Observing report...

Saturn looked superb this morning at 1am ish, better than I can
recall. Jupiter on the other hand was rubbish despite being over 25
degrees up.

Expensive toy went wrong. Controller of EQ6 stone dead, so no guidance
or tracking except by loosening the clutches, aligning and reclamping.
No fun at all as I can't quite reach the RA clamp and keep my eye at
the eyepiece and the image shifts as you tighten the clamp.

Life gets in the way of astronomy delaying fitting my new focusser for
2 months - finally got it fitted and it seems hopeful. My ancient
reflector focusser has done me proud but, fitted to the refractor, 2
inch travel was very restricting and meant putting camera on the end
of 2 extensions with plainly visible droop.

No drawings or photographs. Smack received.

Now, shall I put this message in a forked stick and send my runners
out to deliver it, or should I rely on pigeons? What would a proper
amateur astronomer do? But if I use the internet I shall be exposed
for a total poseur and fraud. What a quandary...
-----------------------------
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1
-----------------------------

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 11:44:44 +0000, Martin Frey
wrote:

Saturn looked superb this morning at 1am ish, better than I can
recall. Jupiter on the other hand was rubbish despite being over 25
degrees up.

Expensive toy went wrong. Controller of EQ6 stone dead, so no guidance
or tracking except by loosening the clutches, aligning and reclamping.
No fun at all as I can't quite reach the RA clamp and keep my eye at
the eyepiece and the image shifts as you tighten the clamp.

Life gets in the way of astronomy delaying fitting my new focusser for
2 months - finally got it fitted and it seems hopeful. My ancient
reflector focusser has done me proud but, fitted to the refractor, 2
inch travel was very restricting and meant putting camera on the end
of 2 extensions with plainly visible droop.

No drawings or photographs. Smack received.

Now, shall I put this message in a forked stick and send my runners
out to deliver it, or should I rely on pigeons? What would a proper
amateur astronomer do? But if I use the internet I shall be exposed
for a total poseur and fraud. What a quandary...
-----------------------------
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1
-----------------------------


Mine does that sometimes. Turn it of then back on again, then give the
d-pad a good click, normally does the trick!

PS:
Been dying to see Jupiter through the Europa having seen Cassini
several times now.

R

Robert Geake wrote:

Mine does that sometimes. Turn it of then back on again, then give the
d-pad a good click, normally does the trick!

Been there, done that, plugged and unplugged everything, recharged the
battery. Dead as a Dodo. Bugger. Must remember to throw it away and
get an even more expensive one to keep Mr Dortmond happy in his
misery.

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

Saturn looked superb this morning at 1am ish, better than I can
recall. Jupiter on the other hand was rubbish despite being over 25
degrees up.

Jealous, I'm not observing till my eye improves.

Expensive toy went wrong. Controller of EQ6 stone dead, so no guidance
or tracking except by loosening the clutches, aligning and reclamping.
No fun at all as I can't quite reach the RA clamp and keep my eye at
the eyepiece and the image shifts as you tighten the clamp.

Did you try hitting it? Washing it in soapy water? Or try turning it off and
on really quickly? You could of course wake a neighbour to do the guiding
for you - left a bit, down a bit, hold it there... They might slap you of
course for waking them.

Life gets in the way of astronomy delaying fitting my new focusser for
2 months - finally got it fitted and it seems hopeful. My ancient
reflector focusser has done me proud but, fitted to the refractor, 2
inch travel was very restricting and meant putting camera on the end
of 2 extensions with plainly visible droop.

visible droop is often the sign of too much beer.

No drawings or photographs. Smack received.

Shame on you, now write a hundred times 'I will sketch my observations' (no
copy a paste allowed).

Now, shall I put this message in a forked stick and send my runners
out to deliver it, or should I rely on pigeons? What would a proper
amateur astronomer do? But if I use the internet I shall be exposed
for a total poseur and fraud. What a quandary...

Write on parchment in ink and pin it to a tree for all to see.

Graeme

In article ,
says...
Saturn looked superb this morning at 1am ish, better than I can
recall. Jupiter on the other hand was rubbish despite being over 25
degrees up.

Expensive toy went wrong. Controller of EQ6 stone dead, so no guidance
or tracking except by loosening the clutches, aligning and reclamping.
No fun at all as I can't quite reach the RA clamp and keep my eye at
the eyepiece and the image shifts as you tighten the clamp.

Life gets in the way of astronomy delaying fitting my new focusser for
2 months - finally got it fitted and it seems hopeful. My ancient
reflector focusser has done me proud but, fitted to the refractor, 2
inch travel was very restricting and meant putting camera on the end
of 2 extensions with plainly visible droop.

No drawings or photographs. Smack received.

Now, shall I put this message in a forked stick and send my runners
out to deliver it, or should I rely on pigeons? What would a proper
amateur astronomer do? But if I use the internet I shall be exposed
for a total poseur and fraud. What a quandary...
-----------------------------
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 01 52.2 E 0 47 21.1
-----------------------------

Now there's no need for all this. You're only trying to show Mr Dortmond
that you know what you're doing. )

--

Regards

Nick

Martin Frey wrote:

Expensive toy went wrong. Controller of EQ6 stone dead, ...

All now well again and mended without using a hammer - a first for me.

I have got the AWR controller - very nice but... The handset connects
to a black box via a phone type cable with identical plugs at each
end. BUT the cable is asymetric so if you plug the wrong end into the
hand set, no life, plug the right end in, evoila. I have now marked
one plug, so it won't happen again.

But how the hell I'm going to remember which box the marked plug goes
into is another insoluble problem.

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

Martin Frey wrote in message . ..


But how the hell I'm going to remember which box the marked plug goes
into is another insoluble problem.

Insulating tape wrapped round something nearby, bit of Dymo tape or a
tiny dab of paint. Strategically placed so as not to spoil the
mounting's second hand value when you finally move up to that
Paramount or AP1200GTO!

Delighted to hear you're back in action Martin. Huge sigh of relief
all round I'm sure. No doubt the clouds are already gathering for a
jolly get-together to celebrate?

Observing report:

Venus was very bright to the nearly naked eye (glasses) as I drive
home late yesterday afternoon. Perfectly placed to take maximum
advantage of the cover offered by a neighbour's ash trees. Any
suggestions for acceptable expletives when writing out observing
reports?

Chris.B

(Chris.B) wrote:

Insulating tape wrapped round something nearby, bit of Dymo tape or a
tiny dab of paint. Strategically placed so as not to spoil the
mounting's second hand value when you finally move up to that
Paramount or AP1200GTO!

Finally? What's this "finally"? According to Dortmund I should be
trading up every 3.467 days.



--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

Martin Frey wrote:
so if you plug the wrong end into the hand set, no life, plug the right
end in,

Oh joy, joy, joy! I've waited ages for this opportunity!

Frey (vt): To render equipment inoperable, spec. by cable reversal.

Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

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"Stephen Tonkin" wrote in message
...
Martin Frey wrote:
so if you plug the wrong end into the hand set, no life, plug the right
end in,

Oh joy, joy, joy! I've waited ages for this opportunity!

Frey (vt): To render equipment inoperable, spec. by cable reversal.

I think you'd have to name it after a lot of us!

;-)

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
************************************************** **********


Best,
Stephen

Remove footfrommouth to reply

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+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +