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  #21  
Old 26-08-2011, 02:34 PM
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mozzie (Peter)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poita View Post
I get the feeling that is in my near future. I have a hunger for a sharper image.
Spent the morning perusing the sun, my favourite eyepiece so far is the Vixen 10mm LV, it gives the full disc, and lots of detail.

The TMB 5mm planetary has been good for a closer look at the proms, and gives about a 2/3 view of the sun.

You really do need to have a blanket over your head though to keep the side-glare out of your eyes.
glad to see it's on track,they are a great scope it's amazing how the sun changes over time...i have mine seeing all day when not working and come and go all day looking through it...... i need more then a towel over my bald head when viewing!!!!!! boy i got burnt last summer
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  #22  
Old 26-08-2011, 03:27 PM
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Stu Ward
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If my footy tipping comes in I'm treating myself to one of these !
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  #23  
Old 06-09-2011, 12:00 AM
Poita (Peter)
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Well, i got aperture fever and decided to mod the PST and try to mate it with a Skywatcher 90mm.

I learned a couple of things.

1) On my particular PST a tactical nuke could not remove the gold tube from the etalon.

2) If you are going to cut the tube instead, leave a long piece on there to serve as the nosepiece for the upgrade. I cut it off a bit short.

3) Plan on doing a stage2 mod (losing the black box) from the beginning. The weight and general unwieldiness of the black box, and the crappy prism mean that you will want to go stage 2 almost immediately anyway.

Results: Well, it is a bit wobbly at the moment, as I need to come up with a more substantial connection to the 90mm OTA than the cheap Meade 2" focuser. But the initial views are astoundingly better than through the unmodified PST. Much, much more detail, and can use far more powerful eyepieces to get a good look at the proms and surface details.

Now to work out how to go to stage 2 and lose the box for good.
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  #24  
Old 28-07-2012, 11:07 AM
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sungrazer (Karen)
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PST tuning adjustment

Hi

I just followed this guide for my PST (which only tuned for proms at the end of travel on the etalon) and what a great result.

Took all of 5 minutes to do - too easy. Saved me a trip to Bintel - but now I will need another excuse to go shopping :-)

Thanks for the tip!

cheers
Karen

Quote:
Originally Posted by Poita View Post
Still had the problem of the tuning.

With the PST you turn a collar on the barrel to bring the proms and surface details into view, you then use the focuser on the back to make them sharp.

On my PST the proms only come into view when the collar is turned all the way clockwise (when standing at the eyepiece end), there just isn't quite enough travel in the collar.

Feeling brave after my previous adventure, I followed this guide:
http://home.freeuk.com/m.gavin/pstfixx.htm
It was pretty easy. I used the Boa Constrictor to remove the gold tube - (much easier to remove than the eyepiece holder!).
Then being careful not to touch the etalon thing, I rolled back the rubber grip, and screwed the whole assembly back together.
I undid the screw under the tamper seal, and removed it completely and slid the collar off.
Underneath are adjustment holes. I rotated the adjustment ring 5 holes clockwise (looking from eyepiece end) and put the collar back on, screwing it into the new hole.

Oh my God what a difference!
The proms come into view now at about the midpoint of adjustment rather than at the end. I can adjust them to be so much more visible, it is like a new, better telescope. I can't believe how much better it is.

I'll probably be spending the rest of the day observing!

Thanks to all the PST hackers out there, without your guides I would have been happy with quite a sub-par experience as I wouldn't have known any better. Now this thing really rocks!
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  #25  
Old 29-07-2012, 10:48 PM
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2stroke (Jay)
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Great work peter its got me tempted to get one as at least if i cant get clears sky's at night at least theirs a chance to have some fun in the day
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