What did the postman bring?

[Captain Scarlet]

I’m seriously beginning to think my corrector is obviously rubbish. The very day I get it, there’s not a cloud to be seen and it’s due to stay that way all night...

[PeterW]

Pictures or it didn’t happen!we expect a full report Magnus!

Peter

[Dean Hale]

Two items from FLO - Televue 15mm Plossl to complete the set and a Baader 2" to 1.25 adaptor to replace the stock one supplied with the Bresser 102.

Annual phone upgrade time - so ditched the iPhone and went back to Android plus the Pixel apparently has a astrophotography mode and i'd like to try taking the odd photo of what i can see. Keeping well away from dedicated cameras as it seems that can be a very expensive road to go down.

Finally eyepatch v2.0 using a bit of electrician tape which will hopefully stop me scrunching my right eye.

[Astroscot2]

Some wide field shots if it ever clears. 

Mark

[Fraunhoffer]

Pencils and crayons at the ready....

[Dantooine]

6 hours ago, Dean Hale said:

Two items from FLO - Televue 15mm Plossl to complete the set and a Baader 2" to 1.25 adaptor to replace the stock one supplied with the Bresser 102.

Annual phone upgrade time - so ditched the iPhone and went back to Android plus the Pixel apparently has a astrophotography mode and i'd like to try taking the odd photo of what i can see. Keeping well away from dedicated cameras as it seems that can be a very expensive road to go down.

Finally eyepatch v2.0 using a bit of electrician tape which will hopefully stop me scrunching my right eye.

Expensive road indeed. I won’t go there. Almost as expensive as collecting TV eyepieces 🤣 (I’m guilty of this too). 

[Dantooine]

1 hour ago, Astroscot2 said:

Some wide field shots if it ever clears. 

Mark

It’s clear here now. 

[Dean Hale]

28 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

Expensive road indeed. I won’t go there. Almost as expensive as collecting TV eyepieces 🤣 (I’m guilty of this too). 

I know, maybe a Delite at some point as the next step up. However I must use what I have and do them justice as they are more than adequate. No doubt one will appear to tonight in the SGL 'Book of dreams' wanted forum.

[Victor Boesen]

This was delivered yesterday for my Samyang 135mm F/2 lens. I hadn't thought about the camera flash possibly being in the way but luckily I was able to fit the ring-joint under the flash-housing

The usual sticker:)) I somehow love it but hate it at the same time😅

And in a well-packaged box was this little thing:))

The main reason I purchased it was because of balancing issues in the declination axis. With the ring mount the balance is almost perfect! I hope this will mean I can comfortably shoot 2 minute exposure no matter where on the sky
And here's the "perfect fit"😅

[DaveL59]

these arrived this morning to make up a dew heater for the skycam and I thought yay looks dry so I can quickly solder up and fit into the dome.

Quick play with the control module to set the light level trigger and then... oh no, only 6 resistors in the package, shoulda been 8 😞

If I wing it with these 6 I'd be running them at 3.5W where they are rated at 3W, not good. Am wondering if I switch these across the USB 5v instead but I doubt the mini network-USB hub would be happy as well as being a very low W output. Will see how quick they can ship me the missing 2 resistors and decide what I do next as I don't think I've anything that'd suit in the spares I have.

[markse68]

Had to back order but it didn’t take too long thankfully- Mars is waiting! That’s probably jinxed tonight then...

But why both?

2” for adapter and 1.25” on ep so turning ep in adapter varies the nd effect. Anyone else do this?

Edited October 23, 2020 by markse68
missed an o in too 🤦‍♂️

[markse68]

And... a TV Equalizer 😃 What a beautiful chunk of bronze! This will be really handy when swapping from XWs which are fairly hefty to orthos which are featherweight. I’d like a brass/bronze 2-1.25” adapter with 2” filter threads though, but they don’t seem to exist...

Mark

[Dantooine]

7 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

these arrived this morning to make up a dew heater for the skycam and I thought yay looks dry so I can quickly solder up and fit into the dome.

Quick play with the control module to set the light level trigger and then... oh no, only 6 resistors in the package, shoulda been 8 😞

If I wing it with these 6 I'd be running them at 3.5W where they are rated at 3W, not good. Am wondering if I switch these across the USB 5v instead but I doubt the mini network-USB hub would be happy as well as being a very low W output. Will see how quick they can ship me the missing 2 resistors and decide what I do next as I don't think I've anything that'd suit in the spares I have.

