Show us your equipment!

[jjjnettie]

Last night was the first time I'd had both set ups going at once. :)

[04Stefan07]

Here is my 130SLT.

My second telescope, a massive upgrade from the Celestron 60AZ.

Next time I am outside I will take a photo of the area where I am!

[E_ri_k]

My current setup, 10" reflector on G-11 Gemini 2.

[Ric]

That's a great looking setup Erik.

[Gem]

Here is my setup (without cables!!)... CGEM 925 with cheap 80mm refractor as guidescope. QHY5 guider and ATIK 320E main camera.

Guide rings just arrived today - so finally it is balanced!!! I had been using the celetron photographic bracket until now to mount the 80mm, but it was too heavy at the EP end of the OTA to balance.

I have balance!! :D

[Davler]

These are 2 images of my telescope pic 1 is an Officina Stellare 130 HC apochromatic fluorite triplet on An ASA DDM60 mount straddled atop of a Berlebach tripod pic 2 is a WO 110 fluoro triplet on a NEQ6 Pro

[Louwai]

Hey Ken, Was this photo taken up the back ?? Or down near the house at your original Obs??

[FlashDrive]

New TeleVue 85mm Refractor on Gibraltar Mount ... !!

Mount ... recently purchased ... courtesy of Richard ... member of IIS.

Nice and tidy outfit .... I reckon ..!! :clap:
Now for the clouds to go away. :mad2:

Flash :D

[FlashDrive]

Here is the whole Family ...!! ;)

Flash :hi:

[bmitchell82]

I think ages ago I put what i had up. but for the sake of it here is the two set ups I run

WO Megrez 90, I'm still working to get this all perfect!
here (http://brendanmitchell.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2012-04-22-16.22.59.jpg)

254 Newtonian Astrograph, '09 vintage pimped polished !@#!@# EQ6 and the imaging fruit. This set up is what took my last two images Whispy chicken feathers and the Forgotten Pond

here (http://brendanmitchell.net/?page_id=10&wppa-album=15&wppa-photo=155&wppa-occur=1) and here (http://brendanmitchell.net/?page_id=10&wppa-album=15&wppa-photo=156&wppa-occur=1)

[brian nordstrom]

;) MMM LV25 , feeing out of place there Flash ? a square peg ? ,
...:thumbsup: .
If she is ever for sale .. :hi: .
Brian..

[Shark Bait]

That is a nice family portrait Flash. :thumbsup:

[Shark]

Attached is an awful exposure of my new 'Cloud Collector" had it for 8 days haven't seen the sun or stars for 8 days

[timbrassel]

115429

115430

115431
:thumbsup:

Hi All, just wanted to show of my new gear.

Celestron EdgeHD 11" OTA
Celestron CGEM-DX mount
80mm Guide scope and Autoguider
Hyperion 17mm EP
Canon 60Da EOS Camera
12V DC 5-in-1 Powersupply (from Dicky Smiths)
Waiting on a few bits and pieces to get it all happening - had some visual nights from backyard in brisbane and it was pretty impressive. The 11" makes a huge difference.
Tim (Brisbane)

[RickS]

My long focal length imaging rig: GSO RC10 on an Astro-Physics AP900 mount. Atlas focuser and Starlight Xpress gear: AO-LF, filter wheel, Lodestar autoguider and H-18 camera.

I took it for a first trip away from home this weekend and it performed very well.

Cheers,
Rick.

[MattT]

Hers my favourite scope, the sky is blue today ...amazing. Matt

[brian nordstrom]

:D Here is my 150mm f8 thats in storage in NZ , its fitted with a Chromocor and has lead fishing sinkers glued into the focuser to balance the tube in the rings better , oh yes it has the crayford focuser that came off my ED80 after I fitted a GSO 10 to 1 .
Same as yours there Matt .
These are great scopes .
Brian.

[MattT]

Very very nice Brian! Chromocor too...even better. I'm waiting for Istar to come out with the Raycorr (spelling?) but terrific scopes yes. Did think of lead weights at the focuser end too, but thought the 4" f5 looked way better:D
Matt

[pgc hunter]

8" f/6

[brian nordstrom]

:) Hi PGC, that steel dobbo mount is differant , did you make it yourself ? and how sturdy is it ?
I like the idea .;) .
Thanks .
Brian.

[pgc hunter]

I didn't make it myself I think it's a homemade job by the previous owner. Works well and is perfectly adequate although at very high power you begin to notice a bit of flex and vibration. Might upgrade it down the track (the OTA has ridiculous optics and so I'm not going to shy away from throwing money at it) but for the time being it is a nice, light weight unit.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Thanks PGC , I can see a design happening ,
Brian .

[JB80]

This is the latest addition to the family, I got to spend a good couple of hours with it today. It was very therapeutic.

A big thanks goes out to Ken(Merlin66) without whom I wouldn't have this set up and I would still be trying to get the gold tube of the PST off.
Yesterday morning I paid Ken a visit and we set about separating the gold tube as he had the right tools for the job so I could add it to the 90mm Meade when I got home. It was good to learn a bit more about my PST too, the prism was in good enough shape and the blocking filter seems to be a decent one and now I know what to do if I need to adjust the etalon but I doubt I do although the o-rings need replacing.

[kustard]

After having a bit of a annoying time with the goto system on my XT14g, I decided to ditch the synscan controls and turn the scope into a push-to with the possibility of adding a ServoCat system later on.

This involved some talks with Gary at Wildcard about fitting an ArgoNavis and after half a day of mucking about with pulling the mount apart and then a week of Gary making some encoder adaptors. I then became one of the AN elite :)

I found that whilst pushing the scope in Azimuth was fine, the Altitude movement was a bit stiff so I used the old motor on the Alt axis to drive the scope in fine steps (by making a very basic variable voltage controller).

As I use SkySafari for most of my charting requirements I had to find some way of fitting all these nice goodies to my scope. These images are what I've ended up with so far. I still have to tidy up the wiring and if the motor controller is not fine enough then I'll look at some sort of PWM drive for now until I decide to go the ServoCat.

[rolls05]

very cool

[FlashDrive]

Gave my 70mm ED a ' Dress Up ' with a new MoonLite.

Flash .. !!

[Leobartz]

Hi guys,

This is my current setup. It is giving me headache without a fixed observatory. I is a C14 with, an Atlas FLI focuser, Apogee 7 places 50mm filter wheel, Astrodon GenII HA,SII,OIII,L,R,G,B filters and finally an Apogee U9000 camera. The guide setup is a StarlightXpress Superstar with a Celestron 80mm Guidescope. I did a 3 wheels wooden base to move the whole system until my fixed observatory is not ready.

Cheers,

Leo

http://imageshack.us/a/img855/5997/foto14xw.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img843/3389/foto19cq.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img689/7016/foto17bl.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img694/153/foto3cn.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img7/8779/foto6zq.jpg

[blink138]

me rig!
now i know why there is so much angst over cable management
i am ecstatic at what can be achieved with what i have got right in the middle of perth
pat

[ourkind]

My babies :)

1. SW ED80
2. C11 XLT

[cmknight]

My toy:

[cmknight]

oops, sorry ... forgot to label ...

1) 6" f/12.5 Maksutov (Made by North Group) on a Meade Bessler LX-75 (same as the EQ-6) GEM.
2) Bratislav (sp?) focusing mask
3) Meade Series 5000 eyepieces (40 mm, 34 mm, 28 mm, 24 mm, 20 mm, and 16 mm). The best eyepieces I have ever owned.

[wayne anderson]

Just updating photo's of my equipment setup both visual and imaging.

Also for hours of comfortable viewing I now use a gas lift chair and easy reach eyepiece holders shown in the photo's (am I getting lazy or what)

The Sony Nex-3 Camera is a only cheap option but seems to work ok for now (until I get serious that is)

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: really , really nice set up Leo. I like the extras , did you make them ? .
You should be proud .
Brian.

[Tinderboxsky]

I agree with you Wayne, a gas lift chair and easy to reach eyepieces makes for more relaxed and effective observing. I have done the same myself.

I have added castor wheels to my gas lift chair allowing easy movement when slewing to the next target. It save having to man handle the chair into a new position.

Cheers
Steve.

[Larryp]

Just got the right length extension tube for my lunar/planetary camera. Set it all up to make sure it works!
North Group 102mm apo, Moonlite focuser, 2.5" extension tube, Televue 4x Powermate and QHY IMG132E camera, all on an EQ3 Pro mount.
Now I'll wait until Jupiter rises earlier and try it out.

[FlashDrive]

That's a nice ' clean ' setup Laurie ..!!

Flash ..!!

