Show us your equipment!

[Ric]

Very nice looking setup Alex, for a moment I thought you had a flower pot hanging of the back of your scope.;)

I thought it might have been a new type of counter balance kit. :lol:

Cheers

[AlexN]

Haha.. All my gear photos seem to be taken in such a way that it looks like there is something random hanging off my equipment! :)

Dont let that fool you though, There is a 1kg G-Clamp attached to the front of the RC to balance it in declination! :) hahah.. Its all I had lying around at the time although it works like a charm!

[Tandum]

Here's 3 new bits for me, a steel pier, a QHY8 and a new guide scope :D

[RobF]

Nice Robyn! I think my tongue hangs out most for the QHY8 - one shot colour + sensitivity. Look forward to seeing some pics.

[AlexN]

QHY8 + FS102 = Drool! :)

[RobF]

And another month of clouds dammit!!
:windy: :poke:

[AlexN]

Not to mention whats in the mail for me :P :D :D

[Tandum]

FFS Alex you always have something in the mail :lol:

Will take a while to get all the adapters I need, but enquiries have been made :thumbsup:

Dying for a scope and camera that fits rosetta in frame instead of just the centre stars.

[MLyons]

My new mistress and I :D:D:thumbsup:

[DobDobDob]

She's a bit of a fatty, but the good news is, she will never talk back to you :lol:

[Tandum]

That is simply huge ... how do you move it or is it in an obs?

[leinad]

Wow, how do you find the weight? You'll be flashing those muscles in no time. :D

[peter_4059]

Here's mine - two setups - one with the 10" Newt & guide scope and one with the ED80 & guide scope. Both side by side on the EQ6.

[Omaroo]

The Tak bug has bitten again. I've just received a mid-80's (I believe) MT-160 newtonian from Lars Hansen. I think that this one has been through at least a couple of people here on IIS before making it into my care.

It's the older type with the single clamshell and Tak green in colour with grey fittings rather than the Tak white with green fittings of the newer examples. For its age, it's in good condition, with the mirror being cleaner than many new scopes I've seen lately. Native focuser size is 1.25", but I'm trying to figure out a way to fit a 2" adapter so that I can use my AstroSystems barlowed laser collimator. Looks like it's in pretty good collimation at the moment so maybe I'll get the old Cheshire out if I can find it. The focuser incorporates a Tak-typical rotating camera angle adjuster as standard. Beautiful!

This line of telescopes (MT-130, 160 & 200) aren't made any more, and are reputed to have been some of the best examples of newtonian optics ever produced. They are meant to give many top-end APOs a run for their money both visually and photographically.

I plan to run this one side-by-side with my FS-102 on the G11 with the FS60-C guiding for both. I'll run the SBIG on one, and the DSLR on the other - swapping from time to time. Should be great fun.

Thanks Lars - I appreciate you letting this one go. :thumbsup:

[astronut]

"Smokin" Chris,
Can't wait to see it in person.:thumbsup:

[astronut]

Here's me with my babies.:thumbsup:

[Omaroo]

Awwwwwwww.... :)

[RB]

Congratulations on your new scope Chris, looks like a real beauty !
There's no going back once bitten by the TAK bug.

Hope you enjoy it, I'm sure you will.

:thumbsup:

[mozzie]

here's a early evening shot of my lx90 in it's pod with my son lachlan with his little scope looking at venus last summer
mozzie

[wysiwyg]

Well,

Its been a long time between frames for me as I have sold my FLT-132 in exchange for a widefield scope (FSQ-106N).
In addition I have now transitioned from DSLR to CCD imaging with a STL-11K.
Here are some pix of my latest setup which includes the following:

EQ6 + EQMOD control
FSQ-106N
STL-11K Mono CCD
Ha, LRGB Baader filters
MMOAG for off axis guidingwhen using Narrowband
TGM-1 with 500mm f/8 Tamron lens for guiding with DMK USB mono CCD
Robofocus (Electronic Focus Control)
TAKometer (CCD Rotation)
FIT-PC2 (Mini computer that controls the lot)

Adelaide weather has been pretty average lately and hardly any clear nights, so no opportunities to give it a go yet. First light still to happen.

Thanks for Looking.
Mark

[AlexN]

Mark, That looks awesome... .

Here's my miniature version!!

Whats here at the moment...

HEQ5 Pro
William Optics Zenithstar 70ED
SBIG ST-10XEi.

Inbound:
SW 120mm F/5 Achro - Guidescope.

The ST10XEi will be replaced by a QHY8/Orion Star Shoot Pro V2 as soon as it sells...

Future plans for this setup would be use the ZS70 as a guider for something like a TMB 80/480 or TMB 92 Signature series imaging scope...

For the time being, this setup should suffice... A fair step down from the EQ6/RC combo.. But its a different path!!

[wysiwyg]

Thanks Alex,

You setup is nothing to sneeze at mate, you have been producing some nice images with that setup, me on the other hand have not produced a single one yet...........Damn the weather :(

[Omaroo]

Excellent Mark :thumbsup: I'm keen to see what you get from it - I'm heading down the same path before too long.

[Tandum]

Good to see your still in the running there alex. And here's mine finally all setup and shooting. Capturing tonight with the QHY8 on the Vixen with the FS-102 Guiding. Top guide Scope :lol:

[Comet Hunter]

Nice setup Mark.

I've been collecting bits and pieces for the last few months and I finally had my mount delivered last week. Managed first light on Tuesday night. Spent the night sorting out all the software, learning to polar align etc etc. It was a productive night with nothing to show for it. :doh:

FSQ106-ED
ST2000XM + CFW9
EQ6Pro + EQMOD
Setup for Narrowband :D

Cheers,
Andrew

[wysiwyg]

All nice setup's guys!

Now all we need is some clear skies with perfect seeing conditions :thumbsup:

Its a matter of when, not if.

Mark

[AlexN]

I've got clear skies forecast for this weekend... Hopefully I'll get some wide field HA images out of the ST10/ZS70ED tonight or tomorrow night..

[AlexN]

UPDATE - I've got another scope....

My double stack of William Optics refractors..
Zenithstar 70ED Doublet APO
Megrez 90 Fluorite Doublet APO

These scopes will play double duty, I will guide through one whilst imaging through another... This gives me the option of 621mm F/6.9 or 434mm F/6.2 or by adding the WO flattener, 496mm F/5.52 and 347mm F/4.96...

Should be a nice holiday from super long focal length imaging...

[Omaroo]

Good on you Alex - nice to see you're back in the game. Nice setup! Good to see you haven't resorted to guide rings. :thumbsup:

[JohnG]

Been a while since I updated my equipment....

Misty Glen Observatory

Takahashi NJP with Temma 2 GEM

Takahashi FS-128 APO refractor

Takahashi TSA-102 APO refractor with SBIG ST4000XCM CCD

FS-128 with ST4000XCM and AO-8 Adaptive Optics unit

FS-128 with ST4000XCM and AO-8 Adaptive Optics unit

Cheers

[citivolus]

Oops, looks like I have not updated this in a while and much of my equipment has gone on to new, worthy homes (Nudge, Alex :) ).

