Show us your equipment!

[rumples riot]

Hi all, I know we have a thread with what gear we have in description, but I think we should have one with a shot of our gear.

Please contribute a shot of your own rig.

Paul

[mch62]

Hear is my new scope nick named Rain Maker.
It's vitals are as follows.
12.5" f6 RF Royce conical cross section mirror ; 2.14"Protostar Uls Quartz Diagonal and 3 vane spider ; Kine optics Helical Crayford focuser ; Mirror mount stud Mark Mickels ; Optical tube and rear cell yours truely.
Total weight 15.5kgs temporarily on EQ6 mount
New Barletised fork mount in progress.

[iceman]

wow mhodson that is MOST impressive! Does that mount handle the weight ok?

Do you have to observe from a ladder?

How much did the whole kit cost you? :P

Here's my meagre astrophotography setup... except, the camera isn't on the tripod in this shot because, well, it's in my hands :)

<img src="http://www.iceinspace.com/images/news/imagingsetup.jpg">

I gotta get a steadypix adapter! :)

[Saturn%5]

My 12" Southern Cross (GSO)

[seeker372011]

I don't have any pictures of my scopes but here is a picture of my home made mirror mount for my 20 x80 binos.

[seeker372011]

and here is my mirror mount for my 7 x50 binos

[seeker372011]

Re the Bino mirror mounts

I made the mirror mounts myself , not really following any plans
but I found two sites very helpful in designing my own version

http://www.fvas.net/bino.html

http://home.interlynx.net/~mullers/skybox.html


I first built the mirror mount for the 7 x50s. For this I used a First Surface Mirror that I bought really cheaply -a few dollars-from surplus shed

http://www.surplusshed.com/

Somone in another forum asked for dimensions and details so I made up a little poster and I am happy to post that here if anyone is interested.

This worked so well I decided to build a mount for my 20 x80s Oberwerks

For this I couldnt use the surplus shed mirrors-too small so I had to buy a mirror from FS mirrors in the US

http://www.fsmirrors.com/

Before buying from the US I did a lot of research around Sydney and found it would cost almost double -even if I were to buy optical glass and get it mirrored .

So I took a deep breath and forked out whatever it was-the site above has prices - to buy from the US. Freight is expensive though!! I bought an 8mm thick 6 inch by 8 inch mirror

This mount which is made of pine sits on a computer turntable so it moves smoothly in azimuth. I have a handle that I can use to control the mirror angle-the altitude. A clutch mechanism allows the tension with which the mirror axle is gripped to be adjusted so the mirror stays in place when the handle is released yet moves (rotates) reasonably smoothly

Now how does it work?

Firstly notwithstanding whatever they say in the marketing literature, there is some loss of brightness. So it's not as good as looking straight at an object. Is it acceptable? I think so but someone else may not.

Secondly if your binos are even the slightest bit out of collimation this system is very unforgiving. Its a good test for the quality of your binos!

Thirdly it is harder to find things because your maps need to be mirror imaged

But once you are past these issues, the benefit of not having to crick your neck to look up all the time is enormous. You can scan star fields literally for hours without discomfort. You are looking down, its a very comfortable position, you can sweep across the sky slowly, and take your time enjoying the sky

I really enjoyed observing Comet Q4 through this system earlier this year.

The fact that the binos are mounted adds at least a magnitude compared to hand holding.

So, there are pluses and minuses, but for me it works.

[gbeal]

Hi all,
well in response, this is a couple of my bits. I will redo another one that I am not happy with but this will get the ball rolling.
Imaging is done with this homebrew 10" f5 newt, in G-11 config here, but equally at home in a dob base that I built up as well. A good all rounder.
Yeah, I am the ugly one!!
Gary

[gbeal]

Second shot of the latest craze, a Takahashi Mewlon 180. (7" f12 cassegrain).
First impressions are very nice.
I use this and the 10" with Tak LE oculars, 5mm - 30mm, and also with a Denkmeier bino viewer.
Gary

[ving]

eres myn... sorry bout the bloke being it the pic :p

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/ving68/8inch_dob/Dsc03554.jpg

[Mick]

Here's little Brother Paul.

[[1ponders]]

The celestrons ok for the moon and sorta ok for planets. Shame about the sucky eq2 mount even with worm drive and adjustments. Thought I'd go overboard with the new unit. Photo adapters/reducerswedge etc and ToUcam not included in photo. Just love the LX200. Just need some clear skys with out a moon to give it a good stretch. :driving:

Paul

[Dave47tuc]

Hi All,
I like your scopes. I meet a lot of people who wrorry what Joe down the road has. I say the scope you use is great as long as you use it!!
Best
:astron:

[DougAdams]

Hi chaps, just joined this forum site. Good to see an Oz based forum. Looking forwards to tapping into the knowledge base here :)

Cheers
Doug

[silvinator]

Hey fellas, here's my baby 10 inch. It's my lxd55 with a flimsy dew shield I made myself:

[Robby]

Hi,
My turn to show off my setup!
It consists of.....
1. Celestron C8 OTA on a Losmandy GM8 Mount.
2. Celestron ST80 as GuideScope for Astrophotography
3. No Brand 8x50 Finder.
4. ToUCam for prime focus on Moon & planets & as Guide camera.
5. Canon 300D DSLR for Astrophotography.
6. HomeBuilt Star-Mate RF Remote Control...
- This is my latest project and provides an RF remote control link to control the mount, focus, & camera shutter. The unit also provides an LX200 interface for auto-guiding. I am hoping to commercialise this in the near future. See www.star-mate.com for more details.
7. JMI NGF-S motorised focusser
8. Homemade Dew heater on OTA & finder
9. Palm PC based Digital Setting Circles. Great!!
I think that's about it. Oh I also have the usual mix of Eyepeices, focal reducers, barlows, filters etc. I use a Nagler T2,16mm and a 32mm 1rpd most often as eyepeices.
For AutoGuiding I use K3CCDTools2 and Iris to control the mount via LX200 interface.

[Starkler]

Must be my turn !

My GS 250mm dob with 9x50 RACI finder and Rigel quickfinder.

http://gar.customer.netspace.net.au/scope2/100_0222.jpg


Palm pilot running palmDSC, altitude encoder, OTA carry handle and custom rear counterweight :D


http://gar.customer.netspace.net.au/scope2/100_0223.jpg

Inside the base are the bits that make palmDSC work :)

http://gar.customer.netspace.net.au/scope2/100_0224.jpg


Tools of the trade

http://gar.customer.netspace.net.au/scope2/100_0225.jpg


Can you see where the tube ISNT flocked ?

http://gar.customer.netspace.net.au/scope2/100_0226.jpg

[Starkler]

The flocking was adhesive black velvet found in the wallpapers section at Bunnings hardware.

Its nice and black but if you use it, make sure you use strips instead of circumnavigating the tube with one piece.
I did and now its pulling away from the tube due to shrinkage and its damn near impossible to cut with a knife once in place :(

[bytor666]

[FONT=arial]

[bytor666]

ok...I've now added my antares 8x50 RACI finderscope....no MAJOR modifications as of yet because I still need to take this baby outside !!!...the weather just wont give up !!!....we just had a major storm and the ICE is getting thicker and heavier !!!.....( with a little bit of luck, my neighbour's tree which is HUGE and obstructs my view of the beautiful southern sky, will break from the ice !!! HA !!!....)...only then will i see saggitarius and scorpius in all it's glory !!!!!!...

