Alluna RC16

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

Well...so far so good.

Alluna's TCS focus software graphically shows where you are relative to the optimal spacing...it's not optimum yet (the required part should turn up soon), but I suspect it needs a further collimation tweak and squaring on of the camera.

I've uploaded a more detailed web page here

How good is that software, that's a great interface.

I am sure you are expert this as you seemed to square up your cameras on the Honders without "too" much difficulty. But from my recent experience chances are the image is reversed top and bottom and left and right compared to your camera looking at it from the back (I used a dim torch and holding it on different sides of the scope and took focus images to find out what the orientation of the camera was with regards to the displayed image).

If that is true for your scope (it is for the Honders) then your left side of the image is slightly out with the top right a bit worse.

That would mean the bottom right is most out on your camera viewing it from the rear and the top right is out a little bit. It probably needs to be packed out a small amount (.2 of a mm for example). CCD inspector helps show if it needs to go in or out or focusing the scope until the top left corner looks better and seeing if you to focus in or out tells you.

I think you already know all this but in case it helps there it is.

F3.8 really exaggerates the tilt so I am not 100% sure how much tilt that translates to at (F8?). Perhaps more, as I think the high the F ratio the less sensitive it is to tilt.

Greg.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by CosmicEcho

Glad to see that we are comparing older manufacturing to current manufacturing.

Making statements like this is simply ridiculous.

Statements like yours or mine?

I've owned 2 RCOS telescopes. A 12" Carbon Tube and 14" Truss. Both were fine instruments....but the the step-up from my 14" has been significant.

Also...RCOS are still being made by Deep Sky Instruments, hence statements from a position of ignorance make you look....wellll....

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

Early days but you've gotta be happy with that! Spiffy software too!

[Somnium (Aidan)]

that is looking really good peter, should produce some amazing results

[CosmicEcho]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

Statements like yours or mine?

I've owned 2 RCOS telescopes. A 12" Carbon Tube and 14" Truss. Both were fine instruments....but the the step-up from my 14" has been significant.

Also...RCOS are still being made by Deep Sky Instruments, hence statements from a position of ignorance make you look....wellll....

I don’t believe that they are producing RCOS scopes at this time. DSI has acquired all intellectual property assets of RCOS.


But your statement of comparing products produced almost a decade apart is interesting. It’s like comparing a Hyundai from today, to that produced almost a decade ago is misleading. Professionally, I don’t think bagging another company is showing any level of maturity.
.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by CosmicEcho

I don’t think............... bagging another company is showing any level of maturity.[/FONT][/COLOR]
.

Is English your first language? ... suggest you re-read my posts where I wrote:

-my old RCOS was clunky compared to the new 'scope
-both of my previous RCOS telescopes were fine instruments.

I'll be blunt. Implying this constitutes a lack of professionalism, bagging of RCOS (they are still fine/excellent/great telescopes) or lack of maturity is pretty twisted logic.

I've also driven a Mustang V8 and Ferrari V8.... the Mustang despite some serious cubic inches is clunky (i.e lacks refinement) IMHO in comparison to the Fezza, but is still a seriously fun sports car.

Capish?

[CosmicEcho]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

Is English your first language? ... suggest you re-read my posts where I wrote:

-my old RCOS was clunky compared to the new 'scope
-both of my previous RCOS telescopes were fine instruments.

I'll be blunt. Implying this constitutes a lack of professionalism, bagging of RCOS (they are still fine/excellent/great telescopes) or lack of maturity is pretty twisted logic.

I've also driven a Mustang V8 and Ferrari V8.... the Mustang despite some serious cubic inches is clunky (i.e lacks refinement) IMHO in comparison to the Fezza, but is still a seriously fun sports car.

Capish?

I’m sorry, but English is not my first language. And yes, they are both fine instruments. But they are merely products that have produced about a decade apart, and the result is different.



It’s amusing how you manage to wiggle in and boast about what you have or drive. I guess that makes you a better person. And I’m truly happy for you.



Oh, and Capish? I really don’t understand how that should be taken?

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by CosmicEcho

I’m sorry, but English is not my first language. And yes, they are both fine instruments. But they are merely products that have produced about a decade apart, and the result is different.

It’s amusing how you manage to wiggle in and boast about what you have or drive. I guess that makes you a better person. And I’m truly happy for you.

Oh, and Capish? I really don’t understand how that should be taken?

I'm finding your assumptions and responses to be annoying and deluded.

