Show us your equipment!

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Hi all thought I would show off my new/old mount I grabbed off Zane here last week , it arrived yesterday .

Its a very nice bit of gear , very very solid and last night on the moon discovered it tracks beautifully , and once adjusted and balenced the slip clutches allow extreemly smooth movements around the sky and slo/mo controls work excellently , I am impressed .

As you see it holds the iStar with ease and a hard ! smack on the tube dampens in about 1 second , impressive solidness . Just look at those legs !! I am a bit of a leg man myself .

I will post more when I fit the C9.25 .

Brian.

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Ooooh .... nice legs eh ..!!

Flash ....

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Ahhhh ,,,, another leg maN ....
Brian,

Originally Posted by FlashDrive

Ooooh .... nice legs eh ..!!

Flash ....

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

If anyone's interested , here is my C9.25 on the CI-700.
Brian.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

I believe Celestron missed the boat , so to speak on this set up as I used it last night and its a match made in heaven .

These 2 products comlpiment each other so well , 500x on Jupiter and the image hardly moved as I focused using the FT focuser and the detail seen was impressive ! , watched the GRS move into view and needless to say today at work was tough .

I like this mount and I dont need a Losmandy G11 at over 3x the price and all I will say is , if anyone out there like me who aint rich and gets a chance to grab one of these ,,, I SAY grab IT !! .

I know this will ruffle a few feathers out there in 'mount land' , but I dont care .

The CI-700 is a great mount and it's a shame they aint made anymore . A great loss to us amature astronomers everywhere .

Brian.

[DJT (David)]

Just couldn't cope with the VXL12-12L on a GEM for visual so cobbled together a dob mount a la Stellafane so I can enjoy some views.

Much fun was had putting this together and I finally found a purpose for a router.

Clear skies

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Originally Posted by DJT

Just couldn't cope with the VXL12-12L on a GEM for visual so cobbled together a dob mount a la Stellafane so I can enjoy some views.

Much fun was had putting this together and I finally found a purpose for a router.

Clear skies

David .... way to go mate ...much simpler to use to.

Col....

[Kunama]

Originally Posted by DJT

Just couldn't cope with the VXL12-12L on a GEM for visual so cobbled together a dob mount a la Stellafane so I can enjoy some views.

Much fun was had putting this together and I finally found a purpose for a router.

Clear skies

Your neck will thank you David, nicely done

[Somnium (Aidan)]

probably the last additions i will make to my imaging equipment for a while. gear includes;
AGO iDK 14.5 with thermal control system
Paramount MX+
Optec Gemini rotating focuser
MMOAG
Lodestar X2
FLI CFW 2-7
FLI microline 8300

i am very happy with the set up

[Atmos (Colin)]

So envious Aidan!

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Atmos

So envious Aidan!

your sextuplet should be a different but equally impressive beast

[Atmos (Colin)]

Pick it up Wednesday afternoon. First light will hopefully be at the Tak party, even if it is heracy

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Atmos

Pick it up Wednesday afternoon. First light will hopefully be at the Tak party, even if it is heracy

i will look forward to seeing that, first light for me has been hindered by the inevitable persistent cloud cover, should be able to get something this week. i spent the weekend cleaning up the cables at the back and running a new tpoint model when i could see the stars.

[Atmos (Colin)]

Getting away from the clouds is why heading interstate is a good idea haha

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Now the original focuser was not all that good being made of ' plastic ' ...had a bit of ' slop ' in it and a bit ' gritty ' in operation.

I didn't really like it that way, so I got in touch with Ron Newman of ' MoonLite ' Focusers. Took some photos of my sad looking Focuser and also a ' digital ' measurement of the ' ID ' of the focuser end of the OTA.

Ron went the extra mile and machined down a ' stock unit ' to my required dimensions.

I asked for a ' single ' speed unit ( the focuser is worth more than the OTA ) ... to keep the costs down but still retain an excellent Focuser.

I did all this because the optics ( 80mm f/15 ) is clean as a whistle and performs very well.....I just had to ' pimp ' it up and make it look better.

All I need now is a set of Rings for it.

I contacted Peter Tan who will make up a set to suit this Scope....they haven't arrived yet.

A 'classic ' Scope bought back to life ....

Pretty good outcome I reckon.

Col.....

[MortonH]

Very nice, Col.

What are you going to mount it on?

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Originally Posted by MortonH

Very nice, Col.

What are you going to mount it on?

put it on the FTX....
Just got an email from Peter Tan....Rings being shipped out next week....

Can't wait to set this up and look at Jupiter.

I'd imagine there be no ' CA ' at f/15

Col...

[Kunama]

Originally Posted by FlashDrive

put it on the FTX....
Just got an email from Peter Tan....Rings being shipped out next week....

Can't wait to set this up and look at Jupiter.

I'd imagine there be no ' CA ' at f/15

Col...

Maybe you and Lewis should go into business resurrecting telescopes

Looks nice, I'll be up that way in July to test it out...

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Originally Posted by Kunama

Look nice, I'll be up that way in July to test it out...

Be my guest.... and no ... you can't take it with you...!!

Poppy...

[Kunama]

Originally Posted by FlashDrive

Be my guest.... and no ... you can't leave with it...!!

Poppy...

Still it would make a nice finderscope for my reflector
I was going to use the FC100DL as a finder but this might suit 'the look'