[Strgazr27]

I'm up I geuss :)

Vintage 97 12" LX200 version 4.32. Meade superwedge. 2" Diagonal. GFT shortened 12". Customized Superwedge. Orion Dewshield. Kendrick straps for Corrector, EP's and Finder. Now I need one for the Guidescope. Speaking of....90MM Meade F/11 that will be running a ToUCam SC1 w Guidedog. Canon Digital Rebel with IR Filter removed. All controlled aby a Dell 2.8 P4 Laptop with 1 gig ram, Mobile 9700Pro and WINXPPro running Cartes du Ciel, GuideDog, DSLR Focus and MaximDL Ver. 4 :)

Thanks for looking.

CS's

Bobby

[bytor666]

ARAGORN.....thanks a lot for the advice !!!....now you've just sparked an idea in my head !!!!!....I've just finished making 1 of the 2 dust covers for my 12" GSO, and now I know EXACTLY how I'm gonna make a dewcap/ stray light blocker !!!!!....I'll just use cardboard and line the inside of it with felt or that black stuff with adhesive backing that's available at WAL-MART !!!!...THANK-YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INSPIRATION !!!!!!.....here's a pic of 1 of my completed dust caps...

[bytor666]

here is the dust cap on the front of the scope...thanks again ...!!!

[bytor666]

Ok here's the rig outside now. I saw comet Machholz, and fit the entire Pleiades into the field of my new 32mm Antares erfle...wow ...what a huge field size !!!

[Comet Hunter]

Hi, I'm Andrew. This is my setup....

http://comethunter.com/images/scopesetup.JPG

10" LX200GPS
3x Televue Barlow
QC4000pro

Mods I've done to the old girl include installing Bob's Knobs and I've also re-greased the Dec. drive - Meade made a mess of it. :bashcomp:

Giving the barlow first light tonight with the QC.

:astron:

[astrodave]

I've still got to sort out my observing discipline ... I've got a few too many cables to trip over when I've set everything up..(ToUcam, DSC, Focuser, scope fine pointing, power) ...

[wavelandscott]

I'll try and make my first post...this is our gear

[cometcatcher]

This is father bear 16" mother bear 8" and baby bear 6". :D

Father bear wasn't completely finished at the time of photo with the focuser not yet installed.

Since this pic was taken I've sold the 8" and used the funds to make an 11".

[cometcatcher]

This was me as a younger fella (bald old fart now) finishing off polishing the 16" mirror. I ground all the mirrors in the above telescopes and a few more besides.

[Astro_Guy]

Meade LX200 Classic on Milburn wedge. Losmandy dovetail system with 3-axis camera mount. Olympus OM-1 camera body with 200mm f4 Zuiko telephoto. JMI NGF-S focuser. TeleVue Everbrite diagonal.

[astro_south]

Here is my major rig (as of about 2 months ago) - see attached picture


Its a 12.5" F6 truss dob. It has a NGF DX2 focuser, Discovery secondary and as far as I know it's a Meade primary. The scope is home built by a boat builder at the Gold Coast, so the mirror and rocker boxes are very solid (marine ply), and it is a solid scope all over.

I was searching for reviews on the 42mm GSO Superview when I arrived here and read Mark Hodson's review. Thought I would join.

Thanks for the welcome!!

[astro_south]

I have had the comment about the focuser before. I think the design was out of one of those popular US telescope making books.

I have another piccy which show the scope from a different angle - see attached

[astro_south]

Here is another piccy showing the mirror box & mirror. As you can see, there is a heap of room in the mirror box and I could probably easily accomodate a 14.5" at a shorter focal ratio

If you want some more photos of particular details I can get to it this weekend and pass them on

[bytor666]

wow those new scope pics are a wonderful addition to this post!!!...I wish that MY focuser was on the right side just like astro south's. My old 12.5 inch had the focuser on the right side and I was very used to working with the scope that way. My new scope however, has the focuser on the left side, ( which is ok because I am used to using it this way ). Here's the newest shot of my scope with the light shield on the end....cheers and clear skies to all.
----------------------------
Mark
12" GSO SCOPE

[[1ponders]]

Thought it was about time I sent in a shot of my second favourite rig, ie Mapleton Observatory C-11

[RAJAH235]

Hi Guys, Pics of the Mod Dob.

[RAJAH235]

And the home built(can't you tell)? electronic focuser.

[RAJAH235]

The curved rod camera tracker.

[RAJAH235]

And for comfort. (one more H/Build).

[Exfso]

The TOA130 in my roll off roof observatory.

[Exfso]

It is basically my own design. Sits on top of 9 poles cemented into the ground, and about 1.5 metres above the ground. I built the frame, floor, sides etc on top of the supporting poles. (all permapine), Dimensions 2.5x2.3x1.8m. In hindsight, I would have made it longer, but room where I put it was the deciding factor. I made the roof frame separate, and around its base are 6 heavy duty castors that allow the roof to fit into the top channels one the two top sides.(shown). It was damn heavy to lift up on top the 3 odd metres. I then attached the laserlite roof panels. The tracks extends out to one side and each of the 2 tracks are supported by angle iron to the front of the observatory. This is probably the only weak link, I need to make heavier duty supports, as the roof probably weighs about 100kg.
This photo probably shows it a little better.

[Exfso]

Tried to add another photo on same post, will do it here. As you can see it looks a tad flimsy, but in reality is very strong. However I will re-engineer the supporting angles very soon. The total weight of the roof is supported via 6 castors on the entire length of the tracks, and it cant be seen here, but the tracks whilst they are timber are re-inforced with aluminium angle the whole length with aluminium strap on the base of the channel for the castors to roll on.

[mick pinner]

my set-up

[mick pinner]

Paul,
I'm currently making a 3D weight system for the scope which will have full length travel and then vertical adjustment, I made the brackets for the guide scope which work quite well and compared to the price of an original Meade item I think it's time well spent.
I'm also making a stainless steel dew shield 1.6mm very thin and very strong professionally rolled and welded then painted in Meade blue (helps being a spraypainter to match the colour), will cost about $150 not bad compaired to Meades $460 out of Bintel.
Thats enough waffle just thought you might like to see a shot of the observatory so far, the pier is 220mm steel, the roof and top half of the walls slides East and West, should be complete about this time next week all going well
Hope it's clear over your head
Mick.

[Vermin]

Yay! I picked up my Telekit today.

Some assembly requred! :)
http://www.webclot.com/scope/images/DSCF0016.jpg

[iceman]

Here it is.

[acropolite]

Just started to make a nuisance of myself in these forums and thought you might like a laugh. I don't have a real scope yet but dug out my old Bushnell, made up a mount for my camera tripod and voila I can see Jupiter with 4 of it's moons and Saturn with it's rings all at 25x mag. Who says you need to spend money to have fun. Attached is combined image of the Bushnell and a shot of the moon (it's a bit cloudy tonight) handheld through the bushnell. :astron:

[Starkler]

Heres my latest aquisition

Orion 80ED , William Optics 2 inch diagonal

[coxellis]

What's the mount Robby?

Have to get an up to date shot of my kit in daylight.