There are a total of 3 Alluna Telescopes in Australia at present, and judging from the nearly 2000 views about my experience with the only one on the east coast at present, IIS users seem genuinely interested.

DSI will make you a RCOS tomorrow...so let's drop the nonsense they are a being manufactured a decade apart.

The Mustang was a rental.... and I was illustrating a point, not bragging....suggest you put rent a F488 and 315 cubic inch 'Stang and take them for a spin and draw your own conclusions.

I suppose I could have chosen Crepe Suzette vs Pankake stack at Macca's as an analogy...but hey...I think interested punters got the drift. (4 wheel drift....'scuse the pun )

[alpal]

Why should someone who's made only 7 posts be allowed to muck up a great thread
& fill it with negativity.
It should be reported to the moderator.

Peter has one of the greatest amateur telescopes in Australia.

[KenGee]

Peter keep that box your little scope came as judging by your first imagines your going to have to send it back, cause an angry jealous mob will be at your door. Notwithstanding CosmicEcho "valuable" comments it looks like a wonderful piece of kit.

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Why should someone who's made only 7 posts be allowed to muck up a great thread
& fill it with negativity..
....

I completely agree. The activity of Mr/Ms Anonymous Angry Echo is troll-like. His/her gratuitous negativity should be shunned!

[gregbradley]

I agree. The tone on this website is almost always friendly and forgiving and not harsh or critical. Its one of the friendliest sites around and we want to keep it that way. I think Echo thought worse of the original post than was intended. I didn't take Peter as bagging out RCOS but rather being enthusiastic about his new beautiful scope.

By the way I used to own a 71 Mustang when I lived in the States. Yes a fun car but not so great when the oil leaks start or a spark plug blows on the freeway in the middle of nowhere! But cheap as chips in those days. I paid $1400 for it. Cleveland 351 V8.

Greg.

[Peter Ward]

Thanks guys. Cindy has a mole, Claudia doesn't . Shallow of me, I know

[LewisM]

Driving Yank cars is like pushing a brick in a hypersonic wind tunnel. No class, no refinement. Just pure grunt and nothing else. Like a Ford F350...pure uselessness, unless you pull trains out of derailment for a living.

But that is a far digression.

Comparing old to new and vice versa has plenty of merit. Like when I compared my 30 year old Takahashi FC-100 to a brand spanking new rerun FC-100. They were very close, but the OLD FC had a distinct edge in terms of sharpness. That's 30 years vs new. It cuts both ways.

Peter has a wonderful scope. It is not my cup of tea, since I am a pure Refractorian, but the product nonetheless is wonderful. And it is not a money matter either - if I was to spend what Peter spent I would be asking Takahashi-san for an FET-300

[Paul Haese]

I didn't take the comment about RCOS as a kicking, it was just a comparison to a scope your previously owned. We all have those sort of comparisons.

While potentially I see this scope as a real game changer and I am sure you will get it tuned in really quickly I will reserve my enthusiasm for real images coming out of your observatory. Test images are one thing but integrated images are really going to impress if the scope is great. If I could afford a scope like this or an OS I would buy one over other brands getting around.

My only gripe is that this sort of equipment really ought to reside in dark skies with good seeing at a remote facility. I see it as a shame not to have it in such circumstances. Please tell me you are going to set it up at a remote site? You could set it up at my site (bring your own observatory) and just share some of the costs. So long as I get to share some of the data.

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

My only gripe is that this sort of equipment really ought to reside in dark skies with good seeing at a remote facility. I see it as a shame not to have it in such circumstances. Please tell me you are going to set it up at a remote site? You could set it up at my site (bring your own observatory) and just share some of the costs. So long as I get to share some of the data.

Touche' Paul.

I was really keen on a few grassy acres near Oberon, ...but the Vendor thought it was worth the same as a Harbour-side apartment.

Sadly Sydney real estate prices are simply nuts. So much so that they have infected anything within a couple of hours of outer 'burbs to telephone-number-like asking prices..

I could go much further out....(sorry mate, even my over-the-horizon radar won't pick up anything south of the Adelaide hills ) but I like to change cameras/filter wheels/optics from time to time....so a singular purpose, six figure plus, rural plot plus fully remote dome is really hard to justify to the one who must be obeyed.

I looked at i-telescope for about a millisecond....the on-going ROI didn't add up for me.

Sooo...for now at least...the 'scope will stay in The Shire