Here's the overview of the setup here:

Meade LX200-ACF 12" OTA
William Optics FLT98 (Aluminium Tube version)
Celestron CGE German Equatorial Mount
Losmand DUPS side by side plate, and lots of assorted connectors

My wife gets home from her extended vacation next week, so this is likely how the gear will look for a while ;)

The next few nights should be clear, time to break it all in!

[Ric]

Hi John & Ric,

Definitely two wonderful looking setups you both have.

Cheers

[JohnH]

I am now the proud owner of a brand new G11G...couple of images attached...I have it on the LW tripod as my setup is not permanent - yet so the mount/tripod combo is portable - just.

I have even had some clear nights to go with it so have been able to measure the PE and familiarise myself with the Gemini system a little.

I would appreciate it if fellow G11 owners could share any tips/trips/tricks when using the G11 for AP, in particular the best use of PEC function and what guide parameters might be a good start (I have PHD, Guidemaster and AA4 that I can guide with).

The guidescope is a WO66 SD with a QHY5 - 2.75" / pixel
The imaging scope is a 127mm ED with Opticstar 145m and Atik usb filter wheel - 1.4" / pixel so I need to guide to about +/- 0.5 pixels which I think should be achieveable with this combination.

[RB]

John it's best if you start a new thread in the equipment forum to ask for specific advice on this issue.
You'll get more of a response and so that we don't sidetrack this thread.

:)

[keppar]

My Megrez 90 with saxon 70mm guidescope

[AlexN]

Nice Graham! Gotta love the Megrez 90's... Awesome bit of gear!

[AlexN]

New baby...

Apogee Ortho-Star 80mm F/6.. which employs a TMB/LOMO triplet lens, shown with the HEQ5 Pro, WO ZS70ED, QHY5 and Orion Starshoot Pro just prior to first light.

Alex.

[Tandum]

Looks tiny compared to others alex :)

Can you get the dew caps off both and draw a tempate of both on a corn flakes box or similar to make the holes for them in the light box :)

[AlexN]

will do mate

[DJ N]

Hi all,

Looking through the photos of all the nice equipment everyone has, I realised I have not included mine.........

Skywatcher Black Diamond ED120 with the ED80 Pro piggybacked, all sitting on the EQ6 Pro....

Really happy with this set-up!!

Thanks for looking!

[Ric]

A very nice looking rig DJ

Cheers

[Matt Wastell]

Hi all

Here is my stuff! My favourite scope is the Solarmax40. I really enjoy the images I get of the sun through it with my DMK21.

[jjjnettie]

Me and my best mates. :D
My SWProED80 on an EQ5 mount and the dreaded iOptron Tower of Terror with the SW200 Black Diamond.
Cameras - Canon 20D and the Gstar-Ex Video camera.

[RB]

Oh, great photo Jeanette !!

:thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

Thanks Andrew.:)

[erick]

Creating a new avatar I thought - what the heck, I'll post it.

My Galileoscope - US$15 all the way down to the draw tube, then about AU$140-150 hanging off the bottom to make it more functional. Plus free IIS sticker! :)

[chrisp9au]

It seems to me that all the pictures over the past couple of months have been of refractors, so here's one of my 12" Dobsonian.
Some of you may remember a 12" OTA being offered on Ice Trades back in July for a very very low price.
'Alchemy' felt it was just taking up space in his observatory and wanted it gone!
I had the good fortune to be the first to respond, and that OTA came to live in Kyneton.
Picture shows how it looks now, after being fully flocked, a paint job, and a new mount.
It works beautifully, the optics are great, and I couldn't be happier!

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[erick]

Gearshift knob? What is top speed of your dob, Chris? :D Looking ubercool! :thumbsup:

[chrisp9au]

G'day Eric,

Just 4 on the floor. no overdrive or cruise on this scope, and who needs speed for what we do! It'll never need to get out of first gear! :D

I needed a handle near the focuser for moving the scope, and this fits the bill, leather so it doesn't get too cold, and it has just the right shape and feel! Plus it's a conversation starter!

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[erick]

You really got it for $150 plus a bit of petrol? Lucky devil! :thumbsup:

[chrisp9au]

I can assure you that I don't often get lucky like I did that day! :D

[Octane]

My sincere apologies for cloud and rain.

Regards,
Humayun

[Rigel003]

I took a few photos of my FS-102 & AP mount for the compendium so thought I might as well post one here.

[mtodman]

Hi Everyone.
Attached are pics of my secret mistress (miss Meade - my wife figures that she must be pretty good for me to spend long cold winters nights with her). When she's not undressed;), she wears a Telegizmos 365 scope cover.

[dpastern]

That's a rather yummy setup you have there :)

Dave

[lacad01]

Nice looking setup there Matthew(mtodman):thumbsup:
I take it the gear copes well enough out in the elements with the cover??

[mtodman]

Hi there Adam,
I really can't speak highly enough of the scope cover. It has really removed much of the frustration of setting up / stripping down. I bring the scope inside if there is extreme heat or rain forecast (or when I go on holidays).
I was aprehensive at first about leaving the scope out in the elements but it's really fine. As long as it's well sealed at the base (I just use a tight bungy cord) it stays nice and dry inside. It also has a silver metalic lining inside which apparently keeps the temp down as well.

[browndog]

Hi Matthew,
That is a really nice looking solution for a semi-permanent set-up.
Is there any problems with condensation inside the cover?
Does the polar alignment need re-setting when you remove the scope off the pier?

[mtodman]

Hi Ian,
I have encountered the odd problem with condensation on the primary after imaging without a heater or dew shield but opening the cover up the next morning will quickly dry things out. Apart from that, once the setup is covered and dry, it certainly stays dry.

I have heard of some people putting de-humidifiers or closet camels under the cover after am imaging session but I haven't really found this necessary.

Regarding Polar Alignment, yes, I do usually need to realign after removing the scope from the wedge but it's usually a fairly quick adjustment (I use WCS).

[blueskies123_89]

Heres the gear I have to tug out every observing night :'(... Takes ages. That scope cover of Matthew's does sound tempting.

Cheers
George

[TheDecepticon]

Here is my two setups, my reflector setup and the newest addition, a Megrez 110, all dressed up and nowhere to go!:lol:

[Orbit]

This is my CPC800 XLT GPS fitted to an Orbit Engineering wedge.

Polar alignment in less than 3 minutes,,

http://www.pbase.com/walshy/image/117790650/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/walshy/image/117790653/original.jpg


And a little vid how it all works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96FIxc9oYhI

yes that is a Rabbit in the edge of the photo :lol:

[AlexN]

Awesome looking setup mate.. I like the wedge... It has to be the first wedge I've seen with a polar scope... I take it you made that yourself?