8" Newt and 80mm f6 ED refractor on a modded HEQ5, SX Hx916 cam and QC3K SC1.5 guider.

I've now got ADM tube rings for the small scope.

Andy

http://coxellis.homehost.org/kitpic1.jpg

Is this more acceptable? Sorry :ashamed: not used to dial up users...

[Argonavis]

This little number takes but 5 minutes to set up - remove covers, install Telrad, use trolley to move into yard, place ocular in focuser - done.

only problem - no tracking!! (except by hand)

[Astroman]

Here is a pic of my setup (so far)

http://www.theastroweb.com/astronomy/telescopes/scopedome.jpg

Details:

8" F/7 Dobsonian, homemade mount.
2.3m Domed Observatory, bit close to shed, may have to move it later when the wife lets me. It's actually painter black inside and now has a shutter that works. Turning it is a chore might need help with this one.

[MiG]

Here's my stuff. The two grey tubes are my homemade collimation devices. One is a crosshair sight tube and the other is a collimation-less laser collimator. It utilises a lens-less $4 laser pointer to provide a wide angle point source. I think it's pretty much a cheshire because it relies on the centering of the shadow of the centre dot.
Courtesy of this website: http://web.telia.com/~u41105032/yacht/yacht.htm

The scopes are:
10" GSO Dobsonian with rack and pinion focuser and no fan (good price).
60 mm Tasco refractor.

Edit: Grrr, don't preview after attaching file.
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/mig_82/astro_gear.jpg

[Argonavis]

I put this together for a few dollars more. It works well but is not very compact.

[ballaratdragons]

HOORAY,

My eldest daughter bought a digital camera and I raced over and borrowed it for the night!

HERE'S MY BEASTY

[ballaratdragons]

This is my Home-made Quickfinder

[ballaratdragons]

Another angle of the Quickfinder

[ballaratdragons]

And those funny looking round things at the bottom end of the scope are counterweights I made out of Speaker Magnets. I have turned one upside-down so you can see the thin rubber attached so they don't scratch the tube.

[ballaratdragons]

And finally,

the piece de resistance . . .

The famous 'Bird Cage Shower Cap!'

[ballaratdragons]

Just remembered,

My EP collection so far.

[bytor666]

Hey Ken....that scope looks wonderful !!!...must be nice standing outside with just a shirt on while i freeze me bloomin arse off out here in Canada !!!...hahahahaha ....nice counterweights no need for anything but magnets !!!.....very impressive indeed !!!..I would LOVE to know where I can get a hold of a crayford-style focuser like yours because the one that I have is stock and it can't take the weight of my naglers .
-----------------------------
Markus
12" GSO SCOPE :cold: :astron:

[trufflehunter]

<em>Here's a trip down memory lane for me while I'm desperate and scopeless! Hope you enjoy it!</em>

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/60mm.jpg" width="215" height="300">
<strong>Early 1970's</strong> — Hanimex 60mm Refractor. My first 'real' scope. It ain't much by today's standard, but at that age I loved it!

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/Newt1.jpg" width="194" height="300"><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/newt2.jpg" width="262" height="300">
<strong>1974 to 1985 — 8" F7.6 Newtonian.</strong>
This baby had a few mods over the years. I added a 60mm guidescope, declination slow motion control and motor drive. It was purchased in kit form from Astro Optical in Crows Nest, although at the time they were known as "The Amateur Astronomers Supply Company"! (showing my age). It had the best optics of any scope I've ever used.

A friend of my brothers is a panel beater, so he organised the spray job. It was deep blue with an overspray of white, looking like spider webs. I thought it was pretty 'groovy'. The original photo was black & white, but I used Photoshop CS to colourise it back to its 'original'. It's pretty close! Gotta love Photoshop's colour replacement tool!

... I sold it in 1985 to pay bills! It was my first year out teaching and I was getting posted around the countryside and couldn't justify keeping it. Big mistake!

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/AR6.jpg" width="277" height="300">
<strong>2002 to 2005</strong>
After nearly twenty years (how time flies when you're having fun!) I decided to buy a Meade LXD55-AR6. That's not me in the photo, in case you were wondering! I thought I'd come back with a vengeance! 6" refractors were unheard of as amateur scopes in the 'good old days'. The AR6 was a treat! Nice optics, reasonable Go-To mount and all the bells and whistles. After about 18 months I was finding it a bit of a hassle to assemble when I wanted to do some observing.

I'd always wanted a SCT, ever since Celestron first brought them out in the 70's. So I bit the bullet, put the AR6 up on ebay, sold it and...

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/lx90.jpg" width="150" height="236">
...ordered a Meade LX90 from Bintel!
...it's not here yet...
<hr>
<strong>Here are some photos taken back in the 1980's with the 8" Newt:</strong>

<img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/Moon.jpg" width="100" height="150"><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/jupiter.jpg" width="150" height="150">
Moon: 16/7/83. 9mm eyepiece + projection, 2 secs
Jupiter: 13/7/83 6mm Unitron Orthoscopic (aah memories!) + full projection, 2.5 secs

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/messier8.jpg" width="150" height="150"><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/swan_nebula.jpg" width="150" height="150">
Messier 8 (The Lagoon Nebula): 13/8/82. 20 mins, prime focus. Tri-X film
Messier 17 (The Swan Nebula): 19/8/82. 10 mins, prime focus. Tri-X film

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/orion.jpg" width="150" height="150"><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/owl.jpg" width="150" height="150">
Messier 42 (Orion): no date, but probably same as previous 2 mins, prime focus. Tri-X film
Messier 27 (The Owl or Dumbell Nebula): no date 30 mins, prime focus. Tri-X film

<hr><img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/trufflehunter/astro/omega_centauri.jpg" width="150" height="150">
Omega Centauri: 19/8/82 12 mins, prime focus. Tri-X film<hr>

[bird]

Here's a pic of my shiny toy...

It's a 10" f/6 newtonian, sporting a precision primary by Mark Suchting of Sydney (Deep Sky Optics).

The tube is aluminium, which minimises tube currents (aluminium doesn't supercool like other metals).

The focusser is a JMI DX1-M, and you can see my colour wheel and camera are fitted in this picture.

The scope is sitting on a Losmandy G-11 mount, and an old sony vaio acts as my scope computer in the instrument case on the ground under the tripod.

You can just see the heatsinks at the mirror end of the tube from my homebrew peltier cooler that I use to fast-cool the mirror.

regards, Bird

[Striker]

Ok...I better put a pic in here....

[robin]

Here's my stuff....10" LX200GPS with rubber dew cap, nikon FE film camera & 300mm f:4 lens.12ah motorcycle battery, laptop & EP's.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/makemineameade/scopegear.jpg

[thomo]

Here is my new beast! :D

[Strgazr27]

My back couldn't take the 12" Beast any more so I've put this together over the last 3 weeks :) My Best scope to date.

[frogman]

Its nice to be able to say i have 12 inches.............across.....

Here's my little girl

[janoskiss]

I have an 8" Dob with ample protection.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~janosk/misc/dob-protection.jpg

[De-Gen]

Not exactly a great shot

[cuttsy]

Hi,

My scope is a handmade 10" f5 Newtonian on a Dob mount. It started out many years ago as a Meade but the mount was unstable and poorly made. My father, a retired fitter, made the new mount. It allows the tube to be moved up and down, and easily rotated. It is fairly heavy but moves very easily in alt-az. The eyepiece holder is great in the dark.

