What did the postman bring?

[R26 oldtimer]

Hope we won't have to wait four years to find out!?

??

Edited July 16, 2018 by R26 oldtimer
emoticon edit

[RT65CB-SWL]

4 hours ago, TakMan said:

Any idea what's in the box...?

Turned up last week.... after a....

4 year wait - I kid you not!

 

Looks like it came with some much needed cloud... could really do with some rain as well !

 

Damian

Polystyrene chips, air... plus whatever it was you have been waiting for during the past +/- 1ly. 

[TakMan]

Well packed from it’s journey from Humble, Texas, USA...

My Nova Hitch Hand Tracking Unit - the only one in the U.K. (in fact there are only 3-4 worldwide at the moment), so we’re quite... ‘unique’!

So gives my encoder equipped ‘push-to’ alt/az mount, not only manual slow motion controls, but also track-and-train functionality (which is what drew me to making the purchase in the first place - always wanted a Takahashi and a Super Half Hitch alt/az Mount.... somehow ended up with both, in a fashion... and a TEC 140 which is what the Nova Hitch was designed to carry - a refractor in the AP130 / TEC 140 size or a Celestron 8-9.25” SCT, 210 Mewlon).

At last I’ll be able to comfortably sketch at the eyepiece and perhaps try the odd bit of webcam imaging...

There were some teething troubles on arrival (motor board potentiometers needed adjusting - thankfully sorted by a retired electrical engineer from my Astro club - thanks Ed !) and I now need to check the mount clutches and gear meshing, but hopefully the mount I ordered off plans on 29th September 2012 (delivered May 1st 2014),  is now.... complete!

All good things come to those that wait, hey !

Just a pity that it was Charles’ son Jake, who helped me finish the mount after his father (The owner of Half Hitch Telescope), passed away a few months ago...

Now I need to really put things through their paces and do a full review.

 

Damian

Edited July 16, 2018 by TakMan

[Chris]

I never would have guessed that, but then again if you've had to wait 4 years it probably wouldn't have been anything obvious.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Lockie

[DRT]

2 hours ago, TakMan said:

only 3-4 worldwide at the moment), so we’re quite... ‘unique’!

It's just as well there are no pedants here on SGL to jump on that one  

 

So, what is the story behind the four year wait? Lost in the post or just a longer waiting list than a 15" Frac?

 

[John]

My delivery today was a 2 inch 2x Powermate. I've owned and sold a couple of these in the past but fancied another go with one to extend my Ethos set to 4mm and 3mm. The 2x PM completes my 2" eyepiece case which comprises of the 31mm Nagler, 21, 13, 8 and 6mm Ethos and, with the PM, effective 4mm and 3mm Ethos.

 

 

[DRT]

50 minutes ago, John said:

My delivery today was a 2 inch 2x Powermate. I've owned and sold a couple of these in the past but fancied another go with one

We will look out for it in the Classifieds, John ?  

 

PS: I know how this goes - I've bought and sold three myself 

Edited July 17, 2018 by DRT

[John]

Thats the joy of the pre-owned market

[TakMan]

10 hours ago, DRT said:

12 hours ago, TakMan said:

only 3-4 worldwide at the moment), so we’re quite... ‘unique’!

It's just as well there are no pedants here on SGL to jump on that one  

 

So, what is the story behind the four year wait? Lost in the post or just a longer waiting list than a 15" Frac?

The full story I’ll tell (as best I can), as part of a complete review - I owe that to Charles’ memory as there is little about his Nova Hitch Mount on here or Cloudy Nights.

But here is a draft:

I believe (can only be speculation on my part), that revenue streams ran out as the upper end of the astronomical mount market shrank, the banking crisis hit, costs increased for raw materials and the small runs of the CNC machined parts- all whilst demand for cheaper Chinese imported mounts grew.

Charles was well known for tinkering as well, never satisfied with his creations. He’d add to, upgrade parts and took more time constructing and adjusting them than perhaps he’d accounted for in the costs - this was particularly true for early adopters of the Nova Hitch like myself.

Perhaps he also fought his illness for longer than we on the Yahoo forum knew about and that took it’s toll as well...?

This all added to the delays... months turned to years... then we got the news he had died.

I thought that was it, but I contacted his son (who was helping develop a new mount), to offer my condolences. In corresponding, Jake offered to try and fulfil his father’s outstanding commitments.

As for the number of tracking units I quoted originally, in the hands of those that had ordered them, Jake thought only he and myself had them as of last week, so two - fact.

Mine is numbered 5 on the back of the unit, in a run of (I think), 20 units.

I knew this number of 2 in use that Jake had mentioned was not correct, as Charles did send one to an American based observer to test the final production unit - I recall seeing an entry on the users forum with regards to his findings (Jake has the pre-production unit, a video of it can still be found online).

I mentioned this as unlike problems with say a SkyWatcher handset, where you could post an issue and gets loads of response from others with the same kit, having a bespoke unit can make life rather difficult when trying to resolve issues (voltage drop in my case).

Thankfully Jake sent pictures for me to check my wiring against his (Charles’ test mount), as my mount was one of the few completed with the motors/gearing/wiring loom pre-shipping, due to the expense of having to ship it back to him at a future date for a retro-fit!

I think looking back, that my insistence that he did fit everything before he sent it to me (although delaying the mount originally), turned out to be a very good thing. But, because my mount was shipped whilst the tracking unit was still under development, could have lead to the sort of problem I faced when the unit arrived and I hooked it up for the first time.