Those resistors are massive. They are the size of capacitors. 

[Dantooine]

5 hours ago, markse68 said:

Had to back order but it didn’t take too long thankfully- Mars is waiting! That’s probably jinxed tonight then...

But why both?

2” for adapter and 1.25” on ep so turning ep in adapter varies the nd effect. Anyone else do this?

Much better than having to keep removing the eyepiece for sure. 

[DaveL59]

23 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

Those resistors are massive. They are the size of capacitors. 

haha they're 3W wirewound ones, plus the board is really quite small so makes them look even bigger 🙂 

[markse68]

41 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

Much better than having to keep removing the eyepiece for sure. 

Yes- more expensive than a dedicated variable polariser but should be more convenient so worth the price i hope  

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Not strictly Astro related but will at least keep me awake when those long dark CLEAR nights come (they will come won't they ? )

Steve 

[Paul M]

1 hour ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Not strictly Astro related but will at least keep me awake when those long dark CLEAR nights come (they will come won't they ? )

Nice!

The MD got me a big froth and grind coffee machine for my B.Day 3 weeks ago. DeLonghi but not that model.

Nearly worn out already!

Ah, this one: https://www.johnlewis.com/de'longhi-esam2200-venezia-bean-to-cup-coffee-machine-silver/p3655047?sku=237565553&s_ppc=2dx92700055381546410&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjw_sn8BRBrEiwAnUGJDgxColya4GEhRqfm15kz23tmAQyOHXsbzgL1TeD3Gxly0cYFsqUJ2hoCAbwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Captain Scarlet]

10 hours ago, markse68 said:

Had to back order but it didn’t take too long thankfully- Mars is waiting! That’s probably jinxed tonight then...

But why both?

2” for adapter and 1.25” on ep so turning ep in adapter varies the nd effect. Anyone else do this?

Very clever well done

[teoria_del_big_bang]

10 hours ago, Paul M said:

Nice!

The MD got me a big froth and grind coffee machine for my B.Day 3 weeks ago. DeLonghi but not that model.

Nearly worn out already!

Ah, this one: https://www.johnlewis.com/de'longhi-esam2200-venezia-bean-to-cup-coffee-machine-silver/p3655047?sku=237565553&s_ppc=2dx92700055381546410&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=CjwKCAjw_sn8BRBrEiwAnUGJDgxColya4GEhRqfm15kz23tmAQyOHXsbzgL1TeD3Gxly0cYFsqUJ2hoCAbwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Nice, I think the coffee they make is so much better than the pods I used to use (and saves all that aluminium to recycle). Personally I would have gone for a smaller model as takes up so much room as I like to froth my own milk if having a milky coffee (mostly drink black though) but wife wanted one she could just press Latte, or cappuccino or whatever and it made it for her.

Steve 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Also received my long awaited books from the US this week. 

 

A good book and a good cup of coffee could I want for more ?

YESSSS! - Clear skies

Steve

[faulksy]

no pics yet. but my wife ordered me a new secondary mirror from antares. 4.0" 1/30 cant wait. well excited

[Dean Hale]

Yet another Hex key. 
A wood tray to store my eyepieces and odds and ends.
And thanks to @johninderbyfor the Bresser Mak 100/1400 and adaptor. 

[Space Hopper]

APM flatfield binoviewing pairs.

2x 15mm (65º FOV) for mid / high power  and 2x 12mm (60º FOV) for high power.....

I've been waiting for the 15s for a while as they've been out of stock.

The 12s were actually an impulse buy, and i think are now discontinued. They have twist up eyecups, and both pairs are a nice compact size, and a reasonable price.

Here they are with my current Tele-vue 'workhorse' pair which are around 5 years old now.  If these APMs  perform like the Panoptics i will be well happy......

Edited October 26, 2020 by Space Hopper

[wormix]

Free Starlight Xpress CCD from ABS - was offered as a SX MX7C although after some playing with drivers I’m beginning to think it’s an SXV-M7.   Probably colour. 
 

I know the gifter, James is on here so thanks for the camera, and I also know the original owner is also in SGL so they may be able to identify it

No idea what the guide camera model is!

One issue I have now is the cooler doesn’t seem to be working, that’s probably a driver issue I guess.

Regardless, I spent an enjoyable couple of hours getting it running under ASCOM in APT so hopefully will get some shots once these clouds finally clear off.  

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by wormix