#181  
Old 23-04-2006, 03:20 AM
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Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)
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Shacky I had looked at the Seben scopes on ebay too briefly .. .then I got smart and did a google search on that brand name, everywhere I found it (apart from Sebens own site) it was always mentioned as being a typical "wobbletronic" ie apparently not worth the effort, even though you seem to get astronomically good value, to make a really rotten pun.

The only place on ebay I saw of interest for scopes was the Meade factory outlet (ebay US only) and it only posts to the US. Again I was warned by members of this forum that though the 114,mm, etc, Meade scopes may have been ok, the mounts are what really lets the scopes, and the owners down. Even these Meades at the lowest price ranges apparently have wobbly mounts so it becomes a hellish frustration to try and get the scope pointed, and not wobbling, and focused ..... all at the same time. Which doesn't happen!

I know someone with a similar level wobbly mount / tripod / scope package, and it frustrates him so badly he leaves it in the shed all the time now.

After the good advice from the learned folks here (or as Homer Simpson said " It's pronounced learnd ") what kind of scope did I end up buying, seeing as I started pretty much where you are?

I spoke to Andrews Comms and Bintel, and I am now the very happy and proud owner of a 10" Dob.
(Which is a Newtonian reflector type telescope with a 10" diameter main mirror, mounted on an inexpensive but very solid Dobsonian type mount, not a tripod type affair).

The Dob's provide simnply the best value going, they offer large diameter (ie large light gathering capability) optics at prices unbeatable by any other type scope available.

I hope this information has been of some help to you.

Welcome to the forums, and I hope you buy something that will make you very happy!

Steve
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  #182  
Old 23-04-2006, 04:43 PM
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Steve, thanks for the help matey.

I have a friend at a shop that got me a discount on the Bushmaster 114-900. I ended up getting it for $179 (RRP $399)

Not too bad for my first scope. It has a 4mm, 12.5mm & 20mm eyepiece. They 12.5mm & 20mm are fine, but the 4mm seems to be out of focus (maybe it has too much magnification or the atmospheric conditions weren't ideal for this level of magnification)

Although the mount seems a little wobbly, it seems to be a great little (not really that little) telescope.

Now I just have to get used to how to use it etc. I have no idea of what declination, right assention or the flux capacitor do I suppose I am just going to have to read up on how to set it up and then work out how to read star charts and use the Cartes Du Ciel program.

Quite typically, the first night I had it set up, it was totally overcast. So i just spent a little while focusing on a distant street light and calibrating the sighting scope. Then last night there were patches of very clear sky which enabled me to get a reasonably clear view of Jupitor with the 12.5mm eyepiece. It was quite exciting to be honest. I can't wait till the night is clear enough to have a good gander at the moon

I have a Canon EOS 300D digital SLR that I am going to hook up to the telescope with a t-bar adaptor and purchase a motor drive to take some astronomical photographs.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what eyepieces or accessories I should get as the 4mm doesnt seem to focus properly?
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  #183  
Old 24-04-2006, 12:35 AM
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I can help you with that flux capacitor ... you have to take it "wayyyyy over there", then you need to run 1.21 Gigawatts through it (pronounce it as Jiga-watts or it won't work).

By that time your DeLorean should have accelerated to 86 mph, and you'll be sweet!

Gotta go, the Mr Fusion is running low on scraps.....
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  #184  
Old 24-04-2006, 10:53 AM
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Well last night we had a beautifully clear night and I was able to see Saturn's rings... man now THAT was cool. The 4mm eyepiece seemed to work fine, obviously the problem was with the atmospheric conditions the other night. The only bad thing was with the high magnification whatever I was looking out was out of the FOV within 5-10 seconds :S

One of the adjustment settings on the equitorial mount was quite stiff and sticky (quite like I was after seeing Saturn for the first time) so I have just pulled it apart, cleaned it all out and lubricated the cogs... now it just glides Should make things a hell of a lot easier to follow.

Any suggestions for what eyepieces I should get, or are the H4, H12.5 and H20 sufficient? btw what does the 'H' stand for?
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  #185  
Old 24-04-2006, 11:07 AM
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ving (David)
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a good set of GSO plossls would be a start and they are cheap, but the big question is how much do you want to spend?
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  #186  
Old 24-04-2006, 02:05 PM
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firstly let me say, i don't know what the different types of eyepieces are... plossls, SD etc etc... I don't know what they do, whay the differences are or what types are better.

