The Official Astronomy Thread

[Crusader]

Forgot to answer how often I collimate. I had an extreme fear of collimation at first, but now I don't mind it as much. After doing it a couple of times it gets much easier.

With the XT10 I've only needed to collimate it two or three times since I got it 8 moths ago. The first time was a major one. but the other times has just been some tweaking of the primary.

I do check it often though, but to my newbie eyes it seems good most of the time.

One thing I haven't been able to do is see diffraction rings during a star test. I do however see a round donut when defocusing and I can't fault the views aside from the atrocious seeing now. It's permanently windy every night over here.

 

[mercurial]

Thanks!

 

[waynegohl]

have anyone of you skywatches seen anything out of the ordinary in the sky lately as i believe one of the astonauts has dropped her tool box in space and the thing is now floating around up there.

 

[mercurial]

You won't be able to see that. It's way too small and probably drifted into space.

 

[nimthor]

Mercurial,

I only use a Chesire/sighttube combo, I do not have a laser. I have been very happy with the results I get. I have a f4 8" Smidt-Newtonian and is supposedly very difficult to colimate. I don't seem to have lots of problems getting it collimated, but then I might not now what to look at if it is badly collimated ;-) As for the barlowed method, I think that gives you a very goot primary collimation but does not tell you anything about your secondary collimation. At first it is a bit confusing using the Chesire, but once you have figured out which of the reflections you need to look at, it is quite easy. I might get a laser to do a quick check on collimation but will always do a final check with the Chesire. The beam of the laser can be very bright and on a fast scope you must be withing hundreds of a mm to be accurately collimated.

Crusader,
I think to do a useful startest you must have very high magnification to see the diffraction rings. Seeing the donut does not mean that much. The weather here in CT has made it impossible for me to take out the scope for a very long time now! I have lived in CT all my life and is used to the south easter, but it is really irritating me now. I am now looking at getting a pier to mount the equatorial head permanently and go out for viewing/photographing in the early morning hours when the wind has died down a bit.

Anyway, clear skies and windless nights!

Charles
PS Dont forget the Jupiter/Venus/Moon conjunction on the 1st Dec!

 

[mercurial]

Thanks. I was planning on getting this laser collimator -> http://shop.technopro.co.za/orion-125-lasermate-deluxe-laser-collimator-p-563.html

 

[Crusader]

The highest power I can go to is 240x but I still can't say that I can see the diffraction rings. Might be that I'm expecting them to be more prominent than they are. How far do you have to defocus to see them?

The wind is a problem over here as well, haven't taken the scope out in almost three weeks.

 

[Crusader]

Merc, that's the one I have. Works nicely but I wouldn't trust the collimation of the laser. With a barlow it is very easy to adjust the primary by just looking at the reflection of the center spot shadow on the lasermate viewing window (or whatever they call it).

 

[mercurial]

Cool.

 

[Crusader]

Anyone used binoviewers with their scope? I have to decide between getting a binoviewer or a 6" grab and go Skywatcher dob - that's if my budget at the end of the month can handle it.

 

[mercurial]

Nope. Have you seen those Takahashi apos? Gawd damn. I saw one last week that retailed for more than $165 000. That's more than a million rand

 

[Crusader]

Nope. Have you seen those Takahashi apos? Gawd damn. I saw one last week that retailed for more than $165 000. That's more than a million rand

Nope haven't seen them. Any APO is going to cast two arms and three legs. Don't want to know what they will go for other here.

My XT10 increased in value by R2000 since the Rand went belly-up. The price of the 16" Lightbridge is also something to cry about... more than R30k!

 

[nimthor]

Mercurial,

I see that the Takahasi APO is a whopping 8", but it comes with a very stury mount. The $165000 price is a special deal, normal list price is $197000! It is intended for professional use though. I guess I can put it on the Christmas list together with the observatory to put it in on the farm in Sutherland that is is also on the wishlist. I imagine the farm and observarory will still be cheaper than the scope ;-)

Clear and windless skies!
Charles

 

[Crusader]

Do any of you guys use a zoom eyepiece? I'm thinking of getting one but I'm not sure whether they are a good buy and how the optical quality compares to a fixed focal length EP. The price is very appealing since it works out at around R300 for the 4 equivalent EP magnifications you'll be able to get - that's if the optical quality is worth it.

 

[mercurial]

Nope haven't seen them. Any APO is going to cast two arms and three legs. Don't want to know what they will go for other here.

My XT10 increased in value by R2000 since the Rand went belly-up. The price of the 16" Lightbridge is also something to cry about... more than R30k!

Yip. I also noticed how the prices went up. It's quite ridiculous now...

Mercurial,

I see that the Takahasi APO is a whopping 8", but it comes with a very stury mount. The $165000 price is a special deal, normal list price is $197000! It is intended for professional use though. I guess I can put it on the Christmas list together with the observatory to put it in on the farm in Sutherland that is is also on the wishlist. I imagine the farm and observarory will still be cheaper than the scope ;-)

Clear and windless skies!
Charles

ROFL. Too true.

Do any of you guys use a zoom eyepiece? I'm thinking of getting one but I'm not sure whether they are a good buy and how the optical quality compares to a fixed focal length EP. The price is very appealing since it works out at around R300 for the 4 equivalent EP magnifications you'll be able to get - that's if the optical quality is worth it.

I hope my PM was of some use

Do you guys know what the difference between the mounts are? Eg: EQ3, EQ5, EQ6 etc...?

 

[nimthor]

Mercurial,

The difference between the different EQ mounts are basically the their load capacity. EQ3 load rating is around 9kg's. So you won't be able to put a very big scope on it. The smaller mounts might also have smaller motors and not so perfect worm gears. The EQ6 is a very good mount, with guide port and has a 25kg laod limit (that is OTA only). EQ6 is a big mount though, and might not be easy to cart around.

BTW the Skywatcher EQ scopes is the same as the Orion mounts, think the EQ6 is the same as the Orion Atlas, just a colour difference and the other EQ mounts are equivalent to the CG range of mounts.

Clear skies!
Charles

 

[mercurial]

Mercurial,

The difference between the different EQ mounts are basically the their load capacity. EQ3 load rating is around 9kg's. So you won't be able to put a very big scope on it. The smaller mounts might also have smaller motors and not so perfect worm gears. The EQ6 is a very good mount, with guide port and has a 25kg laod limit (that is OTA only). EQ6 is a big mount though, and might not be easy to cart around.

BTW the Skywatcher EQ scopes is the same as the Orion mounts, think the EQ6 is the same as the Orion Atlas, just a colour difference and the other EQ mounts are equivalent to the CG range of mounts.

Clear skies!
Charles

Thank you very much

 

[mercurial]

I know some of you guys ordered from technopro before and so did I, but the last time they didn't deliver to my house. I had to collect it at the post office. Which option do I choose if I want them to deliver to my house? Their options are as follows:

SpeedServices
R92.48
Overnight - Counter to Counter

Berco Express Road - RSA Only
R149.11
Berco Express 24-48 Hours

Berco Economy Freight - RSA Only
R267.90
Berco Economy 48-72 Hours

I know it's definitely not the SpeedServices option, cos that's the one I used the last time. Thanks in advance.

 

[Crusader]

Any of the Berco ones should be fine. I'd go for the economy one.

 

[mercurial]

Any of the Berco ones should be fine. I'd go for the economy one.

Yeah, I chose the economy one Thanks.