I am looking at the moment into buying a new telescope a 12 inch either refractor or another reflector where i can go between both observing and astrophotography what i am wondering is would the EQ3 Pro synscan goto mount be able take a 12 inch refractor or reflector telescope weight?

Do i i need to go for something like another EQ PRO synscan mount such as a HEQ5 to take the weight of something bigger ?

I am looking into getting rid of in the future my 6inc newtonian reflector and go for a new telescope, i cannot keep old mount that is broken nor the telescope due to lack of room in my parents house.

Also i have gone back into researching the different mirrors followed by pros and cons of things i need to watch out for when comes to doing both observing and astrophotography if i need a bask mask aswell to go on back of reflector or refractor when comes to astrophotography.

Just to let everyone know if ordering any skywatcher EQ Pro goto mounts there has been problems getting them into the country by ship the place where i ordered my new EQ3 Pro goto mount from widescreen centre has said the shipment was delayed the EQ3 Pro goto mounts was not on the ship when it docked in but also it was late arriving.

Soon as the ship arrived they unloaded extremely quickly the mounts and had to get going again but widescreen centre said they have got loads of EQM35 mounts in stock. Also skywatcher uk has been also waiting on the same mounts widescreen centre has been after.

So i have to wait now until sometime in october for my new EQ3 Pro goto mount to arrive into the uk get sent to widescreen centre before gets delievered to me.

I am really missing out looking through both the telescopes my evening one and solar as my old EQ3 mount is completely broken since july there is no way to fix it at all since the cogs has slipped and jammed completely breaking the teeth inside.

I have lost complete utter confidence in using my equipment both during the day and the night when comes to trying do any imaging or getting anything from the camera to the laptop even lost utter confidence in myself aswell.

Even getting the mount to pick up where it is etc, even fighting streetlight along with too much light pollution problems, followed by the incinerator smoke causing problems i feel that i might have to think about selling everything giving up which i do not want to do at all.

It does not help that no one down here in plymouth are helpful nor advise on things where going wrong amongst other things.

Does anyone on here have problems with using sharpcap?

I am trying to use it find that the software has not only updated but the toolbox keeps disappearing to the side and i am unable take photos inc record along with trying to get the gain, exposure and other things to work by that i cannot get no matter how i do the sun cannot get gain right to pick it up. Where as if i use skytroup i can take photo of the sun but does not save into a folder i created for it either i have to really hunt around on the laptop to find it.

Hello everyone


Need bit of help please trying to image the sun using sharpcap and i cannot get the sun into view through the bresser little hd camera from solar telescope through to laptop i am having real probs if anyone can help please email me on shampster58@gmail.com This is the one i always reply back to.

Thank you

I am wondering if you can help me please or advise me please

Where i live in plymouth i am aiming to set up tonight do some imaging for first time and i have two streetlights and also neighbours on diagonal with garden lights that turn on when i got vehicles, people and other things going on in my street but only problem is the light turns on lights up my front house where i am working trying to look at night sky but does turn off halfway through.

I am wondering with those who has garden lights attached to their houses if i can still do imaging without any problems of light gathering in from them and muck up what i am trying to do?

Do i attach the camera to my eyepiece of the telescope and is it best use with or without a barlow lens my telescope is a 6 inch newtonian reflector.

The other thing i got the starlink satellites tonight at 9:06pm which may cause me some problem also imaging.

Just to let everyone know that Sunday 29th December 2019 at 6pm spaceX Starlink satellites are doing a flypast from southwest direction at 6pm

The other event is on Friday 10th January 2020 there a penumberal lunar eclipse happening from 5:15pm and does not finish until 9:15pm

I will double check unless other people can find more information on these two happening.

I had a look at betelguese using just my eyes found it has really dimmed down and not bright as it used to be over the years.

I Just want to wish you all a

Merry Christmas

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

🎁🎄💫

From Sam and family here in Plymouth.

just wondering the bresser planetary and deep sky hd camera I have when I use it tonight at wembury on the outskirts of Plymouth can I just put the camera straight in to the eyepiece run which ever programme either sky cap or the other one that belongs to bresser but what I am wondering is with the temperatures as they are would it be a

good idea to run the dew strap on the telescope while the camera is inside the eyepiece working?

