New stuff came today

[alfingido]

So, I was waiting patiently in the garden for FedEx and DHL to deliver my two new pieces of equipment. A Skyliner 300P Flextube Dob and an EQ5 mount for a later ( read, when i have more "spare" cash) imaging setup.

Clouds started rolling in at 1100 this morning and a few minutes later, FedEx arrrive with my EQ5.

Really impressed with this. Its the white mount, not black like the website ad. I had a go at mounting my DSLR on it ready for some nice clear skies tonight. Everything looks fine, it all fitted together beautifully and even the motors are nice and quiet. Bit of a bonus to find a polar alignment scope in place too!

So, after a shower of rain, I thought the Dob must be on its way.

1500hrs, doorbell rings and Mr DHL is waiting outside. " Can you give me a hand with this please?" pointing at a huge box over the road so we both carried it into the house. 'Wow, they fit all of it in one huge box do they?', I thought.

Well, actually, no, they dont

Inside the box was a really smart OTA in black and speckle finish, finder, two ep's, instructions and ep mounts. No base!

A hurried phone call and an email to the shop and an apology from a very nice lady in customer services. They are shipping out the base to arrive tomorrow ( Fri)

Anyway, I might as well check the OTA and the collimation. Well, it was way out, and never having collimated a large Dob, I felt a little nervous, but I have the film canister with a hole in the middle and a pile of instructions from around the world ( wide web) and a whole evening ahead. Wish me luck.

First light report ( hopefully) on its way over the weekend, clouds permitting, of course..

Now, is the primary the big one or the small mirror................

Allan

[formyscope]

Great scope, can't fault mine except the mirror was tightened too far initially and elongated the stars. Quick fix once I'd worked out what it was. The finder is also on my 'to replace' list, but not sure whether to get a red dot finder and live with it or replace the finder.

Fanstatic, ff not a beast to lug to the great outdoors!

[alfingido]

Spending the day waiting in for DHL to bring my Flextube base and got to have a good look round the tube.

It looks really nice with the black and speckle finish, especially at night with a torch shining on it. I was going to have a go at collimating it, but thought I would wait for the base in case resting the tube on the floor disturbed the primary mirror cell. Had a good look at the mirror, its quite dusty and has what looks like finger marks on it!!! I can only see these with a torch shining on the mirror. Should I be concerned about these marks? I only full opened the tube up last night. A brand new mirror with finger prints on it cant be good

Secondly, I was a tad disappointed to find that the Crayford focuser is only single speed.

Everything else seems fine.

DHL still not here!!

Allan

[calibos]

Never shine a torch down a Newt!! The path to the Dark Side it is, Once you start down the mirror cleaning path, forever will it consume your destiny!!

Won't affect the views. Brand new mirrors and freshly cleaned mirrors look dusty under torch light. No need to think about sending it back or cleaning it. Barring disaster of leaving the OTA open under a pollinating tree for a day, a mouse building a nest on the mirror or a spider criss crossing your mirror with a web, you don't need to even think about cleaning it for another year or two, if even that. And even then, appraise it in a lit room not directly under a light nor with a torch.

[formyscope]

Never shine a torch down a Newt!! The path to the Dark Side it is, Once you start down the mirror cleaning path, forever will it consume your destiny!!

+1 on that!!

[dark knight]

Really looking forward to a first light report and any collimation issues as I'm thinking of getting the same system for my wife to use..

[Beulah]

Never shine a torch down a Newt!! The path to the Dark Side it is, Once you start down the mirror cleaning path, forever will it consume your destiny!!

One of the wisest sayings in Astronomy!!!!

Congrats on your purchase, and clear skies!! Lovely scope. I have a smaller version.

I'm turning the PC off now, because I feel apeture fever coming on....I shall not covet, I shall not....

[alfingido]

All torches thrown away!

Anyway, the base arrived Friday at 2:30pm and was assembled in about an hour.

The scope looks great. Collimation was way out, or so i thought till I discovered that the reflection of the secondary in the primary doesnt show a set of concentric circles as all my SCT's did, but rather an offset pattern.

I`ve taken the scope out twice, while clouds allowed, and I must say I was very impressed with the views I got.

I will be posting a first light report an a short while, together with a few minor gripes, in a new thread.

Allan