[Larryp]

Thanks Colin!

[Stardrifter_WA]

I have three telescopes:

Celestron 8" SCT fitted with Losmandy dovetail and counter balance weights. This scope has a JMI NGF focuser with motor drive attached to the rear cell. Also attached is the Stellarvue 9x50 RA viewfinder. The focuser controller is a dual controller for both focusers of the 8" and 80mm.

Piggybacked via a Losmandy dovetail bracket is my Orion 80mm ED which is fitted with a JMI Event Horizon focuser with motor drive and an Arctic Fox green light laser. Also shown is the custom made road case.

Accessory case is two layer with machined HD foam inserts with a selection of Ethos Eyepieces.

Fujinon 7x50 binocular accessory case with a Farsight binocular attachment with a Mutli Reticle Finder attached.

Meade 16" Lightbridge (not shown) which has a JMI Trak-N-Train motor drives and an Arctic Fox green light laser and an 8x50 RA Viewfinder. This will be housed in a shed with roll out capability.

Sirius Dome, recently erected, which houses my 8" SCT setup.

[Larryp]

Great set-up, Peter!

[Stardrifter_WA]

Thanks Laurie.

[Stardrifter_WA]

I have been asked by a couple of people about my custom made cases, so I thought I would put the information on here.

The Celestron 8" SCT all aluminium case has recessed lockable butterfly locks, reinforced edges, corners and recessed handles (in front and on both ends). This case also has thick internal foam walls. The triangular high density machined foam insert, that shows the Televue star diagonal is, also machined out underneath to take the round Losmandy tube counterweights. These weights cannot move within the case. The cost of this case, which includes the machined inserts was $650. This may seem expensive but was considerable cheaper than another manufacturer who only used wood for the panels. This telescope never came with a case and, from experience, I have found most original manufacturer cases to be poorly made anyway.

The Orion 80ED case is manufactured to the same specifications as the case above. The cost of this case, which includes machined inserts was $350. Please note that this case was subsequently modified, by the same manufacturer, to fit the telescope with the JMI Event Horizon focuser, which was purchased after the case was originally made. Modifications are easily accommodated with changing accessories and is quite cheap to do.

The accessory/eyepiece case is made up of two layers of machined high density foam. The top layer has a flat thick vinyl sheet glued to the base with two pull out tabs securely attached. The case was designed to accommodate the eyepieces without caps, as I didn't want to have to mess about with caps in the dark, particularly since, when closed, this case is waterproof and dust proof anyway. The bottom layer holds tools and accessories that are not often used. The three small cases shown in the bottom layer are small Pelican cases for holding small items (such as screws), cleaning clothes and Hex keys etc. This case cost $250 which included the cost of the case and the machined high density foam inserts. I gave all the items to the manufacturer and he designed how it would all fit into one case. I left all the design work to the manufacturer for all the cases.

Finally, the binocular case cost $150 which included the cost of the case and the machined high density foam. This was about the same price as a Fujinon leather case.

All these road cases were manufactured by Image Alloy Cases Pty Ltd, 44 Pilbara Street, Welshpool WA 6106. Phone number is 92589187 and the contact is Jez Moore. This manufacturer is the cheapest in Perth.

These cases are very strong and durable. I am secure in the knowledge that my equipment is well protected during transport.

[Kunama]

Meeting of the giants:

Istar Perseus AT150 F10 resting comfortably on Gaunt Equatorial Telescope Stand.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Nice view you got there Matt.

[MattT]

Very very nice Matt. Old meets new, a classic....in black.
Matt.

[FlashDrive]

Looking forward to using my newest addition ..!! :2thumbs:

107 Triplet APO !!

SHARPSTAR 107PH ED refractor telescope has the following
characteristics：
• 107MM f / 6.5 fully-muit-coated triplet air-spaced optical design
• Japanese OHARA FPL - 53 super ED lens
• New dual-speed 3 inch rack and pinion control gear, 10:1 micro-drive focus
• 3 inch universal interface
• 360 degree rotation angle regulator
• Tube ring and a pair of universal dovetail
• lens hood with sliding lock
• with Finder bracket

Flash ..!! ;)

[Larryp]

Looks great, Col!

[brian nordstrom]

:DWhew! what a beauty mate ! , is the inside of the lense cover and tube lined with black felt or something similar?
I also like the focuser , really nice .
Review ????? Please ? :shrug: .
Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Brian ...Yes it is .. felt lined ... very nice to ..!! ;)

Flash ..!! :D

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Larry ...... cloudy here ...!! :(

Flash ..!! :D

[Shark Bait]

+1 for a review.

Looks great. Hope you get some clear skies soon.

[MortonH]

Nice scope, Flash!!!

[Stardrifter_WA]

Wow Colin, a new addition to the family. That's great and it looks sweet. Enjoy :)

Cheers Peter

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Sharky ...hanging out for the clouds to go away :D



Hey Mort' ... Cheers Mate ... Nice indeed alright ... she's a beauty ..:thumbsup:



Hey Peter ... On'ya Mate ... all I need now is that ' Dome ' to go with it :D

Thanks Everyone ..!! :thumbsup:

[AG Hybrid]

Here's my muse at the moment. My Explore Scientific AR102. No.75. I like it very much. Its amazing that it comes with such a nice 2" dual speed focuser and a 99% reflectivity dielectric diagonal with the entire scope costing just $399. (When bought)
I have it mounted on an EQ3-2 which I have have modified into an alt-azimuth configuration. The mount is siting on top of a 16" pier extension, mounted onto the original tripod. I have also filled the legs of the tripod with river sand to add more weight and rigidity to the whole setup.
It looks heavy but I can lift it up and carry it around my front garden as one piece for different angles of the sky.

Constructive criticism of this scope is that the supplied 9x50 finder and mounting rings are awkwardly close to the focuser. I removed it and added a red.dot finder which I mounted on the tube rings of the scope.

Id get a picture of my eyepieces but I think you guys have seen it all before.

What ya think?:hi:

[FlashDrive]

Very neat setup ....certainly looks the part ... at that price with all the ' goodies ' included ...decent aperture ....yah can't go wrong ..!!
Very good for the outlay ..!! :thumbsup:

Flash ..!! :D

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Nice scope Adrian , did you get this here in Australia ? or over seas ? as Flash says , we dont see these much here . :shrug: .
I especially like the mount / pier , I bet it is so easy to use ?
Lovely set up .
Brian.

[AG Hybrid]

Hi,

I got the scope from Optcorp. Don't think anyone sells it in AUS. The pier I got from Opt as well. The eq3 was from my first telescope I bought from Lee Andrews up the road from me.

Its actually an eq5 pier. Pretty easy setup to use once the EQ3 had gone through its modification into alt-azmuth. The original slow motion hand controls are conveniently placed just left of the focuser. It originally had a 6" f6.8 newt on it, so the tripod legs didn't need to be extended. But I wanted a better viewing position with the AR102. Extending the flimsy tripod caused 3-4 seconds of wobbling when using the focuser and tracking. Not really acceptable since I am hand tracking objects. I couldn't buy a set of EQ5 legs, or at least I couldn't find it.

Some research gave the alternative of keep the legs short to reduce the settle down time and use a pier to raise the height. It was unclear if the current piers on the market would fit the eq3. But, a post in an English Astro forum said it would...and it does. Beautifully. Others suggested filling the hollow tripod legs with something to add weight and rigidity. Some use buckshot, or weights. Someone mentioned dirt and sand. Didn't want to put straight dirt into my scope setup, so I got some river sand which is quite fine and strained out any extras like twigs. Works well. Also made my own tripod leg dampeners which aren't in the picture with soft dense packing foam.

Its point and squirt easy to use. The hand controls make tracking effortless too.

On a further note. The optics of the AR102 is superb. Easily 1/4 wave, maybe better. Very sharp, pinpoint stars. I suppose the Pentax eyepiece helps too. :)
There is false color of course. But it doesn't really bother me. All the interesting objects are dimmer then mag 3 and there is almost no CA on objects mag 3.5 and beyond.

Most importantly the modifications to the mount meant I didn't need to spring cash for a new mount. Means I can spend more cash on eyepieces. :D:screwy:

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Brian,

Explore Scientific is available in Australia through Extravision (Qld) who are the Australian distributor. I am waiting on info from them regarding the new ES152mmED Triplet, that was very recently released in the US.

Cheers Peter

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Nice , we all will be waiting for that baby to arrive at your place .;)
Is there a ball park price ?
Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

No news on price yet Brian, but I am definitely interested. It is a 152mmED CF f7.5 Triplet Apo which uses Hoya FCD1 glass and ED glass, so it won't be cheap, but I suspect it will be considerably cheaper that a Tak 6", at least it would want to be.

