In my attempts to progress as a beginner, I've had a few stumbles. I try to note these down to ensure it doesn't happen again. Here are a few examples, which all seem obvious but the mistake was still made:
Drive to a star party and forgot my mount! I now have a checklist before leaving home.
The cam drops to the ground as the telescope skews. I have to double check all screws are tighten.
Blame the equipment when it was all user errors. During first light, I could not obtain focus as the scope was very jumpy upon the slightest touch. I've since bought an electronic focuser to reduce touching the scope.
Take over 30mins to PA. I still struggle with this, but am improving.
Dew. I had to use an iron to combat it ever so delicately. I now have a dew heater band and a shield on it's way.
I could think of worst things to happen, like knocking over the scope. *touchwood*.
What are your horror stories? Hopefully I can learn from them.
Polar alignment is still something that, every now and then, I can't quite get right, despite having been a visual observer for many years. I get it right first go 98% of the time. The other 2% is a fiddly mess.
On one occasion I forgot to ensure the clutches on the mount were tightened when I put the scope on prior to balancing. The mount rotated sharply and I was able to grab the scope just before it rotated around and crashed into the mount.
I don't have a list, but I have a set procedure I follow in setting up and in breaking down the scope and mount. I do things in the same order every time, and I don't move on to the next step until I"m sure the current one is finished and done with (and everything where it should be).
I didn't realise my eyepiece case was unlocked and went to move it with the handles causing them all to roll everywhere on concrete.
The worst thing is I have done this not once but twice. You would think I would learn the first time.
G,day. I had my 10mm Parks Gold series eyepiece in my shirt top pocket at a school outreach. I bent over to pick something up and it fell out and bounced on the cricket pitch concrete. Put a large chip in the top of the eyepiece. My favorite.
Cheers Richard
This is only a couple of weeks ago and I'm now 2.5 years in. I have had the Skywatcher AZEQ5 for nearly 1.5 years now and have hated the pier extension part that raises it (bought the mount second hand). So about a month ago, I decided I was going to remove it. So it all went successful and my scope isn't long enough that it hits the tripod.
Apparently because of this removal, the scope is long enough. So when I was imaging in B1 skies about a month ago, I left the scope alone and went inside for about an hour. Go back outside to check on the scope and there is the scope, stuck, sitting on the leg with the gears probably grinding inside it. Dunno what the effect of the mount being belt driven has to do with the performance.
Anyway, I have since worked out that there is a certain declination that the scope will hit the legs in im not careful. So theres my great stuff up of the year.
Remember this Dennis all are replaceable.Over the years telescopes slipping cameras falling.Lenses breaking in half.20+years later I have learned to slow down enjoy and recheck.With all this wet weather new old problem mould.
Take care and enjoy the hobby most of us here have had some kind of bungle.
Derek
A 2 piece 30"/F4.6 OMI mirror. The mirror split into 2 equal pieces after the trailer it was being transported in hit a pothole on a dirt road. There was a very minor chip on the back of the mirror, which was never going to be a problem but the mirror split right where the chip was.
That was a $30,000 plus mirror, in a $60,000 plus SDM Telescope.
A 2 piece 30"/F4.6 OMI mirror. The mirror split into 2 equal pieces after the trailer it was being transported in hit a pothole on a dirt road. There was a very minor chip on the back of the mirror, which was never going to be a problem but the mirror split right where the chip was.
That was a $30,000 plus mirror, in a $60,000 plus SDM Telescope.
A 2 piece 30"/F4.6 OMI mirror. The mirror split into 2 equal pieces after the trailer it was being transported in hit a pothole on a dirt road. There was a very minor chip on the back of the mirror, which was never going to be a problem but the mirror split right where the chip was.
That was a $30,000 plus mirror, in a $60,000 plus SDM Telescope.