Very nice indeed!

[alfi]

hi guys
got my moonlite focusers today, took a picture of my refractors.
they are SW 150mm f/8, SW 80mm pro ds, and a meade 80mm triplet.

65385

alfi

[zipdrive]

Just finished re-wiring my scope for the new season, gotta re-learn howto do it all again :shrug:

[lacad01]

Nice neat setup :thumbsup:

[Ric]

Hi Zipdrive, that is two fine looking machines you have there.

Cheers

[Calibos]

Dunno if I've posted to this thread already but here goes.

Modded 16" Lightbridge:

Servocat Drive and Skycommander DSC to be fitted next week.
Sky-fi wifi-serial adapter on order for wireless slew and goto control from iPhone SkyVoyager Planetarium App

[erick]

Oooh! Knightrider LED scanner bar! Where does one get that?


Found - cheap as!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/56CM-LED-CAR-knight-rider-lights-light-strip-RED-BLUE_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZal goQ3dCRXQ26itsQ3dCQ252BSQ26ituQ3dSI Q252BUAQ252BLMQ252BLAQ26otnQ3d5Q26p sQ3d63QQ_trksidZp4340Q2em444QQcateg oryZ33713QQihZ003QQitemZ13034061929 4

[Ric]

Cool Scanner bars for sure.

We should get them for our fire trucks.:lol:

[erick]

Now found the AUD price. $39.99 + $10.99 shipping - no longer "cheap as" :sadeyes:

[Omaroo]

Hi all :)

Spurred-on by photos appearing in the Compendium, I'm on a mission to start producing some more material.

Here's the latest rig - with the Sky-90 guiding the FS-102 (with 350D) and the FS-60C (with ST-8i). Flexure is going to be interesting - as I've always found so far with side by side systems. I guess that the short focal length of the FS-60C (300mm) will keep the effect down, I hope.

I have to stay home tonight because I'm on call - so out in the yard we go to give it all a whirl. Nice night for it I hope! :thumbsup:

[AlexN]

Takahooolllllyyyy crapp!! :D Nice triple stack of Tak's mate.. I do think that a Sky90 might be a tad overkill for a guide scope.. Maybe :)

[Omaroo]

hehe.. the Sky90 is by no means dedicated to that function Alex - guiding moves from scope to scope as required. That's the beauty of having these three - 355mm, 500mm and 822mm. It's a nice spread of focal lengths that work well in a mix'n match situation. I have the ST-8i and DSLR on any two and the QHY5 on the free one. Works well!

[AlexN]

Indeed a nice spread of focal lengths! so you doing Ha OSC shots using Ha from the SBIG and OSC from the DSLR all at once hey? Sounds the goods to me!

You wouldnt believe it... Im down to one scope on the mount at a time now.. My rig consists of the TMB + OAG, QHY5 + an empty hole for the "Coming Soon" camera!

[Omaroo]

Excellent! :) :thumbsup::thumbsup: A new ST-8300 I see! Noice!

[tlgerdes]

Hey Chris, where are the rocket launchers and laser cannons.:eyepop:

[Omaroo]

They're still in their crates Trevor. :lol: I haven't unpacked them yet.

[AlexN]

waiting for the right moment to pull them out ay?

[Dave47tuc]

Been a while since I posted a pic of a scope I have had!
Some say I don't own one long enough to post a pic:lol:

But here goes and who knows how long I may have it.:rolleyes:

Scope is a C9.25 on a Losmandy G8 mount. WO fine focuser which is really nice. I purchased it of Daniel from Frontier optics.:thumbsup: Under the stars it works as good as it should.:D

[Ric]

Blimey Chris that is one awesome setup.

You should give it a name. Takosaurus comes to mind.:lol:

[sebastien]

I am getting my first telescope very soon!!!! (For Christmas) A 6" Dobsonian Sky-watcher, 150mm!!! I just simply cannot wait! As soon as I do I will make sure that I post a picture of it here on this forum!! Can't wait!

Sebastien.

[Matt Wastell]

Hi Sebastien
Merry Christmas and enjoy your new scope! Looking forward to your report on your first session with it.

[sebastien]

Thankyou very much Matt! I will definetly write down my first sightings!! Everyday I can just imagine it sitting there, next to my small(but rather useful) desk of mine, looking out the window, into the sky. I cannot wait, to begin my settions of looking at our universe, always locking my door behind me, like that my parents cannot disturb me in my fields of observation :)
Thankyou very much Matt for the reply, and Merry Christmas to you to, I look forward to writing my observations down, and sharing them, and posting that picture of my telescope :)
Merry Christmas.

Sebastien.

[Vartigy]

Congradulations sebastien,

And welcome to the wider world.
You'll love your sw dob, they are a fantastic bit of gear.
Just follow all the recommended practices both here on the forums and on the bit of paper you get in the box, and you'll have no dramas.
Have a top christmas.

[leon]

Geppers Chris, man that is nice, no one can do without his/her TAK'S, beautiful.

Leon

[sebastien]

thanks a lot guys and merry christmas to you all :)

Sebastien.

[Omaroo]

Thanks Ric and Leon :)

LOL! You're right Leon! Now I just need to add an FSQ.... :)

[AlexN]

I was going to hold off on showing this off until the SBIG ST8300M was screwed onto the rear of it... I held off for over a week, but its finally gotten the better of me...

If you've ever wondered what an 8" diameter filter wheel would look like on the back of an 80mm telescope... Well... Here it is...

New Toys:

FLI CFW 2-7:
7 Position 2" filterwheel, Currently fully loaded with Astrodon LRGB I-Series 50mm unmounted and Astrodon 5nm Ha, SII and OIII unmounted filters...

Custom adapter between CFW and MPCC, Made by precise parts in Miami, This adapter is back focus matched for the ST8300, CFW and either the MPCC or the TV TRF-2008 0.8x reducer flattener (which have the same spacing requirements) so I can use the scope at F/6 or F/4.8 without needing separate adapters...

All this hangs out the rear of the OAG...

From what I can tell thus far, I'll be needing a longer dovetail as Its pretty well balanced now, however im sure once I add an 800g camera to the rear end it will become very rear heavy... The joys of being a metal worker..


Alex - Patiently awaits delivery of SBIG!! :D

[Rigel003]

Looks good, Alex. Actually it looks really big! I have one of these on order atm and was worrying about it being too much weight for the Tak focuser but I guess your set up is a worse case scenario. What's the off axis guider and how much back focus does it take up?

[AlexN]

The OAG is the Lumicon 2" newtonian/refractor easy guider... its backfocus is 22mm.

The CFW 2-7 fully loaded is fairly damned heavy, my focuser easily handles it..... I've got a FT 2025 CBR on the way for the little baby TMB... Although I've got my eye squarely focused on the Tak FSQ-85EDX... All the upsides of the FSQ106 minus the weight and size... 44mm fully illuminated and fully corrected image circle, easy big enough for the KAF16803..

