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New project

Kaptain Klevtsov

By Kaptain Klevtsov
in DIY Astronomer

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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So the focuser arrived yesterday, was collected and fitted this evening and I can now fit a 2" EP in the thing. After collimating (its great when you can stand at the primary end and see the laser all the way back to the collimating target on the laser unit, dead easy) I had a peek at some buildings. Thing is that there is a dark bit in the centre of the view, and if I pull away from the EP I can see that it's caused by the secondary. Is this normal or something to be concerned about?

The EQ6 was in the same shipment and it's a whopper. Won't go on the pier as it is different underneath than the HEQ5, but doable with slight boring out of the pier bit. Typically the forecast is for rain, clouds and thunder for tonight.

Captain Chaos

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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Didn't see it this evening before the clouds got here - didn't get a chance to look down the hole.

I did manage to stick a webcam down as the focuser was on top, not a good place to reach for looking.

Some beep has moved the moon very low down into the tree zone where all the boiling happens, so I don't expect that it will process well. I had a focal reducer stuck on as well as I haven't got the finder sorted as yet, I assumed that the moon would be easier to find with the FR on.

The image will follow as soon as I have Vdubbed the leaves out and Registaxed it.

Fed up a bit as I only put the skelescope on the EQ6 to see what broke first, and then when it whizzed round OK, I saw the moon. Not being minded to try moving the whole shebang, I decided that it would be a result if I could ANY image off it, given the circumstances. I was taking off the FR when the clouds got in the way, they'd been looming all evening, so no plain webcam shot.

Captain Chaos

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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Tiny image - tadaaaa!

image.jpg

Polar alignment was way out as I hadn't expected to do an image, and the pole star was still in bed. Consequently only a tiny bit of the three minutes AVI worked, but it DID work.

Oh and collimating it after reassembly might have helped too.

Captain Chaos (happily going to have a beer now)

Edit... Looking at the AVI I just realised that this the dark bit, no wonder the light bucket effect wasn't showing up. I've never got any joy from the dark side before, so it's looking gooder and gooder.

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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Update

The focuser is now electrified on the R&P bit. The sled will remain handmatically adjusted.

The finderscope bracket is now made and fitted - it works fine with the Skywatcher finder that came with the 8" Newt.

The bad bit is how far off the ground the DSLR is when it's fitted. I can't see the preview screen if the 'scope is pointing anywhere near up, even stood on my box. I need to make another pier with a shorter post to carry the EQ6. It needs to be at least a foot shorter than the EQ6 tripod in it's fully down position.

Still plagued with focus problems when using the D50 DSLR as the zoom of the preview screen is not enough to show the collection of donuts that I've snapped so still more to do there. This has nothing to do with the Skelescope as I've always struggled with focusing the DSLR.

I had a go last night with the Stiletto focusing aid and that didn't help much.

This is a Ronchi screen thing that has a female bayonet like the DSLR and is supposed to let you get good focus every time. The way it works is that if the image is out of focus, there are light and dark bands across the screen that you look at using an eyepiece. By adjusting the focus so that there are no visible bands, the focus is then supposed to be spot on when the Stiletto is replaced by the real camera. I find that I can get half a turn of the focuser in the band where there are no visible stripes, so at best I think I can get within a quarter turn of best focus with it. I should investigate what happens when using different EPs with it as that might help, but for the moment I've stuck with the 25mm that came with it, I assume that it's the most appropriate for the job.

Targets last night were M51 - too high to get at the DSLR - I usually try to do one snap at iso1600 to see if it's in the frame, then change to a lower iso and longer exposures, but I can't get at the DSLR to change the iso or shutter speed. Then M13 for something brighter. I thought that I had it in the bag, but all the frames were out of focus. It was getting late (got to get the boy up for school) so I packed in. I thought that I was going to be stacking the M13 pics this morning but hey, poo happens.

Should be posting some more pics. later today as I have a slow day.

Captain Chaos

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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New pictures

Today I managed to quickly make a low tripod for the EQ6 as I am in a position to sue the council for putting the pavement too close to my ar*e. I need to be about six foot sixteen with the normal EQ6 tripod.

image.jpg

Also managed to snap the 'lectric focuser in-situ.

image.jpg

And the super relocatable finderscope bracket.

image.jpg

Hopefully I'll get my first useable image tonight. Met. office tell me it's going to be cloudy, Metcheck - haven't even bothered with, but the sky is looking promising.

Keep you all informed.

Captain Chaos

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Kaptain Klevtsov

Kaptain Klevtsov

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Well the sky didn't get as black as it has been getting, I suppose that was the moon, though I couldn't see it.

Discovered that the DSLR doesn't like the focal reducer - gives bad bad vignetting unless I messed something else up.

I get 9 diffraction spikes off the frame, so that definitely needs covering over.

Collimating lasers need to be turned off when not in use or they don't work later.

I had the DSLR and laptop out and had a bash at transferring the pictures with the camera in-situ to check the focus. Still couldn't get close to a good focus, no pinpoint happening last night. The D50 doesn't lend itself to remote control via the USB using the standard Nikon software, I'll have to look at getting some if I can find some.

Moved over to the SC3 and still focus is carp.

Visually the secondary mirror looks like it has moved, but with no laser and the thing on the mount, and it's half past one in the morning, what's a chap to do about that?

Slew to M13 and try again.

Slewing seemed off but I got there, image in DSO section.

When I parked the EQ6 I noticed the LED blinking, seems like I was low on power, so that explains the error in goto. Same thing happens with the HEQ5.

Captain Chaos

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