I do need to do a polar alignment aswell with the camera inside the eyepiece?

or just rely on the polar alignment from setting up and running the synscan wifi dongle?

the software would it be best to use bresser software to run the camera on for video and photos or use sky cap ?
the other thing is when I use my mount it is pointing north if I keep the weights and the rod pointing north up say for example wembury church then the only part I have to move is the right ascension and leave declination where it is to prevent the telescope pointing downwards.

I hope this make sense if not then I can try to explain it better so it is clearer.

thank you

Sorry everyone i put the photos of the moon i took in september into by mistake the eclipse gallery and i need to know a way to remove them unless someone can remove them for me please so i do not make anymore mistakes.

I got a bit confused aswell because i am learning my way around the page/website

I did finally find the moon gallery and posted some unedited moon photos taken with the nikon b500 coolpix camera when it was the harvest moon in september when i came up last time to the observatory.

Sorry once again for the mistake.

I am looking into getting a camera for linking up to both the solar telescope and my 6inch newtonian reflector and wondering what is the best camera to use a planetary camera which does planets and the sun but also deep sky objects that can get galaxies and nebulas together.

I am also researching before deciding what is best and how to go about it whether to get something for example an altair astro camera on a small budget etc also the cables along with for the newtonian reflector if i need to use only two weights as it is a goto mount or i need to get another weight bought because of the extra weight and in case the eq3 cannot handle only just two weights etc.

The solar telescope if i can mount the camera to the eyepiece and also is there a way to hold the connection between the power supply to the side of the solar telescope?

If i attached to my newtonian reflector the camera i get do i need to do the thing i hate most collimate it again along with getting a mask underneath the mirror to block any excess light out?

The other thing are planetary cameras under the cmos or ccd cameras which is the best one to go for and will i need a filter wheel with filters for using the camera on both the solar telescope even though it has a red filter (hydrogen) is it ok to use without a filter wheel, also when comes to using the newtonian reflector to use not only filter wheel but have a guide camera or something that can be mounted on etc?

I hope this makes sense if not then sorry i will try to explain it better i do have a problem such as learning disability some people i know find it hard to not only understand what i am saying but also what i type down aswell so apologies in advance.

Thanks for any help and advice can give me

Hi Guys, just joined trhe group. Am setting up new system and looking at WiFi. I see 2 units - the SkyFi wireless serial and usb adaptor and the Omegon SkyFi unit - both look the same. Both from Germany - the one is cheaper than the other.
Anybody using / have experience of these units.
Can reply to g4igo@talktalk.net if you wish or post here

Cheers All.
Ken

Furthering the experimentation of imaging and video-ography!!, I have explored the minute world of nano electronics in the form of a very small quad copter vehicle, carrying a small micro digital video camera.

The machine is no bigger than a slice of bread!! the main circuit board is about twice the size of a large postage stamp, it houses four electric motors equipped with small propellers, and is powered by a 250mha lipo battery giving approx 7 minutes flight.

The copter electronics also house speed controllers and a 6 axis gyroscope function enabling it to be stable and auto corrects itself

Video of the maiden flight is in the top section of the forum.
Steve

Thanks to Kate, with whom I have had several useful conversations recently (on both atrophotography and sweatshirts!) Through her, I have joined this forum and hope to learn much from it. I shall be attending the Introduction to Imaging Course next month and I am sure my knowledge will increase as a result. I really must try to get along on a Friday night but unfortunately I am not as local as some other NLO members and Salcombe Hill is pretty steep and windy on a dark winter night (when the stars look their best)! If anyone would like to find out a bit more about me, I have a pretty detailed profile which I have published this afternoon. Some of my (very amateurish) astro photos can be found on the Torbay Astronomical Society Facebook page.

Hope to see you all soon.

Keith

Last night the seeing was not good in my garden at my home in Beer, my house is located at the bottom of the valley, around 11.30 the dew was starting to get very heavy, resulting in me, the garden, my scope and other equipment getting socked . Persisted, watting for Last night the seeing was not good in my garden at my home in Beer, my house is located at the bottom of the valley, around 11.30 the dew was starting to get very heavy, resulting in me, the garden, my scope and other equipment getting socked . Persisted, watting for the street lights to be switched off around 1am. By 1.45am with every thing very damp packed up and went indoors, looked out around 10 past 2 to see the street lights go OUT!!!the street lights to be switched off around 1am. By 1.45am with every thing very damp packed up and went indoors, looked out around 10 past 2 to see the street lights go OUT!!!