I have added a 8x50 finder, Telrad and JMI focuser. My eyepieces are the usual range and my next project is to add an Argo Navis.

[bytor666]

well I did post a shot of my rig in december I think....i've since been modding my scope like mad!!!!......anyhoo...here is my 12" gso scope...I actually spent 9 hours converting my scope so that the eyepiece and finder are now on the right hand side. I did this for mere convenience. I got so used to having things that way with my old 12.5 '" reflector that I just had to re-convert my 12" scope. you can see the left hand pic as it was before I modified it. Then on the right you can now see everthing on the right. All I did was move the altitude bearings and flip the focuser around...Cheers !!!
--------------------------------
Mark
12" GSO SCOPE

[astroron]

Hi here is a shot of two of my scopes and a quick moon shot with at f/10 with the 20cm SCT. Ron

[stringscope]

My much modified mid 90's vintage 8" F6 Celestron Starhopper. The only bits left of the original scope are the tube, altitude bearings and rocker box.

Discovery primary in UO cell
Protostar secondary
Kine Optics HC-2 focuser
Baffled tube
70mm F5 Finder
Telrad
4.4AH battery capacity
Dew heaters X 4
Mirror fan
Dew shield

[Chrissyo]

My 10" Dob (note Iceinspace Sticker:P ) and 60mm refractor.

[mick pinner]

Well the Meade is back in it's box awaiting more repairs so l deceided to set up the 10" reflector, l've never done any imaging with this scope so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

[5ash]

This is the home of myLX90 . The roof rotates on a large metal ring and has two openings.One panel from the side of the hexagonal roof lifts out and a circular perspex cap on top hinges back . It can be opened or closed in less than a minute.
philip

[rumples riot]

This is the latest shot of my observatory, now that the painting is done and with all the gear that goes on the scope. Well not all of it.

[Robby]

Ok, Here is my latest setup... I have been busy upgrading the scope & mount, and have been lucky to have a few good nights out lately to play! Albiet with the brightening moon...
New set-up consists of....

Celestron C9.25. Yes, Celestron!! Better than those Meade's.
Losmandy G-11, with standard motor drive, & Star-Mate (http://www.star-mate.com/starmate.htm) Remote control system.
ArgoNavis DSC's also under the remote control of Star-Mate.
ST80 guidescope
Full Credit Tripod. Enuf said!

Cheers

[Thiink]

Here's my stuff finally.

http://users.on.net/sjeriksson/img/iceinspace/myscope.jpg

- 10" GSO dob including Ice mods (slew knob top, foam scope stopper bottom)
- 60mm DSE refractor

And my 0x mag quick finder (stolen from the refractor, optics removed). I was making one similar to ballaratdragons using piping, but since the refractor has been sitting doing nothing since getting the dob I just used that.

http://users.on.net/sjeriksson/img/iceinspace/quickfinder.jpg

[h0ughy]

here are mine

[vindictive666]

here is mine

added some mods since

[seeker372011]

Ok finally got around to taking a picture of my scope

Celestron 8 inch Newt on a AS CG-5 mount;Canon 300 D at prime focus

Department store (Go Lo!) 60 mm guide scope with Atik 1 C guide camera piggy backed

had to use electrical tape to add some weight to counterbalance all the extra load of camera and guide scope

[EddieT]

Hi all,
Here's my setup. It's an Intes MN61 6" Maksutov-Newtonian on a Losmandy G11 driven by an Astrometrics Skywalker II microstepper control system.

It doesn't get looked-through very often and is setup mainly for imaging with an SBIG ST10xe camera. There is a Synta 102mm f5 on there as well with a secondary SBIG ST5c guide camera and barlow for off-axis guiding.

[[1ponders]]

Thanks Gary and Robby for the new toys. Losmandy GM-8 with StarMate remote controller. Currently carrying my Celestron 102 for autoguiding piggyback and OAGed prime focus (when the clouds clear). Gotta luv that black.

[gbeal]

That your observing chair there? No wonder you nod off.

[asimov]

Needs a bit of a spit N polish & a paint job!

[asimov]

2

[Loupy31]

Part of my setup

[elusiver]

here she is...



el :)

[Dave47tuc]

Some of the Bintel 252 Premium :D

And my eyepiece case :D

[ballaratdragons]

Dave,

Don't forget about the new camera as a peice of your equipment (let's see you post a pic of the camera!!).

It must be a good one as you have filled up almost every thread in here with pics LOL!

Like a kid in a lolly shop!!

[[1ponders]]

The next step in my evolving imaging setup. 80 ED Orion (imaging scope)piggybacked to the 102 (guidescope) on Losmandy GM-8. Step 3 is nearing completion. I'm waiting on the mounting bracket for the Meade 8" to go on the Losmandy. Then the Orion will go on the Meade and the system will be complete. (Apart from the Argo Narvis. Next year maybe)

[rmcpb]

My 8" GS dob with some mods.

[Crash Nebula]

Heres my Binos! :D
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/305/dsci00158vi.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsci00158vi.jpg)

[toetoe]

How does the tripod go with your binocs Charlie, is it sturdy enough or does it need to be heavier? just wondering if you get the wobbles or not.

[Crash Nebula]

I very much so need a better tripod but I haven't had the time to go out and buy one. It wobbles a little bit, but not so much that I can't look at the moon steadily or see some clusters and nebulas.

By the way, becuase I'm purchasing a 8" dob, does anyone have any pics of them next to one? I want to see how big they are. And how much is the Postage and Handling on an Andrew's one?

Thanks for any help.
Cheers

[toetoe]

Can't help you with the dob's but i am sure someone can. Try hanging something from the centre of the tripod with a bit of weight to it, i have tried this in the past with very good results. :)

[[1ponders]]

Stage 3. Just the Microfocuser and new counterweights to go.

[h0ughy]

capt'n she canno' take any more!!!! :rofl:

[[1ponders]]

I know h0ughy, I know. :D Its a bit of a worry isn't it :lol: Suprisingly I'm still within acceptable weight limist for astrophotography.

I'll be changing the guiderings though. The ones I bought are hopeless. The adjustment screws are really loose in the thread. So much so that even when firmly tightened the Orion slips backwards when pointed in an upward direction (pretty useless hey) because the screws move and start to angle towards the back of the setup.

[Loupy31]

Hi Guys, Just a couple of pics of my new Mount

Peter :2thumbs:

[Crash Nebula]

Nice! Looks great, Peter!
How much did that set you back, then? :rofl:

[Loupy31]

It was a replacement for a faulty one, After 4 months of hasles.
The origional one is pictured in message # 88 on this page.

Peter :fight:

[RAJAH235]

Charlie, See attached for a rough idea of size. Not sure about P&H. HTH. :D L.

[zipdrive]

hello everyone :gday:
here's my newt testing out the starmate :thumbsup:

[RAJAH235]

Welcome, zipdrive. Nice gear. See you in 'General Chat'. :D L.

[Striker]

Time to update equipment picture.

[toetoe]

This is what i have a ball with.

[Jonathan]

Here are my toys. Celestron 11" SCT with Starbright XLT coatings on an EQ6 mount with SkyScan and the little one is a Meade ETX-125 with UHTC.

