What did the postman bring?

[JeremyS]

40 minutes ago, garryblueboy said:

This was delivered today been after one for a while can’t wait for a chance to use it 

Looking at those trees, is Spring late in Huntingdon this year, Garry? 🙂

 

[garryblueboy]

On 16/05/2020 at 20:38, JeremyS said:

Looking at those trees, is Spring late in Huntingdon this year, Garry? 🙂

 

Lol no pic was  taken in March only just received  it due to lockdown 😀

Edited May 18, 2020 by garryblueboy

[TerryMcK]

A wireless remote timer for Canon DSLR. This almost completes my ultra wide field rig which comprises:

• Old faithful - Canon EOS400D astro modded - old but still works great. Some people say noisy but not sure if they mean the clatter of the shutter or noisy images - I get neither.
• Canon EF50 STM f1.8 this came earlier this week and gives a focal length of 81mm on a crop sensor like the 400D
• Most important part is the KOOD 49mm to 48mm step down adapter that allows me to use my 2" filters
• And latest addition is a PixelPro Wireless timer remote that clips onto the hot shoe of the camera with a separate transmitter (which can also be plugged into the camera). I have the Shoestring DSUSB module but unfortunately it doesn't work on EKOS hence the intervalometer.
• Still waiting for a lens hood and a 48mm lens cap that I have ordered from Bristol Cameras.

I think it looks lost on the HEQ5Pro Rowan though! So future purchase will be a StarTracker probably the Skywatcher one for some point and squirt astro photography! 

I have made a Y mask to aid focusing too as when I looked at the printout of a Bahtinov mask for 50mm diameter it was almost impossible to cut the slits out.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by TerryMcK

[JeremyS]

Hmmm...did I click once too many? 🤔

🙂

 

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Hmmm...did I click once too many? 🤔

🙂

 

Binoviewer?🤔

[JeremyS]

Just now, merlin100 said:

Binoviewer?🤔

Got it in one.

Or should that be two? 🤔

People keep saying how good the BST's are, how binoviewers allow one to use simpler eyepieces etc. So let's see what happens....

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Got it in one.

Or should that be two? 🤔

People keep saying how good the BST's are, how binoviewers allow one to use simpler eyepieces etc. So let's see what happens....

If you got them from Auntie FLO, does that mean because you got two items - you double your cloud cover thickness or the clouds last twice as long?🤔🤣

[johninderby]

Opticron BGA 10x42 monocular and a mouse for the iPad. 🙂

Tried the monocular out in the garden and the image was very bright and sharp. No colour fringing at all looking at a street lamp in the bright sunlight. Will make a great liitle monocular to carry when out and hopefully will give some nice astro views as well. 🙂

[mikeDnight]

I think I've spent more on books since this lockdown began than I've spent in the last five years, and they keep coming!

[DaveL59]

so today these arrived, was hoping it really would be just the grub screws on the dioptre eyepiece shroud allowing the thing to come off.

and turns out it was, well kinda. Lifted off the rubber findergrip and 3 screws still present. Disappointed that Swift went plastic on this model as it has a slight split, but was able to be refixed so it can move the dioptre threaded section. That's when the next issue shows up:

The arm is broken at the hinge, not a good sign, could be alloy, might be bodgeable...

BUT a reverse look through the objectives and on that same side:

Now I doubt I can fix that one easily 😢 

It arrived sans case in a small cardboard box with some card to buffer it and wrapped in a plastic bag inside and not marked as fragile. Transit damage, possible but I doubt it, sounds like these took a drop in use, maybe seller didn't know about the chipped prism but such a shame, they're a nice handling pair and the chip doesn't seem to affect the image checking it with the sun close on-axis. Collimation is out though, no surprise.

Best case I can fix the arm and realign, give them a good clean too as they're a bit grubby and hope they're good to use. Some thinking needed on this one, I guess contacting the seller about the faults not described is the first step, tho I guess I shouldn't be surprised on an HR/5 at £40 when they normally go for 2-4x that, too good to be true huh.

Edited May 18, 2020 by DaveL59

[DaveL59]

so contacting the seller and I've decided to keep them and see what I can do to get these repaired. Was offered a 50% reduction, for that price I think its worth a punt  

[Stub Mandrel]

Black paint over the chip should restore contrast.

[Ags]

17 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Black paint over the chip should restore contrast.

For a second I thought you were talking about someone's new CCD!

[DaveL59]

1 minute ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Black paint over the chip should restore contrast.

almost tempted to try the windscreen chip repair stuff to level it off a bit  I did use a touch of black paint on the hensoldt wetzlar which also had a chip outside the FoV, on the end of a prism edge in fact, and that works fine, hoping a similar reault might be possible here too.

It does seem to be outside the FoV which is a good thing even when the sun is close to being on-axis. Opened them up to have a peek and no locking screw in the centre hinge screw which makes me think maybe opened before.

The usual break at the hinge, doubt any of the dud pairs of generics I have are likely to fit as the Audubon's have fairly large eyepieces but will tale a look one day in the next week and see. Here you can see the chip in the prism and a ding in the body, there's a tiny mark on the cover plate that belies the dent in the body under it.

So I teased the prism forward as it seems to have moved, you can see the reflection of the chip that appears under the eyepiece in this shot

 

So reassembled till I'm ready to try anything more. Quick check looking through them and unbelievably it's collimated now!  

If that arm wasn't broken they focus ok and give a real nice view. So for sure worth £20 IF I can find a way to sort that arm. The split in the plastic eyecup holder I may be able to plastic weld. I recall reading somewhere that someone made a delrin section to replace the broken hinge section on a binocular, there's not enough material to get a good silver solder repair and that'd soon fracture I expect. Am thinking aluminium plate cut and drilled and grind/file back an area to allow it to be secured somehow - epoxy and a screw, perhaps. For sure the HR/5 isn't as solidly built as the older MK2's I have.

[DaveL59]

3 minutes ago, Ags said:

For a second I thought you were talking about someone's new CCD!

would certainly cut the light pollution  

[Ags]

Depending on the paint, you might still need an IR-block filter.

[DaveL59]

in my back yard almost certainly what with all the IR illumination I have out there  

[DaveL59]

ok so am thinking this could be the solution to the broke focuser arm...

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/700039-celestron-30x80-giant-brokenrepair/?p=10066320

Will spin up a seperate thread when I get to the stage of giving it a go  

[Guest]

2" T adapter and 1.25" to 2" adapter with compression ring. 

[Dan13]

Going to be busy today. Most excited I've been for some post. 

[Ags]

I got a second-hand Celestron 6.3 Reducifier in the post today, securely wrapped in bubble wrap and ample orange tape. Looking forward to trying this out for photography and visual.

[11mahW]

First scope. 6” Dob. Apologies to everyone in the north west who will now have cloudy skies for the next month 

[Wyvernp]

Finally, after nearly 3 months...

I have the 163m taking its 300 sec darks as we speak. Want to try and get a couple of hours on the heart Nebula tonight. 

[Guest]

Velcro and Erm... Velcro! 

[jiberjaber]

New rowan belt and a temp sensor in the post today, belt fitted, hoping to be back in the game tonight!