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In reply to: Stolen Telescope
Posted by David L Smith at 21:22 on 2010 Jul 07
Thanks for the information Dale, I’ll give it a try.Paul: Re car boot sales near here, there is a big one every Sunday on Mona show site. We went last sunday, but as the forecast was not good there were not many there and anyway the Police thought it would be 2/3 weeks before anything turns up, so we are still hunting. I’ll certainly contact Gwynedd.The skies are still dark here!!Thanks for suggestions
In reply to: Stolen Telescope
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 17:42 on 2010 Jul 01
I would also keep an eye open for any up and coming car boot sales. I think they have one at Llangefni but I can’t be sure. I would also visit Gwynedd AS in Bangor or e-mail the secretary, and let there members know what you’ve lost.I am sorry to read this. My mother & father have a static van at St David’s, Red Wharf bay. I have been over there on numerous occasions and when the skies are clear, it is very dark.Good luck, and I hope that you’re soon able to recover these lost possessions.
In reply to: Stolen Telescope
Posted by Dale Holt at 12:55 on 2010 Jul 01
Very sorry to hear about this David might I suggest that you place an ‘ad’ on UK Astronomy Buy & Sell http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/browse.php this is the UK’s most popular site for trading astro kit. I will certainly keep me eye peeled for you.Good luck with a happy return, Dale
Topic: Stolen Telescope
Posted by David L Smith at 21:59 on 2010 Jun 29
I’m not sure where to post this as it is not really related to observing but it is about a telescope!Last weekend my Coronado PST on a Vixen GP mount was stolen along with other items from my locked garage on Anglesey, North Wales.If anyone in this area sees an advert or is offered a PST at a silly price I would like to know, I do have it’s serial number. I do not think the thieves have any idea what it is, so am keeping a look out on ebay and in Loot.Any news would be most welcomeRegardsDavidMy direct E-mail address is davidlsmith@btinternet.com
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 19:06 on 2010 Jun 04
Can I please point anybody who might be interested to my Blog http://paulsdeepskywonderings.blogspot.com/I have posted a short observing report from last night, and Wednesday nights observing at Fernilee in Derbyshire.My first impressions of the OD250S F4.8 deluxe, are very good. The optics are excellent if the views of Saturn are anything to go by. And when you do a star test the stars are text book with know obvious mirror problems.There is slight coma visible through my 24mm (68 deg) Pany, which isn’t all that surprising. The mounting is well made, however, it could run smoother, or maybe that’s me being too picky.It does surprise me; how easy it is to move the telescope around the sky. I’ve had more fun looking at objects, than I ever have had, with my G11 and imaging combination. I can also actually find deep sky objects with out to much fuss!Collimation is also first class. I expected this process would prove difficult, know it isn’t. And the mirror cell holds collimation pretty well. All it takes are a couple of tweaks at x100, on a bright star, and I’m ready for the night.You can also adjust the OTA in it’s cradle, which is very good. I can stay seated, and still look through an eyepiece. This will come in handy when sketching.I am very happy with my purchase, and I am now finely starting to enjoying my hobby again.
Topic: C/2009 R1 (McNaught)
Posted by Callum Potter at 16:09 on 2010 May 25
Martin Mobberley has been actively imaging this comet using a remote telescope, and I have started a gallery of images, at:http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?option=com_joomgallery&func=viewcategory&catid=12&Itemid=200If anyone has images or sketches, please send to me, and i’ll post to the gallery too.Hopefully later this month and in June it will be directly observable from the UK.Regards, Callum
In reply to: Skysensor problem
Posted by Duncan Bryson at 16:48 on 2010 Apr 20
HiI Personally Don’t Know Anything About The Telescope But What I Think Is To Ring The Manufacturer And Ask About This.Sometimes I Think Connecting It To A Computer Can Override The Handheld Controller.Duncan
In reply to: Skysensor problem
Posted by Roger Dymock at 15:23 on 2010 Apr 20
Thanks for the post. I think and hope I have fixed the problem. When I checked through the Megastar settings I found that, in the LX200 dialogue box, Guide was selected. I changed this to Slew and all seems well. Previously I had thought that the telescope might be moving when I used the 4 Skysensor button but, if it was, then only very slowly. Don’t know how that happened though as everything worked OK until recently.Regards
Topic: Skysensor problem
Posted by Roger Dymock at 17:05 on 2010 Apr 18
I have a problem with my Skysensor 2000 PC. When I attach it to the PC and connect via Megastar the RA and Dec buttons on the hand controller cease to function. Unconnected it works OK, apart from a highly intermittent momentary reset, and driving the telescope using Megstar also works. Any ideas anyone?Regards
In reply to: Any advice please. Star Hopping for a beginner.