[TidaLpHasE]

Here's my binoculars, 9x63 & 25x100

I've got another small pair 8x42 Pentax that i take everwhere.

I am still trying to decide what scope to buy, too many choices :confused:

[chunkylad]

Here's my new baby.:love:

12" GSO Dob c/w right angle finder and Rigel finder, and Crayford focusser.

It came with 4x GS Plossls (by negotiation with Lee Andrews), a collimating ep, a 26mm 2" ep.

I have just ordered a 30mm SV 2" GS ep, and a laser collimator to go with it. Soon to get a UO 2" Barlow, and some decent filters.

Cheers

[anthony2302749]

Hi all

I thought I will join in the spirit of sharing so please follow this link to check out my gear.;)

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~amcculloch/Equipment.htm

Anthony

[Striker]

You have seen my Set up in my observatory...now I have finished my travel set-up that I will be useing at star party's and for widefield shots either piggy back or prime focus with the orion ED80.

Its on a EQ5 with the Meade autostar and drives....thanks to Chris....

Tested indoors with the applied updated patches and have trained the drives...hope to test it out tonight...weather pending.

[bytor666]

Here's a new update on my gear since last time when everything was kinda "bare".
I've since bought and sold at least 16 eyepieces. This time I plan on keeping the Meade 14mm series 4000 UWA when I buy another one next week, I am also getting a 27mm Panoptic and I now have the speers waler 5-8mm Zoom eyepiece. I also have the 10mm Pentax XW on my wishlist.
Here's my rig and eyepieces everybody!!!

The only eyepieces i have left in this pic here is the 2" GSO Barlow and the extension tube on the left.
I now have a 27mm Panoptic on the way , a 14mm series 4000 UWA, (the one in the pic was sold because I wanted a Pentax 14mm XW and since have sold it because in my f/5 scope the meade 14m UWA has way better edge correction) ,and of course I have the new Speers Waler 5-8mm Zoom EP.

I can't wait to see that test on the 14mm UWA, Pentax XW 14mm, and the 13mm Nag Type 6 I think it was.!!!!!
----------------------
Mark
12" GSO Reflector

[SpaceGeek]

Alright, now. Da first pic is my SkyWatcher 90mm Maksutov Cassegrain on an EQ1 mount (in anuther thread i said it wos a Schmidt Cassegrain :doh:, sorry bout da confusion ). I have had it for 'round 2 yrs. It has a red dot finder, 10mm, 25mm, diagonal and 2X Barlow.:D

Da second one is da one that my grandparents are paying half for and i have to pay the rest off by working. As u can see, it is a Celestron CPC 800 GPS wit StarBright XLT coatings on a dual fork mount. NexStar controller and SkyAlign as well. :cool: :jawdrop:

Hope u hav fun droolin';)

[Ambermile]

Hi All. Best join in here as well ;) Just got rid of the LX200 12" in the pic in prefence for an EQ6 Pro and some widefield scopes for when I get round to building a cam for myself. So, first pic old scope, second pic current ones...

[xstream]

Probably about time I put a few piccies in.
Anna's scope and viewing area.

[mick pinner]

nice work guys, looks good

[Heian]

Thought I'd add to the list...

Finished shelter to this level just in time for the clouds to roll in for the last month or so. Intention is to put some thin plywood inside to stop ambient light. At the moment, the bamboo screen it makes a big difference to the amount of wind blowing around the scope:) , it even has full approval of "she who must be obeyed" :prey2:

The pier is a piece of 200mm galvanised dust collector pipe full of concrete, and about 800mm below ground. The wedge is 25mm plywood, bolted into the pipe.

[Stu]

Here it is! :cool:

Widefield GoTo bonanza!
Complete with finger prints on the OTA...

Just lacks an SBIG camera.

[TidaLpHasE]

:) This is my EQ6/ED80 set-up, it doesn't stack up to that thing of beauty Stu has posted, but i love it, will love it even more once i get my polar alignment up to standard.

[Striker]

Looks similar to what my travel set up will lookTrevor.

[Glenn Dawes]

Hi guys,

Here's my gear. There is a C8 on a super polaris mount which has a full aperture solar filter and a standard Bintel 10" dob when I just want to throw something in the car and head for darker skies.

Regards

Glenn

[33South]

Looks great, not saying that just because its the same as mine.

Chris

[rumples riot]

Can't see it Glenn.

[atalas]

And this is what I've got at the moment :)

[Glenn Dawes]

Hi Rumples,

Sorry, I think the original jpg's were too large, let's try again.

Glenn

[Sausageman]

Hey guy's,
The LX200GPS-SCT 10' arrived today.
I put it together and had a glamour photo shoot done.
Here is the Pic.
I will test it out tonight, we have 5 planets to look at and the whole universe to explore.
First light report to follow tomorrow.

Mike

[Orion]

I've noticed that I didn't put a picture of my telescope in here yet, this is it minus the EQ.... :)

[h0ughy]

tell the truth Ed, its really the one in the background, the one in the forground is special effects prop left over from star wars.... :lol: :P

[Orion]

Yeh it was a hassle picking it up every time the wind blew it down.

[h0ughy]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[atalas]

Love your scope Ed ! a work of art mate,well done . :)

[Orion]

Thanks Louie.

[mickoking]

Cobbers,

Here is one of my 'scopes the skywatcher 120 with customized knobs, enjoy.


I will photograph my other scopes in the next few days.

[mickoking]

G,day

As promised here is another one of my scopes the 80mm short tube. I have also replaced the plastic knobs on this, got a better diagonal and made the tripod attachment out of jarrah and chopsticks. When my daughter was young she pushed the telescope and the tripod it was attached to over and it smashed the plastic base.

[Striker]

Ok here we go again....my 6 monthly update on my Equipment.....you have to admit I did say I was keeping my C11 and EQ6 till the end of last year minimum.....and I did...but I now have to update my Observatory with the G11 mount.

[rumples riot]

Nice setup up Tony.

[rochler]

Here's the upgraded scope then.

The OTA is still the same cheapie, but good enough for the moment. I pulled it to bits & did some work on it over the xmas break. I've just resprayed the inside with a 'wrinkle plus' black paint, which seems to deaden down the light reflections inside the tube quite a bit. I've also given the outside a nice 'venetian red' duco, with a few coats of clear.

But more importantly I now have a much nicer & sturdier mount - thanx to westsky (David) I picked up a nice CG-5 GT at a good price. Works a treat and should be just the ticket for doing some pics down the track.

:nerd:

[mickoking]

Hey, your scope looks great, hopefully It will inspire me to do up my stockers :)

[mickoking]

Here is the last of my telescopes 250mm GSO Dob. Havent started customizing it yet but I want to get a crayford focuser and to paint the tube white for starters. I am standing next to the Dob and need lot's of customizing ;)

[rochler]

Yer dob looks gr8 mate! Wish I had it hehe.... I'd leave the paint job for a rainy weekend though, you'd be HEAPS better off with a crayford. A paint job only looks good whereas a crayford IS good.... ;)

[JohnG]

My setup and equipment.

JohnG

[matt]

Here's my new Celestron 9.25 atop the Skywatcher EQ6 and SynScan getting ready for some imaging:)

Will post some pix of the 8" f5 on the EQ5 soon.

