mapstar Posted December 4, 2018 Author Share Posted December 4, 2018 Nicely done Vic. Looks like it's almost there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 10 hours ago, mapstar said: Nicely done Vic. Looks like it's almost there Hopefully so. I'll bring the finder to an upcoming meeting for someone to look at the threads and see if we can see why it isn't catching on properly. It is a very specific shoe for the finder which I don't fancy trying to change as it may mean drilling more holes! I tried swapping the finder scope itself for my Skywatcher 6x30 RACI one, but the tube just doesn't quite fit into the other foot/holder. I'll bring both to a meeting and see what we can do. I'm just hoping it turns out to be worth the effort I'm putting in. It's a great looking classic scope though, and it'll be good seeing it looking smart again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 Just collected a parcel from the Post Office on my way to work, and it just so happened to be my Vixen eyepiece adapter. That came much sooner than expected as they advised it could take 28 days. I only ordered it last Monday! Hopefully, this will be the thing for the job on the Prinz 660. Shame I've got to wait until I return home this evening to test it, but I will keep you posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 Quick update on the Prinz 660, and it is seemingly very successful so far. New 76mm tube rings and dovetail bar fitted. Vixen 36.4mm to 1.25" adapter arrived today, and it fits like a dream, so I can use my modern star diagonal and EPs. I have even had a play and fitted the original solar projection plate just to see what it would have looked like, although I have no intentions of using it. Unfortunately, we have mist and cloud here this evening, but I have had the scope in the front yard giving it a quick test. Buildings and lights, and the motorway traffic around 2 miles away are crisp and sharp through the EP, which bodes well. The original finder and shoe are present, although the threads on the front focus adjuster on the finder are loose and don't catch properly. Hoping we can have a look at during an upcoming club meeting. I am also going to try to fashion a dew shield of sorts (I read on one thread someone had made one out of an old 2L pop bottle which they painted white on the outside and matt black on the inside), just to give it a finishing touch as it seems as though it would have had one originally. Looking forward to giving it a proper test on The Moon as soon as skies allow. Anyway, thought you'd be interested in my progress and it's good to see a scope that has been around as long, if not longer, than I have not only looking the part again, but in a condition where it can be used to enjoy the views of our solar system and the wider Galaxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Comet 46P/Wirtanen imaged 12.12.2018 from 20.04 to 20.10 Canon 100D with Tamron 70-300mm lens at 300mm A total of 13 x 8 second exposures at ISO1600 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2STAR Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Well done Vicky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 Comet 46P/Wirtanen imaged 13.12.2018 from 17.06 to 20.45 Skywatcher Equinox 80 ED refractor and Altair Hypercam 183C A total of 80 x 30 second exposures and 40 x 60 second exposures Stacked in DSS using comet mode, although I'm not sure I got this quite right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 M45 The Pleiades imaged 13.12.2018 Skywatcher Equinox 80 ED refractor and Altair Hypercam 183C 10 x 300 second exposures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengrant76 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Nice images Vicky, love the pleiades one, lots of detail you have captured! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark62 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 I’m not getting notifications again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 "First light" for myself with the vintage Prinz 660 for a quick bit of lunar. Wow! This thing this is boss to use! Pure joy! The Moon looked incredible, even when full with contrast lacking. Can't wait to test it out with some terminator detail to be seen. Definitely going to try to make a dew shield of sorts to finish the look. Thank you @Marci for sorting the finder scope. I haven't had chance to get the focus set yet, but it looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapstar Posted December 23, 2018 Author Share Posted December 23, 2018 Long and low there Vic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 1 minute ago, mapstar said: Long and low there Vic It's so much fun to use. Never viewed with anything quite like it. Goodness knows what the neighbours think haha, it's like a bazooka! Hoping we get some clear skies Christmas Day or Boxing Day as it will be coming to the in-laws for my niece to use. I've done it up primarily for my 2 nieces (one my brothers daughter, and the other Terry's brother's daughter) to use under my supervision as they are both really interested in astronomy. It will have to be used with my mounts and eyepieces etc. as the cost would have been too much to start buying it's own accessories. However, to be honest, I think they'd only use it when I am there showing them how to use it properly and helping them find things. I only had a brief look at the Moon last night, and didn't get chance to do any other observing, but it seems like the optics are cracking. I don't think I'll need to start cleaning inbetween the lenses, as the small dust specks and mould (?) spots were not at all noticeable despite viewing the bright full moon. Seems like a successful project and well worth the £30 I have ended up spending on it (tube rings and Vixen adapter) to get it to a fully useable state Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 22 minutes ago, mapstar said: Long and low there Vic I've just had another look at my photo. It does look as though the scope is low down haha. It wasn't really as the tripod was fully extended, you just can't see the bottom section due to the shadow. Man, that scope is long...... that's a 6 foot fence I'm viewing over haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark62 Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 It looks like you would have to sit on the ground to look through it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 2 hours ago, Mark62 said: It looks like you would have to sit on the ground to look through it ? It's very very looooooong, but it was quite comfortable for viewing the Moon with the tripod extended. Wouldn't fancy viewing anything too close to the zenith though haha. I'd have to kneel down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark62 Posted December 23, 2018 Share Posted December 23, 2018 22 minutes ago, Vicky050373 said: It's very very looooooong, but it was quite comfortable for viewing the Moon with the tripod extended. Wouldn't fancy viewing anything too close to the zenith though haha. I'd have to kneel down! What you need to do is dig a trench all the way around for you to stand in when your viewing the zenith ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapstar Posted December 24, 2018 Author Share Posted December 24, 2018 Well the moon was full on last night and really bright. Like daylight here at 4am. Quite a frost this morning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapstar Posted December 25, 2018 Author Share Posted December 25, 2018 Merry Christmas to all. Hope everyone has a great day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark62 Posted December 25, 2018 Share Posted December 25, 2018 3 hours ago, mapstar said: Merry Christmas to all. Hope everyone has a great day. Same to you Damian, hope you have a super day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 Hope everyone had a really lovely Christmas, and that Santa bought you lots of nice goodies. I got a really sweet mini telescope on a pendant, which extends out to around 3". You can even look through it and things are slightly magnified. It's cute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark62 Posted December 26, 2018 Share Posted December 26, 2018 19 hours ago, Vicky050373 said: Hope everyone had a really lovely Christmas, and that Santa bought you lots of nice goodies. I got a really sweet mini telescope on a pendant, which extends out to around 3". You can even look through it and things are slightly magnified. It's cute Had a super Christmas thanks V, hope you had a good day too and everyone else too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky050373 Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Well, I finally got to show my niece, Emmie, the Prinz 660. I also gave her a large fold-out poster sized Moon map, Nightscenes 2019, Tim Peake's "Ask an Astronaut" and an Astronomy dot-to-dot book. She absolutely loves the scope, although it takes her a while to see the objects in the eyepiece. We initially set up in the front yard and viewed The Orion Nebula, Betelgeuse, The Pleiades, Hyades and Mars. However, the street lights were bright so we moved to the back yard to see what we could see there. Unfortunately, a haze began to set in and we were unable to see anything more than the brighter stars so we called it a night. Next time we are hoping to do some lunar viewing to see if Emmie can name the features by using her Moon map. A budding astronomer in the making Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark62 Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 I’m sure she’s going to love it Vicky and it won’t be long as shes upgrading. You will be picking her up and bringing her to the meetings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapstar Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 Well done Vic with that and great to bring another pair of eye's to the hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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