18” Lukehurst ultra portable type 2 - brief first light

[Trentend]

First, I hope everyone is keeping safe and well from the virus.

Finally picked up my new pride and joy last weekend after much saving of pennies, research on this forum and time in the field. Settled on an 18” Lukehurst ultra portable 2 having previously progressed (with varying degrees of success) from an 8” skywatcher to an Orion Optics VX12 and finally settling on an 18” truss dobsonian figuring that’s was big as I could go without a shed redesign, larger car and new back!

Service from David Lukehurst has been fantastic. Highly knowledgeable, quick to respond to questions and happy to customise the set up for me. He was also more than happy to contact Russ Lederman to get help maximising the set up for a binoviewer and Serge from Astrodevices fitting a Nexus DSC (I had the pleasure of meeting Serge back at the IAS show in October which seems like an age ago).

My brief being as follows:

• Main interest DSOs having discovered some great darks skies within an hour of my home address
• Binoviewing only
• Some portability (single person set up)
• Object guidance capability given the relatively short viewing windows north of the border 

Spec as follows:

• Feather-touch focuser to take the heavy weight of my kit
• Nexus DSC
• Dew heater for the secondary
• Fan for the primary
• Tracer battery
• Glatter and tublug for collimation 
• Binotron 27, filterswitch and powerswitch
• Wheelbarrow handles for movement
• Panoptic 24mm

In a very brief break between clouds last night I managed to get a quick peek at both Venus and M42 from a very heavily light polluted back garden. Venus was fantastic. Much larger and clearer than I’m used to. Like comparing a peach to a pea. Clear and steady having allowed the mirror to cool for an hour or so and with the fan on. M42 was a revelation. Can’t wait to get some filters In the filter switch sometime down the line, but plenty to keep me busy in the coming months before that.

Pictures to follow. Will also be looking for some advice please on a suitable/lightweight observing chair, replacement wingnuts for the truss (I keep dropping the ones I have) and storage options to protect the mirror when in the shed.

Can’t wait to get the kit set up and out to the local dark skies!

Edited March 20, 2020 by Trentend

[JeremyS]

Sounds wonderful @Trentend

Looking forward to those pics 🙂

 

[niallk]

Congrats... we're waiting for those pics!!

[JeremyS]

1 minute ago, niallk said:

Congrats... we're waiting for those pics!!

Too right we are. No pressure 🙂

 

[Trentend]

A few starters for ten.

[niallk]

Droooool! 😂

What a setup - enjoy!!

[JeremyS]

4 hours ago, Trentend said:

A few starters for ten.

Wow! That looks amazing!

[Trentend]

Any advice on a cover to limit the amount of dust and creepy crawlies getting onto the primary mirror? Thinking of some form of microfibre cloth under the wooden Mirror cover then surrounding the whole thing (base and truss arms but not OTA) with a large bin bag? There are a number of access holes in the rocker box so never going to be completely air tight.

Also, what about a grab handle on the end of the OTA when I’m navigating from one position to another (at the moment just grabbing the end of the scope near the spider vanes)?

[maw lod qan]

An incredible looking instrument!

[Ships and Stars]

28 minutes ago, Trentend said:

Any advice on a cover to limit the amount of dust and creepy crawlies getting onto the primary mirror? Thinking of some form of microfibre cloth under the wooden Mirror cover then surrounding the whole thing (base and truss arms but not OTA) with a large bin bag? There are a number of access holes in the rocker box so never going to be completely air tight.

Also, what about a grab handle on the end of the OTA when I’m navigating from one position to another (at the moment just grabbing the end of the scope near the spider vanes)?

Very nice scope indeed! I'm up near Aberdeen, have a 20" SW 500p and take it to dark sites as well. I used binoviewers on the horsehead earlier this year (or late last year now?) and would like to get some Denks someday. Been meaning to try binoviewers on galaxies too - need to try that next time I'm out but time for DSOs is getting a little limited as the days get longer.

I don't know what besides the microfibre cloth to put on the primary to keep it as clean as possible, though I might be reluctant to have something touching the mirror surface in storage, perhaps some way to keep it a few cm away? Others on here will hopefully add to my vague musing on that - I think the 500p had some sort of tissue paper during shipping, a one-shot deal. 

The grab handle is known as a 'dob knob', my SW 300p has one, just a small handle to steer with a bit. The 500p does not (it's Synscan, so I generally only move it with the controller anyway).

Lukehurst or someone else on here should know where to source one, other than just combing the online DIY type retailers. It's quite basic, even a knob off a gearshift lever would do if you find a style you like.

I imagine you head south for dark skies from Edinburgh, but if you are around Loch Tay, there is the tarmacked single track that runs up past Ben Lawers carpark and down to Bridge of Balgie in Glen Lyon. That's probably pretty good up top there, maybe around 21.8 - 21.9SQM, but watch it in winter, you're on your own and lots of snow and ice, no gritters ever go up there.

 

[Space Hopper]

Loving the FT and Tron27.

Very impressive bit of kit.

Wishing you clear skies !

[stuy]

Very nice 👍who made the mirror ? F ratio ?

[Trentend]

Hi Stuy, the mirror is by Oldham Optical and F3.9. Unfortunately with the virus restrictions I’ve been unable to take it out to the dark sky site. But took a peak at the moon last night from the back garden and it was great. Very stable image pretty much straight away with minimal cooling and just the fan on. Was a doddle to collimate and pretty sharp on all 3 powers with the binoviewer.

Viewing chair arrived today so looking forward to trying that out.

[Trentend]

Tried the “legendary” RKE 28mm eyepieces on the moon last night. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong but no floating  effect. Actually found them tricky to use with precise eye position required. Went straight back to the panoptics for a more comfortable view. Should I persevere? Perhaps need to be at a dark site?

[alanjgreen]

On 21/03/2020 at 21:45, Trentend said:

Any advice on a cover to limit the amount of dust and creepy crawlies getting onto the primary mirror? Thinking of some form of microfibre cloth under the wooden Mirror cover then surrounding the whole thing (base and truss arms but not OTA) with a large bin bag? There are a number of access holes in the rocker box so never going to be completely air tight.

Also, what about a grab handle on the end of the OTA when I’m navigating from one position to another (at the moment just grabbing the end of the scope near the spider vanes)?

I have an Astrosystems Dob cover imported from USA

https://www.astrosystems.biz/covers.htm

I went for the 20” f5 cover and it’s way too big for the f3.6!! but better too large  

 

and the shed has a dessicant dehumidifier that runs three hours a day

https://www.airconcentre.co.uk/products/ecoair-dd1-simple-desiccant-dehumidifier-ecodd122sim?variant=15428686381154&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo6ez7vKr6QIVxLHtCh2XtA_TEAYYAiABEgJ1w_D_BwE

- the dessicant versions work at lower temperatures.
Alan

Edited May 11, 2020 by alanjgreen