317 replies to this topic

[25585]

Neanderthal,

I don’t get too deep into the weeds about collimation @ f/5, so I use an old Orion combination sight tube and Cheshire that I’ve had forever for centering the secondary, then an AstroSystems barlowed laser. I just touch up with the laser before I observe but, so far, it’s always still collimated.

FWIW, I used to use the Glatter laser and TuBlug, but I sold them after I sold my last Starmaster over a year ago. I thought at the time that I was done with dobs.

There was a time when I thought I was done with reflectors, but then buying my 10" F5 showed me why I should still want one. I have a 12" too, but it gets used less.

[Doug Culbertson]

There was a time when I thought I was done with reflectors, but then buying my 10" F5 showed me why I should still want one. I have a 12" too, but it gets used less.

Yeah, that was my finding as well. I don't do nearly as much deep sky observing as I used to, but when I do the aperture is really nice to have. 

[WillR]

Here are a few pics of the ES10 in my observatory. Really nice to have it higher. My observatory is going on 16 years old. 12X20. My skies are Bortle 4. Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

So you observe standing I presume? For me being seated at the eyepiece is a requirement. I guess I would have an observatory with very low walls!

[Neanderthal]

The weather here has been just craptastic and can't get out and play.    Has anyone measured just how much back-focus this Hexafocuser typically needs? I was looking at the scope last night (always the precipitator of wondering ideas - us engineering types are always trying to fix something, lol) and was thinking if it would be better to 3D-print a thick spacer to go between the tube and the focuser base, thus eliminating the extra extension device. Might be a weak brain-fart, IDK. 

[starbob1]

So you observe standing I presume? For me being seated at the eyepiece is a requirement. I guess I would have an observatory with very low walls!

Yes I love standing' You can sit watching TV. I love being able to just scan ' going from one area to the next slow. One would be surprised how much is  between all the good stuff. I dont see how one could even sit using a dob. 

 

I really dont see what your problem is Neanderthal with the focuser' I just use a  AT 2in extension and it works perfect. 

 

For me what seems to be the the biggest upgrade would be a 6in or 8in extension to the front. This scope spider and focuer are really close to the top. I ordered some 1/2in foam to make a light ' dew shield for it. But other than that the scope works great.  

Edited by starbob1, 22 March 2023 - 09:19 AM.

[WillR]

Yes I love standing' You can sit watching TV. I love being able to just scan ' going from one area to the next slow. One would be surprised how much is  between all the good stuff. I dont see how one could even sit using a dob. 

 

They say sitting helps you relax and lets you see one magnitude deeper. I started standing and once I observed sitting, it was so much more relaxing, there was no going back.  Also when I started, I would jump around the sky a lot, finding obvious targets. Now I can spend an hour on a few degrees of sky. You obviously pan more than I.

 

What ever works for you, but when you say "I don't see how one could even sit using a dob.", I think many, if not most people, sit at the eyepiece if they can ( and don't need a ladder for an Obsession)

[Doug Culbertson]

The Baader Clicklock visual back arrived today and I got it installed. Below are a couple of photos with it installed with and without the focuser extension supplied with the Firstlight dob. The Baader Clicklock has an overall length of 1.75", while the extension tube with the stock visual back is just under 2.25" long. 

 

I am now wondering if that extra .5" really makes a difference in achieving focus? I am going to give it a try just using the Baader Clicklock sans the extension tube, but it may be awhile thanks to the neighbors across the road trying to burn a huge stack of green wet wood that is producing a huge cloud of smoke that has enveloped my property for two days now. 

 

First two photos are the Baader Clicklock with and without the extension tube. Photos three and  four show the measurments. 

 

 

 

 

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[Neanderthal]

Um, am I missing something, I only see one photo with the extension tube. 

[Doug Culbertson]

Um, am I missing something, I only see one photo with the extension tube.

There should be four photos total. The first one shows the Baader Clicklock on the extension attached to the focuser. The fourth photo shows the stock three screw visual back on the extension but not attached to the focuser. This was taken to compare the measurements.

[Starman1]

So you observe standing I presume? For me being seated at the eyepiece is a requirement. I guess I would have an observatory with very low walls!

I've seen observatories for dobs that had fold-down walls. Where ther's a will, there is a way.

As to whether you'd stand with his setup, it depends on your height. I can still sit with a 66" eyepiece height and a high seat position and it doesn't look like his eyepiece would be higher than that, and I'm not that tall--only 6'.