At present I am waiting on a WO 110mm flourite triplet, which I hope to pick up tomorrow from Fedex. I was originally going to get the Tak106ED but at around 7k (with accessories) I simply couldn't justify it (given that I also need a mount), so I settled on the WO which had had a price reduction. I only have a couple of weeks work left after which I won't return to work until February, at which time I will get the new SW EQ6 GT mount then.

Cheers Peter

[Kunama]

Funny how things happen, a couple of months ago I said to my wife I might get a little telescope seen as we have such a great dark site and can see the heavens so well.

My wife said: " Just don't spend too much, you know what you're like when you get a new hobby!"

I really couldn't understand what she could possibly have meant until just a few minutes ago, when I looked in on my "stuff" in the back bedroom

Istar Perseus AT150 F10 Achromat with 2.5" Moonlite TriKnob Focuser.
Gaunt Equatorial Mount Circa 1877 (now restored to its former glory)
Vixen R200SS 8" F4 Newtonian Astrograph
Vixen GP-D2 with Dual Axis Motor Drives
Canon 50D with Baader ACF filter
Vixen LV and LVW eyepieces 3.5mm, 5mm, 6mm, 13mm, 17mm, 20mm
Meade Super Plossl 4000 9.7mm, 15mm, 25mm

I will have to install a lock on the spareroom door ;)

[alistairsam]

That's a very impressive and tidy collection Matt. Jealous!! ;)
Has the wife given up yet??

[Kunama]

She just shakes her head in disgust !!!
When I told her the Vixen GP-D2 was on its way and the Mastercard bill would follow she bought the redgum outdoor setting she had always wanted.
(I quietly said to myself " I could have bought another scope with that money !)

[brian nordstrom]

:( Dont go there Matt ....
You wont win . ;) .so quit while you are ahead . ( Brother to Brother )
Brian.

[LewisM]

I asked my wife to guard the scope in the driveway the other night, as I had to attend to the call of nature urgently. Came back and she had her arms crossed, so I knew something was awry...

She asked how many telescopes I have...

4 dear, as always, 'cept that one in the BIG box is sold, and the little one too.

She then proceeds to remind me where and when each was obtained, but I counter that, saying this was traded for that, and that sold to get that etc.

She gave me that look, and went inside. I know she's not convinced. I am a poor liar.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Really nice job on the restored mount Matt....sweet!

As for too much much gear, just remember....... he who has the most toys, wins!!!! :)

[rousey346]

My equipment
Meade LX200GPS 12"
Meade Lightbridge 16"
Skywatcher 6" Achromat on EQ6 mount

One for each, photography, deep sky and planetary

:)

[wulfgar]

The AOS 10" F5.7" with the brilliant Sampson (Alex Stern) mnt I purchased S/H as a lark in the early 1990's. I purchase the A/C drive and corrector for a tidy sum new. The Mirror is rather average, over-corrected for SA and with a turned edge and possibly central hole. I've stopped it down to 9.5" F6 and am getting better views. I cut down the central obstruction from 60mm to 50 with a new flat and 4 vane spider. The 8x50 Finder was originally straight but I cut it to R/A.
The new price for the scope as equipped would have been $3,000 at the time. But generally I've used it as a Dobsonian.

My serious project at the time was to assemble a very fine 6" F8 Newt. I spent from 92 to 94 collecting parts for it. I purchased a Vixen SP mnt with short legs that was price reduced after a 6" F5 kit returned to AOS due to a spherical mirror. I then purchase the duel axis drive for a pretty penny. The SP mnt is quality stuff.
The tube assembly is mostly Parks, with an excellent Parks main mirror. I used an Astrosytems phase -3 focuser for the low profile and a one inch flat. The result is refactor like with very little scatter around the airy disk.
I think the mnt cost $1500 and the tube assembly $1350. So almost 3k for an elite EQ 6" Newt!:eyepop:
Since I had the nice mnt I thought I'd get a 4" refactor tube. Originally I planned on a Carton 4" F13 Achromat (Being warned by Monty of AOS the Vixen 4" F10 achromat didn't cut it.) I ran into this earlier Vixen 102mm fluorite F8.8 triplet S/H at BATSC. A very fine telescope and combined with the SP mnt it is wonderfully lightweight for the amount of punch. I've even had Barry Adcock transfixed by it. I purchased GP era long legged tripod for ......$440! After blowing the original drive box a couple of times, I got a GP era paddle control w/ 32x slew. Always use a voltage corrector with those delicate electronics.

The Megrez SD glass I bought S/H as a richfield scope and later with a Mede 40mm SWA. To save money I purchased Televues telepod head and made up the rest from the now surplus vixen short tripod and some cheap longer legs from Roger Davis in-store rummage box. I used a steel plate to balance the Megrez and inch forward, because of the heavy visual back and eyepiece. The accessory tray spreader brace I made from waste timber.

Deciding to preserve the SP mnt for the Fluorite I bought a S/H Synta CG-5 head (which was heavier duty and more suited for the 6") and pillar mnt from Roger's Rummage. As far as long Newts go using one with a tripod is inconvenient and pillar is the way to go. This is why I had the short tripod surplus. I purchased a dual dive which was a bit of a waste because there is so much play in the Synta EQ head that takes some time to synch.

Rogers instore rummage box that followed him from York to Batsc to Bintel is sadly missed.:lol:

[swannies1983]

The new addition to the family....a CF GSO RC8. I need to sort out DEC balance issues as a counterweight is required at the front. My modded Canon 30D is attached. Still using my 60mm Tasco refractor as a guide scope.

[doppler]

Hi all, Here are a few pics of my gear. I have a 1970's? Cave astrola. 8" f6 equatorial pier mount with tube rotation rings, purchased in 1985 for $1200. My other current scope is a Chinese made 4" f7 achromatic refractor.The optics on the refractor are quite good and much better than the 4 1/2" f 8.9 short tube reflector I used as a guide scope before. I love the peir mount it is really stable and impossible to knock over (my dogs go a bit crazy running around the yard at night) and the rotating tube rings are the best invention for a newtonian ever. Our local group holds a few school veiwing nights and I can rotate the eyepiece to the right height for just about any kids.

[FlashDrive]

Denk II Bino's with Power Switch ...looking to try these out tonight.

Some clouds about ...:( ...!!

EDIT: went out later ..Jupiter and Orion well up in the Sky .... these Denk's are just outstanding ...Orion was glorious ...it's nebula ' sprayed ' out in full view in the 2 x 19mm Pan's.
Jupiter ... beautiful ...could easily see 3 of the brown bands crossing the planet ...seeing was a bit diminished ( high cloud )....glad I bought these Bino's....yet to try these in my Meade LightBridge.

Flash ..!!

[insphere]

Wow absolutely amazing scopes here!

And the one below this.. with the two eye pieces! The thought hasn't even crossed my mind. Now I want it!

I thought I'd share mine anyway..

My two scopes! AstroMaster 70AZ and my recently purchased Sky Watcher 8".

[mr bruess]

here's my Televue Panoptic 24mm
next to a pepsi can to show the size of it.
I might sell it or trade it

[Pleiades02]

Just received an Astro-Physics AP175 refractor. A great Xmas present for myself........

130225

[leon]

Hey Col, they look pretty impressive, would love to look through something like that.

Leon

[Rigel003]

Congratulations and welcome to IIS. I also had the call for this scope but couldn't manage the finances at such short notice. Very envious. It is one big refractor!! Let's see some photos when it's all set up.

[met4092]

This looks freakin awesome :thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

My HiOptic ED127 Triplet finally arrived this morning, along with the clouds.
There were sucker holes this evening though. So we quickly mounted her up and got her balanced. By the time I'd slotted the camera in, it was wall to wall clouds again. :(
So I covered her up for the night, and when we were walking back to the house, half the sky was clear again. In 20 minutes it was totally clear again.
stoopid clouds, stoopid new scope curse :(
The forecast is for cloudy weather for the next 5 days at least. :(

[Larryp]

Looks good, JJJ. :)

[The Mekon]

Sorry to be so forward, but when can we share the view? Never thought one of these would get to Australia!

[Astro_Bot]

Cool! Have you stopped peeking at it through the window yet? ;)

How do you rate the focuser?