[AlexN]

Oh, Yea, it is BIG!! I read the dimensions on the FLI site and thought, oh yeah, it'll be alright... it wont look too silly on the 80mm APO... Bumm Boww! Looks really really silly on the 80mm APO! ahaha!! Its not whats on the outside that counts, beauty is on the inside, and this little setup has a heart of gold! Which is good, because it cost a fair lump of gold!

[mick pinner]

first set up and sorting out of the new and not so new gear. the new 8" newt, with JMI focuser and Robo Focus, Stellavue 13 x 80 finder and 100mm ED guide scope with Orion Ezy Finder and Orion guider.

[AlexN]

Nice one Mick! Is that the new tube freshly painted? Looks pretty damn schmiko!! The whole setup actually looks pretty slick.. I bet you're proud of that!

[mick pinner]

it is thanks Alex. l am happy with it, now to do some imaging.

[AlexN]

I only dream of such things Mick... Still no camera... Even if I had a camera, 100% cloud cover... :( Sigh... I'm living vicariously through the images posted on IIS!! :)

[garrillaga]

Here's the Servocat LB 16 kit adapted on the 12 inch Lightbridge. :thumbsup:

[StarGazing]

Nice one garrillaga. How does she work ???????

Alex. :thumbsup:

[garrillaga]

I am very satisfied. The adjustment is a bit difficult. It consumes very few battery, is very precise and rapid of using.

[Calibos]

How tall are you mate?? 6'5" 6'7" :D

12" Dob up on castors and your Argo/SC Handpad pedestal is as tall as the scope!!

I have a Servocat and Skycommander DSC waiting to be fitted to my 16" Lightbridge. I recieved it in October!! but still haven't found the time to fit it.....nor observe actually :(

Can you tell me how you drilled the base and groundboard for the servocat azimuth bearing assembly? I bought one of the recommended forstner drill bits to drill the hole, but the instructions also recommend a drill guide to hold the drill perpendicular to the base when drilling. I can't find one to buy anywhere?? Did you just drill by hand and pray the hole was straight. ie. does one have to be uber accurate when drilling the hole?

[garrillaga]

It is not as high as it seems. :)

The hole is marked with a highlighter and then smoothed with a multitool Dremmel. It's not perfect, but it works ..

[pgc hunter]

My Skywatcher 120x600 refractor on Stellarvue M1 mount

[Dave47tuc]

You are now starting to have to many scopes;)

[pgc hunter]

You need a scope for every occasion :lol: I should probably trim the collection, but I'll probably still find some excuse to keep buying more lol

now, the 12" is the main workhorse, then theres the 10" which is great for those 1am wakeups when I feel like going deep but cant be stuffed taking the 12" out; and it's also a back up for the 12", the skywatcher RFT is the grab n go widefield rig, the M500 is the grab n go planetary, and the Meade 4.5" is a general purpose grab n go, or for those times when all else fails, but it needs a new mount....
And then the Stellarvue F60 will soon be joining the clan which will be the super grab n go for those occasions when I can't be stuffed taking out the other grab n go....

Is this niche filling getting out of hand....no never :whistle:

[Lismore Bloke]

Hey SAB, what are the optics like on that Skywatcher 120 refractor? They seem like a pretty good buy.

[pgc hunter]

Haven't tried it yet, but you can read some reviews of several 120/600 refractors here: http://www.cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=16&pr=2x6

[JethroB76]

Sounds like you dont have enough Grab 'n Go options

[monoxide]

heres my rig

Tak FS-102 + QHY8
ED80 + QHY5
HEQ5 pro

everything plugs through the lappy, mount controlled by EQMOD/Starry Night Pro, the Tak has motofocus then the lappy gets controlled from this pc via remote desktop.

[Ric]

Cool, a very nice setup Tj

[pgc hunter]

Now that I've used it I can answer this question. For low magnification wide field, it's excellent. Nice crisp stars and bright views of starfields and nebulae thanks to the large aperture. I've used mags upto 75x with the image holding its clarity, but at 120x things are noticably fuzzier and less crisp due to chromatic abberation. I'd estimate around 100x is the maximum useful mag for this scope.

So in short, if you want something for low power Milky Way sweeps without burning a hole in your wallet, you can't go wrong with this.

I don't recommed it for planetary observing however as it can't support high powers and chromatic abberation does become a problem.

cheers

[Tandum]

Here's what a 10" newt looks like on an EQ6. 4 counter weights there. This one has a stellarvue 60 finder and qhy5 on top as a guider and an sbig 8300M + QHY wheel plugged into a moonlight focuser as the imager. Darker skys would be nice :(

[kustard]

After being annoyed by the standard finderscope supplied by Celestron with their CPC series of scopes, I decided to splash out on one of those cheapie Bosma 80mm x 500mm f6.3 refractor scopes. It comes with a few bits and pieces (not overly useful for me) such as a camera tripod, a couple of EPs, a moon filter, a solar film filter and a carry bag.

I spent a good deal of this afternoon and early night with it in the courtyard checking out the moon and a few of the brighter stars that poked through the gaps between the roofs. The scope is pretty decent, there's a bit of colour aberration towards the edges with the provided plossls (10 & 25mm) but the 12.5mm illuminated reticle I have was acceptable and the Televue plossls (8, 11, 15 & 32mm) and Meade super widefield EPs (18 & 24.5mm) I have improved the scope a goodly amount, not award winning but decent.

I tried some of my 2" Ba'ader EPs using a 2" SCT diagonal but I was unable to get focus as the size of the diagonal was making the light path too long. I guess some sort of stubby diagonal might solve that but I'm not worried as I'm not going to be putting any 2" EPs in it.

I thought about trying my f6.3 reducer corrector in it as a laugh but common sense prevailed ;)

Next I spent a good hour and a half sorting out and attaching it to my C925. I had to diddle with the mounting rings a bit and it's not a perfect job but it seems strong and rigid and there is lots of adjustment in the rings for alignment purposes. The C925 is able to drive the scope and extra weight with seemingly no problems.

I have yet to try the whole system out in a session but will give it a go over the next few days, weather permitting, even if all I do is a basic alignment of refractor and C925 and some motor drive checks.

Here are some piccies...

Cheers,
Simon

[renormalised]

It won't completely get rid of it, but grab yourself a minus violet filter. You will lose a little bit of light but you'll get rid of a lot of the CA at higher powers.

[pgc hunter]

Sounds like a plan and have considered it, but as I use this scope purely for low power wide field, I decided against it. My 4.5" newt does a decent job on planets so that'll be my planetary grab n go.

[MLyons]

I bought this scope from a chap in the US and, after about 2 months of building pedestals, customising trailers and figuring out crane logistics, she finally saw her first glimpse of the Southern hemisphere skies.

Swan nebula, Eta Carina, Omega Centauri, Tarantula nebula amongst others were all simply awesome.

