stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

I've tried and tried to get all my archived data to match-up with the lil' bit that I was blessed with this terrible year. This is what I have so far .

M51 Whirlpool galaxy

(Download)

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Outstanding. What is your setup to capture the M51 Whirlpool galaxy?

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

You're doin fine Ronnie.
If I was to point anything out, I'd say your focus is a little soft.
But the colors look great, and your guiding looks to be on (nice round stars).
All you need is some clear skies.

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Good job. Yes I'm also curious about your equipment. Regarding what SonnyE said about focus, do you have a Batinov (spelling?) mask? I find it to be very helpful.

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

Yes , I shouldn't of kept that old data . I need to get rid of all of it except for the ones with the moonlite af . Thanks fellas.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Well, just like I had that great night, last night was a bust.


Oh well. I am my worst enemy.

Moonlite Auto Focuser! Nice Ronnie!

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

I've had it since last January Sonny and I thought I let yall know when I got it . It's a lot better than doing it manually. I was learning how to us it last year and this year the weather is crap. It is pretty nice , I had to get rid of the factory Orion 11:1 focuser . I got a 2" Red focuser along with the moonlite and Ron put it on the focuser for me , I had to do the hard part of adding the spacer plates. I've got more in my scope than the mount . Wait ! there's something wrong with that . I just can't seem to get Alanna to flip a couple Grand for a heavy duty mount and it isn't by lack of wining. Issac at HPS told me that I could get a Losmandy G11 Head and adapter for my Meade HEAVY DUTY tripod for $1300 out the door. That's still alot of cheese Sonny.

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

Pixelstan, I'm still building my imaging Rig. I use an 8 in. newtonian astrograph w/ a Moonlite focuser and AF and a Neaf Celestron avx mount and tripod{deal}. My lx200 heavy duty is still waiting for a Losmandy G11 mount head. ASI174mm cooled mono with mini 5 EFW w/ Meade Lrgb , Optolong 7nm narrowband and a Televue Paracorr 2 lens{for coma}. It's going to take as long as it takes to get it the way I want it. I just enjoy the time I get under the stars.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I replied to this already. My bad, Ronnie, guess I didn't hit send.

Ronnie, I can vouch for the Losmandy G11. I have a GM811G, it's a hybrid of a G11 RA, and a GM8 Dec.
The basic difference being a G11/G11 has 60 pound Photographic instrument rating, And my 811 has a 50 pound Photographic instrument rating. (The difference being the Dec head is smaller)
Otherwise, the same G11 RA. (I felt this was plenty for me and my pea-shooter telescope. It now weighs 15.4 pounds with the new D-bar, and all the junk I've added.)
But, they are amazingly well made, and a product of almost 40 years of improvement upon a basic design. Machined from billet aluminum, NO cast parts anywhere.
Make sure you are getting the Gemini 2 Mini control with it, if possible. But there are a lot of guys still using the Gemini 1.

I added 4 things to mine. I wanted to make a Portable Pier, so I got a 12" extension. I wanted to be able to break it down easily to move it out and back in, so I got a set of the hand knobs. I got a Losmandy D-bar so I could clean up my focuser mounting and make a solid, fool proof mounting for my telescope. And lastly, after living with it for a while, I got the RAEXT to easily separate the RA and Dec heads.
A considerable cost, but a lifetime mount. Lifetime of my 19 year old Grandson I have it earmarked for.

At first, I had to do more disassembly and removing the counterweight bar and weight was wearing on my nerves and it's threads. So I decided to get the RAEXT accessory. And it made things much easier for me to mule around.
(The CFO requires I bring it in when I'm done. So it lives in the house at her request. Fine with me!)

Scott Losmandy replies when asked, "Why should I buy your mount?"
"Because it's the last mount you will ever need."
As a matter of Fact, it is.

I'll close with this, Burbank is ~20 miles from me. when I decided to buy, I called and got ahold of Tanya, told her what I wanted to buy, and that I wanted to pick mine up at the factory.
She told me she would talk to Scott when he got in. Within the hour, she called me back. My mount could be ready by Friday (this was Wednesday).
I called on Friday and as stated, the mount was ready.
I got there around 1 PM and everything was ready, but not boxed yet, so I could inspect it, ask any questions, meet Scott Losmandy and the folks there. Brian, their Tech adviser met me there. He wasn't an employee at the time yet. But he had fielded all my questions on the Losmandy Users Group as I was doing my research up to the purchase.
Scott was assembling a dual mount clamp configuration for a customer. Very much a hands-on guy.
Little Tanya was packing everything up, but asked Scott if he would put the HD tripod in the box because it was a little too much for her. So Scott picked up the tripod while I steadied the box, and we packed the tripod.
What CEO/Owner does that?

I've never taken apart the sub assemblies, nor done any adjustments like I read of people doing. Scott told me don't mess with it, it's ready to go. And right he is.
The posts I read of are always boiling down to somebody trying to reinvent the wheel. And invariably, they screw up the mounts adjustments.

If/When you get a G11 head, it will be the last mount you will ever need.

Basically, here is my mount. A few more refinements after this.

(Download)

Brian wanted to take a picture of Scott and I. To prove I was there.

(Download)