[jjjnettie]

The focuser is a wee ripper. It arrived with none of the holding screws tightened though, but a few turns with an allen key and it holds very firm.
It takes a fare pull on the focuser to get it to budge. I'd have no qualms about loading a couple of kilo of camera gear onto it. ;) I found no slop at all when I slotted in a 4x Powermate, extension tube and dslr.
It also has 3 locking screws to hold your camera in place which is pretty good I think. :)
I had first light tonight and will be posting the images once I'm done with the processing. :)

[Astro_Bot]

Thanks for that report. Much appreciated. :thumbsup:

It sounds like there's no real need to replace it with Feathertouch / Moonlite / etc., which makes the Hioptic ED127 an even more appealing prospect.

[jjjnettie]

Thats what I think too. Save your $$$ for something else. :)

[Larryp]

Theres a need to replace the focuser when it constantly falls apart no matter what you do with it, as mine did. Obviously its luck of the draw whether you get a good one or not.

[brian nordstrom]

:sadeyes: Yes Laurie , I drew a short straw on my ( now sold) NG 127mm triplet , the focuser was rubbish ! so bad it was usuless! , so I got a Feather touch .
Great scope otherwise .
Brian.

[jjjnettie]

Oh, when you asked earlier re. why the scope is late. They had run out of focusers, so this is the first of a new batch.
I have no idea if it is the same as the ones they used previously.

[casstony]

It looks the same. My focuser is OK, better than some but well short of a feathertouch. For example the focuser tension is not uniform throughout it's travel and the thumbscrews are not as easy to operate as a FT.

[John0z]

This is the latest addition to my stable. A Tasco 5VTE - in relatively poor condition. This is a 60mm refractor that has a fixed eyepiece, with adjustable zoom levels of 15x, 30x, 45x & 60x. It has a dented lens hood, focus is loose, so will need some work. The tripod is metal, but is missing the spreader. I just picked it up today from a guy whose father had bought it in the early 1980's - so about 30 years old perhaps. The older versions of this had a metal focus knob whereas this one is made of plastic.

The objective lens appears clear, but I can see some garbage further down the tube - this one is non-inverted viewing so would be great for landscapes, which was probably one of the main reasons for it.

-John

[John0z]

This Tasco 10TE is my very first telescope. Bought secondhand in the mid 1980's from a colleague who was returning to the states. He intended to buy another telescope over there, but many years later, I heard that he never did buy another.

This is a 76.2mm (3 inch) with a focal length of 1200mm - made in Japan in 1969. The little Tasco 5VTE OTA is shown sitting underneath for comparison. The 10TE is shown set up for solar projection, however due to the rain - I doubt that I could see anything for the next few days. Those with sharp eyes will spot the metal lens cover and finder cover sitting on the tripod spreader. This 10TE used the 0.965" eyepieces. The RA axis is quite stiff for some reason, maybe from hardening of the grease due to storage, and also there is some play in the Dec axis. The Dec axis is a tangent arm arrangement.

[04Stefan07]

Nice scopes! It's like a little museum :P

[jjjnettie]

:) My current imaging rig.
A 127mm APO and a CDS1100D.

[COSMOPARADISE]

cool upgrades jjj.

[madbadgalaxyman]

Here's a trip down memory lane:

Here is my very first serious telescope, a 3 inch F16 Unitron achromatic refractor, on an excellent altazimuth mount.

The mount was a superb piece of machinery; not too heavy, precise, stable, and with microscrew controls that enabled very small & precise movements of the telescope. This is, in general, a much better mounting design than most of the small altazimuth mounts that are available today.

The supplied 30mm finder had good optics; better than many similar finders that you see today.

The Optics of the 3 inch were fairly good, but not brilliant. Worst thing was the supplied, small O.D., Huyghens and Ramsden eyepieces.

I got this telescope for $200 in about 1976, which was a good price, as the Unitron 3inch refractor had been at least twice this price, beforehand.

It may be hard for some of you "relative newbies" to believe, but a three or four inch refractor was regarded as a serious and quite powerful instrument, in those far-off days "way back when"! A 6 inch Newtonian on a german equatorial mount was a very expensive thing to buy in the 1970s

cheers, madbadgalaxyman

131951

Oh, and one more thing, the focusser was excellent; smooth and precise.
Overall, the three inch Unitron Refractor was an excellent choice, at the time, for a beginning observer. Useability and ease of setup of this instrument were Excellent.

[Kunama]

Beautiful looking setup jjj.

[FlashDrive]

The Wife's....:D :P
ZenithStar is so nice to look through.

Flash ..!! ;)

[Kunama]

First meeting of the Istar Perseus 150mm F10 and Takahashi TSA120 120mm F7.5

How I love the build quality of the Takahashi, unfortunately it is raining here in Jindabyne at the moment, who would have guessed it.

My thanks to Graeme (Rigel003) for packing and posting the Tak so perfectly protected from nasties.

I just need a 4" F12 refractor to complete the Quartet ( 3" Berry&Mackay c1880 under restoration )

[Rigel003]

Well, it's nice to see new homes for the scopes in the above two posts and I guess I should thank Colin and Matt for helping me fund this (and Steve for selling it to me). Isn't it amazing the way good stuff circulates around the IIS community.

[Kunama]

It sure is a nice setup you have there Graeme!

[brian nordstrom]

:question: 4 inch f/12 ,,, its gotta be an Istar , aye Matt? , the 102mm f/10-12' lenses are only $279 , they will build an OTA for not much more .
Just a thaught.
Brian.

[LewisM]

So far, I have found 4 previous owners of my Vixen FL102S from here on IIS - and each and every one regrets having sold it, but all were seduced by Mrs Aperture :)

Well, I know size doesn't matter, but how you use it :lol:, so it is NOT leaving me until I am very cold and very dead :)

[Kunama]

With the promises I made to my Chief Financial Officer to secure the purchase of the Takahashi, I might as well carve my name on the OTA as I doubt I will ever be brave enough to sell it.

I have heard the history of your scope and spoken to previous owners and, yes, it deserves a forever home. I would have bought one but none came up for sale, I even emailed Melinda about that one but you got to it just in time.

(I don't know that you have actually posted a pic of it though ...........)

[LewisM]

Heck, I sold a Takahashi in preference to the Vixen!

She's mine... forever... I gave her roses and chocolates yesterday... :) :lol:

[cybereye]

My RC8 getting ready for action...

Cheers,
Mario

[swannies1983]

Excellent Mario. Yeah, my finderscope is in the same spot. Hate it but it will have to do as I only have a Vixen plate on my EQ6.

How many extensions do you need for visual use? I'm really annoyed because I use 1x50mm and 1x25mm and there's just not enough in-focus when I use my diagonal and 25mm eyepiece. If I take the 25mm extension out, there's slightly not enough back focus.

What type guide scope rings are they?

[cybereye]

Dan,

The guide ring question first - I use these guide rings (http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Rings/Orion-Guide-Scope-br--Rings-105mm-ID/1053/productview.aspx) and attach the guide setup to the RC8 using this adapter. (http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Dovetail-Plates---Adapters/Losmandy-DVA/1393/productview.aspx)

As for visual, I use 1x50mm ring and diagonal with a 40mm eyepiece. I really only use it get everything lined up - I then go to CCD configuration which is 1x50mm & 2x25mm rings.

I'm also trying to see if there's a way to get the finderscope away from below the scope. Last time I had the scope set up I put the finderscope on the ST80. Boy was that a bugger to get everything lined up!! I'm going back to the old configuration although I've got a thread here about swapping the dovetail bars around...

Cheers,
Mario

[swannies1983]

I was hoping to use these (http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Rings/Losmandy-DVR90-Guide-Scope-Rings/617/productview.aspx) rings for my 60mm refractor and perhaps my 50mm finderscope (which I could use as a guide scope as well). Unfortunately, the smallest OD that the rings can hold is about 60mm. This means they probably will just work with my 60mm refractor but I wouldn't be able to move the scope around within the rings given the screws will be fully in. ADM have some similar rings but i was hoping to buy locally.

I think I need a longer focal length eyepiece. Maybe I could find a cheapie because I'm the same as you as I only use it to line up objects before attaching the camera.

[azagil]

Hi all,

I was so excited to recieve my guide scope last night that I had to share it!!! I ordered it a month ago so yes it took a while to get here but worth the weight I think, I mounted it straight away.......just to get a look at how it would be set up....I thought it looked pretty good cant wait to do some imaging with it now!!! (Well after the counter weights arrive, I need to add some more to the under side to balance it properly!!) already orded so should arrive in just over a week!!!
:D

[John0z]

Here is my Meade 10" f/10 SCT mounted on a Losmandy GM-8. It is set up to view Comet Lemmon. The only place I could find is near the garage door in the corner. As it is, it only just views under the door and is a little awkward to look through. The alternative is to leave the car outside and let the scope take a more central position. It has a JMI NGF-S focuser installed with a GSO 2" Quartz diagonal. It was my second scope after the Tasco 3" refractor.

