Tenuous 'planning permission' granted for a pier

[JamesF]

52 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

One question. I initially levelled the adapter plate but then had to make adjustments so that the HEQ5Pro integral spirit level was spot on. Are these levels accurate enough?

It really doesn't matter.  By polar aligning you'll take all of that out of the equation.  Having the pier adapter level may make it simpler to polar align, but once you're aligned, you're aligned, and whatever state anything below the RA axis is in really isn't important.

I actually considered deliberately making the tops of my piers at an angle of twenty-ish degrees to the horizontal so that the alt adjustment on the mounts could be nearer the middle of its range and less prone to bendy-bolt syndrome.

James

[JamesF]

Actually, on the topic of levelling, it has just occurred to me for the first time...

If my pier tops are absolutely level, and, say, Olly's pier tops are absolutely level (I bet if they are it's only by accident because I'm pretty sure he's not that fussed, but anyhow...), our pier tops will not be aligned with each other because I'm at 51°N and he's at 44°N (and in fact he's eight or nine degrees east of me, too).  However, once polar aligned, the RA axes of a mount at my home and a mount at his will be in alignment regardless of the difference in alignment of the tops of the piers.

James

[AstroNebulee]

4 minutes ago, JamesF said:

Actually, on the topic of levelling, it has just occurred to me for the first time...

If my pier tops are absolutely level, and, say, Olly's pier tops are absolutely level (I bet if they are it's only by accident because I'm pretty sure he's not that fussed, but anyhow...), our pier tops will not be aligned with each other because I'm at 51°N and he's at 44°N (and in fact he's eight or nine degrees east of me, too).  However, once polar aligned, the RA axes of a mount at my home and a mount at his will be in alignment regardless of the difference in alignment of the tops of the piers.

James

Just need to be level, and as said before it'll make polar aligning much easier if level, you'll still be both pointing at the ncp regardless of each others latitude, but a good point well made 👍

Edited May 22, 2021 by AstroNebulee

[Swoop1]

Recieved my TeleGizmos 365 cover today.

As the pier is 170cm from base to top of saddle without a scope mounted I opted for the 12 to 14" Dobsonian version to future proof myself ready for bigger scope purchases.

I turned the bottom of the cover inside just for tidiness whilst waiting for skies that deserve a scope being deployed.

[Swoop1]

Finally got cloud that was broken enough to start polar alignment.

Having the mount further from the ground is significantly kinder to my neck and back!

Spent a little while tweaking the alignment so that it matched as close as I could to the PA app on my phone then went therough the mount set up again, followed by three star alignment.

The alignment was succesful enough that when I asked for Dubhe as a named star search, it was smack in the middle of the FOV and then, when I asked for M13, this was just slightly off centre.

I have just parked the scope and put everything to bed for now. Hopefuly there will be a clear enough night soon for me to see how effective everything is when setting up for a subsequent session.

[Swoop1]

Had a mare of a night last night, couldn't get the scope on target (M13) no matter what I tried. I know with the ASI290MC it is a small FOV but I was wandering round all over the place looking for it. 

I started by finding the target in an EP (25mm) and then swapped to the camera but didn't have a bright enough star in the FOV to achieve focus so had to find one. By then all was lost!

Never mind. I'll get the hang of it in the end.

Here is an image of the set up in action  this afternoon when I did a bit of solar. Still a bit of a struggle getting on target so I just went for manual alignment.

[AstroNebulee]

It's looking brilliant, you'll get the hang of it with the zwo, it's not and easy thing to msdte at the start as you said with the tight FOV, but you'll get there 🙏

[Swoop1]

On 12/05/2021 at 22:45, Swoop1 said:

Did a bit of on line digging and found a 1911 map which had a comparison slider showing current ariel view.

The first image has a cross centred roughly where my pier location will be.

The second shows the slider moved and the 1911 map with the cross centred roughlywhere I dug my pit.

All I have to do now is find out what the building was.

 

Archeology update:-

Had to dig out the deeds of the house the other day and remembered it included some old mapping.

It turns out that the plot was a pub in a previous life and the building under the pier was a storeroom and urinal......

Knowing my luck I was dealing with the urinal part😁

[maw lod qan]

I've found that when it comes to dealing with the permitting department which SWMBO rules, it is easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission!

You do remember the scene in the movie The Blues Brothers where John Belushi was on his knees facing Carrie Fisher who was holding an M16, apologizing for leaving her standing at the alter!

"Please baby! IT'S NOT MY FAULT !!"

[Swoop1]

1 hour ago, maw lod qan said:

I've found that when it comes to dealing with the permitting department which SWMBO rules, it is easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission!

You do remember the scene in the movie The Blues Brothers where John Belushi was on his knees facing Carrie Fisher who was holding an M16, apologizing for leaving her standing at the alter!

"Please baby! IT'S NOT MY FAULT !!"

Well, he was on a mission from God.

[Alan White]

56 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

Well, he was on a mission from God.

For the Penguin if memory serves me correctly, the Mother Superior at the Childrens Home.

[Swoop1]

3 minutes ago, Alan White said:

For the Penguin if memory serves me correctly, the Mother Superior at the Childrens Home.

"We're putting the band back together.."

[Swoop1]

I'm not ready practically to go permenant wit power supply to the pier but get fed up digging out the extension lead, unrolling it then reeling it back in at the end of the session so thought about possible alternatives.

My solution was to buy 17 meters of 2.5mm arctic 3 core and a two gang outdoor sockt box, wire one end of the cable into the socket box and put a plug on the other end.

I screwed the box onto two lengths of batten and drilled a hole in bot pieces. I threaded a big zip tie slavaged from a new bike at the shop and zip tied the box to the pier. The lead is hand looped and hangs from the pier when not in use using a bungee cord.

When I can salvage some more mega zip ties I will put a second loop around the batten lower down to make it a bit more solid and also a third around the pier below the box just to secure the cable so it soesn't get yanked out of the box if an accident occurs.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Swoop1

[DaveL59]

does the loose end have a plug on it?

Best have that plugged into the IP6x socket while not in use to protect it from the weather with the cable running uphill to the plug so no unplanned water ingress 😉 

[Swoop1]

Good thinking Dave though the image is the pier stripped for action. It normally lives under a Telegizmo 365 cover