What did the postman bring? V2

[PeterC65]

The goodies have been coming thick and fast over the last few days ...

A SynScan WiFi Adapter to see if I can control the SynScan AZ GOTO mount from SkySafari running on an Android tablet.

I'd mentioned in a recent visual observing report that I missed having the Stellarium sky chart to hand when doing visual, after doing lots of EAA recently, and using a sky chart on a tablet was suggested. I already have SkySafari and some playing with this and advice from other SGL members suggested it could be a good idea.

Since I was paying the FLO postage charge, I thought I'd also add a StellaLyra UFF 30mm eyepiece to the order.

To be fair, I've been contemplating one of these for even longer than it took me to order the FMA135.

I've not been happy with the Baader Hyperion Aspheric 36mm and wanted something better for widefield. The Aspheric is fine with the Mak at F11.8 but, frankly, rubbish with the refractor at F6.0 which was its main purpose. For a long time I had decided that 30mm was just too close to my Explore Scientific 24mm, but this StellaLyra is supposed to be super-flat, and I finally decided that a super-flat slightly larger field of view would be worth having.

I think I will keep the Aspheric for the Mak as it widens the field of view significantly with that scope (the Mak has been modified to give it a 2" visual back).

The UFF 30mm is quite a lump, heavier than any of my other eyepieces by the feel of it.

 

[Zermelo]

6 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:

Since I was paying the FLO postage charge, I thought I'd also add a StellaLyra UFF 30mm eyepiece to the order.

That might take the record as the most significant purchase ever made to avoid a postal charge.

[powerlord]

3 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

That might take the record as the most significant purchase ever made to avoid a postal charge.

haha. doubt it! I've been on there before looking for a 15 quid lens adapter and ended up buying 2000 quid worth of telescope!

[bosun21]

37 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:

The UFF 30mm is quite a lump, heavier than any of my other eyepieces by the feel of it.

It’s performance is excellent Peter. You will be happy with it, of this i am sure.

[Alan White]

3 hours ago, bosun21 said:

It’s performance is excellent Peter. You will be happy with it, of this i am sure.

Love my APM uff 30 and the SL one is the same unit, different badge, I too am sure you should like it.

[Dark Raven]

As I lost patience with Stellarmate and INDI driver support again, I got ASIAIR Plus 256 GB for the bigger OTA / camera. "Old" ASIAIR Plus 32 GB goes to smaller OTA / camera.

Now waiting for clouds... 😒

[Mr Spock]

Just in...

As soon as the cloud and rain vanish, there'll be a review 

 

[RobertI]

6 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Just in...

As soon as the cloud and rain vanish, there'll be a review 

 

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with this. 👍

[The60mmKid]

I got myself a new set of wheels 😎 A Sky-Watcher Pillar Mount from FLO, that is:

[Franklin]

26 minutes ago, The60mmKid said:

A Sky-Watcher Pillar Mount from FLO, that is:

Does the 45mm APZ base fit ok with the 60mm SW pillar top?

[The60mmKid]

1 minute ago, Franklin said:

Does the 45mm APZ base fit ok with the 60mm SW pillar top?

😎

[Franklin]

2 minutes ago, Franklin said:

Does the 45mm APZ base fit ok with the 60mm SW pillar top?

Just seen your other post! It's good that it fits ok, I've always wanted a tall pillar for my refractors but the Vixen one is way too pricey.

[Astronomist]

Just recieved a Stellalyra 2x 2" ED Barlow. It is replacing my celestron omni 2x barlow, which was really good for the price, so hoping this will be even better! 

On a less positive note it came with lots of clouds, gale-force wind, and torrential rain (sorry to anyone around the salisbury area). Who knew something so small and cheap could cause so much bad weather? 

[Ratlet]

Not the post man, but the local high school just delivered this lot.

Entered a raffle last year for a 6x10 summer house and won! Not bad for £50.

Built by the third year pupils and the construction is better quality than most commercial units I've seen.

The missus says I can use it for astronomy stuff.  Not a roll off roof, but with the dob I'm better of dumping it outside.

Going to get it outfitted with power an a wood burner and have a nice wee warm room for myself.  Need to rejig the garden, but a pier will be going in too and I'll have a nice wee setup.

Edited September 20, 2023 by Ratlet

[josefk]

My son bought me this fabulous Jupiter Mova globe for father's day :-

I love it so much i treated myself to Mars this week as a reward for a bunch of decorating just finished but that has been tediously taking up weekends and evenings 😉

I could pursue a bit of a collecting urge for globes both celestial and terrestrial - i particularly like older ones and spent ages admiring these ones in the Whipple museum Cambridge this spring...

 

[glafnazur]

I've not seen these Mova globes before, they look stunning.