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 20:49 on 2010 Apr 15
Thank you both for taking you time to send me a reply.I agree with everything that has been said. And I will arm myself with a copy of Turn Left at Orion. Thanks for that David. I do have a very old copy of The Universe from your backyard, which I bought, when I bought my very first proper telescope; which, during that period was a 150mm (6") from Orion in 1991. I think that this book is also very good for visual star hopping. But I will look out, possibly for a second hand copy of TLAO.I think that I might have misled Gary, on the size of the finder. I think that it is in fact a 10×50 finder and not a 9×50. I will use printed charts from SMP10 and do as Gary has suggested, use these instead of the laptop. I think that for the first outing with the OD250S, I’ll practice star hopping, to the brighter messier objects visible during late Spring and early Summer. These are ones that I know, and know how to find. This way I’m sure, I’ll be able to learn my way around the sky, and begin finding the more fainter, and more challenging objects later.I like you Gary and you David, will still use my GOTO, with my SPX 200-800 f4. But I might do as Dale does.I have an Atik 16IC, and I’m thinking that it will be less stressful and perhaps more fun. If I take 60 second looped subs, and draw what I’m looking at. Instead of trying to image. Knowing full well how hard and difficult, that side of our hobby is!This is the beginning. If I am successful with star hopping, and I enjoy it. I have every intention of upgrading in four years time. To a bigger, Orion dobson. I’d like the OD350S De Lux; so whilst I’m outside using the OD250S. I can start saving for it. And If I’m lucky I hope that I’ll have this one when I am 50!!!
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 20:05 on 2010 Apr 14
OK I’m not that much of a beginner. But I am when using a Dobson mounted 10" and not GOTO!I was wondering if the dobsonian user’s amongst us, have any tips or advice for finding faint fuzzies with this kind of instrument?I will be using mostly a 24mm Panoptic and 35mm Ultima for wide field sweeping and then gradually increase magnification to see more detail. And on my telescope, I will have my trusty Telrad together with a 9×50 finder.I can use my laptop out side which has Skymap. But I also have SkyAtlas 2000, which I would prefer to use.So… Does anybody have any helpful advice for me please?Cheers
In reply to: Orion Optics OD250L or OD250S Help please!
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 18:49 on 2010 Apr 08
Thanks Andrea.I have to admit that I was worried that the F6.3 OD250L was going to be a monster! And that it could be difficult using it on Solar system bodies, especially when we consider the height of the eyepiece and focuser, with subjects like the Moon during winter.I think that I will probably ask John at OO for the OD250S. I can then use this telescope for deep sky observing from home, and also the peak district as well as Lunar and Planetary observing. Do you know if the F4.8 suffers badly with coma?
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 18:10 on 2010 Apr 06
I want to buy another telescope, that I will use for visual observing of the Moon and bright planets. Leaving my G11 and SPX 200-800 for CCD imaging of Deep Sky Objects.I am currently having difficulty in choosing the correct telescope for this purpose.The model that I am serious about is the 10" Orion (UK) OD250; but I can not decide which focal length instrument to choose.A. OD250L F6.3 FL 1600mmB OD250S F4.8 FL 1200mmI was wondering whether somebody on here could give me some advice please.
