#2321  
Old 01-01-2020, 04:54 PM
Wilso
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Tak heavy

Here’s my new to me Tak heavy set up thanks to classified Ice in space members!
Compared to my grab and go Pm-1 mount set up it’s a brute. The big tripod alone weighs 15kg. The em-200 temma2 mount balances beautiful, super smooooth and quiet.
Hopefully the smoke and fires abate tonight for everyone’s sake.

Take care
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Last edited by Wilso; 01-01-2020 at 07:22 PM.
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  #2322  
Old 09-01-2020, 07:57 AM
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Rainmaker (Matt)
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Nice setups Darren.

That TMT70300 tripod is by far the best I have used and whilst not a bargain price, worth every cent. No matter what setup I have used, it has been as steady as a rock.

Hopefully soon we will be able to see some stars again, lately I have kept everything sealed in cases
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  #2323  
Old 10-01-2020, 05:19 PM
Wilso
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Cheers Matt,
Yes it’s an impressive tripod, very sturdy indeed. They don’t come up for sale here too often either. I’ve been impressed with the mount also, unlike other mounts I’ve had has a retractable counterweight shaft. Makes it very easy to fine tune balancing, transport and storage.
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  #2324  
Old 12-01-2020, 08:15 PM
AndrewSmith
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"BlueMeade" imaging setup

Thought I'd finally share a post about my imaging setup, before it goes the way of the dinosaurs. Meade LX200 GPS 10" on a Meade Ultrawedge, piggybacking an old Orion ED80. Imaging with a ZWO ASI1600C. Two unusual features: the finder I use is an Orion 70mm Multi-Use Finder Scope for the wide field. This is a tricky beast to align & focus, and needs at least a 20mm eyepiece to reach astronomical focus with the diagonal, but I've finally got it working OK. The dew heater is an old barrel heater from a home brew kit. This works from mains so needs monitoring but works OK.
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  #2325  
Old 12-01-2020, 08:46 PM
Imme (Jon)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewSmith View Post
Thought I'd finally share a post about my imaging setup, before it goes the way of the dinosaurs. Meade LX200 GPS 10" on a Meade Ultrawedge, piggybacking an old Orion ED80. Imaging with a ZWO ASI1600C. Two unusual features: the finder I use is an Orion 70mm Multi-Use Finder Scope for the wide field. This is a tricky beast to align & focus, and needs at least a 20mm eyepiece to reach astronomical focus with the diagonal, but I've finally got it working OK. The dew heater is an old barrel heater from a home brew kit. This works from mains so needs monitoring but works OK.
Re the keg dew heater....Although I’d never recommend playing with 240 volt power because that would just be stupid I may have, in a previous life, attached a dimmer switch to a keg heater. It allowed excellent heat control. (Although it did only need about a 90’ turn of the dial to go from cold to full power
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  #2326  
Old 12-01-2020, 10:22 PM
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Outcast (Carlton)
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Finally got all my OTA's & paraphernalia organised onto some solid storage shelves...
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  #2327  
Old 14-01-2020, 10:00 AM
AndrewSmith
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Originally Posted by Imme View Post
Re the keg dew heater....Although I’d never recommend playing with 240 volt power because that would just be stupid I may have, in a previous life, attached a dimmer switch to a keg heater. It allowed excellent heat control. (Although it did only need about a 90’ turn of the dial to go from cold to full power
Great idea, why didn't I think of that?! Thanks.
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  #2328  
Old 14-01-2020, 10:02 AM
AndrewSmith
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Finally got all my OTA's & paraphernalia organised onto some solid storage shelves...
Nicely done. Lucky you have enough space indoors. I'm storing my own gear as well as my mate's, so my wife made me build a shed just for the astro gear!
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  #2329  
Old 22-01-2020, 01:06 PM
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Sky-Watcher Evostar 150ED

Very happy with my recent purchase of the Sky-Watcher Evostar 150ED deluxe. Last night was the first decent sky I've seen in months. The scope was perfectly collimated showing pin point stars with lovely even diffraction rings. The scope is not overly heavy and is well suited to EQ6, EQ6R's and AZ EQ6GT mounts and is particularly good on my T-Rex. I used a set of Explore Scientific 100 degree eyepieces in 5.5mm, 9mm, 14mm and 20mm focal lengths which proved to give a nice spread of powers coupled with a Tak 2" diagonal. The 2" focusser is very solid and particularly smooth.
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  #2330  
Old 22-01-2020, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by UniPol View Post
Very happy with my recent purchase of the Sky-Watcher Evostar 150ED deluxe. Last night was the first decent sky I've seen in months. The scope was perfectly collimated showing pin point stars with lovely even diffraction rings. The scope is not overly heavy and is well suited to EQ6, EQ6R's and AZ EQ6GT mounts and is particularly good on my T-Rex. I used a set of Explore Scientific 100 degree eyepieces in 5.5mm, 9mm, 14mm and 20mm focal lengths which proved to give a nice spread of powers coupled with a Tak 2" diagonal. The 2" focusser is very solid and particularly smooth.

Nice. Any pics of it pointed at zenith?
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  #2331  
Old 22-01-2020, 06:20 PM
Quopaz (Nick)
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Here's mine, it's a Skywatcher 10 inch dobsonian.
It's my first telescope, and it was hard to decide which one to get.
Mainly for visual observing, but will also try to get some photos with it as well. Pretty happy with it so far.
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  #2332  
Old 23-01-2020, 03:57 PM
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Rainmaker (Matt)
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Originally Posted by Quopaz View Post
Here's mine, it's a Skywatcher 10 inch dobsonian.
It's my first telescope, and it was hard to decide which one to get.
Mainly for visual observing, but will also try to get some photos with it as well. Pretty happy with it so far.
Congratulations on your first telescope, a 10" Dob can give you a lifetime to visual astronomy !!!
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  #2333  
Old 23-01-2020, 08:33 PM
Quopaz (Nick)
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Thanks Matt, 10" seemed like a good size.
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  #2334  
Old 29-01-2020, 12:24 PM
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TMB-LZOS 152/1200 + Tak FC76DC + Tak FOA60Q = 288mm of visual excellence
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  #2335  
Old 29-01-2020, 12:26 PM
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TMB-LZOS 152/1200 + Tak FC76DC + Tak FOA60Q = 288mm of visual excellence
Hmmmm...I recognise a bunch of parts there. Where did they come from
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  #2336  
Old 29-01-2020, 01:39 PM
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Atmos (Colin)
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Originally Posted by Rainmaker View Post
TMB-LZOS 152/1200 + Tak FC76DC + Tak FOA60Q = 288mm of visual excellence
Now you need a bunch of beam splitters to combine the light of all three telescopes into one!
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  #2337  
Old 31-01-2020, 03:13 PM
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With many thanks to Julian, I now have at home (after an all-night drive to Mexico last night) this beast:

Skylight AR101/15 ... Full Brass Edition by Richard Day, Skylight Telescopes, London

Just needs some clear skies (and more money, the bank balance has suffered lately )
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  #2338  
Old 31-01-2020, 03:47 PM
casstony
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You didn't consider staying in Melbourne for a few days Matt, to get away from the smoke?
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  #2339  
Old 31-01-2020, 05:06 PM
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Rainmaker (Matt)
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You didn't consider staying in Melbourne for a few days Matt, to get away from the smoke?
Tony, I should have done that, the sky here is grey and we have ash falling like little snowflakes.....

I was surprised by how good the sky way at Doreen,VIC where Julian lives...
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  #2340  
Old 31-01-2020, 06:58 PM
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FlashDrive (Poppy)
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Gee .....that's nice....!!
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