I'm in love:eyepop::help::D :thumbsup:

[Louwai]

I know I'm a bit slow, but here's the new addition (with the old gear as well.)

20" SDM f5 (awesome instrument Peter. thanks for your fine craftsmanship)

C8s GT XLT with
Feathertouch motor focus
Feathertouch micro focus (primary)

AstroTech AT80 was originally on side by side mount with teh C8 but is now mounted on the mirror box ofhte SDM 20".

[gordolake]

OK my go. New to this level of equipment, William optics FLT 132, EQ6pro EQMOD, Nikon D700, pflat68 flattner, hpzd8000, nikon camera control.

So first time setup and testing, all worked fine. Now for some clear skies and accurate polar alignment.

[pgc hunter]

Sdm #45

[Ric]

Very nice Sab, very nice indeed.

[pgc hunter]

Thanks Ric! :) The views match its good looks :P I can say, that with the sdm structure, objects appear more vivid and sharper than with the old version. The trifid is fantastic in this scope, the dark lanes are sharp and clear, while with the old one I was always using averted vision to get faint poorly defined gaps in the nebulosity. Note that these are the exact same optics as in the old scope. And it goes deeper. Stars are virtually as crisp at 300x as they are at 50x. Oh yes, she's also fully capable of 1000x in perfect seeing ! As I found out last weekend.. the Saturn Nebula was most pleasant at 953x, with the central star easily visible as a pinpoint while at any lower mag it was harder :eyepop:

[Ric]

Mmmmm Saturn Nebula at 953x

Now that would be a sight to see.

[pgc hunter]

My one regret is not making a sketch :sadeyes: Even the faint extentions with the nobs on the ends were relatively easily seen with averted vision. And they were aircraft runways! One all previous occasions I was straining like hell to see them. The following night I was not able to replicate the view, even though I had other PNs in Sagittarius at nearly 800x. So you can just imagine the seeing during that time!

[rousey346]

Meade 12" LX200 GPS, also have a meade AR6 on the way also for planetary stuff

[MLyons]

The beastie...

[jjjnettie]

You're signature at the bottom cracked me up Martin. LOLOL Nice looking beastie it is too.

[Acrab]

My self build 16" f 5 with Ostahowski's optics
http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/9591/82831894.jpg (http://img638.imageshack.us/i/82831894.jpg/)
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7913/82455972.jpg (http://img842.imageshack.us/i/82455972.jpg/)
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1599/14199129.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/i/14199129.jpg/)
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/2296/51457799.jpg (http://img168.imageshack.us/i/51457799.jpg/)
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/7660/97853651.jpg (http://img341.imageshack.us/i/97853651.jpg/)
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4171/18192129.jpg (http://img687.imageshack.us/i/18192129.jpg/)
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/1817/72294703.jpg (http://img809.imageshack.us/i/72294703.jpg/)
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/575/56232742.jpg (http://img191.imageshack.us/i/56232742.jpg/)

[Omaroo]

Hi Victor - welcome to IIS :)

Wow - that's a beautiful machine. I'm not usually a dob man, but this instrument of yours is gorgeous. Well done! May I ask what woods have you used in its construction?

I also like how it matches your decor. :thumbsup: Very nice :)

[Acrab]

Hi Chris, thanks.
I have used high quality beech marine plywood.
Best regards
Víctor

[pgc hunter]

wow very nice scope Victor. Love the clean, smooth lines.

[ttoyota]

My trusty SE 8 and My Skywatcher BD12

[Logieberra]

My birthday present, Tak Sky 90, @ the IISAC last weekend.

Her first time under the stars.

Logie.

[DarkRevenge]

I love your scope, Haydn :D.
How much does it weight? I mean the one of the second pic.

Cheers.

[chrisp9au]

A year on and my gear has changed a little bit.
My 12" solid tube dob is now a truss dob, for transport reasons.
My new, 22 year old, TV Genesis now sits on my DIY Alt/Az mount.
And the 'observatory' now has a screen to shield the neighbors lights.

No major changes anticipated from here on, very happy with what I've got.
But I might save up for a couple of decent eyepieces?........ :P

Cheers :thumbsup:
Chris

[The Mekon]

A snapshot of the AP130 at IISAC.
Note replacment cwt shaft, and pier adaptor plate fitted.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

For your consideration....
Tak TSA120 APO with SV50mm Finderscope & SV diagonal riding aboard the monster T-Rex alt/alz mount.

[that_guy]

DROOOL!!!!!! do you use the tak for AP or just for visual??

cheers,
tony

[pmrid]

Now if only I could join them as a binocular pair --- C14 and EdgeHD 1400 --- and clouds, clouds, clouds.
Peter

[jenchris]

I think everyone knows what an LX90ACF looks like, mines an 8"

[jjjnettie]

Hi Jenny!
Welcome to IIS. That a lovely setup you have.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Hey Tony!
"Just" for visual!!!
But I spend hours at the EP when weather allows - I've not used any other scope that is as good on the moon. Seeing permitting, it'll take a 3.2 EP and a 2x barlow with no image breakdown!!! Fantastic views along the terminator.
Its no slouch on DSOs or Planets either, but a short FL EP, rather than a barlow is reccomended - again it seems to punch above its weight. Stick a 13mm Nagler or a 19mm Panotic in and they'll be prying you out of your chair when the sun comes up!
The mounts pretty awesome too.
I plan to write a 'double review' soon, but would like a few more clear nights to do some doubles and fainter nebulae.
Thanks for drooling!;)

[Jeeps]

I better put mine up ;)

Skywatcher 10" dob. Still learning the ropes but at least i've got dark skies to do it with ;)



cheers

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Nice observing chair!

[Jeeps]

Haha thanks!

[zipdrive]

An update to my equipment list, Shiny RED focuser!
:D

[jenchris]

Update to mine - camera and laptop control!

[Louwai]

I like that setup. Nice & clean & tidy. Everything in it's place. Not cables & crap hanging everywhere.

[brian nordstrom]

Not the same Dave ,,,,
Whakatane East Coast NZ
North Island ?
114mm Meade new in about 1992 ish ?:hi:

[brian nordstrom]

Ah a fellow Kiwi How's it over the ditch? Darwin NT. is the starting of the wet season at the moment so its indoors . Not much night sky ..
:P
Brian.

[jenchris]

I live in SEQueensland - KIWI??? nope not me buddy

[sasup]

here is my updated scope. now full go-to moon-lite cr2, Argo,servo, televue negs 17-9 and others

[that_guy]

:lol::rofl: i love the district 9 reference

[supernova1965]

Hi all,

I just bought this scope for $8 for the scope and a H20mm EP and a H6mm EP and the EQ mount. And $5 for the Tripod now I just have to make sure the mount is setup properly and align it to the mackay location and get some clear nights to try it out:thumbsup:

[leon]

Warren for the few dollars you paid, it really doesn't matter it it works or not, not that it wont, nice buy indeed, and it looks pretty good too.

