What size flats panel….🤔🤔

[Stuart1971]

Does a flats panel need to be as big as the dew shield diameter or just as big at the optics, I ask because am looking at a 150mm flats panel. For a 120mm scope, but it will sit on a 165mm diameter dew shield….🤔🤔

[scotty38]

Some of them slot over the front so will need to be the same or larger diameter to do so. As I understand it, even if it's one that just sits flat over the end the area that lights up should still be the same diameter as the opening ie the dew shield.

In other words if your dew shield is 165mm diameter you need a 165mm or bigger flat panel, at least that's how I've always understood it.

Edited February 8, 2023 by scotty38

[Stuart1971]

1 minute ago, scotty38 said:

Some of them slot over the front so will need to be the same or larger diameter to do so. As I understand it, even if it's one that just sits flat over the end the area that lights up should still be the same diameter as the opening ie the dew shield.

In other words if your dew shield is 165mm diameter you need a 156mm or bigger flat panel, at least that's how I've always understood it.

Yes, that was my worry, this would just rest on the top of the dew shield,  so 150mm will be no good for me….☹️

[scotty38]

Nope, I'd go same size or bigger, depending on what you buy, for sure

[scotty38]

Oh btw did I read in another post the Tak has gone? Sounds like you have something new, what is it?

[ninjageezer]

if you have a dig on amazon there are several sizes ,i found one that covers my 73 mm scope and my edgehd 8 ,not sure what size it is A2 maybe .....

[Stuart1971]

Just now, scotty38 said:

Oh btw did I read in another post the Tak has gone? Sounds like you have something new, what is it?

Yes, although I got it to work pretty well with many hours of fiddling, i was just not happy and wanted bigger aperture, so I thought why not just get rid and get something bigger, was going to be the Askar 107PHQ, then the Askar FRA600 108mm, and then after much research, I settled in the old favourite the Esprit 120 with the dedicated flattener and the dedicated reducer…will give me more options…also was buying second hand but that fell through, so gone for a new one with bench check….

[Stuart1971]

9 minutes ago, scotty38 said:

Oh btw did I read in another post the Tak has gone? Sounds like you have something new, what is it?

It won’t have the colour correction of the tak, but the stars will be as good if not better, with my QHY268, the tak just did not like the small pixels at all, with my old CCD cameras, it was superb edge to edge…

the guy who bought it was ok, with it all as he has a smaller sensor camera and bigger pixels, but told hime the story, and he said my images  looked superb and he would be more than happy with them, so I said yes, if you are not a pixel peeper, and he said what’s that…?? 
unfortunately I am a peeper, and so was not 100% happy….

Edited February 8, 2023 by Stuart1971

[Stuart1971]

14 minutes ago, ninjageezer said:

if you have a dig on amazon there are several sizes ,i found one that covers my 73 mm scope and my edgehd 8 ,not sure what size it is A2 maybe .....

Yes, just had a look, but there are so many to choose from, where do I start….need recommendations really….as the prices start at under £10 and go to over £100 🤔🤔

[ONIKKINEN]

A4 sized LED tracing panel?

Very cheap and will cover the 165mm dew shield for sure.

[scotty38]

2 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

Yes, although I got it to work pretty well with many hours of fiddling, i was just not happy and wanted bigger aperture, so I thought why not just get rid and get something bigger, was going to be the Askar 107PHQ, then the Askar FRA600 108mm, and then after much research, I settled in the old favourite the Esprit 120 with the dedicated flattener and the dedicated reducer…will give me more options…also was buying second hand but that fell through, so gone for a new one with bench check….

Nice one, when you said 120 I figured it may be an Esprit, nice scopes  and I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

[Stuart1971]

1 hour ago, ONIKKINEN said:

A4 sized LED tracing panel?

Very cheap and will cover the 165mm dew shield for sure.

Yes, and as I said looking for specific recommendations as there are thousands to choose from on Amazon….

[ONIKKINEN]

43 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

Yes, and as I said looking for specific recommendations as there are thousands to choose from on Amazon….

 

I bought this one, but from the German version of amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AGPTEK-Brightness-Animation-Designing-Stencilling/dp/B0771J6JY4/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=agptek+a4+led+tracing+light+pad&qid=1675896144&sprefix=agptek+a4+trac%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-12
It doesn't look exactly like in the advert, and mine wasn't new even though they sell it as new, i am pretty sure many of the adverts you see in Amazon are actually the same product with a different label and you might not get the exact one shown in the images. You get what you pay for in a 20 pound plastic toy but for taking flats its perfectly adequate. The light is a little bit on the blue side, but that also does not matter too much.

[Stuart1971]

26 minutes ago, ONIKKINEN said:

 

I bought this one, but from the German version of amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AGPTEK-Brightness-Animation-Designing-Stencilling/dp/B0771J6JY4/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=agptek+a4+led+tracing+light+pad&qid=1675896144&sprefix=agptek+a4+trac%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-12
It doesn't look exactly like in the advert, and mine wasn't new even though they sell it as new, i am pretty sure many of the adverts you see in Amazon are actually the same product with a different label and you might not get the exact one shown in the images. You get what you pay for in a 20 pound plastic toy but for taking flats its perfectly adequate. The light is a little bit on the blue side, but that also does not matter too much.

Thanks for that….much appreciated…👍🏻

[ninjageezer]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WQXFZN5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i got this last year works great ,and the lead has a barrel connection that you can disconnect. oh and the size was b4. £25

Edited February 9, 2023 by ninjageezer

[malftobe]

Interested in purchasing one of these too (having to steal wifes ipad currently).

 

What length of exposures are you using when using the light panel above @ninjageezer for broadband and narrowband filters?

[Stuart1971]

Well I ordered this one in the end, as it has a good 0-100% brightness range, and also remembers the last brightness used between uses…which is useful…

thanks to @ONIKKINEN

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0771J6JY4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edited February 9, 2023 by Stuart1971