[rumples riot]

Looks just like my scope matt, except I have a home made dew shield

[ving]

time for an update...
i have posted this before on a seperate thread tho...
my 8" newt on a starfinder mount (thnx to chris)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/ving68/8inch_dob/th_attachment.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/ving68/8inch_dob/attachment.jpg)

[matt]

Hey Rumples.

Ain't they a sweet looking outfit?:)

Yeah, I thought about making my own dewshield but then thought "why rob myself of spending even more money on astro gear", even the most basic of home-makeables?:lol:

[rumples riot]

Nice Vingo, what is the mount, where did you get it?

Matt, yeah I understand. I had to make mine while I was away down south. The dew there was pretty severe. Went to a camping store, bought a camp roll and some tap, ploy glue and sat in the caravan while it was raining and the girl was sleeping and made it. Cost $22.00 and 2 hours of my time. I think the test was on also, so I had a great afternoon. Nice and peaceful and productive.

[matt]

That's a pleasant scene Rumples.

It's been years since I stayed in a caravan on the coast. Strange, coz I love "vanning" it.

[Lester]

G'day all,
I will try and get some photos on here of my gear (got lots to learn when it comes to computers). 16" Meade f4.5 newtonian and 8" Celestron SCT both mounted on Astro Optical Supplies "Goliath" mount. Thomas Matthis 14" RA drive, 24" Dec tangent arm, controlled manually by push button hand control.

Have ordered 14"SCT Meade OTA to replace both telescopes, (should arrive within next month). Just purchased Canon 20Da, 50mm f1.4 and 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 lenses.

Telescopes housed in rotating observatory, which I built 32years ago at age 16. When observatory was first completed it was a dome shape, but when I added the 16" newtonian, enlarged the opening and altered the shape slightly. Also on first completion there were many uninvited guests (Inch ants) so I built a moat around the cement wall which is filled with water and has a layer of sump oil on top. As the dome extends down into the moat almost no dust gets inside either.

:help: Now can someone please tell me how to attach photos to this. Are photos still toooooo large; :astron:

[rumples riot]

That's a nice looking observatory you have there. And no doubt nice dark skies to boot. Whats your seeing like there?

I would like to see an enlarged image of the mount itself. The first image is a little small and hard to see, even with good eyesight.

[davidpretorius]

awesome lester!

[Lester]

g'day Paul,

The skies are very dark, don't know what the naked eye limit is (I will get onto that one day) Can just see the glow of Pt Lincoln 2 degrees up from the southern horizon. I will include another photo of the mount.:astron:Been trying for 2 hours to down load photo not having much luck. By this time others may have replied to my first message; so G'day all.

[rumples riot]

Very nice, looks very sturdy.

[mick pinner]

l have been looking for a scope/mount combination to use as a travel scope, l just got a Meade LXD 75 and attached the 152mm refractor and it seems a good combination.

lt balances nicely with just the original counterweight and seems to drive effortlessly in both axiis with no apparent strain at all.

l will do a complete review once l've had a chance to have a few observing sessions.

lt comes with Autostar Go-To and has a PEC training feature.

[Sonia]

Heres what i use,
The etx 90 GOTO
celestron 675 powerseeker
And soon to get this..http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/detail.php?id=13

[astronut]

Hi Sonia, That's a great setup you have there.Here's a picture of my workhorse, ignore the "handsome" fella in the picture. I'm waiting for the Meade lightbridge scopes to arrive in OZ. My new scope will be a 12". Cheers, from another hot Sydney day ( 35C ):scared: John.

[Mikezoom]

MickoKing.... where did you get that FUNKY shirt??????

Mike.B.

[mickoking]

Kuta, Bali. I love the batik shirt's the Indonesians wear, very cool :cool:

[Ziggy Stardust]

told you all about the toys before, but here they are now in the right forum..

Tony

ps, the observatory is now a few months away and will soon make its flash and smoke appearance :prey2: :cool:

[JohnH]

Here is the VC200L on the Sphinx/Starbook with an 80mm Saxon spotter set up for guiding. I use the LPI as a guidecam (and for lunar/planetary imaging), Canon 20d via an F6.3 FR for DSOs. Guidedog for guiding. Just ordered Images Plus.

[mickoking]

G,day Astronut,

Love yer refractor, they don't make em like that anymore.

[Mikezoom]

My new GF...... er... scope!



Sorry baby. :whistle:

[mickoking]

G,day Mike,

New 'scope just like my new one, SWEEEEEEEEEEET. Maybe our Dobs can get together and make baby Dobs :rofl:

[astronut]

Thanks Mick, My refractor has gone all red now and is embarrassed.
They certainly don't make them like that anymore. You could leave it set up in a cyclone and it would not topple over. I'm going to miss the deep contrast images when I change over to the reflector. John

[ving]

it's chris's old meade :D

[[1ponders]]

John you have the guidescope attachment I have been dreaming of :eyepop: Is that a standard sphinx attachment or is it custom made. It would be perfect from mounting a 8" or 9.25 sct with an orion ed 80 Guidescope on a Losmandy GM8 and not overburden it. Gary Beal (gbeal) and I talked about exactly the same sort of thing awhile ago, to use a guidescope to replace some of the counterweights and enable us to carry a bigger imaging scope on smaller capacity mounts. That setup on my GM8 would be my perect travel setup.

Where did you get it from ?????? :prey::prey::prey:

[rogerg]

John - great setup you have there. :thumbsup: I've always wanted a Sphinx, they look like a great easy to use, capable mount. I almost bought one but then got my Losmandy GM8 instead. I'm happy with the GM8 but gez the Sphinx still looks good.

How do you find it for imaging? Do they have PEC on it yet? When I was looking there was talk of it being available.

Roger.

[barees63]

Here's mine..

http://www.zitafarm.com/astro/scope.jpg

[JohnH]

Sphinx is very cool and easy to operate with the Starbook - I particularly like the align as you go capability, lets me get going quick. There is no PEC on the Sphinx yet - however the native PEC is low (I measured 8" approx at 1800m fl) and smooth so it guides out well.

The counterweight shaft mount is a standard Vixen Part - it is mostly for a camera and that is how I use it now - I have had to abandon that approach for the guidescope. It was good for balance without overloading the mount but I found two issues I could not solve the worst was the scope fouling the tripod/mount during slews the other was flexure/lack of rigidity with the spotter hanging off the ALT/AZ adjuster. I am sure it is solvable however I have now gone for over/under, I did manage to avoid going to rings for the main tube by purchasing a mini dovetail system now it looks like this:

[obga]

Here is my new friend. His name is SAMU :rofl:

[leon]

My 200mm Reflector and My new curved bolt Astro Drive, both home built

[EzyStyles]

Too embarassed to show you guys my equipment. Just know that I have poor man's gear. :(

[Hitchhiker]

But you certainly get great results with your gear! :thumbsup:

[macguru9999]

I have ordered a meade 80mm/480mmFL APO scope to go on top of my C8 but i'm sick of waiting, & besides I always wanted to try a Mak so I bought this C90 spotter to use as a temporary guidescope & to use as a super telephoto lens. The rings are Losmandy 125mm. The guide cam is a Meade DSI (using autostar SW on a compaq laptop). I also have a toucam (& guidedog). The mount is a Meade LX-75 which works amazingly well. It aligns , drives & guides so i cant complain. I think a more robust mount would not hurt, but i would hate to give up the autostar software & handset - it really works well. I will post some photos soon.