[JeremyS]

6 minutes ago, josefk said:

 

Nice image. CCD or CMOS? 
But I thought you were more of a visual guy 🤔

[Piero]

On 08/08/2023 at 10:27, Piero said:

I recently received a kineoptics HC-2 focuser (https://www.kineoptics.com/HC-2.html) shipped from the US to replace the Antares helical focuser currently fitted on my 12" f6 dob (aka Phoenix). This new focuser should allow me to use non-parfocal eyepieces more efficiently - my plan is to use my 30mm APM UFF and Zeiss zoom +/- VIP in addition to my small set of 24Pan and 3 naglers T6.

I will soon receive an aluminium plate so that I can create a custom base for this new focuser (to shorten the story, I cannot change the UTA plywood panel and the new focuser mounting holes kind of overlap with the current drawtube hole on the plywood panel so I need to make a custom base).

I also received a couple of metal bars to update the counterweight system so that this will be neater and a bit more flexible. These bars are removable and will be attached to the mirror cell directly. They will also compensate for the extra weight of the 2" eyepieces I intend to use.

After fitting the new focuser, I will need to cut the truss poles, slightly decreasing the height of the telescope.

 

Work done! I can now use my 2" non-parfocal eyepieces as moving the drawtube of this focuser is dead easy. The poles were trimmed 41mm as the new focuser is slightly taller than the Antares FOCH and also I wanted to have some extra in-travel focus for eyepieces like my Zeiss zoom (which is a A- in the parcorr2 setting). The two stainless steel bars wrapped with heat-shrinkable material and used as counterweights also work very well. They pretty much disappear once fitted to the back of the MC.

Time permitting, I will fine sand the home made focuser base, but that's cosmetic and not urgent.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Piero

[johnturley]

On 18/09/2023 at 15:56, PeterC65 said:

The goodies have been coming thick and fast over the last few days ...

A SynScan WiFi Adapter to see if I can control the SynScan AZ GOTO mount from SkySafari running on an Android tablet.

I'd mentioned in a recent visual observing report that I missed having the Stellarium sky chart to hand when doing visual, after doing lots of EAA recently, and using a sky chart on a tablet was suggested. I already have SkySafari and some playing with this and advice from other SGL members suggested it could be a good idea.

Since I was paying the FLO postage charge, I thought I'd also add a StellaLyra UFF 30mm eyepiece to the order.

To be fair, I've been contemplating one of these for even longer than it took me to order the FMA135.

I've not been happy with the Baader Hyperion Aspheric 36mm and wanted something better for widefield. The Aspheric is fine with the Mak at F11.8 but, frankly, rubbish with the refractor at F6.0 which was its main purpose. For a long time I had decided that 30mm was just too close to my Explore Scientific 24mm, but this StellaLyra is supposed to be super-flat, and I finally decided that a super-flat slightly larger field of view would be worth having.

I think I will keep the Aspheric for the Mak as it widens the field of view significantly with that scope (the Mak has been modified to give it a 2" visual back).

The UFF 30mm is quite a lump, heavier than any of my other eyepieces by the feel of it.

 

The 30mm StellaLyra UFF, although no lightweight at around 550g is considerably lighter than the ES 24mm (around 800g), and I much prefer it to the latter through my 14 in f5 Newtonian. I also prefer it to my 36mm Baader Aspheric, stars being much sharper near the edge of the field. The 36mm Aspheric is not too bad though through my f7 Esprit.

[josefk]

36 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Nice image. CCD or CMOS? 
But I thought you were more of a visual guy 🤔

Stacked and de-rotated and flats and err... 

[josefk]

38 minutes ago, glafnazur said:

I've not seen these Mova globes before, they look stunning.

They slowly spin too - energised by ambient light - v. cool.

[John]

I owned the 36mm Baader Aspheric for a while but was disappointed in the amount of astigmatism that it showed in the outer parts of the field of view - and that was with a 6 inch F/12 refractor. Not one of Baader's best products IMHO.

 

[PeterC65]

3 hours ago, John said:

I owned the 36mm Baader Aspheric for a while but was disappointed in the amount of astigmatism that it showed in the outer parts of the field of view - and that was with a 6 inch F/12 refractor. Not one of Baader's best products IMHO.

I think the Aspheric 36mm is OK with the F11.8 Mak, and it gives me a wider field of view (1.50°) than the UFF 30mm (1.21°). I know that Mak's are not known for their field of view but I was quite impressed by the extra that I got with the Aspheric 36mm. I could see the whole of M45 for example, which I can't with the ES68 24mm, or even with the UFF 30mm. So I plan to keep the Aspheric 36mm for use just with the Mak.

 

[PatientObserver]

A new partner for my FOA-60Q:

[josefk]

Very very nice @PatientObserver. You have a powerful combo there!