#181  
Old 13-06-2013, 06:37 PM
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mozzie (Peter)
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sorry guys off topic...johnathan clear your pm's your full at the moment and viewing this thread
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  #182  
Old 13-06-2013, 07:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
You'd think for $4K you'd get an accurate level
Might come good once it's all bolted down, all the bolts are sort of loose till I do a drift align.
I was wondering if $4k was enough to justify getting the level centred properly. Of course on the EQ6 you'd take the head off and check the levels if it the bubble appeared to be in the circle
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  #183  
Old 13-06-2013, 07:23 PM
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Interesting thread on Cloudy Nights about pier design - basically trashing the "rat cage" that most people use for levelling the top of their piers and how that reduces rigidity.

Levelling a mount does make polar alignment easier, but the only thing that HAS to line up properly is the RA axis pointing at the SCP.

DT
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  #184  
Old 13-06-2013, 08:40 PM
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AstroJunk (Jonathan)
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Originally Posted by DavidTrap View Post
Interesting thread on Cloudy Nights about pier design - basically trashing the "rat cage" that most people use for levelling the top of their piers and how that reduces rigidity.

Levelling a mount does make polar alignment easier, but the only thing that HAS to line up properly is the RA axis pointing at the SCP.

DT
Completely agree. The only reaon for leveling is if you need accurate readings of any of setting circles attached to the mount. I guess the text books were written way back and old habits die hard...
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  #185  
Old 13-06-2013, 09:06 PM
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I am fortunate enough to have had first light tonight, the beast is sat in the dome with random bits of metal zip-tied to the counterweights to give it enough mass for counterballancing the Meade!

I have to admit to being quite stunned by the performance out of the box. After dead-reconing, I switched it on, it homed (Pointed to the pole), asked me for time date and location then I one star aligned onto Antares which was damn close. It obviously knows what type of mount it is and worked the rest out for itself. I shouldnt be so amazed, I do have Agro Navis, but I have become used to the miseries of the LX200.

And its whisper quiet too, even at max slew the mount makes the classic Skywatcher steppermotor whine, but in a more understated way. Tracking seems great out of the box, but I have to sort out pempro before I can fully test that.

I can only compare it with the performance of the LX200, and can confirm that it dumps on it from a height. I shall miss the simplicity of a fork mount, but i'm pretty happy with my new toy so far...

BTW, its top fun loostening the clutches and repositioning the scope by hand whist watching the dome fighting to keep up. I love encoders!
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  #186  
Old 13-06-2013, 09:45 PM
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Did you notice Dec is noisier than RA?

I got mine close to dialed in. Trying to catch some data for pempro.

I couldn't get eqmod to pulse guide. Something to look at.

I'm using the celestron driver to point and using a guide cable for the first time in years.
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  #187  
Old 13-06-2013, 09:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AstroJunk View Post
I am fortunate enough to have had first light tonight, the beast is sat in the dome with random bits of metal zip-tied to the counterweights to give it enough mass for counterballancing the Meade!

I have to admit to being quite stunned by the performance out of the box. After dead-reconing, I switched it on, it homed (Pointed to the pole), asked me for time date and location then I one star aligned onto Antares which was damn close. It obviously knows what type of mount it is and worked the rest out for itself. I shouldnt be so amazed, I do have Agro Navis, but I have become used to the miseries of the LX200.

And its whisper quiet too, even at max slew the mount makes the classic Skywatcher steppermotor whine, but in a more understated way. Tracking seems great out of the box, but I have to sort out pempro before I can fully test that.

I can only compare it with the performance of the LX200, and can confirm that it dumps on it from a height. I shall miss the simplicity of a fork mount, but i'm pretty happy with my new toy so far...

BTW, its top fun loostening the clutches and repositioning the scope by hand whist watching the dome fighting to keep up. I love encoders!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
Did you notice Dec is noisier than RA?

I got mine close to dialed in. Trying to catch some data for pempro.