Leon

[leon]

These pages just get better as time goes on, with all the add on's great stuff guys.

Leon

[TrevorW]

Latest setup although the Canon (thanks Alex was great but I should have kept it) has now been replaced by a QHY8 OSC

[FlashDrive]

Brand New Scope arrived on Tuesday....I'm gettin LAZY...:D....cause this thing has GPS ( nothing new though ).....:P
Haven't seen first light yet cause of rain.
And a few photos of some other " goodies " .
The new 10:1 Digital Focuser ( DDG ) should allow me to fine tune my focus for sharper images to view....:thumbsup:.

FlashDrive ( Colin )

[FlashDrive]

A few more of " bit's and pieces " for the new LX90 Setup.....:thumbsup:

[Osirisra]

Looking nice Colin! what version firmware did you get with your Audiostar?
I'm suprised to see you got the round focus knob where I got the triangular shaped one which is a total pain to make the 'jiffy' mod.

You will love the views though the scope with the binoviewers on.

[Osirisra]

The only time I have had all 3 scopes setup so far...

[FlashDrive]

Look'in good Ken ..... I'll fire up the Barby' while the Scopes' cool down.... :thumbsup:

[Osirisra]

Brilliant! I'll grab the coldies :D

[PRejto]

Here is a telescope I started assembling in Los Angeles in the 1960s....5 years ago I dragged it to Sydney and started a big job on rebuilding. The first problem was how to get the polar axis turning the "correct" way. I can post photos of the mod if anyone is interested. The mount is a beast...very heavy and not very steady, but the scope weighs around 50 lbs. To head of any possible excitement, no, it's not an original Cave refractor. It's got a great 5" F15 lens though, and I built the tube and baffles. The upgrades includes a Moonlite electronic focuser and a dovetail mounting system. The original configuration of the mount would not allow for any tube rotation. (That's not actually true - from the photo you can see some straps around the tube...they were so weak that Cave replaced them and just bolted the scope right onto the mount!) I also scratch built the drive corrector - old technology, the RA drive motor is a 60hz synchronous motor so just running it in Australia with a step down transformer was not an option. I can post more details if anyone interested. The "Santa Barbara" photo shows the original version of the mount and scope...

[BlackWidow]

This is my setup at home. I have been using a Field De-Rotator and have been very happy with it, I am just learning to align the wedge that I got from another IIS member. Been having a little trouble but getting thier with help from members. I love my outfit and feel very lucky to own such a nice item. You have NO idea how many jobs I had to do around the house to get the OK to get this scope. In fact I am still paying today. I could not afford to purchase new, so this I got used and have been slowly adding to my kit. My next item will be a guide scope to mount on the rig. I use a philips SPC900NC and a Canon 300d to get my pictures.

To anybody looking at this site and wanting to start in this hobby. Let me tell you it,s great fun and very rewarding. Full of frustrations and challenges that will test you and give you reason to learn and not be beat.

Thanks for sharing my joy of this hoppy and looking at my gear. :hi:

Seeing Stars
Mardy

[pgc hunter]

Nice! I love a slow, classic refractor with all those finders attached.

[adman]

here is my g11 in its current battle dress....

[Octane]

Part of the arsenal.

Losmandy G-11, SBIG STL-11000M, Takahashi FSQ-106N with 7x50 finder, and an elegant cable management system. *cough*

H

[sasup]

I took delivery of my portable 12" goto sdm today. I am waiting for an 18" compact sdm to be finished in oct 2011 but in the mean time have a look at this work of art. I have loved every sdm I have ever seen and this is no exception. The level of detail is a testament to Peter's skill and sharp eye. I am very happy with his work. well here it is:
cheers stacey

[gb_astro]

Very nice Stacy.

Looks like Peter meet you half way???

gb.

[sasup]

ya we meet in gunning. I cant wait to bring it out under a dark sky

[erick]

Congratulations, Stacey! SDM #054 Looks lovely!

You got ServoCat?

[sasup]

yes full goto.

[crazyqban67]

Hello, my name is Sergio and I am from Miami, Florida USA. Here is my 16 inch F4 Starstructure that was completed in December 2010.

[FlashDrive]

Nice bit of gear you got there Sergio ... looks real nice....:thumbsup:

[Ric]

Nice looking setup Sergio.

Welcome to IIS

[erick]

Nice telescope. :thumbsup: Who made your mirror, Sergio?

[sasup]

got to love the dade county. nice looking scope

[asimov]

The latest toy that I only received yesterday. It's the 14" Synscan version. Haven't totally finished assembling it yet, but we'll get there.

[astronut]

Me with my three babies....:):)

[mr bruess]

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine"

my scope
12 inch meade lightbridge
I just bought recently second hand.It is my first big dob.
it looks a bit like the AAT (Anglo Australian Telescope).

these came as bonus extras with it :
3 lockable wheels on the bottom of dob box
bonus black shroud

There is something about a "live" view through a telescope that is very difficult to capture in photographs, no matter how spectacular

Ready to catch ancient light from the universe!! This is a great complement to my other telescopes ( 4inch,5in,6inch refractors and 10 inch dob)
i may be able to see ufos in space but won't have close ups of them like the US spy satellites.

[Rick Petrie]

A few photos of my Orion 14" Dob with recent mods, and 6" Bintel grabandgo on eq mount.

[DavidU]

Some "drool" quality equipment on this thread !

[leon]

Seen that somewhere before H. LOL

Leon

[Suzy]

Nice collection, wow! Very, very nice. Which one belongs to the wife? :whistle:

[mr bruess]

This is my 10 inch dob on trolley!

This is how you move a dobsonian!!!!!!!

I don't even have to take telescope of trolley to observe.I can move trolley 360 degrees to see any part of sky.

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine"

[mr bruess]

my 4 inch Achromat (102mm) refractor!!!!


It on a skyscan 2001 mount.

D=102mm F=1000mm Coated Optics.

this telescope I was lucky enough to buy in 2007 from a western sydney pawn shop in st marys.I got a terrific bargain.

There is something about a "live" view through a telescope that is very difficult to capture in photographs, no matter how spectacular


The front objective lens doesn't have adjustable screws like the current skywatchers.It has no brand name but i think it is an early skywatcher.It produces good sharp images.It is a good companion to my big apeture (10 inch and 12 inch)dobsonians.

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine"

[reinz]

I have this Orion Starblast 4 5 eq YOu can find it on the net hmm! Testfreaks might have it . Pretty nice though for the price.

[mr bruess]

my 5 inch Achromat (12O mm) refractor!!!!

D=120mm F=1000mm Coated Optics.


THIS IS MY 5 INCH SAXON REFRACTOR.
It is black in colour while my other 4inch refractor is blue.
it is a high quality refractor without breaking the bank!!
It is achromat refractor design which is the same design as the worlds biggest refractor: the yerkes 40 inch refractor built in 1895.
Its objective lens is a Lens doublet (A set of two lenses, one concave and one convex, made from different types of glass. Together the lenses correct both spherical and chromatic aberrations. A single lens alone cannot correct these aberrations)


It is nice to look at and nice to look through.

