Posts Made By: Mike Dove

Hello All,
                I have just renewed my membership after almost 20 year hiatus. During that time I satisfied my desires with a small ETX-90. I acquired a damaged Sky shed with all the electronics, a supercharged 12 inch LX-90 ACF, several cmos and ccd cameras, cables, monitors, software, etc. Knowing that some day i would have time to build my dream observatory. This past summer I cleared several 60 foot maple trees and prepped the site. Backhoe and sawmill are ready. I would like to do visual and dso using the lx and refractor off off the same 12 inch concrete pier. Mounting the sct on the top and triplet off a perpendicular gizmo I will fabricate. I attached a picture of a design I like and a rough plan of what I would like. Give me your opinions more question to follow I am sure......

Clear Skies

Hello All,
                    Picked up this refractor and mount as part of a package deal. Reviews are not too promising from what I could find. Have a booklet and one in German also. The mount powers on but controller is a no go. I thought I had read that these could use a Meade Autostar controller ?? The gentleman who used it passed and most of the stuff seems rather old. I wanted the Orion EQ-G and the ZWO 36mm filter sets. Both of which along with the other Badder and Orion filters more than exceed what I paid. Mount seems light weight and flimsy but I could be wrong. Also picture was for photo op only without the cw bar this is as far as I go. Appreciate any and all info.....

So today I got the scope paired up with my Z73 for a star test. Little worried about the positioning may have to go with a longer dovetail.....and of course the next couple of days rain is in the forecast....

I have always been a visual observer but recently have started into AP. Still trying to grasp everything having just moved from a DSLR to a dedicated astro camera (ASI585MC pro). But while the winter is here and observatory not completely remote yet (Northern Maine real cold). I thought I would modify a freebie scope (Bresser AR102/600) for solar. Having another scope with similar focal length (and better optics)and having viewed the night sky thru this cannon the CA and field curvature were appalling Franken scope was born. The first views were thru a Lacerta Herschel Solar wedge. I added a ZWO filter drawer and Baader click-stop and the views got better but still nothing I could photograph. Even when I added a Solar Continuum and UV/IR cut the views were good but nothing AP wise. I read that most solar scopes have a slower focal ratio. So I took an old CD made a 64.28mm aperture mask added a Thousand Oaks solar filter on the front of the scope removed the wedge. At f/9.3 the difference was amazing. I was able to see good detail with a 50mm 2inch Russell but still struggling with my new camera. I am looking to add a Baader 75mm ERF filter to this rig. It incorporates IR cut and UV reflection so one less filter. I have a 3D printed holder for the 125mm OD of the scope that will allow me to incorporate solar film behind the ERF. Is this worth the investment??  The biggest cost so far will be this ERF filter at $387. Thanks in advance....