Posted by David Arditti at 01:13 on 2010 Mar 22
I though appropriate to the first post in these new forums might be to point out the increasing level of activity on the Sun in recent weeks, particularly in hydrogen alpha. Anybody who has a hydrogen alpha telescope but has not looked recently should do so. Whereas last year the Sun was quiet most of the the time, now there are obvious active areas and filaments on the surface most of the time, and there have been several major prominences visible in the last week. Here is one I imaged on the 16th:
(More images of recent activity on my page 2010 solar images)DavidIn reply to: Fawkes Telescope Data
Posted by John Cave at 18:55 on 2010 Mar 07
As a user of the Faulkes Telescopes this does seem a bit strange. I have an hour scheduled for this Thursday and the following Thursday both between 11.00a.m. and 12.00. Should anyone require any images or data that could be obtained during these sessions I would be only too happy to help. The both sessions are for the FTS (Australia). I have attached an image of the Crab taken with this telescope (unaltered).John.
In reply to: Fawkes Telescope Data
Posted by Richard Miles at 11:43 on 2010 Mar 05
David – Good point – thanks for flagging this oversight. This part of the site was set up after we had had our first successful BAA observing session at our Out-of-London meeting in Liverpool.There have been a few attempts in the last couple of years which have been clouded out but, after a long break, we were successful at the Christmas meeting last December 12 when we observed asteroid (1645) Waterfield at opposition as well as taking images of (7102) Neilbone and a few stars for calibrations.We took a total of 19 images on the day having started imaging before the formal meeting began and having had two consecutive 30-minute slots booked on the Faulkes Telescope South. I have just zipped the images and they occupy about 17 Mb. I’ll check with Callum to see about getting them to him and putting them in the archive.Richard
Topic: Fawkes Telescope Data
Posted by David Perkin at 12:29 on 2010 Mar 03
I observe that the last data in Downloads from the Fawkes Telescope was generated in 2007.Still useful for practising image processing but not helpful for research.Can I assume that recent data is not available?Is there any similar facility around?Regards,David Perkin
In reply to: Martin Mobberly and his 19.3″ (49cm) f/4.5 monster
Posted by Terry Byatt at 19:19 on 2010 Mar 01
In the early 1970’s AE were based in Luton, Bedfordshire and Telescope House (BC&F) then known as Fullerscopes were their rivals based in North London.To be honest, the optics were just as good from both companies. However, AE (Astronomical Equipment) had the "edge" on the quality of the mounting. Fullerscopes were cheaper to buy which meant you could buy from them a 8.5 inch reflector for the price of a 6 inch from AE (often with optics from the same maker). Fullerscope enable many amatuers with a limited budget to have a telescope of decent power without having the skills to build their own Now I’ve shown my age!!
In reply to: Martin Mobberly and his 19.3″ (49cm) f/4.5 monster
Posted by Paul A Brierley at 09:52 on 2010 Feb 28
That does look very impressive Dale,I like the look of this type of telescope and mounting system. Fork mounts may have there faults, I am sure. But for visual observing with a Newtonian, and a large one, on an EQ mount, It can be difficult. This is where the Fork mount wins.I can imagine that Sir Patrick Moore would have struggled to make observations, had his 15inch Fullerscopes been on an equatorial mount instead of a fork mounting.I remember when I owned a 12" Orion DX300 on a Vixen GP-DX and latterly a G11. I seldom used it because it was awkward looking into the eyepiece when the telescope was pointing towards the zenith.Do do any visual observing with this monster? Or is it just used with you’re Minitron camera?
In reply to: Martin Mobberly and his 19.3″ (49cm) f/4.5 monster
Posted by David Arditti at 13:16 on 2010 Feb 27
That’s a very nice setup Dale. I recognise the style of the mount. It is similar to the one on the 20" Peter Garbett had or maybe still has. Interesting and good idea with the black shield just on the side of the telescope away from the observer to darken his view.
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