NSW Northern Rivers 2008

[GrahamL]

I got a type 5 16 mm mate er relief is tight but very crisp views right to the edge..my pentax dosn't quite come to focus with my longer adapter so i got a couple of standard ones and hopwe to give it another go today.

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

I got a type 5 16 mm mate er relief is tight but very crisp views right to the edge..my pentax dosn't quite come to focus with my longer adapter so i got a couple of standard ones and hopwe to give it another go today.

Nice one I've heard a bit about the 16mm t5, was thinking of buying
one around the time I brought my 14mm XW. Look forward to giving it
a whirl.

I started poly glossing the rocker box, mirror box lid, split blocks and Alt
bearings today. And what do you know, had everything sitting outside
and it started to rain, not long after I finished the first coat... oh well no
real damage done and it's all under cover now.

regards,CS

[CoombellKid]

I got out Jake's 8" this evening, since it will about about the last time I use
it. Got a few objects in before the cloud rolled in had a chance to try
out the 20mm t5 + OIII filter combo. The Veil about 25 degrees
off the NE horizon looked awesome. I also spotted Carina about 10 degrees
off the SSW horizon poking through clear patch, that was another Wow!
cant wait until that is high in the sky again. Anyways had a quick look
at the Dumbbell and the Ring nebs with the OIII filter screwed onto the
1.25" adaptor and used my 14mm XW, the Ring stuck out beautifully but
the Dumbell was more wash with misty cloud. Then it pretty much clouded
out putting and end to the session. I've left the scope out covered just
in case I wake early and it's clear. Orion will be starting to get up there
early. Might try for a shot at the Horsehead with the HB filter.

regards,CS

[GrahamL]

I tried my pentax out last night .. very nice eyepiece for the price
yeah I've been thinking of leving the scope out of late as its been clearing up in the early morning.

Tried the new scope yet mate ?

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

I tried my pentax out last night .. very nice eyepiece for the price
yeah I've been thinking of leving the scope out of late as its been clearing up in the early morning.

Lovely this morning... better than last night. I got out there about 4am but
even with the scope covered up the secondary was all dewed up. Couldn't
find the hairdryer I use for dew and the view was pretty mushy.

Originally Posted by nightstalker

Tried the new scope yet mate ?

Almost there... just been doing the zillion little things that you forget
about but take time. The big thing now is the poly glossing is all finished.
The laminate is presently being glued to the bottom of the rocker box, later
tonight I'll install the teflon pads and drill the pivot and brushes holes
through the laminate on the rocker box. I'll also install the teflon pads on
the ground board. The Alt bearings are ready to be installed. Last night I
siliconed the DG2 onto the secondary and completed the top end wiring
on the SC and also wired up the power connectors for the split blocks.
Tomorrow night at the earliest it should be ready to star test. Then it
will be a matter of set the drop saw up to trim the poles. I'm not going
to bother looking around too much. But once I have the poles to the
correct length I can then go on setup the splitblocks (daytime job)
and also install the upper power connectors on the truss poles. I'll also
polish the truss poles. I'm trying to source some armaflex or similar for
the poles but it has been difficult up here. My Calculations so far tell
me I'm 13,039gm/cm top heavy which equates to about a 362gms @
36cm from the pivot point down the mirror box. So I'm close .

Anyways here'sa couple of update pix, I've trimmed the mirror retaining
pins you see poking out of the bottom of the mirror cell. And I've cut the
battery connector off the DG2 as it's being hard wried into the system via
blade connectors.

regards,CS

[CoombellKid]

Mmmmm... might have to down tools tonight. Seems to be fairly clear
but the lil bit of crap that headed west an hour or two ago seems to be
heading back east. I've managed to find the hairdryer and have that setup
in case of an early morning session. Pitty that the jet stream has elevated
itself to 90-100 knots over head from about 70 knots last night. But I guess
the compromise is there are a lot less clouds.... hold on I'll just have
another look... lol... yup well what do you know... might as well pack up

But what was just lovely tonight was the conjunction of the Moon, Mars,
Mercury and Venus in the west early this evening. Here's photo... not
great camera gear but you should get the point lol.

regards,CS

[CoombellKid]

Got first light with the 16" tonight. Spent an hour or two trimming the poles
down until my ep's came into focus. Luckily it stayed clear long enough to
do that. I haven't screwed in the split blocks yet and it was only roughly
collimated. Still I did get a quick look at Jup's, M4, Antares, Alpha Centuri
but then it became too mushy for anything I waited about an hour or so
but it got worst so I pack it up. Luckily as it raining now. Still even though
it was 2/10 trans I was impressed with how many more stars I could see
in M4 compared to the 8". But the main thing is I got the poles trimmed to
the right length, all there is to do now is finish the wiring and install the
dew heaters, setup the split blocks and then start thinking about installing
the Argo Narvis and making a light shroud. It seems to have come out a
touch bottom heavy, especially towards the horizon.

regards,CS

[astro_south (Andrew)]

Looks great mate

2 options for the bottom heavy issue:

- get heavier eyepieces - ie 31mm Terminagler and use various 2" powermates to vary magnification

or

- swap out the 16" for say.....a 12.5" I might know a source that could be convinced to do a clean swap

[GrahamL]

looks great rob .. I'm finding it impossible to find any sort of clear nights of late .. 3 am through the week no problems .

