What did the postman bring? V2

[AstroMuni]

41 minutes ago, saac said:

Was on the way out to the observatory

That looks more like a very comfy man cave than an obsy 🙂 

[saac]

1 hour ago, Ratlet said:

Have you posted pictures of your setup?  From the outside.  I'm looking for inspiration.

I have a build thing somewhere Ratlet, I'll update and upload some photographs tomorrow. It's a commercial (off the shelf, well garden centre) octagonal summerhouse. Must be up close to 10 years or more now, how time flies, and seems to be standing the test of time. I went for all cedar, a bit more expensive but good longevity (resists rot) and it looked nice.  Converting the roof to roll off was actually not as difficult as I had first thought , Roof is perhaps heavier than I would like (it has a double skin) but hey it has resisted departing the rest in all the high winds and gales we have had in the past 10 years.  

Jim  

[Vroobel]

Well, they are most expensive USB cables I've ever had, both are 15m extension leads and each one costs nearly £100. The one on the left-hand side is USB 3.x only and converts an electric signal to light which travels in fiber optics inside and even with that it's able to power my ASI678MC Camera. Don't ask me how it's made, I'm not going to open it. 😁 200 FPS is not a problem. The second cable is USB 2.0 'only', but it ends with a 4-port active hub, so guider, EAF and mount can be reached and controlled as well. 

 

 

I don't like the cold at night when the planets' season starts. I also don't like sitting in one place during imaging the sunspots - parasol and laptop's shed is a must but it's still not enough, surrounding lit by the sun badly affects the matte screen. So, the extenders SHOULD allow me to spend the time in a kitchen where is warm enough or cold enough, depending on the target. 😊

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/aocusb3-ext015/cable-usb-3-0-aoc-extension-15m/dp/CS34124

https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb2ext4p15m/lead-usb2-0-extension-15m-4-port/dp/CS27906

https://amzn.eu/d/i9q5GpU

 

Edited September 19 by Vroobel

[wesdon1]

4 hours ago, maw lod qan said:

I understood, most knew what this was and wanted to get it cheap. It was out of production 41 years ago when I bought it.

It's not your usual fishing real.

Holds 1000 yds of 130 pound test line. Just like the reel in the movie "Jaws"!

@maw lod qan Oh wow that's huge!! Now it makes sense why you waited so long to sell it Maw! I'm guessing they're very expensive!?

Edited September 19 by wesdon1
spelling mistake

[wesdon1]

9 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

Well, they are most expensive USB cables I've ever had, both are 15m extension leads and each one costs nearly £100. The one on the left-hand side is USB 3.x only and converts an electric signal to light which travels in fiber optics inside and even with that it's able to power my ASI678MC Camera. Don't ask me how it's made, I'm not going to open it. 😁 200 FPS is not a problem. The second cable is USB 2.0 'only', but it ends with a 4-port active hub, so guider, EAF and mount can be reached and controlled as well. 

 

 

I don't like the cold at night when the planets' season starts. I also don't like sitting in one place during imaging the sunspots - parasol and laptop's shed is a must but it's still not enough, surrounding lit by the sun badly affects the matte screen. So, the extenders SHOULD allow me to spend the time in a kitchen where is warm enough or cold enough, depending on the target. 😊

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/aocusb3-ext015/cable-usb-3-0-aoc-extension-15m/dp/CS34124

https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/usb2ext4p15m/lead-usb2-0-extension-15m-4-port/dp/CS27906

https://amzn.eu/d/i9q5GpU

 

@Vroobel Wow the stats for those cables are impressive!

[maw lod qan]

1 hour ago, wesdon1 said:

@maw lod qan Oh wow that's huge!! Now it makes sense why you waited so long to sell it Maw! I'm guessing they're very expensive!?

In the early '80's I paid $230.00, no line or pole.

You see them sometimes on ebay now for $1000.00.

I got $600.00.

[TiffsAndAstro]

Not via post, had to search high and low in B&M for this premium electronics protection box.

Cost almost £1.50.

I can't work out if it's made from carbotanium, transparent aluminum (sic) or possibly even Neutronium.

Note the expertly applied NASA approved space gaffa tape

 

Edited September 19 by TiffsAndAstro

[Ratlet]

I need to clean my eyepieces and thought I'd give everyone's favourite a go.

Also got something else, but it's already back in it's box and getting sent back. 

[Earl]

My second Camera was delivered today.

[Alan White]

17 hours ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

Not via post, had to search high and low in B&M for this premium electronics protection box.

Cost almost £1.50.

I can't work out if it's made from carbotanium, transparent aluminum (sic) or possibly even Neutronium.

Note the expertly applied NASA approved space gaffa tape

 

Looks like it’s made from Obtamium a well known and pragmatic material choice 😉

[TiffsAndAstro]

1 minute ago, Alan White said:

Looks like it’s made from Obtamium a well known and pragmatic material choice 😉

seemed to work pretty well though tbh. even faster set up times now, i just slide it into tripod, plug it in mains and thread my curly cable in and attach the two dew heater usbs.

also quieter - less metal tips banging on metal tripod legs at 530am

[Elp]

2 hours ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

also quieter - less metal tips banging on metal tripod legs at 530am

Fine screw threads are the worst.