A 2 piece 30"/F4.6 OMI mirror. The mirror split into 2 equal pieces after the trailer it was being transported in hit a pothole on a dirt road. There was a very minor chip on the back of the mirror, which was never going to be a problem but the mirror split right where the chip was.
That was a $30,000 plus mirror, in a $60,000 plus SDM Telescope.
Look on the bright side John, it's handy for splitting doubles.
A 2 piece 30"/F4.6 OMI mirror. The mirror split into 2 equal pieces after the trailer it was being transported in hit a pothole on a dirt road. There was a very minor chip on the back of the mirror, which was never going to be a problem but the mirror split right where the chip was.
That was a $30,000 plus mirror, in a $60,000 plus SDM Telescope.
For me. I had my Mak on a HEQ5 w/ a pier extension. I hadn't tightened all one of my tripod legs all the way - apparently. It was a windy night which I'm sure didn't help. I was sitting below it, looking at something - probably trying to fathom the synscan controller which was new to me at the time and I noticed my scope starting leaning.
I looked up thinking what a majestic sight to see my new-to-me scope with the Milkyway in the background only to immediately start panicking when I saw what was happening. I immediately jumped up and put myself between it and the ground. I essentially tackled the pier like a rugby play might tackle a training dummy or another player.
In my right ear I heard a *snap* or a maybe closer to a *click*. It wasn't the telescope or the mount. I managed to save it without damage. It was a tendon in my right shoulder.
It took 2 years for that injury to heal completely.
Last edited by RB; 19-07-2022 at 09:41 AM.
Reason: Profanity filter bypass - TOS
Hi Dennis,
Here are mine:
Driving 75km to a dark sky site and:-
1. telescope battery still on the charger at home
2. telescope battery flat
3. didn't forget the mount, but the lock on the roof boot where the tripod was stowed went dry and I couldn't get the key to turn.
I have done many trips overseas to observe solar eclipses. Rather than a packing list, I set aside an empty area of floor. I assemble my full rig in that area. every tool, nut bolt and screw needed to assemble and disassemble stays in the "quarantine zone." It goes straight from there into the luggage. Nothing gets forgotten. Equally, no tool not required for the assembly/disassembly gets packed keeping luggage weight to a minimum. I do bring a few, "emergency maintenance" items but these are usually light weight tools like mini allen keys or jewellers screw drivers, some tape and a few cable ties. I set aside rolls of tape that are running down so that I don't have to pack a big heavy roll of tape. This is an issue for international flights, not car travel.
Bresser 127L slid out of it's rings and hit the ground star diagonal first.
Smashed SD, stuffed focuser and broke Barlow lens.
Thus happened three times, luckily it only reached terra firma once. I'm still super carefully.
This was at least five years ago, only just getting it working again.
Hopefully my new adaptor fits and my new focuser will give me many years of 10:1 heaven.
Picking up my Tak Mewlon 180 a couple of weeks after I had forgotten that I had undone and removed the retaining/lock nut on the focuser.
The mirror and baffle assembly fell down the tube, hit the secondary and buckled the spider. Beyond repair, but like with all (minor) disasters, perspective returned with introspection and time.
A 2 piece 30"/F4.6 OMI mirror. The mirror split into 2 equal pieces after the trailer it was being transported in hit a pothole on a dirt road. There was a very minor chip on the back of the mirror, which was never going to be a problem but the mirror split right where the chip was.
That was a $30,000 plus mirror, in a $60,000 plus SDM Telescope.
What an awful and expensive experience!
what happened to the two parts? Were they binned, or tested for residual deformation of the figure after the accident? It might have been possible to salvage two circa 15" f9 off-axis paraboloids cored from the two pieces. Such mirrors could make for two sizable, unobstructed scopes with no spider/secondary diffraction. A giant binoscope, or make one and sell one.
Dropped my 2600MC almost 1 week old when it slid out of the 80ED onto gravel.
Thankfully, zilch damage except for minor scratches and it's performed like a champ for 18 months
My favorite.