Andrew

[toc]

Here is my C8 atop a home made fixed tripod...Note the cute Autostar modded gears...:D

[DaveO]

Hi all

After much soul searching and the inevitable wait for stock to get to Australia, I finally have my new SkyWatcher 10" on an EQ6 GOTO mount.

Thanks to all those who attempted to help (or confuse) the decision.

Of course the arrival of the scope was predictably accompanied by the breaking of months of dry weather here in Brissie!

[dugnsuz]

Hi DaveO,
Very nice set-up.
The mount matches your speakers too!!!:D
I would love a GOTO mount for my 12"!!!
JEALOUS!!!!!!:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2:
Now for premium EPs! (The WO's don't count unless they are UWAs!!!!):P
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[DaveO]

Oh, there's always more toys to spend your hard earned dollars on! The WO is only a SWAN, not an UWA, but this too shall come!

I just want the rain to stop now so I can move to first light!

[ballaratdragons]

About time I updated my posting in here since I have made a few changes.

What was a GS 12" Deluxe Dob is now a monster!

Pic 1: GS f5 12" reflector/dob with John Dobson's Autograph, Cooling fan, Crayford Focuser, Saxon ED80 Auxillary scope with GS right-angle finder with adjustable red-light crosshair illumination, Orion Accufocus electronic focuser, Toucam 840k Pro II, Red Dot Finder.

All perched on top of a montrous restored Home-made Heavy Duty GEM mount, and all computer controlled. (no GoTo)

Boy! That's a mouth full!! :lol:

Pic 2: The guts of the Mount! To give you an idea of the size of this beast, this section sits at about eye level when standing next to the mount.

[Starkler]

Ken, if John Dobson saw what you have done with the ota he would be attacking it with metho and a rag to take his autograph back :lol:

I like the eq mount :cool:, do the setting circles work well ?

[ballaratdragons]

Yeah, pretty ironic ain't it Geoff. The man who promotes simplicity and basics in Astronomy and I stick his name up in a computer controlled EQ bohemeth. He would cringe! :D

I don't know how to use setting circles :shrug:
but they look good :rofl:

[Starkler]

The setting circles should be able to rotate freely of mount axis to "calibrate" the position, and then be locked to the axis to allow you to find objects by RA and Dec. reading off pointers on the setting circles.

What computerising does the mount have Ken ?

[dugnsuz]

I was only joking DaveO, from where I'm sitting a SWAN would be pretty nice too!!
Cheers
Doug:thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

Stepper Program for the tracking, Geoff. Plus the Toucam program and electronic focusing. The kind of stuff that Mr Dobson would take off and throw out :lol:

[ving]

yeah you are right ezy.... tell ya what, i'll swap ya! :P

[Jupiter]

Here she is! 10" dob, brand spanking new.

[Shawn]

taken with the 350D.....:P

[Starkler]

For those that might have missed this thread (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=9484), here is my handy dandy grab-and-go 130mm newt before and after my 2" focuser upgrade mod.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11855&d=1145961361
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=11853&d=1145961311
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13389&d=1150098768

[smersh]

Here's my stuff :D

[Dave47tuc]

Hi:)

Here is my latest set up. I like it even thou some think that the mount is
"Chinese crappo mounts":rolleyes:

I think its a solid set up and I hope to have many night under the stars with it.:)

[mick pinner]

good luck with it Dave, it looks like a fine setup and l hope you have many clear nights to enjoy it.

[norm]

Least you have a scope and mount !!!:) For what its worth I think its a nice looking setup.:thumbsup:

[astroron]

Nice looking setup there Dave :eyepop: I hope you have many good nights observing with it :astron: :stargaze: :thumbsup:

[[1ponders]]

:lol:

I thought I was looking at my own setup when I saw that second picture smersh, until I saw it was fork and wedge mounted.

Hi. My name is paul and I have cable addiction :lol:

[Astroman]

Here is my new scope on its newly made mount, which was a copy of the original base. This night the moon was full so not much observing got done so I decided to take a pic of it. Oops forgot to add this is an 200mm f6 Skywatcher telescope, with Orion accufocus (not shown)

[Lester]

Hi Andrew,

Looks very nice, hope it gives you hours of enjoyment.

[leon]

My F/7 newt and curved bolt astro drives setup at home, but now there is a new ED 80 on it's new pier, as well.

Cheers leon

[ballaratdragons]

Leon,

I love Pic number 2. Far better than number 1. :lol:

[Astroman]

I actually like #1 better.... but both #1 & #2 are great if you cross your eyes :P

[Omaroo]

Here's my little baby. Mods to come.......

Cheers
Chris

[astronut]

Here's my baby, with all its mods done.....................for now!!:lol:

[Ric]

I haven't got a picture of the LX200R 12", but I think everyone has a fair idea of what they look like.
Heres one of my Celestron C8, she is 30 years old and still performs very well, good for keeping the old skills sharp no GOTO here.

cheers

:astron:

[Astroman]

Very Nice scope Ric, one to hold onto that one.

[dabsond]

You can see all of my equipment at my website. Check it out. I really like feedback on it. Thanks.

http://www.dabsonastronomy.com

[ving]

g'day dan and welcome aboard! :)

you have alot of telescopes :D

[grl570810]

From your 2005 SPSP report...

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/image_zoom.php?show=MWU0YjEyMGZmN2M yY2EwNTBlNzg4MGNiZjgwY2Y0NjguanBnP3 dpZHRoPSI1MjUiIGhlaWdodD0iNzAwIg==

One small point - it isn't a SkyScan as they hadn't been released when I bought this one. Don't need no steenkin' goto anyway!

[TomD]

Attached are some pics of my Stellarvue SV105 and DiscMounts DM-4 alt-az mount w/Sky Commander DSC :)

[Astroman]

Nice setup Tom, and :welcome:

[John K]

May as well add to this!

JMI NGT12.5 with OMI optics and a Protostar secondary. SO a 12.5" f/5.1 Newtonian.

Images here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkazanas/sets/72157594183210993/

The best part about the scope is the low eyepiece height, extreme portability and ultra high quality optics which I paid a premium to OMI for with the following specs: PV Wave .13, RMS 0.17 and a Strehl Ratio of 0.99 http://www.opticalmechanics.com/12-40-050605.htm which make the optics something like 1/18 wave or better. The Secondary is 1/20 wave with Inferogram from Protostar.

Currently working on way to now effectively cool the mirror!

[TomD]

Thank you, Andrew.

Tom

[rogercrespo]

Hello friends,

Nice being here in this great forum.

Let me show my equipement...

My 6" Celestron Reflector:

17400


Here my 12" GSO Dob with some modifications(setting circles, 5 fans, power supply and wheels):

17401


cheers

Roger

[olympusmons]

Hi,
Here is the URL to my whole equipment set up. There are too many pictures to post them all here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sg.waters/

Regards
Stewart

[bytor666]

Here's my 8" reflector...fully flocked & modded :)

[Astroman]

OKay I will confess I am as happy as a pig in you know what right now. New Son, new EQ6 a week off work, how can it get any better :) Oh yeah, need the clouds and rain to piss off. Here is a pic of the 8" pirched on top of the EQ6.
Oh yeah sorry about the ugly ******* in the pic.

