I am getting my first telescope very soon!!!! (For Christmas) A 6" Dobsonian Sky-watcher, 150mm!!! I just simply cannot wait! As soon as I do I will make sure that I post a picture of it here on this forum!! Can't wait!
Hi Sebastien
Merry Christmas and enjoy your new scope! Looking forward to your report on your first session with it.
Thankyou very much Matt! I will definetly write down my first sightings!! Everyday I can just imagine it sitting there, next to my small(but rather useful) desk of mine, looking out the window, into the sky. I cannot wait, to begin my settions of looking at our universe, always locking my door behind me, like that my parents cannot disturb me in my fields of observation
Thankyou very much Matt for the reply, and Merry Christmas to you to, I look forward to writing my observations down, and sharing them, and posting that picture of my telescope
Merry Christmas.
And welcome to the wider world.
You'll love your sw dob, they are a fantastic bit of gear.
Just follow all the recommended practices both here on the forums and on the bit of paper you get in the box, and you'll have no dramas.
Have a top christmas.
I was going to hold off on showing this off until the SBIG ST8300M was screwed onto the rear of it... I held off for over a week, but its finally gotten the better of me...
If you've ever wondered what an 8" diameter filter wheel would look like on the back of an 80mm telescope... Well... Here it is...
New Toys:
FLI CFW 2-7:
7 Position 2" filterwheel, Currently fully loaded with Astrodon LRGB I-Series 50mm unmounted and Astrodon 5nm Ha, SII and OIII unmounted filters...
Custom adapter between CFW and MPCC, Made by precise parts in Miami, This adapter is back focus matched for the ST8300, CFW and either the MPCC or the TV TRF-2008 0.8x reducer flattener (which have the same spacing requirements) so I can use the scope at F/6 or F/4.8 without needing separate adapters...
All this hangs out the rear of the OAG...
From what I can tell thus far, I'll be needing a longer dovetail as Its pretty well balanced now, however im sure once I add an 800g camera to the rear end it will become very rear heavy... The joys of being a metal worker..
Looks good, Alex. Actually it looks really big! I have one of these on order atm and was worrying about it being too much weight for the Tak focuser but I guess your set up is a worse case scenario. What's the off axis guider and how much back focus does it take up?
The OAG is the Lumicon 2" newtonian/refractor easy guider... its backfocus is 22mm.
The CFW 2-7 fully loaded is fairly damned heavy, my focuser easily handles it..... I've got a FT 2025 CBR on the way for the little baby TMB... Although I've got my eye squarely focused on the Tak FSQ-85EDX... All the upsides of the FSQ106 minus the weight and size... 44mm fully illuminated and fully corrected image circle, easy big enough for the KAF16803..
Oh, Yea, it is BIG!! I read the dimensions on the FLI site and thought, oh yeah, it'll be alright... it wont look too silly on the 80mm APO... Bumm Boww! Looks really really silly on the 80mm APO! ahaha!! Its not whats on the outside that counts, beauty is on the inside, and this little setup has a heart of gold! Which is good, because it cost a fair lump of gold!
first set up and sorting out of the new and not so new gear. the new 8" newt, with JMI focuser and Robo Focus, Stellavue 13 x 80 finder and 100mm ED guide scope with Orion Ezy Finder and Orion guider.
Nice one Mick! Is that the new tube freshly painted? Looks pretty damn schmiko!! The whole setup actually looks pretty slick.. I bet you're proud of that!
I only dream of such things Mick... Still no camera... Even if I had a camera, 100% cloud cover... Sigh... I'm living vicariously through the images posted on IIS!!
Here's the Servocat LB 16 kit adapted on the 12 inch Lightbridge.
How tall are you mate?? 6'5" 6'7"
12" Dob up on castors and your Argo/SC Handpad pedestal is as tall as the scope!!
I have a Servocat and Skycommander DSC waiting to be fitted to my 16" Lightbridge. I recieved it in October!! but still haven't found the time to fit it.....nor observe actually
Can you tell me how you drilled the base and groundboard for the servocat azimuth bearing assembly? I bought one of the recommended forstner drill bits to drill the hole, but the instructions also recommend a drill guide to hold the drill perpendicular to the base when drilling. I can't find one to buy anywhere?? Did you just drill by hand and pray the hole was straight. ie. does one have to be uber accurate when drilling the hole?
Sigh... I'm living vicariously through the images posted on IIS!! 