[LewisM]

Matt - I'll probably do a photo or two today - want to get the rig out to change a few things. Don't like the guidescope arrangement on it (got some differential flexure last time out) and will likely change the guidescope over to a 60mm Tasco refractor I got from Lars (makes the whole set ex-Lars :) ) that I had some custom aluminium bits made for (tube rings, 0.965" to 1.25" adapter etc).

Love the scope immensely. Even though I currently am hunting for a larger aperture faster refractor that meets the expectations I want, I will ALWAYS keep the FL102 because, simply put, it delivers the BEST visual image I have EVER seen in ANY scope - better than the couple Taks I have looked through of comparable aperture - better contrast and definition, and literally SNAPS into focus - no gradual focus - it's in focus or it isn't. It works JUST FINE imaging too, though even with a focal reducer, it is still a little slow (I use an AX103 reducer on it now, and that makes it a touch over f/6.Would like to make it f/5 if possible, but doubt it without surgery, which I will NOT do)

[skfboiler]

Here is my setup.

[brian nordstrom]

:) nice scopes those 6 inch newts , hope you get lots of usage with it .
Oh yes and :welcome: Skfboiler .
Hows the weather over there ? its horrible here at the moment !!
Brian.

[cybereye]

I wanted to sort out my cabling - I have to do something while it's cloudy/raining - so setup my scope to do just that. I took the opportunity to take a picture while it was all set up. I've labelled all the main components - because it's cloudy/raining... :D

Cheers,
Mario

[Saturn%5]

A new toy for me :D now just have to wait for the rain to go away:rofl:

[astronobob]

Nice scopes everyone !
well, It arrived today, what can I say, Boy-O-Boy, Im happy! Looks ok on the Neq6p, and actually glad I didnt push for the 12" : )

[FlashDrive]

Current ED80.

Flash ..!!

[brian nordstrom]

:D Lovely looking scope here Flash ! , you sure know how to pick 'em .
The pearl white paint looks like the same colour as my now sold SV 80mm Aplanet , it's a beautiful finish !! .
Brian.

[Kunama]

Telescope by Takahashi,

Telescope Security by LaGuardia Haunting Beauty

[LewisM]

Geez I love that Matt.... my trigger finger itches :)

[sn1987a]

My new toy.:D

[rmuhlack]

My newly acquired CF Truss "Doomsayer" modified Vixen VC200L

:D

[Kunama]

Love the picture but where are the rainclouds :shrug:

[rmuhlack]

Well I actually bought it a few weeks ago, and funnily enough that was the weekend of heavy weather and flooding across SE QLD and NSW north coast. I had to make a weekend trip out to Newcastle from my place in Griffith, and had planned to camp overnight before the drive back home. Was all packed and set for a night under the stars, planned a gourmet camp meal, camera gear packed for some star trail shots from the campsite over a few relaxing reds, and instead...howling winds and 80mm of torrential rain!!! :eyepop:

:lol:

[Kunama]

One might call that 'just desserts'. I'm still being hounded by the C.A.N.A.A.
Lobby. :mad2::mad2:





C.A.N.A.A. = "Clouds Against New Astronomy Acquisitions"

[rmuhlack]

sweet!! :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Can't help myself ........ another one ..!! :D .......beautiful condition... excellent Optics.
These are superb for a G & G ..... came from California.

Flash ..!!

[brian nordstrom]

:) Nice . You cant , can you ? :lol: .
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

Here is my Takahashi SKY90 with Lunt Hershell wedge and Coranado Solarmax 40 on a side by side set up I made for solar viewing on my Vixen Super Polaris mount , cost me $56 for the 2 , GSO vixen dovetail holders from Andrews .
Just need some fine days to use it :mad2: .
Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Real nice Setup there Brian ... Photos are great ....:thumbsup:

Flash ..!!

[Tandum]

Finally, all the adapters, screws and fittings are here so I thought I'd post a pic.

Left to Right, 3" ASA Corrector, TS-Giant OAG, QHY5L II guide cam, Custom ASA to M54 adapter, SX Wheel with M54 fittings, Atik 11000 mono.

This is for a 12" F4 GSO newt.

You can stop the rain any time now thanks :)

[brian nordstrom]

:) Thanks Colin , I actually got to use it for about 1/2 an hour on sunday morning and it works very well , just move the head a little side to side , to swap from 'white light' to 'Ha light' and back , so cool .
And the images in both scope's were almost dead centre of each eyepiece , so I must have made it well enough .
I can see this getting very addictive ;) .
Brian.

[adamcullen]

My first scope.

Went for the best mount I could afford, and a simple newtonian reflector to learn on. I'd been thinking about an EQ6 for a couple of years, and then when the AZ/EQ6GT was released, I couldn't wait any more. Hopefully this means about a decade before it is trumped by something else.

I've actually had clear sky's for 90% of the time since I got it two weeks ago (including the first night), so I've gotten some great use out of it. Have only been using it in Alt/Az mode so far, but hope to get into some astrophotography and give Equitorial mode a go too.

Now learning the mystic arts of collimation, have done some focuser maintenance and have made a couple of power mods.

Still sorting out the goto, but I've just learned that I've been choosing alignment stars that are outside the recommended range (prinicpally choosing Sirus - which is at an altitude above 60 degrees, which is not recommended, when I start out each night).

Hope you enjoy the pic, clear skys.

Adam

[ZeroID]

Current Imaging Setup (it keeps changing !! )

Lunt 102mm ED Doublet with SONY SLT A77v DSLR and remote cable
Skywatcher 80mm Achro for viewing
and hidden on the other side is my 50mm bino objective and SPS880 guide scope.
I've blacked out the background interior of the Ob to keep it looking tidy.

[brian nordstrom]

Well I could not help my self , I grabbed a LP 11-1 focuser from Andrews last thursday for $99 and it arrived today , and would you beileve it ! the LP is 90mm and the Vixen adaptor on the Istar 127mm is 90mm , a straight fit up ! ;) , Cool .
Here is a photo , I am out tonight looking at the Moon and Jupiter , looking good to , in the Istar/Saxon .
Luna shot taken at 5pm local time , full daylight .
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

;) One of the 1st photos of the new EQ6GT here at IIS, cool mate , hope these are as good as the run of the mill EQ6's and thanks for the shot Adam .
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:) I knew I had seen and used these LP focusers before , really nice to use .
Here is my old . now sold LP90mm f/.5.5 and Ed80 with GSO 10-1 , and these LP focusers are a whole lot better , but hey ?
$99 is a good price for a welll made 11-1 focuser .
Luna , Jupiter and Aldebaran , made a primo EQ triangle tonight ..
I like the new focuser.
Brian

[LewisM]

Took me a while, but I had the rig out the other day getting everything set up and trialled for the first time in several months (can you believe QLD weather!!!), and remembered to take some shots with the phone.

Here is my Vixen FL102S "Photon Canon" :D Fitted with an Orion SSAG mini guider (which gives MUCH better results than the 80mm guidescope I previously used!). The right side finder is an Orion right angle/correct image one (YIK YIK YIK! - horrible finder, cheap build). Losmandy D plate at bottom, Vixen V plate top. Waiting for my Losmandy 90mm guidescope rings for on top of the rail (or hanging under the D, not decided yet). Note the Custom made stainless steel focuser knobs (Brian now has a set too) - beautiful job, knurled edges etc.

One of those VERY rare occasions when I set up visually, but I find GOTO alignment MUCH easier visually than using the CCD - at this stage anyway.

Skywatcher NEQ6 mount. Haven't used the EQMod YET, since I wanted to tr my new CCD first using a system I am comfortable with.

Mind the garbage in the background - my man cave :) The Man Cave the wife wants cleaned up... how sacrilegious is that!!!

I did just buy ANOTHER VC200L to keep her company and talking Japanese :)

[Kunama]

Very nice looking rig Lewis. Seems like everyone who has had an FL102S raves about them. Should look better when the other Vixen gear comes through from Claude. Classy !

I tend to agree with your wife, clean that mess up!!!

[LewisM]

How will I find anything if I clean up???!!! ;);

[RickS]

New toy: a Ceravolo 300 Astrograph. Seen here on my Astro-Physics AP900 with an extra long counterweight shaft and 82 lbs of counterweights. The mount doesn't break a sweat, but I certainly did when I lifted the scope onto it. The guide scope is a 50mm Borg and the camera is an Apogee U16M. First light images are promising but it looks like I need to sort out some tilt before the corners of that big chip will be up to snuff.