[bytor666]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thats a very nice telescope and quite the mount yoiu have there. Congrats on the equipment and new son !!! :thumbsup:

[circumpolar]

This is my 12" Light Bridge with Argo Navis and kit.

The next job is to attach a pole to the mount that will hold the Argo Navis at waist height.

[Geoff45]

My small scope: WO ZS110 Apo on Losmandy gm8

[dcalleja]

Heres my scope - an LX90

Dan

[stephenmcnelley]

Hi there, after a nice lunch and some cleansing ales with friends one afternoon, we decided to repaint and clean up the 10" Dob. Not sure about the results yet, but it is only a coat of paint. The womenfolk present had a bit to do with the star stencilling on tht tube....
Paint is a hammerfinish bermuda blue, i think.

Also here is the perv on Fraser Island lunchtime weapon of choice, the good old 8" dob with high tech counterbalance system;)

Cheers,
Steve.

[mark curtis]

hello folks
Here are my goodies I just wish i had a really dark place to have it all.
photo #:
1-myself at the meade 7 inch F9 LXD75 APO refractor
2-the 15 inch F4.5 newtonion with a 76mm F14 guide scope
3-my partners in crime, and myself (kneeling)
4-the 15 inch roll off observatory ready for solar work
5-the 7 inch APO with the sbig STV CCD on the guide scope and a sbig ST-6 on the main
6-goodies
7-an optec SSP3 photometer
8-myself standing beside the 7 inch APO observatory on the day it was finished

[iceman]

Stunning array of equipment, Mark! I look forward to your contributions here.

[acropolite]

Impressive toys, welcome to IIS Mark.

[ballaratdragons]

WOW, Mark! Nice set-up.

I'll swap you my 12" reflector for your 7" APO. :thumbsup:

You get 12" of apature and I' suffer with the smaller 7". Sounds fair to me :lol:

[stephenmcnelley]

Great to see some serious hardware, it would make for a very demanding time and a lot of work mixed in with the fun!

[Phil]

This is me and my set up. Hope you all like:thumbsup:

[ving]

time for an update...

[ballaratdragons]

Hi Mr Ving. :)

Welcome to IceInSpace. Nice scope and mount.
Enjoy your stay here. We're a friendly bunch . . . really.
I'd say you might be a cheeky sort of lad going by that smile (or smirk).

HEY! You've added tee-tree panels to your shed!!! :lol:

[ving]

lol, thanks ken. it hasnt been an easy raod i can tell yoiu! i worked day and night for years on end to get that smile perfected for this very post :P

the panels where part on my wedding decorations... we left them there cause cheryl likes them and because the street light that normally reflects off the shed doesnt any more.... still shines in the back yard but at least theres less reflected light now.
i'd still prefer a c8 on the mount but i also want world peace...

[ballaratdragons]

You got married! I hope Cheryl knows about this :lol:

Congrats mate! :rockband:

[ving]

thanks mate :)
she is aware... i hope :P

[sejanus]

not yet sure if I'll keep the fork mount but it is a pretty darn nice setup if I may say :)

[ving]

looks like a very nice setup. I'd say keep both as they are unique to each other in what they do :) visually the ed80 isnt going to be anywhere near as good due to aperture :)

[Outbackmanyep]

Ok everyone, heres the scope and camera set-up in my backyard in balmy Walcha.

Its a 91/92 Celestron Ultima 8" PEC on Deluxe Equatorial wedge and tripod.
Also have the Celestron Focus motor and Dec motor.
Celestron 1.25" Star Diagonal
I use the Minolta 7000 AF SLR with elec. cable release.
9mm Meade Series 4000 Illuminated reticle guiding eyepiece.( the only thing i own of meade! :lol: )
Celestron Radial Guider
Celestron f/6.3 focal reducer/corrector
25mm Celestron SMA Wide angle.
Celestron 12.5mm X-Cel.
Celestron Ultima 2X barlow
I have Astro-Master as well.
A selection of GSO Plossl eyepieces that i use with my 10" f/5 Dob.

Slowly but gradually building up my eyepieces, i'd love to have a Nagler but cant afford as yet!

Cheers!:D

[stephenmcnelley]

Nice celestron setup outback man, and green grass !!

Why is your text that awfully bright blue colour, its a bit hard on the eyes.... specially at night.

[Outbackmanyep]

Sorry Steve, its my "signature" typing...
Hows the thinner version??

Yeah, the green grass was there 12 months ago when the pic was taken, and its only recently become green!
Good thing is in the Autumn/winter time i dont have to touch a lawn mower for 6 months or so!

Scope is in great condition and it takes awesome pics, i just have to worm my way into digital astrophotography when i can afford it!

Cheers!

[ballaratdragons]

Hey Steve, what a fantastic EP rack!!!!

How about a 'How to' in another thread!

Below is your pic that I'm talking about:

[Astroman]

Now thats an eyepiece rack....

[stephenmcnelley]

OK Ken will throw a few close up pickies in another thread later today, its pretty simple to knock up and wont need much explanation.:)

[allan gould]

This is my current imaging set up of 8" celestron side by side mounted with 70x500 mm guidescope. All on HEQ5-Pro SynScanV3.1 mount. Have added a WO fine focusser to the 8" so that I can use a parfocal ronchi eyepiece and diagonal which slips out and the camera slips in - perfect focus for the DSLR.

[rsbfoto]

Hi,

Here is a new member from the Americas and this is my Observatory equipment

http://www.rainerehlert.com/astro/ObsSetUp01.jpg

A Takahashi Mewlon 250S and a FS-78

and here my Studio equipment where I mainly test my stuff

http://www.rainerehlert.com/astro/TOA130-SP03.jpg

a Takahashi TOA 130 and severeal different Canon lenses using Lumenera and DMK cameras as well as modified Canon DSLR's

[sejanus]

hopefully the final iteration of my equipment!

http://www.gavincato.com/tmp/vixened80.jpg

[g__day]

Here's my stuff - finally all working nicely!

[higginsdj]

Here's my automated setup. Details about the fitout can be found here:
http://www.david-higgins.com/Astronomy/fitout.htm

[leon]

Hi Guys This is my new Imaging set-up

Takahashi FSQ-106, G11 Mount with Gemini Go-To, Canon 5D, plus some bits and pieces.

Cheers Leon :thumbsup:

[montewilson]

Hi Guys,
This is my first post with this site. I have been into Astronomy since 1991 but only recently got this equipment.

As you can see I am a bit of a Takahashi nut.

I am a member of the ASNSW and was president of the soc in 2002 and 2003. I generally only use it up at Ilford each month but I am trying to get better set up for use in Sydney. I hope I can contribute as much to the IIS community as I think I'll get from being part of it.

Regards

Monte

[ausastronomer]

Hi Monte,

:welcome: to IIS.

It's great to have another skilled imager in the IIS community. Whilst I don't know much about imaging, I have seen Monte's set up at Ilford working by remote control from the house, combined with petrol generator and it's a pretty cool bit of gear.

Clear Skies
John Bambury

[iceman]

Welcome to IIS Monte! Great to have you here.

I look forward to your contributions and to seeing your images!

[montewilson]

Mike can just let you know how impressed I am with the functionality of the site? It is a pleasure to use and I haven't found anything that doesn't work or make sense. Congrats.

[h0ughy]

what a nice setup monte