I don't want to spend too much, but the price I am willing to pay is dependant on how much it will increase my viewing pleasure. Preferably not over $50, but I have no idea how much eyepieces are worth... they could be worth more than I paid for my whole setup for all I know....
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  #187  
Old 24-04-2006, 02:41 PM
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Does the mount have a motor drive and/or 'slow motion' controls? The whole point of getting an EQ mount is so that you do not suffer:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shacky
The only bad thing was with the high magnification whatever I was looking out was out of the FOV within 5-10 seconds :S
You should be able to adjust the RA setting to keep the object you are looking at within the FoV.

I don't know if I'd worry about getting eyepieces yet. Did you work out if they are 0.96" or 1.25"? You could take a punt and get a bintel 6mm plossl for $30 https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6330 but that's not guaranteeing anything, it may still not focus well if the limiting factor is the primary optics. If you could get along somewhere where there would be others willing for you to look through your scope with their EPs, you'd be set If you got $30 burning a hole in your pocket you can try it, but remember that even close to new, you probably won't get much if anything for a 2nd hand bintel plossl.
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  #188  
Old 24-04-2006, 03:04 PM
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I don't even know how to set up the EQ mount, ive tried to find a 'how to' on the forums or guides, but can't seem to find anything. The instructions that came with the scope are almost near impossible to understand. Any pointers on setting up the mount properly?

The optics seem pretty good actually, the H4mm eyepiece was pretty good last night, quite clear. So i am pretty keen to get a better eyepiece. Anyone in Adelaide who might be willing to give me a crash course in telescopic alignment.... beer supplied
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  #189  
Old 25-04-2006, 07:05 AM
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Well as far as I know, all you have to do is figure out which is the "polar axis" of the mount. That is the axis about which your telescope turns when you adjust the RA setting. If you draw a line through that axis, that line has to point at the southern celestial pole. If you want to do imaging you have to do it very precisely but just to use it for visual use and just to begin with I think you can get away with it if it is just roughly right.

Roughly: Firstly adjust the polar axis tilt (the one that can be adjusted to tilt up and down) to 34.5 degrees for Adelaide, then set the tripod down on relatively flat ground and point the polar axis south, then turn the whole thing east (anti-clockwise) about 10 or 11 degrees to account for the difference between magnetic south and true south.

From then on, you are not allowed to lift the tripod up, you can only use the axis on the mount to point your telescope. It takes a little getting used to before you become good at pointing at all the different regions of the sky.
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  #190  
Old 25-04-2006, 07:30 AM
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chunkylad (David)
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Hi Shacky and welcome

I started out with a 114mm Newt on an EQ mount as well! It gave me some memorable nights, and showed me my first DSOs. I still use it for dedicated solar observing, with a JMB full aperture solar filter.

Here is some info on different types of eyepieces, as well as some important basics for beginners:
http://www.belmontnc.4dw.net/optics.htm#top
http://observers.org/beginner/eyepieces.freeman.html
http://www.atscope.com.au/visual.html

Good luck, have fun.

Dave
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  #191  
Old 25-04-2006, 05:36 PM
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Dave,

Thanks heaps for those websites, they have certainly helped me to understand what the difference with all the eyepieces mean. Now I just have to work out what is the best eyepiece for me is!

Shannon
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  #192  
Old 30-04-2006, 11:13 AM
shelly
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Hi,

My name is Michelle and I have had my Sky-Watcher 6" reflector for nearly 3 years now. I haven't really done much observing with the exception of some planets, the moon and M42.

My telescope : http://www.skywatchertelescope.com/15075PEQ3-2.html

I would really like to use it to take photos of what I am looking at too. I think I would need to motorise the mount. Does anyone have an opinion on which choice would be best? My mount is an EQ3-2.

http://www.skywatchertelescope.com/MotorDrives.html

I have a Canon PS Pro1 digital camera - any tips for using this camera - so far I have only mounted it onto the piggy back setup on the tube support rings.

So far I have enjoyed reading through the forums - congratulations on an informative site.
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  #193  
Old 30-04-2006, 11:33 AM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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Hi Shelly and to the site.

I have an almost identical mount though with a refractor on top. I find it a great mount for quick setup as well as a good pack and go mount. I also have the Single Axis Drive with the handcontoller. For visual work it does a great job but I wouldn't want to try to do long exposure through your telescope with it. The weight of the reflector will more than likely be at the upper weight limit of the mount. I have successfully used that mount (after accurate drift aligning) to take widefield shots and piggyback shots with both SLR and DSLR cameras.

Can you tell us a bit more about your camera. How long can your exposures go? 5 sec, 15 sec 30+ sec? You should be able to take single afocal (shots through an eyepiece) of the major planets, moon and sun, fairly easily with your camera.