Jake decently sent full schematics for the unit to aid locating the issue (in case things like wiring had changed). The information we gathered addressing the problems have been sent back to America so any of the other units sent out can be pre-checked before sending out to others like me who have spent years patiently waiting...

Damian

[Saganite]

This little jewel of engineering arrived in the post and was fitted immediately. It works beautifully.

[Big Jim Slade]

Big box for this one. Very excited....

 

[iPeace]

Roman at http://r-sky.org/en sent me two of these, just the ticket.

[iPeace]

With many thanks to @Piero and @Saganite , this arrived in great condition.

Arguably a gamble for an 8" f/6 Newt (too fast?), the FOV is promising and the exit pupil may be advantageous when filtered. It's so nice and light, too...having used a 41mm Panoptic, a 31mm Nagler and a 21mm Ethos, this feels weightless!

I certainly like the look and feel of it. Hope to try it soon.

[Piero]

21 hours ago, Saganite said:

This little jewel of engineering arrived in the post and was fitted immediately. It works beautifully.

 

3 minutes ago, iPeace said:

With many thanks to @Piero and @Saganite , this arrived in great condition.

Arguably a gamble for an 8" f/6 Newt (too fast?), the FOV is promising and the exit pupil may be advantageous when filtered. It's so nice and light, too...having used a 41mm Panoptic, a 31mm Nagler and a 21mm Ethos, this feels weightless!

I certainly like the look and feel of it. Hope to try it soon.

 

Glad to read that the items arrived safely and as expected.  

Enjoy them!

[Saganite]

 

4 minutes ago, iPeace said:

With many thanks to @Piero and @Saganite , this arrived in great condition.

Arguably a gamble for an 8" f/6 Newt (too fast?), the FOV is promising and the exit pupil may be advantageous when filtered. It's so nice and light, too...having used a 41mm Panoptic, a 31mm Nagler and a 21mm Ethos, this feels weightless!

I certainly like the look and feel of it. Hope to try it soon.

Mine works superbly well in the OOVX12L f5.3 so it should be good. 

[iPeace]

2 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Mine works superbly well in the OOVX12L f5.3 so it should be good. 

That's great to read! Most encouraging.

 

[John]

Lovely items folks

@Sagenite: you must have better skies than I do, I hardly use my 31mm Nagler much with my 12" F/5.3 OO dob let alone a 42mm !

 

[Piero]

22 minutes ago, John said:

Lovely items folks

@Sagenite: you must have better skies than I do, I hardly use my 31mm Nagler much with my 12" F/5.3 OO dob let alone a 42mm !

 

The 42mm gives an exit pupil of 5.67mm in my Tak F7.4.  Under my moderately light polluted skies that was useable but the upper limit for me too.

[Saganite]

46 minutes ago, John said:

Lovely items folks

@Sagenite: you must have better skies than I do, I hardly use my 31mm Nagler much with my 12" F/5.3 OO dob let alone a 42mm !

 

Hi John,

I must have reasonable sky over my village, as I can easily pick out the double cluster on dark moonless nights, with the unaided eye. The LVW 42mm is not the best for the scope, I agree, because of the large exit pupil it yields, but it works well enough, and is the widest AFOV that I have; I bought it for use mainly in my 5" f15 refractor, in which it excels. 

[geordie85]

13 hours ago, Big Jim Slade said:

Big box for this one. Very excited....

 

How does this perform? 

I'm busy debating with myself between getting this and the 120ed

[johninderby]

Not the postman as I had to go and collect them.

Tube and cell for Big Red have been refinished. Two pack candy red paint for the tube and satin powdercoat for the cell. Was going to powdercoat the tube but advised that the two pack paint would give a tougher finish and of course would be a proper candy red.  ?

Expensive at 200 quid plus VAT (removing old paint and preparation does add to the cost) but can't believe the quality of the finish on the tube. Absolutely flawless and far better than an ordinary car body shop could do.  Won't be putting the scope back together for a couple of weeks  to allow the paint to reach full hardness. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by johninderby

[Chris]

Treat for the cpc. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

10 hours ago, johninderby said:

Not the postman as I had to go and collect them.

Tube and cell for Big Red have been refinished. Two pack candy red paint for the tube and satin powdercoat for the cell. Was going to powdercoat the tube but advised that the two pack paint would give a tougher finish and of course would be a proper candy red.  ?

Expensive at 200 quid plus VAT (removing old paint and preparation does add to the cost) but can't believe the quality of the finish on the tube. Absolutely flawless and far better than an ordinary car body shop could do.  Won't be putting the scope back together for a couple of weeks  to allow the paint to reach full hardness. 

Candy apple red is such a lovely colour.

Edited July 18, 2018 by LukeSkywatcher

[Big Jim Slade]

14 hours ago, geordie85 said:

How does this perform? 

I'm busy debating with myself between getting this and the 120ed

Clouds descended the moment it arrived of course! I'm hoping to get first light at the weekend. I will probably put a thread together to show how it copes with my Moravian 16200 - I was looking at the FSQ, but it looks like this can cover the chip well enough and has had some great reviews from people.

[geordie85]

30 minutes ago, Big Jim Slade said:

Clouds descended the moment it arrived of course! I'm hoping to get first light at the weekend. I will probably put a thread together to show how it copes with my Moravian 16200 - I was looking at the FSQ, but it looks like this can cover the chip well enough and has had some great reviews from people.

Thanks, I'll look forward to reading your thoughts.