[Neanderthal]

There should be four photos total. The first one shows the Baader Clicklock on the extension attached to the focuser. The fourth photo shows the stock three screw visual back on the extension but not attached to the focuser. This was taken to compare the measurements.

Ah, I see what's going on. The Baader has a vertical-ribbed section that covers the ES extension tube. I was scratching my head why your extension tube looked different. Hopefully you have enough back-focus - that's a clean look. 

[Doug Culbertson]

Ah, I see what's going on. The Baader has a vertical-ribbed section that covers the ES extension tube. I was scratching my head why your extension tube looked different. Hopefully you have enough back-focus - that's a clean look. 

I  think that I’ll be fine with this setup. For reference here are the focuser heights measured from the top of the drawtube.

 

1. Badder Clicklock attached directly to the drawtube: 1.75”

 

2. Badder Clicklock attached to extension: 3.25”

 

3. Stock visual back attached to the drawtube: .75”

 

4. Stock visual back attached to extension tube: 2.25”

 

As we all know, #3 does not allow any eyepieces to reach focus. I am hoping that #1 will work, not only because it’s a cleaner look, but I’m afraid that #2 will be too long as well as awkward looking. With the Baader Clicklock the laser collimator and Cheshire agree every time, even when racking the focuser in and out. It’s a great piece of gear. 

[RoofMonkey911]

Do your 2” eyepieces fit in it better than the stock adapter or the blue fireball?

 

 

The Baader Clicklock visual back arrived today and I got it installed. Below are a couple of photos with it installed with and without the focuser extension supplied with the Firstlight dob. The Baader Clicklock has an overall length of 1.75", while the extension tube with the stock visual back is just under 2.25" long. 

 

I am now wondering if that extra .5" really makes a difference in achieving focus? I am going to give it a try just using the Baader Clicklock sans the extension tube, but it may be awhile thanks to the neighbors across the road trying to burn a huge stack of green wet wood that is producing a huge cloud of smoke that has enveloped my property for two days now. 

 

First two photos are the Baader Clicklock with and without the extension tube. Photos three and  four show the measurments. 

[Doug Culbertson]

Do your 2” eyepieces fit in it better than the stock adapter or the blue fireball?

Yes, they do. I've  put the Baader Clicklocks on most of my telescopes, and never had any trouble with any eyepieces or diagonals fitting. 

[Neanderthal]

Blue Fireball makes a ton of extensions that thread onto EP barrels, if this doesn't have enough back-focus, maybe they have the extension you need. 

[Doug Culbertson]

Blue Fireball makes a ton of extensions that thread onto EP barrels, if this doesn't have enough back-focus, maybe they have the extension you need. 

True, though I do have a couple of ScopeStuff 2" barrel extensions and all of my 2" eyepieces have parfocalizing rings to make them parfocal with my Leica ASPH zoom that requires the most backfocus. 

[WillR]

I've seen observatories for dobs that had fold-down walls. Where ther's a will, there is a way.

As to whether you'd stand with his setup, it depends on your height. I can still sit with a 66" eyepiece height and a high seat position and it doesn't look like his eyepiece would be higher than that, and I'm not that tall--only 6'.

That's pretty high. What is your chair? I have a Denver chair I made for my 6" F10, which has a focuser height about 60" It's a pain to climb up on that thing, though.

[Starman1]

That's pretty high. What is your chair? I have a Denver chair I made for my 6" F10, which has a focuser height about 60" It's a pain to climb up on that thing, though.

The focuser height on my 12.5" f/5 is about 60", and I have to slouch when looking through the eyepiece at the zenith on a seat height of 31".

If I stood up, the eyepiece would be just above my collar bones, in my lower neck.  That would NOT be comfortable, standing.

Normally, a 28" seat height is just about perfect for the zenith.

By standing up straight, wearing boots, I can look through a 16" f/4.5 dob (Meade LightBridge) at the zenith without a step.  A lower eyepiece height 16" f/4.5, like the Explore Scientific Truss Tube,

is easy when standing, even if the focuser is rotated up by 30°.  If the eyepiece were positioned exactly on the side, I could probably sit at the zenith. 

How I sit on a seat height above that, like the 36" seat height in the Berlebach Charon, is with feet on the ground and my rear end on the seat.

You might want to call that a sitting stand or a standing sit.  But I don't need a seat that high for the 12.5".

With boots on, my leg length is about 36" or a tiny bit more and my height about 6'1".