Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

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cmassa
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Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#1

Post by cmassa »


This telescope should be good for a fair amount of rain which we really need. I managed to get the last AG Optical 12.5" Convergent telescope. It's huge compared to my 10" Newtonian I've been using. It rides nice on the MX+. I still have a fair amount of set up to complete and there is a lot of wet weather in the forecast. Tomorrow's task is to get all the power cables made and installed. Then on to USB and computer setup. Once the weather clears (forecast is bad for quite a while) I can start collimation. It should be good for social distancing as well. :D

Chris
20200307_172952a.jpg
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20200307_163933a.jpg
OTA's: AG Optical 12.5" Convergent, TPO 10" f/4 Newtonian, Celestron 8" EdgeHD SCT, Astro-Tech AT65EDQ
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX+, iOptron CEM60
Cameras: Atik 383L+ mono with EFW2 filter wheel (36mm filters), Canon T2i - self-modded with Baader IR filter, ZWO ASI120MC, QHY5L-II mono, LodeStar X2
My Astrophotography: http://www.astrobin.com/users/cmassa/
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notFritzArgelander
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#2

Post by notFritzArgelander »


Congratulations on a handsome acquisition! I hope you are not punished too severely by the cloud demons. ;)
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
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JayTee United States of America
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#3

Post by JayTee »


Wow Chris,

A new and spectacular set up for you. What is the optical design of that scope? I'm curious why you chose it over the Planewave CDK? Given the 50mm imaging circle, what camera will you use to capture such a wide area?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just curious.
JT
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°

Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."

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cmassa
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#4

Post by cmassa »


JayTee wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2020 4:06 am Wow Chris,

A new and spectacular set up for you. What is the optical design of that scope? I'm curious why you chose it over the Planewave CDK? Given the 50mm imaging circle, what camera will you use to capture such a wide area?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just curious.
JT
It's a corrected Dall-Kirkham design like the Planewave but with a 1577 mm focal length at F5. I thought about the Planewave but really didn't want such a long focal length. I also got a pretty good deal on this one. For now, I'll be sticking with my current camera which is an Atik 383l+. After buying the telescope I really don't have funds to upgrade the camera yet. I'd eventually like to have a 16200 based camera or possibly something like the QHY600 but that requires new filters and filter wheel as well.

Chris
OTA's: AG Optical 12.5" Convergent, TPO 10" f/4 Newtonian, Celestron 8" EdgeHD SCT, Astro-Tech AT65EDQ
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX+, iOptron CEM60
Cameras: Atik 383L+ mono with EFW2 filter wheel (36mm filters), Canon T2i - self-modded with Baader IR filter, ZWO ASI120MC, QHY5L-II mono, LodeStar X2
My Astrophotography: http://www.astrobin.com/users/cmassa/
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yobbo89 Australia
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#5

Post by yobbo89 »


nice mount and scope, looks solid !, a decent mounting plate on it too. stainless steel counterweights ! $$$

is the top structural ring made of carbon or aluminium ?
scopes :gso/bintel f4 12"truss tube, bresser messier ar127s /skywatcher 10'' dob,meade 12'' f10 lx200 sct
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .

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cmassa
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#6

Post by cmassa »


yobbo89 wrote: Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:43 am nice mount and scope, looks solid !, a decent mounting plate on it too. stainless steel counterweights ! $$$

is the top structural ring made of carbon or aluminium ?
It looks like aluminum.
OTA's: AG Optical 12.5" Convergent, TPO 10" f/4 Newtonian, Celestron 8" EdgeHD SCT, Astro-Tech AT65EDQ
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX+, iOptron CEM60
Cameras: Atik 383L+ mono with EFW2 filter wheel (36mm filters), Canon T2i - self-modded with Baader IR filter, ZWO ASI120MC, QHY5L-II mono, LodeStar X2
My Astrophotography: http://www.astrobin.com/users/cmassa/
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#7

Post by JimMinCT »


Very sharp. Looks great, Chris. Hoping the skies clear just as you get the cabling finished. :)
OTA's: Kson 1026-C, 4" Carbon Fiber ED Refractor, Home-built, 6.1", f/2.? APO refractor... (In Progress) 8" Meade LX2 SCT Mounts: CGX Imaging: ZWO ASI 1600MM, Canon 550D (T2i) Software: PixInsight, APT, PHD2, SharpCap, SGP, Stellarium, Registax, Stuff: Astro-Tech 0.8x FR/FF, Hotech SCA FF, ZWO 7nm 31mm LRGB-SHO filter set, ZWO 8 position EFWObsy: "Maybe Spaceship" Observatory
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helicon United States of America
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#8

Post by helicon »


That's really nice!

And guess what, the rain gods have arrived - raining pretty hard right now over in Berkeley as I sit at the table with my coffee.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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cmassa
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#9

Post by cmassa »


Well, it's barely rained here in Chico yet but it's been blowing like crazy.

Here's my progress on cabling. I have a RigRunner on the left side of the telescope (top of pic) and the AGO Thermal Control System is on the right side. Power comes through the internal cabling of the mount. I moved my Startech 12v USB hub to the mounting plate just behind the telescope. Only one USB cable comes through the mount to the USB hub. I have a few loops of USB cable around the camera so I might try my hand at making my own custom length USB cables.

Chris
20200314_163833a.jpg
OTA's: AG Optical 12.5" Convergent, TPO 10" f/4 Newtonian, Celestron 8" EdgeHD SCT, Astro-Tech AT65EDQ
Mounts: Software Bisque Paramount MX+, iOptron CEM60
Cameras: Atik 383L+ mono with EFW2 filter wheel (36mm filters), Canon T2i - self-modded with Baader IR filter, ZWO ASI120MC, QHY5L-II mono, LodeStar X2
My Astrophotography: http://www.astrobin.com/users/cmassa/
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Re: Rain is coming to Northern California - sorry.

#10

Post by Bigzmey »


It's a beauty, congrats! I think we are getting the rain which supposed to go your way. :lol:
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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