Pictures of Your Stuff

[Marc Basti]

A place to post pics of your telescope(s), mount, camera, etc.

[Marc Basti]

My former C6 (sold) on a CG5 (old trustworthy in the attic). I use to set up in the middle of the yard (don't really know why), I've since moved closer to the house and have the lapper on my screen porch. Marc

[0c87j7rl1576g]

AstroTech AT66
Orion Express 80mm Semi-APO
Orion 8" Dovetail Plate (for side-by-side)
Orion SSAG w/Eye Piece Projection Unit used as Focus Extension
Meade LXD55 AutoStar GoTo Mount on 14" Half Pier Extension
Meade Standard tripod with Lead-Shot-and-Epoxy filled legs and built-in LED Illuminated feet
Picture taken with Canon 350D Camera Ha Modified w/Baader Type II Glass Filter

[samiam]

Your setup looks like a work of art .

[0c87j7rl1576g]

Heh, thanks man. It's always morphing in to some thing different. You're making me want to order an XLT 150 reflector. But I'll pick up another CG5 before that. Missing mine a lot. Never should have sold it.

[samiam]

[space_jockey]

My Meade lightbridge telescope with EQ tracking platform under the Arizona evening sky. I am using a iOptron GPS autoguiding scope with green laser to zero in on objects. I had to make minor modifications to the Lightbridge by adding an ultra-low adapter to the 2" focuser to accept the Meade RGBI monochrome CCD imager I got from Starhopper (whom I would like to thank for inviting me to this great site) and I also added stainless steel springs to the primary mirror to get correct focal length for the imager.

The EQ platform is a TL systems platform with variable speeds and East/West slewing all done by a remote hand controller. It tracks for close to 70 minutes and should provide the perfect combo to get some great photo's I am a complete newbie to this, but this site, images and photos of equipment are fascinating!

[space_jockey]

great question Starhopper.! The scope is a Newtonian and has the secondary mirror with the spider vanes right at the opening of the aoerture. The glare shield consists of the metal panel flocked on the inside and a strip of velcro runs around the outside of the scope, so one can simply peel off the shield and reposition it ..It works great to block moonlight from enetering the opening of the telescope..

[Marc Basti]

That baby is cool! What size is the primary? Saturn must look spectacular through that. Marc

[space_jockey]

Marc, It is a 12" primary which is about 2-3inches thick. Is is basically like a porthole from a ship I believe is how they started out. The primary is cooled with a fan that runs steady and requires about 2 hours to cool down for proper operation.

I almost got a 16" but I am glad I did not as this can be a back breaker to carry outside...I think 12" inch is plenty for CCD imaging,

The scope is about 6' tall or so and about 110 lbs. with the integrated platform. The first time I removed the mirror to install stainless steel springs it really freaked me out how heavy it was... the whole scope tipped and my wife caught it.. I think it weighs about 45 Lbs. so as you imagine I take it out in three sections in my back yard, with a long extension cord and power strip


Last night I got some very large pictures of Jupiter with the cheap Vivitar, so my Idea now is to dissect it and add a remote shutter and zoom control for planetary viewing. It can take 12 Megapixel photos.. but My only problem is pressing the button manually and trying to keep the scope steady. Right now I can get Jupiter to fill most of the eyepiece so I think once I get the camera lightened and remote actuation, I will get some aweome shots with it. I also Have Meade Mono RGBI CCD I picked up from Starhopper, I had to order a longer USB cable for it to be able to connect it to my laptop and use it...I cannot wait until that arrives!

[samiam]

I always thought a big dob would be fun .

[0c87j7rl1576g]

Yeah, that's not a bad idea. I think I'll go with a C11 on a larger mount first before I do a Dob. They're definitely cool and have tons of resolving power, but getting a good one with the works is PRICEY.

[Jeff McFarlin]

Not very clear. And before I started wire-wrapping properly. :) CGE-Pro, AT8RC, Orion shorttube...