I couldn't get eqmod to pulse guide. Something to look at.

I'm using the celestron driver to point and using a guide cable for the first time in years.
clouded out here, reading your experience gives me lots of hope
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  #188  
Old 13-06-2013, 09:52 PM
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It's hard to get more that 3 minutes in data Dave, it's cloudy here to.
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  #189  
Old 13-06-2013, 10:08 PM
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Anyone know the worm period?
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  #190  
Old 13-06-2013, 10:20 PM
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AstroJunk (Jonathan)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
Did you notice Dec is noisier than RA?
Possibly - Ill take more notice tomorrow!

Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy View Post
clouded out here, reading your experience gives me lots of hope
I'm looking forward to a compare to the Titan...
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  #191  
Old 13-06-2013, 11:56 PM
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Seems to be a bit of slop in Dec on this one.

But it's cleared a bit and I have pempro running.

I'm pretty sure It needs to know the worm period?

[edit]
Found the info, 435 teeth, here's a result. +/- 2.2 by the looks.
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Last edited by Tandum; 14-06-2013 at 02:03 AM.
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  #192  
Old 14-06-2013, 01:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
I couldn't get eqmod to pulse guide. Something to look at.
It works just fine. Teething problems I guess ..
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  #193  
Old 14-06-2013, 01:50 AM
Poita (Peter)
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Great to see some real world numbers.
Jeebus it looks heavy though, do you guys reckon this is really an observatory mount rather than a nightly setup/pulldown deal?
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  #194  
Old 14-06-2013, 01:57 AM
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Tandum (Robin)
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I got mine in my dome.

I'm working on a list of excuses not to attend new moon shindigs
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  #195  
Old 14-06-2013, 07:06 AM
ribuck (Richard)
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Hi All,

New to ice in space and have been following this thread with great interest.

Firstly, congrats to all you luck people down under who have been lucky enough to get their hands on the EQ8, as the UK suppliers are still tight lipped with no word on release dates or pricing.

The mount is looking very promising, think i saw the pempro post showing +/- 2.2 Arc Secs, which is looking good....think that is about approx 1.1 RMS ??

Can't wait to see guide results from the likes of PHD etc, as we as the pointing accuracy.

Rich.
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  #196  
Old 14-06-2013, 07:11 AM
ribuck (Richard)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tandum View Post
You'd think for $4K you'd get an accurate level
Might come good once it's all bolted down, all the bolts are sort of loose till I do a drift align.
Tandum, I thought the mount had a built in polar alignment routine, or have I misread that somewhere.

Rich.
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  #197  
Old 14-06-2013, 07:40 AM
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My EQ8 has sadly still not arrived however, I would like to purchase a Telegizmos cover for my scope and mount for Astrofest.

I know the cover I need for the 152mm refractor (T3R6 if anyone is interested), but I need some details for the mount which someone who already has one may be able to supply.

Bob at Telegizmos said:

"For the tripod we can make one to your specific size request. I'll need the length measurement of the legs from the bottom tip up to the mount hub. Also, I need the leg spread measurement going from one leg foot to the next leg foot"

Can anyone easily grab these measurements for me? I appreciate the height will be variable, so it is even better if you have or can base it on a 152mm 1200 FL scope

Chris
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  #198  
Old 14-06-2013, 08:27 AM
Poita (Peter)
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Oh and the farmers are thanking all you EQ8 owners for the endless rain that has set in here since your mounts started arriving.
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  #199  
Old 14-06-2013, 08:58 AM
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rustigsmed (Russell)
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Oh and the farmers are thanking all you EQ8 owners for the endless rain that has set in here since your mounts started arriving.
yep, melbourne has been raining non stop with the 7 day forecast being rain every day i'm sure it will clear up around full moon
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  #200  
Old 14-06-2013, 09:33 AM
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h0ughy (David)
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Oh and the farmers are thanking all you EQ8 owners for the endless rain that has set in here since your mounts started arriving.
looks like i will set it up insde somewhere
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