[DavidTrap]

That's a lot of counterweights Rick! ;)

DT

[RickS]

It is, David. I have one 10lb weight left spare, just in case...

[Kunama]

Not your average grab and go then Rick ??????? Looks the business though.

[RickS]

It fits in the car, Matt, so it'll be driving to dark skies :D

[ozstronomer]

Very nice mate, can you bring that to show and tell for the next OGM :D

[RickS]

I'll bring a picture. A lot easier to carry up the hill :lol:

[FlashDrive]

Rick...That's an impressive piece of ' kit '. :eyepop:

Flash..!!

[FlashDrive]

My 2 Refractors and Accessories.

Flash...

[RickS]

Thanks, Flash. Not as cute as that lovely little Pronto!

[E_ri_k]

Here is my new setup finally organised, after a huge re arrangement of cables and computer, it has come up quite nice and neat I think. GSO RC10 CF on the G-11, Moonlite focuser and ONAG.

Erik

[Larryp]

Nice set-up Col. I once had a Pronto, and while its colour correction wasn't perfect, it could handle tons of magnification without image breakdown. I regularly used it with a Televue 2" barlow and 4.8mm Nagler (200x) on Mars:thumbsup:

[Larryp]

My Stellarvue 90mm Raptor on its new (used) Vixen GPD2 mount with Synscan go-to and Skywatcher tripod.
Should be a good imaging set-up when I get around to it!

[FlashDrive]

Really nice setup there Laurie....very neat and tidy.
Great Mount / Great Scope. :thumbsup:

Flash ...!!

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: +2 from me , beautiful set up Laurie .
Brian.

[Larryp]

Thanks Brian and Flash:)

[FlashDrive]

A Mount ( StellarVue M1 ) recently bought for the Pronto....simple and easy to use. :thumbsup:...thanks to a IIS Member.
Pan Handle on it's way for the Mount....

Don't you just love the weather ...:shrug:

Flash ..!! :D

[Stardrifter_WA]

Nice portable mount Colin. That looks so simple to operate.

I have added a new mount as well, for my FLT110. I got it about a week ago. And yes, it has rained, or been cloudy, since I got it, so have yet to try it out.

So far, I am impressed with the design, quality and finish on this mount. There are a couple of small niggles, but nothing that I can't easily rectified. Just hope it works as good as it looks :D

Going to add a solar scope to the other end and a white light filter on the 110, eventually. Hope to pick these up whilst in the US in July/August. I am going to Stellafane, so hope to pick something up then.

Cheers Peter

[blink138]

heh peter nice rig.............. but have you recently been robbed, or did you have to sell off the furniture to help purchase it ha ha!

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: And it look good Peter .
Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

No Pat, it was a long time ago. You should know by now that I don't sell stuff to buy more stuff. :sadeyes: I just buy more stuff :D Remember, I only have to justify it to myself; no missus to say no! :P

[FlashDrive]

2 x Scopes ...... These are very nice to use.... sometimes I have both out at night when the ' seeing ' is ' good ' .

Flash......

[Kunama]

Nice setup there Col, I must admit I was tempted to keep the little Stellarvue Mount in my car and drive right past Deception Bay.

Sorry I couldn't catch up with you. Next time for sure:cheers:

[Larryp]

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Matt....Next time it is ...:D



Cheers Laurie :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Done a couple of changes.... Removed the StellarVue Tripod....and replaced it with the ' Bintel ' SkyView Tripod.

.... and also I have a proper ' pan handle ' for the Scope.

Only thing now....work out how I can ' make ' an eyepiece tray for it....

My idea is a ' wooden eyepiece ' tray....fitted down over the centre column ( so you can just spin it full 360 around ) ...and 3 eyepieces per side of the column....total 6

The legs ' spread ' further apart, making a more ' sure footed ' steadiness.
I reckon it looks good.

A very simple setup that works well.........:P and no star alignment necessary :D

The Pronto is upstairs all by itself and the Meade LB ....is sitting under the house.

Now I have a spare StellarVue Tripod .... what to do with it.....??

Flash........:D

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Flash,

Sweet lookin' setup. And what a great idea!

Maybe a modified "lazy susan" would do the trick? But instead of all wood, maybe some hard foam drilled to fit barrel size glued to the top of the 'lazy susan'.

I don't like to use those usual trays, as heavy eyepieces have a tendency to fall off. I had my big 21mm Ethos do that, and it got a scratch....Oh no :eyepop: I suppose I can live with it, it is a small scratch, but it did piss me off for a couple of weeks though :lol:

Cheers Peter

[04Stefan07]

All my equipment is packed away at the moment due to the poor weather so here is a pic of it all.

Will post another once everything is set up!

Image 1: Everything!
Image 2: Celestron 130SLT setup
Image 3: Skywatcher MAK80 setup
Image 4: Accessories (eyepieces, filters, power supply, cables, astrophotography equipment, etc).

[g__day]

Scopes set up and in action:

Currently using a Celestron Carbon Fibre C9.25 + Meade Motofocuser, Williams Optics 88mm Doublet and a 110 FLT + Moonlight focuser, all mounted using Losmandy Bars and Side saddle plates.

Guiding with a Lumicon OAG into a Meade DSI II Mono Pro and PHD

Imaging with Astronomy Modified 400D for the WO 88 and a Midified 40D on the C9.25. The FLT 110 is used for Visual at the moment.

The pointing and tracking on the Atlux is a delight!

[rogerg]

A fun pic of the scope from a night which was otherwise uesless due to cloud ...

http://rogergroom.com/under-cloudy-stars/

.... been years since I posted a pic here.

:hi:

[lacad01]

I can see a nice sucker hole there Roger ;)

[rogerg]

haha, true :) And to think I didn't follow it :rolleyes: :)

[skysurfer]

Last week I got a very good 40cm Dobson for $1500 with a GSO mirror. Here the images.
http://skysurfer.eu/dobson.php

[rogerg]

I have to admit the first thing I noticed was the lush green garden! and I immediately thought "that's not Australia!" :lol:

[FlashDrive]

Vixen NA140mm f/5.7 Achromat Petzval Design ( improved colour and flat field ) ...these don't ' show up ' to often...if fact..in the 5 years since I've been on this Site, I've seen 1 only up for grabs.

It's ' BIG ' ...but surprisingly light for it's size .... and my StellarVue M1 holds this VERY steady indeed.....I was apprehensive in the beginning doing this...but ...even with a ' deliberate ' bump, the Scope settled with in a second or so....surprised me ...!!

Being an Achromat, a 2" inch Baader Fringe Killer Filter is a must have for those ' brighter objects ' .......but where this Scope really excels is the Wide Field views it gives at 140mm Aperture.

Mind you...a ' T-Rex ' would be my choice of Mount for this....but that's for another day.....and yes...as per usual ...it's overcast and raining here right now...why am I not surprised ..:(

Now for the clouds to go away ........

Flash :D

[Kunama]

Nice !!!
definitely need a T-Rex for that one!

[UniPol]

Finally got my ideal set up for visual and imaging. I decided to fit the FSQ-106 to the EM-200 and the TOA-130 to the PMX.

[FlashDrive]

Very Nice indeed Steve.....

Col...:)

[Kunama]

Beautiful setups Steve, :eyepop:
(..... every time my wife complains about me spending $$$ on astro gear I show her pictures of your stuff and tell her that she is lucky that my spending is under control ....... ) ;)

[UniPol]

Thanks Col and Matt. Apart from looking good the Taks certainly perform brilliantly. I often have the guilts looking at the amount of stuff I've collected over the years, but these bouts only last for about five seconds or so.

[Kunama]

if it really bothers you looking at them, I am happy to store them for you!

[issdaol]

Pretty rough and ready picture of the Mewlon 300 in action late one midnight/morning :-)

Will get a better action shot some other time

[denis0007dl]

Here is my 10" tuned dob, and my binos: Mark V, WO and TS, but I have two Mark V binos, both tuned :-)

[denis0007dl]

...and back side Tuned Mark V bino vs WO bino...

So, I will sell one Mark V bino!

[LAW]

Well typically it's been nothing but rain and sucker holes for the entire New Moon weekend so I haven't even had a chance to play with my new Orion Autoguider setup. So I moved the mount under cover to route all the cables and recollimate the OTA.

It's not the most glamorous setup but I'm happy with it, 8" f/5 Skywatcher 'Black Diamond' + modded/cooled 450D, Orion ST80 + SSAG, on an older EQ6 which I've 'shoestring modded' for the Orion's ST-4 input an recently cleaned and tuned.
Bring on the clear skies! :D

[Kunama]

Seen one Tak, seen them all ....... but I just can't help myself :shrug:

[alistairsam]

I've always wanted to post here for a long time, and I think I finally can.