Does it have a video mode? If it does and you can fix it in front of an eyepiece, you could be able to get videos of the major planets, the moon and the sun (with suitable solar film) and process them using a program called Registax. This will give you a much better image than single images alone. Tracking will help immensely here.

Enjoy the site and ask as many questions as you need.
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  #194  
Old 30-04-2006, 11:54 AM
shelly
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Thanks for the welcome and the quick reply, [1ponders].

Some more details about my digital camera (it can be used as a manual camera right through to automatic).

Shutter Speed - 15 seconds max
Movie - up to 3 mins max - 640 x 480
Images - stored as jpeg (or raw)

Should I be taking the images in the raw format? Would they make for better processing?

What's the best solution for fixing the camera for afocal shots? I haven't tried that yet.

Thanks again.
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  #195  
Old 30-04-2006, 12:31 PM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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Raw would be better than Jpeg, though probably more of a challenge to process but the final result is worth it. There are a number of brackets and attachments around specifically for mounting cameras like yours for afocal imaging. From brackets like this to connectors like this or this


I have one like the last one and while it looks straight forward to use there can often be a lot of cursing trying to get everything lined up. It unfortunately used grub screws that need an allen key (included) to tighten and adjust which is a pitb at night in the dark. If it had thumb screws to tighten it, it would probably be much more user friendly.

Do a google search for afocal mounting bracket or afocal mounting and you will find heaps of info. With a few links back to this site
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  #196  
Old 30-04-2006, 12:34 PM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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ps with your camera set to 15 sec exosure and (can you change the ISO setting?) mounted on your mount after a good polar aligning you wouuld be able to get so fairly respectable widefield images. Longer would be better of course. How many settings can you adjust manually on your camera?
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  #197  
Old 30-04-2006, 12:52 PM
shelly
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Quote:
Originally Posted by [1ponders]
How many settings can you adjust manually on your camera?
I think practically all of them - I've only played around with a few settings

ISO ranges through 50/100/200/400 and auto.

Manual and auto focus.

This is a list of specifications for the Pro1 if that helps.

I'll have a look at those brackets - thanks for the links.
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  #198  
Old 30-04-2006, 01:17 PM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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Looks like a good camera to try your hand at afocal shots both still and video, though by the look of it you can only take video in 30 sec batches. Which is not a problem as you can capture say 2 x 30 sec avies of Jupiter and then join them together for processing, or a range of other options.

The important thing is to get the camera steadily attached inline with the eyepiece, so an connecting adapter is very desirable. Your camera has good optical zoom so you will be able to use long focal length eyepieces (32, 26 or 20 mm) and the optical zoom to achieve good magnification rather than trying to shoot with low zoom and short Focal Length eyepieces. That will make lining up your image that much easier. Plus having the manual focus can be a bonus as well.

What size memory card to you have? The standard 64meg that came with it or a larger capacity card? How about an AC power adapter? Not essential but useful. Or a spare set of batteries? It can take a surprisingly long time to get everything lined up at times and then just when you are ready to take your video or stills the batteries run out None of this is essential but after a while you will want to move on from trying to hold your camera steady by hand and this will give you some idea of the items you may want to consider.

Have you looked at the current imaging competition going on. You might want to consider having a go.

Competition

Competition Entries

Competition Comments and Advice
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  #199  
Old 30-04-2006, 03:09 PM
shelly
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I can take up to 3 minutes of video at the higher resolution and I have a 1 gig memory card. The battery will last for nearly 16 hours of contiunous use, longer if I dont continuously use autofocus.

Quote:
Originally Posted by [1ponders]
Which is not a problem as you can capture say 2 x 30 sec avies of Jupiter and then join them together for processing, or a range of other options.
After reading a few different threads is when you say 'processing' am I understanding correctly that is where the avi files are converted to individual frames then centered and then stacked with registax? I'm still not sure how all that works but is that the general order you could do it in?
I just found this link about processing images from the competition links you provided - very informative. Thanks.

I will definately give some pictures a go when the cloud disappears.

I think I'd like to get a connection first before I try the afocal pictures. I like the afocal digicam support that you said was like your's. It looks simple to use.

Last edited by shelly; 30-04-2006 at 03:27 PM.
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  #200  
Old 30-04-2006, 05:01 PM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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Quote:
After reading a few different threads is when you say 'processing' am I understanding correctly that is where the avi files are converted to individual frames then centered and then stacked with registax?
If you are able to take 3 minutes that will be plenty for the planets and too much for Jupiter. Once you have taken the Avi you can process it directly (if the format is correct) in Registax.

If you get that particular bracket, see if you can find thumb screws to replace the existing Allen Key tightened grub screws. Hopefully others who have different brackets will at their views to give you a better idea of what is available
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