the 6200 varieties at a fairly horrendous price. That is, until you hit the FLI keplers at a mind-numbing £16k a time. slightly more choice in CCD.

[F15Rules]

5 hours ago, JOC said:

@johninderby Ooo.....is that what you've been funding recently 😄

So I got the 4.5mm one of these - thanks @johninderby.  So now you all know what I'm waiting for 2nd hand, BUT whomever has it for sale please don't offer it up for a few months before I've saved up again.  Don't they look nice?  Not quite in the same league as a box of green and black, but I still think they are nice.

 

NB.  I refer to this as my 'posh box'  I keep all the others in a different box and they are handy if I have visitors round or do some STEM work with the telescope.

Looks like you are saving the est (17.5mm) til last! - an amazing eyepiece.

I'd be interested to hear what you think after a comparison of the Pentax XW5 and the Morpheus 4.5mm?

Dave

[RT65CB-SWL]

A 'belated' Christmas (2019) card from my company...

...and an apology from Royal Mail for the delay. 

🎅🎄

[DaveS]

Yesterday RM delivered a birthday card from my cousin in New Zealand, postmarked the 17th.

[JOC]

16 hours ago, F15Rules said:

I'd be interested to hear what you think after a comparison of the Pentax XW5 and the Morpheus 4.5mm?

Out of all the Morpheus I could easily have talked myself out of the 4.5mm with already having the Pentax.  I really didn't need both.  However, I too will be interested in the comparison.  On the occasions that conditions have been good enough for it I have actually found the Pentax  difficult to use. I have successfully used it on  the Lyra double double and got all four, but I don't find it easy to view through.  I have vague hopes of the Morpheus being a different experience.  NB.  Yup, I will have the 17.5mm one day, but I had to take them as they came up.  The trouble is I can't afford for them all to arrive like backed up buses so I am hoping to get the savings sorted before I spot it.

Edited February 22, 2020 by JOC
Fat fingers on a phone

[Captain Scarlet]

On 20/02/2020 at 19:43, Captain Magenta said:

A totally unexpected arrival in the post. I have no idea when I ordered it or even any recollection of ordering it. Which means only one thing: 🍺🍺🍺.

Still, I’m glad I did.

 

... as a follow-up to this I thought I might post a picture of the inside-cover page to see if by some happy chance the previous owner is on SGL?

 

[SnakeyJ]

Warning....

Or, in this case a lot of bubble wrap!    And inside the bubble wrap, 1 large Astrozap Dew Shield, Baader Diamon Steeltrack and Steeldrive.     

 

It'll take a few days to sort this little lot out and no doubt the clouds will set in for several months once everything is ready to test!     Thanks to FLO for excellent service and bomb proof packaging