This is a home built 10inch F4 Serrurier Truss with Carbon Fibre Truss segments, moonlite, mirrors from Orion Optics in the UK, guitar string spider.

I use a QHY8 and 1000d with a TS-9 OAG and a QHY5L-2 guidecam.
Mount is an NEQ6pro.

Now if only the skies cleared when the moon wasn't out!!

Cheers
Alistair

[byronpaul]

Alistair,

Looking good ;)

[Kunama]

There'll be dark clouds over Box Hill for weeks and you have nobody to blame but yourself! Nice scope though .........

[sn1987a]

I finally got my new Servocat and Argo Navis up and running on my Lightbridge 16. Goto and tracking are working perfectly, a real joy to use!.

[Logieberra]

A few quipment changes since my last post here in Oct 2010: TOA. MX. FS60CB. Robofocus. Love all things Tak :)

[Kunama]

Beautiful system :eyepop:

[Joshua Bunn]

Her's my setup, cdk12.5 atop a homemade pier in a RORO. A little stitching issue in front of the scope :)

You have some neet gear there Logan.
Josh

[beren]

Very nice setup there Josh along with the Ob must be magic having that all located in Albany great part of WA.

[Joshua Bunn]

Thanks Beren. :) yes, quite fortunate to live down here, there are some wonderfully dark skies among other things.

[brian nordstrom]

For any one interested , here are a few photos of my home built , from parts got from here at IIS and others , Istar 127mm f8 achromat .
This lense is a stunner ! the views belie the fact that its only a 'Low'ly" achromat in some peoples eyes , but don't believe that for a minuite it performs very , very well .
Almost as good as my now sold NT triplet .

The American company Istar hand figure all their lenses to a high degree before sale and it shows in the final images , awesome stuff .:D .

Hope you all enjoy and to any one contemplating building a refractor these Istar lenses are great value .
My OTA cost only $630 total , including focuser , finder , OTA , rings and Istar lense .
I did all the machine work my self so saved a bit there .
Total cost was only $1200 mounted , great for a world class 5 inch f8 refractor .
A big thanks to all who contributed to this build here at IIS and others .
Brian.
Cant seem to up load any more photos at the moment , will try again later .

[Larryp]

Good job, Brian :thumbsup:

[Logieberra]

Brian, nicely done. Now, how to get rid of that 'Saxon' on the tube :)

[FlashDrive]

Nice work Brian :thumbsup:

Flash....

[baggywrinkle]

Heres mine, Celestron 6Se and SW80ED on HEQ5

[brian nordstrom]

I will try and down load a few more photos now , hope all is good today .
Oh well it managed 3 more .
Note the stainless steel adaptor I made to fit the HEQ5 mount onto my TV Gibralter tripod , as the SW s/s tube tripod could not be used here in Darwin at 12 degrees south because the counter weights hit the legs at that setting , there is plenty of clearance now , and very sturdy .
Hope you all enjoy .
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

To all the good people waiting with baited breath , here are the last 3 photos of my Istar build .
For crying out loud !!!! Upload has failed again and again !! oh yes , again ...
And it aint the size that matters , 31.8kb -217.8kb it makes no difference ,,
More tomorrow .
Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Looks great Brian. Still having problems with the damn Internet in Darwin?

Cheers Peter

[brian nordstrom]

;) Thanks Peter , the Istar lense is a beauty , performs excelent'y .
No I think its an IIS problem as I trialled a few 200kb photos to FB , Yahoo and friends , no problems there ..

On a side note how many sleeps till the USA mate ?
Enjoy you holiday :D mate .

Oh yea Peter fellow SIFI movie fan , I was in JB, HI FI today , and Star trek franchise has gone our way .
I grabbed "Star Trek " , 'Time Travel' fan collection . 4 discs 10 eposides , from Kirk to Janeway on time travel and only $19.99 ,, cool , my weekend is happening last week .....cool
have a look .
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:) Thanks Laurie , been gone a while , but I am back .
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:lol: Would if I could Logan , but the 'Pearl" white paint job is really nice , but as you know its not what's on the outside that counts ,
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

Here you go Bro , Istar lense in her cell , nice .
Brian.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Brian,

Only 7 more sleeps mate. But I am still not excited yet. I changed my flights to leave 5 days earlier to have more time in LA. Then I find out the temp in LA is 54C :eyepop: I know I want to get away from these 2C nightly temps we have been having over the past couple of nights, but to jump into a flaming furnace......not that happy! Gee, I like the heat, but not that much!!!! Hope it is a little cooler by the time I get there.

I always thought WA was the last place to get anything. Glad to hear that you havce3 finally got the Star Trek collections there, and at a much cheaper price than I paid, way cheaper.

"Times Arrow Part 1 & 2" were the best Star Trek episodes on time travel.

Cheers Peter

[FlashDrive]

The TeleVue 76mm Scope v my TeleVue Pronto.
Coatings are obviously different by the pic's.
Had a look using a Orion Ultrascopic 35mm 1.25 eyepiece ( not the one in the pic's )....I've seen some very sharp and crisp views with the different Scopes I have owned ... but this TV76 ( in it's class ) is simply ' outstanding ' ...I doubt I've seen anything as clear and sharp as this Scope....as good as the TV85 IMHO.
The Focus Mate 10:1 is ' silky ' smooth....build quality is just superb....solid as...good ' feel ' to it all round.

Weight ...very similar ...TV76 maybe a ' touch ' heavier.
If I wanted to be ' picky ' ...the Pronto would be the ' runner up ' in a viewing contest....but there would be very little in it between them.

Yet to see the sky at night ....tonight I hope...weather permitting.
Very pleased with my purchase.:D

Flash.....:D

[Larryp]

Sounds good, Col. Televue stuff is always first rate :thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Very nice Colin , good to see TV's build quality has not changed between the Pronto and TV76 , nice gear .
Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Larry....She's a beauty ...very pleased with it.



Brian.....Always satisfied with TeleVue's quality and Craftsmanship.

Col.....:D

[Ric]

Here's my setup ready for a night out.

The ED80 usually is mounted on top, it's always interesting to see two views of the same object. closeup and widefield.

Cheers :)

PS. It was a lovely cold clear night as well.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Flash,

That's great Colin, yet another thoroughbred added to the stable. :)

I hope to see a few TV's, at you know where (I don't dare mention it again :lol:). Only four more sleeps. :D I love my TV Ethos and Delos ep's, but have yet to see through any TV scopes, unfortunately.:sadeyes: The best refractors I have seen to date are two Taks (130 & 106ED) and an AP (130), but my bank account says No! That's why I have a mere FLT110, but I too am very happy with it.

Cheers Peter

[FlashDrive]

Thanks for the comments Peter ....nice addition for my addiction to small ' frac's ' ;)
Just as well I'm ' not ' going to Stellafane eh ....couldn't help myself :rolleyes:

Col.....:D

[Stardrifter_WA]

That's what I am a 'little' worried about.....what the hell will I bring home :P The temptation may just be too great :lol:

Nah, probably not. As it is, I have the AT65EDQ to pick up anyway at OPT, on the way home, along with some other stuff. Can't bring too much back, otherwise I will have to pay even more GST. :sadeyes: That begs the question; does one pay GST on second hand goods when re-entering Australia?

But, I do expect to come back with a big wish list :rofl:

Have fun with your new scope Col. :)

Cheers Peter

[sn1987a]

My new (well ok secondhand) Plettstone 18" F4.2 Zambuto fresh off the boat. Had a quick first light last night, Saturn was tremendous. The scope itself is very well made, solid, light and a joy to use.:D

[LewisM]

My FL102S, astrophotography ready (not cabled up as yet) out under the stars in my side yard.

SOLID guidescope set up (minimal flexure), Takahashi finder, Vixen GPD2 mount with Synscan GOTO added. I made a large dewshield for it as you can see, and no, it does NOT impinge in the view.

Mount tracks like a dream, scope is stunning visually (and AP too).

[04Stefan07]

Here is a pic of my 130SLT setup. Was trying to test out my modded webcams on the Sun today therefore this is a typical setup for some solar observing.

[UniPol]

Finished machining the PMX adaptor for the Astro-Physics portable pier today, it certainly is a very rigid setup. The PMX dedicated pyramid tripod looks somewhat insignificant in comparision however it is very light and rigid as well.

[Kunama]

Nice one Steve!!!!

[Logieberra]

Nice one Steve. I did the same thing with my AP portable pier :)

[Kunama]

Bought a little brother for the TSA120: The FS60CB which will ride on a Manfrotto Carbon tripod will be a great little replacement for the binos.