[AL1]

Pucks are cheap floor protection ( ice hockey variety from hokejam co.uk

[wookie1965]

I wanted a bigger focuser wheel for my Vixen 102M and put a post on asking I got a reply back from Graham (Ratlet) said he could make one. 

I sent the focuser wheel and bar Wednesday he made it and sent it back I got it today I cannot thank him enough. 

A picture of the original wheels for comparison. 

 

Edited Saturday at 12:49 by wookie1965

[Ratlet]

4 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

I wanted a bigger focuser wheel for my Vixen 102M and put a post on asking I got a reply back from Graham (Ratlet) said he could make one. 

I sent the focuser wheel and bar Wednesday he made it and sent it back I got it today I cannot thank him enough. 

A picture of the original wheels for comparison. 

 

Might want to remove your address.

I was going to make a joke wheel that was the same diameter as the box, but the missus gave me a look when I told her.

Edit:  cashed in the chocolate oatie tax.

Edited Saturday at 16:28 by Ratlet

[Elp]

It's strange how difficult it is to find focuser knobs, I had a game finding a replacement (didn't want to design and print one).

[wesdon1]

On 19/09/2024 at 19:37, TiffsAndAstro said:

Not via post, had to search high and low in B&M for this premium electronics protection box.

Cost almost £1.50.

I can't work out if it's made from carbotanium, transparent aluminum (sic) or possibly even Neutronium.

Note the expertly applied NASA approved space gaffa tape

 

@TiffsAndAstro LOL hey if it does the job, then all is well my friend! I use an old little child's stool to place my Laptop on! It doesn't look pretty but it does the job!

[wesdon1]

On 20/09/2024 at 12:03, Earl said:

My second Camera was delivered today.

@Earl Awesome mate! may I ask where you bought it from Earl? The reason I'm asking is I use a website called "MPB Cameras" for my second hand DSLR cameras and lenses etc and I've always had excellent gear from them for really good prices. I definitely recommend them if you don't already know about them Earl.

When I first got into astrophotography I was dead against buying second hand gear, but I quickly learned you can get really high quality well looked after astro gear online! Now I hardly ever buy new! ( My bank balance was very happy about it too! LOL )

Edited Sunday at 08:42 by wesdon1
missed a bit!

[Emperor!Takahashi!]

The poor postman was full of sweat and grunts as he delivered the big box that @nicoscy so kindly and carefully shipped from Greece to Ireland. Inside was a beautiful Berlebach UNI tripod, Noh's CT30 mount, and several other nice goodies. Add a couple of Takahashis, and voila: an almost embarrassingly epic setup equally suited for endless hours of blissful observing or gunning down enemy starships.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 09:41 by Emperor!Takahashi!

[wesdon1]

9 hours ago, Emperor!Takahashi! said:

The poor postman was full of sweat and grunts as he delivered the big box that @nicoscy so kindly and carefully shipped from Greece to Ireland. Inside was a beautiful Berlebach UNI tripod, Noh's CT30 mount, and several other nice goodies. Add a couple of Takahashis, and voila: an almost embarrassingly epic setup equally suited for endless hours of blissful observing or gunning down enemy starships.

 

 

@Emperor!Takahashi! Wow! This is truly a Devine looking setup! Just about as good as it gets!

[Earl]

12 hours ago, wesdon1 said:

@Earl Awesome mate! may I ask where you bought it from Earl? The reason I'm asking is I use a website called "MPB Cameras" for my second hand DSLR cameras and lenses etc and I've always had excellent gear from them for really good prices. I definitely recommend them if you don't already know about them Earl.

When I first got into astrophotography I was dead against buying second hand gear, but I quickly learned you can get really high quality well looked after astro gear online! Now I hardly ever buy new! ( My bank balance was very happy about it too! LOL )

I get most of my gear off eBay.

[Martyn87]

Bit of a leftfield choice for me, this one. I wanted something considerably shorter than my C6 but didn't want to shell out on another scope or Hyperstar just yet, so figured I'd try a telephoto lens on the DSLR. Didn't quite intend to go this far back in time... 

It's a 200mm Soligor prime lens, and from what I can gather online, it was manufactured by Tokina in Japan in 1967! It's not in perfect shape, but cost less than £18.50 from ebay...

Obviously, it looks stupid mounted on top of my  EQ6-R...

Edited Monday at 08:11 by Martyn87

[Zermelo]

9 hours ago, Martyn87 said:

Let of a leftfield choice for me, this one. I wanted something considerably shorter than my C6 but didn't want to shell out on another scope or Hyperstar just yet, so figured I'd try a telephoto lens on the DSLR. Didn't quite intend to go this far back in time... 

It's a 200mm Soligor prime lens, and from what I can gather online, it was manufactured by Tokina in Japan in 1967! It's not in perfect shape, but cost less than £18.50 from ebay...

Obviously, it looks stupid mounted on top of my  EQ6-R...

New thread possibility? -
"Show us your most gratuitously over-mounted equipment" 🙂

[Ags]

59 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

"Show us your most gratuitously over-mounted equipment" 🙂

KELT exoplanet survey.

Edited Monday at 08:52 by Ags

[Martyn87]

1 minute ago, Ags said:

KELT exoplanet survey.

@Ags you win!