Why I ordered a SkyShedPod

avandonk · #1 26-08-2007, 07:24 PM

The pictures say it all! They also show the EQ6 with the Mel Bartels system I bought some time ago from an IIS member. What is really nice it has belt driven motors so there are no 'microjumps' due to gears. This is only annoying at long focal lengths ie at 1800mm with my TAL200K. It runs beautifully and autoguides like a dream.
I am still getting my head around the control program. I used Unix for years so DOS has no fears, only a learning curve for the intricacies of the controlling program.

Bert

leon · #2 26-08-2007, 08:16 PM

That looks very impressive Bert, but i'm sure you will, or already have mastered it.
Now for me thats another story.

Leon

acropolite (Phil) · #3 26-08-2007, 08:29 PM

Looks like a nice setup Bert, so have you really ordered a Skyshedpod or are you just teasing us...

avandonk · #4 26-08-2007, 08:39 PM

Yes Phil I really have. I am getting to old to rapidly get everything inside when it rains especially in the dark. I think the drought has spoilt us all! My justification is that $3k+ for a SkyShedPod is relatively cheap to protect $25k+ of equipment.

Bert

h0ughy (David) · #5 26-08-2007, 08:57 PM

sounds great Bert and I will be green with envy. nice setup too, but I hate DOS, you must be a very patient and clever man!

avandonk · #6 26-08-2007, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

sounds great Bert and I will be green with envy. nice setup too, but I hate DOS, you must be a very patient and clever man!

All you folks all thought those images fell out of the sky! They were stolen quite deliberately by very cunning means!!

IQ ratings of Bert
football 0
cricket 0
any other so called sport 0
science 180
complicated equipment 200

Note these are only approximate and may change with time.

I am not at all patient but a mans got to do what a mans got to do, if DOS is in the mix you have to go with it. I wonder if anyone has ported it to unix?

I will be very happy when I stop carrying very expensive equipment inside in the dark.

Bert

h0ughy (David) · #7 26-08-2007, 09:30 PM

Classic reply from a man of distinction!!!!

forgot to add photon collecting = 200

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #8 26-08-2007, 09:47 PM

I used Mels system for a few years and its great, very simple to use... Great work on the purchase Bert.

iceman (Mike) · #9 27-08-2007, 06:15 AM

Very nice Bert, look forward to seeing it housed. But I think you need to whippersnip

Lee · #10 27-08-2007, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

sounds great Bert and I will be green with envy. nice setup too, but I hate DOS, you must be a very patient and clever man!

At least DOS works most of the time h0ughy.... unlike another popular x86 based OS around.....

bojan · #11 27-08-2007, 10:25 AM

Hi Bert,
how much will be the postage for SkyShedPod?
I was also thinking of something like that....

avandonk · #12 27-08-2007, 12:23 PM

Bojan Matthew Lovell is organising a container of SkyShedPods. I will pm you the details.
Bert

Terry B · #13 28-08-2007, 02:53 PM

Nice grass!

Solanum · #14 29-08-2007, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avandonk

used Unix for years so DOS has no fears, only a learning curve for the intricacies of the controlling program.

Bert

Have you tried running it under 'dosbox'? It's a dos emulator for *nix. Has serial port access (I think!) and speed is usually OK. There's also 'dosemu' which is probably more feature full, but less easy to set up.

Would save you having to have a laptop dedicated to DOS......