[MortonH]

The FS60 is a bit under-mounted there, isn't it? :P

[Kunama]

Better now ?????

[Logieberra]

Wow. Nice setup :)

[FlashDrive]

Something a little different......a bit of ' Vixen ' a bit of ' TeleVue ... and a bit of ' Astro-Tech.

Flash.....:D

[AG Hybrid]

My 12" work horse. Fits easily in the car behind it with a lot of room to spare.

What you see here is a Skywatcher collapsible 12" Dobsonian - flocked in all the right places, Telrad + raiser, an assortment of dew shields and light shields I made myself. 10K AN encoders and mounting kit, a Astro Systems Nexus Wifi unit, 20ah battery, my hand built eyepiece rack with some eyepieces in it and a 120mm LED fan on the back of the mirror for cooling purposes.. I also worked over the focuser and removed any slack or slip.
The scope is sitting on a hand trolley I made so the scope can be just wheeled out of the garage.

What isn't included in the pictures is mounting hardware I am fabricating for my nexus 7 tablet to sit just above the focuser and the light shroud for the OTA.

[sn1987a]

Love your work! :thumbsup:

[AG Hybrid]

My lightly modified Explore Scientific AR102. Looking sleek in CF. Heck I was bored and even did the finder scope too. I'm waiting for some flocking material to arrive. When it get it I will flock the entire ota, the dew shield and the focuser tube. A semi-apo filter is also in transit. Looking forward to it. I am thinking of getting a William Optics CF diagonal to complete the look.

The dew shield for the finder and scope I made as well.

The eyepiece is the Explore Scientific 30mm 82. No.99

[LewisM]

2 not-so-common Vixen sisters together. Note the all-Vixen setups :)

Can you tell I like Vixen stuff?????

[Rick_1]

Hi All,

Just wanted to share some pics of my setup. Its the first 'real' platform I've had so am very proud :D. My last was a Kmart 50mm with timber tripod.
This fella is a 200mm f5 1000mm Newt OTA. It has a 2" Crayford focuser with 10:1 micro adjustments and a 8x50 finder. Also a built in cooling fan. The Mount is a HEQ5PRO.
I only have the EPs that came with it ATM (1.25" Plossl 9mm and 25mm) Although hope to buy a few GSO 2" 68 Deg. Superviews shortly: 30mm, 42mm and 50mm. Maybe also the 1.25" as well, depending on $$, they are 15mm and 20mm.
I think I would benefit from a better finder also (definitely one with a right angle) but that's along he track when the credit card gets back on the rails. :P

Cheers
Rick

[Kunama]

Nice setup Rick, happy observing :astron:




Nice pair of foxes, have you cleaned the garage yet?

[LewisM]

Comedian :)

[Kunama]

Testing the carrying capacity of the T-Rex Alt Az Mount:
Takahashi TSA120 with clamshell, 2" W.O. diag and LVW22 +
Takahashi FS60CB with clamshell Astro Tech dovetail and 125mm Parallax rings and RKE28 +
Stellarvue F50W2 in Tak finder bracket, 23mm reticle EP +
AF-S Nikkor 80 - 200 F2.8 IF ED and Nikon D7000 (removed to take the pic)

T-Rex movements still as smooth as silk :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Chris85]

Hi All :)

It's taken me almost a year of saving, purchasing, saving and purchasing, but I think I'm at the point where I'm almost totally happy (for now :P) with what I have and feel it's good enough to share on iis.

My rig is I'd say 50/50 split on new and second hand gear, and I'd agree with anyone that says to look into used equipment when starting out. The trade pages are absolutely invaluable in my opinion!

Anyhoo my set-up consist of a GSO Rc 6" with Moonlite (Hi-Res Motor), 600D with Astrodon mod, Qhy5, modified finder/guider, ADM guide-rings, Dew Not straps (just on guide and primary mirror for now), all controlled through a HitecAstro Hub and sitting on a Heq5Pro :D

A few things I've made myself are the dew shields for both the Rc and the guide-scope and also the aluminium plate which I have the Hub attached too.

Next I think on the list is a belt mod for the Heq5 and talking the real-estate agents into let me sink a pier! :P

Cheers, and thanks for looking!
Chris

[DJT]

Having just installed a Moonlight focuser my current rig is just about ready.

This is a GSO RC8 with a moonlight Focuser (stepper) guided with a TAK FS60CB on an AP900, imaging with a Canon 60Da.

I also purchased an AP CD .67 reducer as well as a CX module for the TAK, so I have a lot of options available for imaging at the moment.

I still have a great SW ED100 but while I get to grips with the RC8, its packed away for the time being.

For those who care about these things, the focuser is a shiny red one !

Clear skies.

[Joshua Bunn]

Looks sweet David. I especialy like the chalk names on the BB of the DSO in the background.:)

[DJT]

hee hee..the whole shob has been painted with chalkboard paint. Cant have those pesky reflections getting in the way, though it has raised the odd eyebrow when SWMBO has been searching for a trowel.

[casstony]

The little scope: ED127 cooling down, Binotron binoviewers, astro-shack in the background and observing buddy/equipment guardian in the lower right corner.
The scope has surprisingly well figured optics, though I would swap for Matt's Tak 120 :)

[Kunama]

I would feel like I was ripping you off ............ nice looking setup Tony, Looks like you have a bit more space at Warragul.
How are the binotrons? I am saving my pennies for a set for the Tak. I now have 2 LVW17s which should work well in bino mode.

[casstony]

Tak is a bit yesteryear :)
Yes the new place is a bit more flash Matt - brick house/garage with separate studio (re-purposed as an astro-shack) on a landscaped half acre under somewhat dark skies.

No complaints about the Binotrons - very nice bit of gear. I just ordered a pair of 24mm Panoptics to try since OPT has 20% off, though 50 degree plossls are very nice too.

I noticed earlier you brought up the carrying capacity of the T-Rex: check out this thread http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=91682&highlight=t-rex

[Kunama]

I like the c/w shaft setup for bigger OTAs. The T-Rex is a brilliant mount, I had some slop in both axes with locked clutches but was able to dial it out by adjusting the worm blocks.
I've been looking at the Mewlons, maybe an M250S once my budget recovers from the recent move and my daughter's wedding expenses.

[pgc hunter]

two recent acquisitions.

Just found out that a 4" F/15 tube is a BEAST!!!

[Kunama]

IT will need a beast of a mount as well :question:
Nice looking scopes! The 4"F15 would look at home on my Gaunt mount and pier ........

[pgc hunter]

thanks! It falls just within the weight capacity of a HEQ5 but hoping to find a big alt-az.

[Kunama]

After laying down Canturf in the backyard yesterday I wanted to make sure it got a good start and was kept wet and cool so it could grow roots quickly ....
what better way to guarantee RAIN than buy some astro gear ..... so as the Postie pulled up this morning, to drop off my new Binoviewers and a Baader Cool Ceramic Herschel Prism, I could smell the rain building, the clouds rolled in and yes it is raining ........ a mixed blessing

The Baader 2" Click-Lock Cool Ceramic Herschel Prism is a work of art. This version (P) comes with the pre-installed 3.0 ND filter and Solar Continuum filter as well as an OD 0.6, 0.9 & 1.8 ND filters.
The SC filter is not really required for a top shelf apochromat so I have removed it and replaced it with the 0.9 to test the waters. (The OD 3.0 filter is and must stay in the prism for any visual use)

[Kunama]

Sun came up again today :thumbsup: , this time without its cloud veil :thanx: , so I removed FS60 and the finder as the Baader wedge is its own finder. Although my little 'Pocket Instamatic' did struggle to get a decent picture of AR1890, the visuals with the LVWs were superb :eyepop: . The 3.0 + 0.9 ND filter stack is perfect for time at the eyepiece, not too bright.
The ceramic tile 'finder screen' works beautifully.

[brian nordstrom]

Mat that is hard case I shot these 2 yesterday after noon from here in Perth , my Tak Sky90 , Lunt wedge and Noika windows phone , almost identical to your shots .
Brian.

[Larryp]

Takahashi TSA120 on my existing Vixen GPD2 with EQ5 Synscan. Parallax rings and ADM Vixen-style dovetail bar
Optical tube is a nice snug fit in a Stellarvue padded case (without the straight-through extension tube)
I copied Matt's (Kunama's) idea of using a Stellarvue R.A. finder-works very well
I must also thank Matt for his advice prior to buying this scope.:)

[Kunama]

Very nice Laurie, anytime you want me to spend your money just send me a PM .......
Look forward to hearing your thoughts once you've had some time under the stars with it.