IT IS ON A 17 YEAR OLD JAPANESE EQUATORIAL MOUNT.It is very solid and sturdy and doesn't shake, rattle and roll.

IT PRODUCES SHARP IMAGES OF THE MOON AND OTHER PLANETS.
IT HAS ADJUSTABLE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE LENS CELL .
This is my second refractor.I think it is a rebadged skywatcher.They not only rebadge cars but they rebadge telescopes too!
It has motor drive attached(see box attached to mount in photos) but I've never used it.

Stay tuned.More photos coming soon!

[casstony]

Nice collection of scopes Mr Bruess - loads of performance without spending a gazillion dollars.

[ariefm]

What i do on cloudy nights... collimate the scope with a made-in-china artificial star!

[FlashDrive]

Acquired '' Target '' Sir .... 4th floor ..... 2nd window on left ..... do I take the shot .... ? :lol:

[FlashDrive]

This is a new mount I recently purchased.



The mount holds two telescopes side by side or a single telescope on one side. The telescopes do not have to be of equal weight since this is an isostatic mount with the center of gravity near the telescope position. This configuration improves damping time showing less vibration than one arm fork mounts..!

- Dual mounts to attach 2 telescopes or 1 telescope + some accessories
- Butter smooth head movements
- Very sturdy William Optics Walnut wooden tripod

One of the scopes can be positioned ''anywhere'' it likes and does not interfere with the other scopes position. ... so 2 people can be viewing at different ' targets ' at the same time. You can see this as per photo shown. :thumbsup:

Cheers .... Colin.

[JD2439975]

OK so this image is a bit out of date (lovely motorised Moonlight focuser & some "electric spaghetti" cleanup added since then) but I thought I'd add it to the list of toys anyway.
At this latitude ( -12.5 deg ) it sits quite low & almost needs a weight on the back leg to stop it toppling over.

As for the Aussie flag ground mat...well I'm no great patriot it's just that we have quite a few F18 Hornets & Tiger attack helicopters flying overhead at times so if they mistake it for a missle launcher at least they know it's a friendly. :lol:

JD

[OzRob]

Here are some photos of my setup. They were taken at home with the last two amoungst the rice paddies at my dark site.

[icytailmark]

here is my brand new CG-14 with g2 in lounge room waiting for first light. The Sydney weather is shocking lately.

http://img28.imageshack.us/i/img0155kd.jpg/

http://img130.imageshack.us/i/img0156t.jpg/

[ballaratdragons]

About time to update what I am currently using.
I don't think I have updated my gear in this thread for a few years.

- EQ6 Mount with v2.5a Skyscan
- Saxon 120mm f5 Achromat with Modified ToUcam Pro II guide camera & Orion Accufocus electric focusser
- Skywatcher 6" f5 Achromat with Modified Samsung SCC-A2333 AstroVideo camera

This set-up is for Live Astrocast broadcasting on Night Skies Network.
All driven remotely from inside the house :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

A few pics of how 2 scopes are " handy " in conjunction with each other. Comparing 2 different Scopes on the " one " object is quite interesting .... especially with different focal lengths.

Cheers ... Flash :)

[Shawn]

Something portable this time...

A couple of WO,s , Off Icetrade... now waiting to travel with this kit...

[marki]

My grab and go is getting there slowly. Main scope is an FLT98CF with a FT focuser, a zenithstar 66 rides on top and its all swung by a Sphinx SXD mount. Main camera is a QHY9 with a QHY5 for guiding and a 7 position 2" FLI filter wheel. The hub is a nice addittion with 9 adjustable power outlets, 4 adjustable dew heater outlets, 5 USB 2 powered outlets, focus control and GPS all in one box. Only 2 wires out plus the guide cable :)

Cheers

Mark

[wayne anderson]

Here are some photos of my equipment setup so far,

* 12" Meade LX200 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (UHTC)
* Meade Giant Field Tripod, Peterson Engineering Equipped
* Tele Vue Ethos 17mm
* Meade Super Plossl 40,32,26,20,12.4,9.7,6.4mm
* Meade 2" diagonal
* Orion Moon Filter
* Meade Zero Image-shift Micro-focuser
* Bob's Knobs Collimation
* Kendrick Dew Control
* Home Made Dew Cap
* JMI Case.

Wayne. :)

[FlashDrive]

Very impressive Wayne :eyepop: .... makes my Meade LX90 8" ACF look like a toy . :D
Cheers ... Flash

[overlord]

Yes that trolley is a very good idea for a DOB. Here is my setup!

INTRODUCING.... S-M-A-T-S

'SAXON MOBILE ASTRONOMICAL ALL-TERRAIN TRANSPORT PLATFORM!'

Stuck it on a lawnmower Chassis... I think this is the best transport solution.

Also used by Tombaugh. :thumbsup: I LOVE this scope! Used it for many years already.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=92607&stc=1&d=1303368363 ;)

[astroron]

Hi Chucky,Wana Swap:question: I have a Big 16" scope which I obviously don't need, as you can see sooooooo much better in your 8" scope:eyepop:
I seems I am getting a bit old to be lugging around such a big scope:( when I can get Muuuuch better results out of an 8":eyepop:
I just reallised I don't need to swap as I have an 8"SCT in the observatory so I will save myself the effort in setting up the 16" and go back to using the 8":P;)
Cheers

[overlord]

LOL! I would LOVE a 16" But it must be long focus, or at least f/5. Hehehehe. And they are not so easy to find.

Oh yeah i'd definitely keep that in an observatory lol. LOL :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

This is my current set up.
I was just about to align my optics, that's why there is an actual eyepiece attached to it LOL

[Paddy]

I like the safety warning!

[Stu Ward]

Well here they are

My old baby, next to my new baby

[mikerr]

So sre you going to sell the old Black one cheap???:rofl:

Rgsd

Michael

[Stu Ward]

Sorry to disappoint but she's going nowhere !

[jjjnettie]

You beat me to it. :rofl::rofl:

[icftoo]

Hi
After many years of dreaming, I finally got my 'beast' :D I also have an 8" reflector.

I contacted BINTEL in Melbourne on Monday the 2 May and discussed scope and extras, paid the dough and received the scope Friday the 6th May. Fantastic service from BINTEL :thumbsup:

The CGEM 1100 is all i wished for and anyone thinking about getting one i can recommend and happy to answer any questions.

As Murphy's Law would have it, it has been cloudy until tonight. The seeing wasn't great but I checked out the Moon, Saturn and Omega Centaurus until it clouded over again :( I was having issue aligning it and the goto wasn't working properly. When i came back inside, i read the manual cover to cover and ended up Factory resetting the mount. I pointed it to SCP and did a 'Quick Align' (while inside) and did a few Goto's. It functioned perfectly.