Your scope must be nearlly done check the weather radars

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by astro_south

Looks great mate

2 options for the bottom heavy issue:

- get heavier eyepieces - ie 31mm Terminagler and use various 2" powermates to vary magnification

or

- swap out the 16" for say.....a 12.5" I might know a source that could be convinced to do a clean swap

Thanks Andrew, it taken a while to build, but we're finally geting there...
I think

I'm not too sure about option 2... but I can swap my 12, 9 & 7mm U/O
HD's. They come to 28mm if you tape them together end on end. The
bonus is you get 1 degree AFOV not that wasteful 82 degrees AFOV

regards,CS

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

looks great rob .. I'm finding it impossible to find any sort of clear nights of late .. 3 am through the week no problems .

Your scope must be nearlly done check the weather radars

Yes after about 2-3 months of reasonable weather. Except for the times
I wanted to get out in the shed and carry on building, but coudln't due to
the weather. I was kinda expecting crap weather to come. But at least
I was able to give it a quick whirl and get the poles trimmed. I was about
2 minites away from haveing a clear shot at the ring neb

Still a bit of work to do on it yet and I'm hoping to have a good crack at
installing the AN on the weekend.

Cheers

[GrahamL]

Did you get out last night mate ?..I had the old yes/no happening in the arvo ..decided it wasn't going to happen ..walked out on dark to a clear sky
took my scope out back to cool .. went inside ..an hour later the wife says you know its pouring rain ?..rushed out packed up .. another hour cyrstal
clear again and for the rest of the night .. I went for the beer option instead in the end .

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

Did you get out last night mate ?..I had the old yes/no happening in the arvo ..decided it wasn't going to happen ..walked out on dark to a clear sky
took my scope out back to cool .. went inside ..an hour later the wife says you know its pouring rain ?..rushed out packed up .. another hour cyrstal
clear again and for the rest of the night .. I went for the beer option instead in the end .

Nah I didn't with all the rain, we're flooded in yesterday Jake couldn't even
get to school. Yes it was a nice night but I decided against as the ground
is a swamp again. So I started installing the Argo Navis. If it stays clear
I will definitely be out tonight. I spent a few hours setting up the truss
so the SC was nicely centered and just drops into place. Checked the
power was getting to SC ok. It's pretty much complete. I'm just making
a pair of wheelburrow handles for it today so I can move it around the
place.

regards,CS

[glenc (Glen)]

Sounds like the 16" is nearly finished. Well done Rob.
Shall we meet at your place on 26/9?
We arrived home today.

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by glenc

Sounds like the 16" is nearly finished. Well done Rob.
Shall we meet at your place on 26/9?
We arrived home today.

Glen,

Welcome back home to the northern rivers... I hope your trip north was
worth it I know we would love a report:thumbsup :

And Yup! the 16" is finished. Started star teasing (kinda like star testing,
but with clouds) last Wednesday. But it's been clouded much since so
I'm waiting... but now the moon is coming into play, so I'm finishing the little
jobs.... still. I've been making a pedistal for the AN over the last few nights.
I tested the Argo Navis last night, I managed a 4 star alignment as the
clouds rolled back in... got a quick chance to ask it to point to Vega
which it did. 20 minites later it was raining. I must say I'm a little bewildered
with Wildcard. I'm having a small prob with a component of there Obsession
kit, I emailed them and they happily responded... but several emails since
about other quiries have gone unanswered. It's a little un-nerving since
I'm in the initial stages of setup

Tonight I'm trying to wire up the pedistal, but the $40 soldering iron I
brought from Mitre 10 is a piece of crap. I cant believe the amount
of money one spends on products these days only to find once you get
it home and use it, it's crap... does even do what it says it's meant to,
it 's 40 watt iron... the only thing that get to 40 watts of heat is the
handle..... cant even tin the nib... oh well 2 hous two solder joins and
in the fire it went

Anyways, I've managed a couple of great observations of o'l Jup's with
the 16" but nothing else yet. Haven't had a clear rainless night


regards,CS

[glenc (Glen)]

Observed from Mt Surprise airstrip one night and Undara airstrip for 3 nights. The first two nights were perfect, the last two we had a little bit of cloud. Saw most of the objects on my list.

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by glenc

Shall we meet at your place on 26/9?

Unfortunately I'll have both my boys for the first week of school holidays.
Although Jake is cool, Hayden will demand a lot of my attention. Maybe be
better the following Friday. But there will be a 4 day old moon that wont
be setting until 21:28.

regards,CS

[glenc (Glen)]

What about 19/9 or 20/9? The Moon rises are 10pm and 11pm respectively.

[GrahamL]

sounds like a great trip glen ... last night was 5 times I have sucked in the clouds as soon as I set my scope up..sunsets have been clear as a bell .

[Lismore Bloke (Paul)]

Did the same thing twice this week. Clear sunset, set up scope, come out to check - damn cloud and that small storm cell one night.

Had a quick look last night. Tried to track around with a 12mm EP and the images were dancing about like crazy. Very jittery. Might have to loosen off the bottom bolt a bit and maybe follow Glen and replace the teflon pads with bigger ones.