156 replies to this topic

[waso29]

congrats!!

 

120mm is new goldilocks fract: not too small, not too big.

the 120mm in the lighter fixed tube works well with smaller more manageable mounts like em-10/11 and gp.

the fixed dew shield has advantage of not having inner liner of sliding dewshield deterioate in time.

i use the handy clamshell for ease of balancing when switching from bino-viewing to cyclops-viewing to imaging.

looking forward to thawing out next week.

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[GoodAsh]

Congratulations on the TSA-120, GoodAsh - looks great with the Prima Luce rings and Vixen mount with wood tripod. I concur with your choices! I went to the hardware store and bought a drawer handle and some flat aluminum stock to make a handle. Your rings have a 6mm bolt hole that'll work for that and it costs under $10 ...

Enjoy the setup when you get some clear skies.

I may do the same. Thanks for the tip!

[Oyaji]

First Light!

 

Finally, some clear skies, even if it is only 20 degrees and even if the target is only the moon.  But I wanted to make sure I could get focus both visually and with a camera.  Mission accomplished.      

 

Looking at the moon with diagonal and 36 mm eyepiece:  

 

Connecting up the ASI294 MC Pro with OAG:

 

Focus achieved thru camera!  

 

Now, if only the doggone moon would go away, and things would warm up, so I could get down to some serious business!  

 

 

(BTW, that "AUTOSTRETCH" is a reminder to myself to turn on Autostretch in NINA--a couple of times I forgot to do that, and ended up wasting hours trying to figure out why I wasn't getting any images!)

Edited by Oyaji, 20 February 2021 - 04:40 PM.

[GoodAsh]

First light today! Unfortunately, no sunspots to view. Bummer. But, I installed an RA drive from Celestron on my Vixen GP and it now tracks!

[GoodAsh]

Ok, setup for a quickie observing session. Let the scope cool for 45 minutes, needed a bit more but it’s just too **** cold.

The moon was spectacular, but only for very brief moments when the seeing was ok, maybe a second or two here and there.

Star test: when seeing allowed, prefect airy disks both in and out of focus. Five or six rings perfectly spaced and centered. Textbook.

Really happy and looking forward to a bit warmer weather!!

Al

[HoloTheWolf]

 

First Light!

 

Finally, some clear skies, even if it is only 20 degrees and even if the target is only the moon.  But I wanted to make sure I could get focus both visually and with a camera.  Mission accomplished.      

 

Looking at the moon with diagonal and 36 mm eyepiece:  

 

 

Connecting up the ASI294 MC Pro with OAG:

 

 

Focus achieved thru camera!  

 

 

Now, if only the doggone moon would go away, and things would warm up, so I could get down to some serious business!  

 

 

(BTW, that "AUTOSTRETCH" is a reminder to myself to turn on Autostretch in NINA--a couple of times I forgot to do that, and ended up wasting hours trying to figure out why I wasn't getting any images!)

 

 

Nice! Does your TSA-120N also have MEF-3 focuser? Does it play along with ZWO EAF?

 

Some news: I finally purchased the TOA-35 reducer from Land Sea and Sky. It will be shipped on Monday.

The last component for my TSA-120N  imaging train is an adapter that fits the back focus.

Tak's adapters are out of stock everywhere (why am I not surprised at all), but it looks like I can use Precise Parts to custom-build the adapter. I'm gonna to give it a shot.

Edited by HoloTheWolf, 21 February 2021 - 10:21 PM.

[Oyaji]

Nice! Does your TSA-120N also have MEF-3 focuser? Does it play along with ZWO EAF?

 

 

 

The 120N did come with the MEF-3.  But you can't manually focus at all with the EAF attached--unless, that is, you back off the two little set screws that attach the EAF flexible coupler to the focuser shaft.

 

If I ever take the 120N to an outreach star party, I'll back off the set screws so the public can work the manual focuser.  

 

I'm looking forward to a warm enough night (anything over 40 will do) that I can test the 120N/EAF combo with NINA's autofocus routine.  Not that I have any doubts on that score, of course. But as Ronald Reagan used to say, "Trust, but verify!"

Edited by Oyaji, 21 February 2021 - 10:08 PM.