Photo attached

[Gem]

Nice one George! Enjoy! :)

[toc]

Here is my CGEM and Meade 12ACF...

[Gem]

Tim Tim Tim!!
Don't put a 12 inch on the CGEM... you will make me wish I had ordered the 11 inch instead of the 9.25!!!
Seriously though - looks good! Enjoy!!

[Stu Ward]

For those that want to see a direct comparison between a 12 and 8" Dob side by side when the 12 is fully extended.

Really impressed with it btw, best purchase of the year

Stu

[ballaratdragons]

Looks good Stu, but we can't see you reflected in the glass this time :shrug:

:lol:

[frolinmod]

I'm not certain if I've posted this before or not:

[adman]

just had delivered my second FS-60. Loved the first, and pretty good price from Honkers at the moment. So much better guide scope than my old dodgy one - didn't realise how bad it was till I saw the PHD graph with the new one.

One day I will make myself a nifty pair of bino's out of them!

[Ric]

That's a lovely looking setup you have there Adam.

[RickS]

My recently assembled imaging set-up at Ten Chain Hill yesterday...

[graham.hobart]

my Meade APO on the cgem, since then have added a stellarvue finderscope and a moonlite focuser; my 10" GSO Newt on the EQ 6 pro, now that has two finder scopes on it (one on each side plus a 80mm Orion finder scope!)
Meade 8" SCT on Alt AZ not shown. Thongs cut in half as vibration suppression pads. Dew control by Big W gym mat!, big newt balanced with 5.99 gym weights also by Big W.
Just a small illustration of the bottomless pit of astronomy!
Graz

[troypiggo]

Finally got around to shooting my current setup at Astrofest.

[Davros]

Looks even better in the flesh, and you can see mine covered in a tarp in the background :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thum bsup:

[Calibos]

Thats a beautiful model of your scope setup. I particularily like the realistic looking little man and boy figures in the background. How about you post pics of your real setup though! ;)

[troypiggo]

:D It does look a bit like that, doesn't it. Depth of field really plays tricks on how we perceive an image.

[brian nordstrom]

:eyepop:Cool Graz , I have the same counter weights for my home built 5 inch f13 :thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:DHere is another couple of photos of my 5 inch f13 planet buster .:thumbsup:

[stevous67]

Here's another set up...

[CapturingTheNight]

My astrophotography equipment. Love my "baby"

101945

[Forgey]

here's my baby

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Nice Paula , you gotta love a 10 inch scope , I have one as well (mine is an f/10 tho) good sized scope , shows lots of deep sky objects very well and awsome on the planets. :hi:
Brian.

[cybereye]

Well here's my setup, taken at "Basalt Ridge Observatory" - notice the subtle use of red light to add some atmosphere...

Cheers,
Mario

[ZeroID]

Fascinating to see all the various setup combinations. Really makes you think about how your own setup is arranged for your requirements.
I'll get mine all up loaded on the pier when the weather allows and take a pic or two.

[John0z]

Hi,

This is my Meade 10" f/10 SCT with Losmandy GM-8 mount that I bought in 1998 - used it about 10 times, due to living in a unit, but now that I have moved to a house - I hope to get some more use out of it, especially if I make a small trailer to move it about. It is very solid and heavy - which was probably the reason I bought it, but made it less user friendly without a permanent place to sit.

-John

[John0z]

Hi,

Here is a photo from the 2004 Venus transit. I have my vintage Tasco76mm f/15 refractor set up for solar projection. I bought this Tasco back in the mid 1980's second-hand from a colleague who was returning back to the US. The other scope is a Aspheric Optics 90mm f/13.3 Maksutov that I bought in HK about 10 years ago mounted on a piece of wood with my Sony Handycam. What is not so obvious is that the handycam is mounted on a Celestron #93804-A slow motion control, to allow the handycam to line up with the maksutov. The mount is a chinese version of the common EQ-3 - the manual version. I recorded the Venus transit from a carpark in Carlingford, NSW, Australia. Of course a tracking mount would be much better, but more on this later.

-John

[Cosmic]

Its about time I posted my setup here. Its been pulled down for the wet session in Darwin, but as soon as its gone :cool:

Dan

[astroron]

What the Well Dressed Astronomer wears when observing ;)
Nice Rig Mario
Cheers :thumbsup:

[skysurfer]

Here my 10cm Genesis in use in Bali and in La Palma Island.

Note the counterweight ;)
(I cannot afford bring extra 3kg for the 'official' counterweight supplied with the mount ...)

The last image is the 25cm Dob (right) and an 80mm tabletop spotting scope (left) in my backyard in Holland .... Note the different sky from AU .....

More images: http://sky.velp.info

[apaulo]

Hi everyone

Here is a picture of both our telescopes belonging to my wife and I.
Now that she has finished her Masters in Astronomy, I fear my scope time is limited.
Boy I hope she finds a time comsuming job soon.
Regards Paul.

[stevous67]

It will all work out Paul. You know I have the same issue, many of us do. You just need to be more creative on the excuses for getting out. See you soon mate!

Steve

[Forgey]

My Big Baby & Little Baby.
10" GSO Dob & 6" Skywatcher Dob

[von Tom]

Probably not a good idea to have the telescope out during Council pickup day...:question:

12" SkyWatcher Goto Dobsonian.

Tom

[jenchris]

Upgrade - please add big blue pier (visible in doorway ) and observatory
(and me - in front)

[von Tom]

SkyWatcher 12" Goto Dobsonian with Canon EOS 600D, T-mount adapter and a Televue 5x Powermate, in typical shooting conditions :)

[traveller]

Conversion of the Nexstar from a visual rig to an AP rig finally complete.
C8 Nexstar OTA on EQ6 Pro, OAG and upgraded finder, focuser, diagonal (f6.3 reducer not shown).
Still reasonally light at 50kg, give or take a couple. :)
Now just waiting for the clouds to clear so I can give the rig a test!
Will stick with my Nikon D70s and a couple of webcams for the time being, this AP thing is expensive :lol:

[mr bruess]

"Yes that trolley is a very good idea for a DOB."
Hey that's my idea.
Thanks for copying it.
I feel honoured( to feel very proud and pleased):D:D:D:D:D

[swannies1983]

My current imaging setup. The newest edition is the tarp as I get gusty gully winds in the evenings. Doesn't completely eliminate the wind but allows me to image in 20-30km/hr winds instead of about 10km/hr without the tarp. The scope is better protected from the wind when facing towards the meridian.

[ZeroID]

Skeletope II waiting for the dark stuff to arrive. 8 x 50 finder and DSLR up on top. Next project is the Ob....

[Davler]

I like your wedge very clever and easy to build yourself

[Davler]

What pier do you have the tak em400 on?

[DavidLJ]

Cutting edge equipment from the past! Two eclipse expeditions when living in Kenya. June 1973 - at Loyengalani (by the eastern shore of Lake Turkana). February 1980 - in Tsavo National Park.