Gina saying Hi from East Devon

[Gina]

Good morning all.  I'm Gina and quite well known in the astro world I think.  Have been into serious astronomy, mainly imaging, for about 10 years.  Started with a cheap Newtonian telescope, then joined a forum and advanced in fits and starts from there, spending thousands on equipment upgrades until what I have now.  Built my own observatory resembling a green garden shed but with a roll off roof going over a "warm room".  Scope room is about 8ft square and warm room a bit smaller.  I'll post some pictures of it later. 

Now using an EQ8 mount on a self-poured concrete block and pier.  I have several telescopes which I'll detail separately but lately using vintage SLR camera lenses for widefield narrowband DSO imaging in a dual rig with guiding.

The site is rated at the low end of Bortle 4 with good views in most directions though a bit less in the north and west due to rising ground, trees and buildings.  Being on the SE side of a hill I have excellent views to the east and south.  I am in The Blackdown Hills overlooking the Otter Valley.

[Carastro]

Hi Gina,

Wow, I forgot you had an EQ8, yes definitely not portable to a campsite.

Lots of members signed up already.

Carole  

[Gina]

It has handles which though heavier than the NEQ6, make it easier to carry.  It's not moving from the pier though.  If I decide to "go mobile" I shall need a lighter mount than the NEQ6 which I can hardly lift.

[ChrisWright]

Hi Gina,

Great to see you here and understand what you mean by mount weight. Even I make various involuntary grunting noises moving my EQ6R-Pro setup out into the garden. I foresee a pier and obsy in my future ? 

[Carastro]

I used to own an NEQ6, and used to take it to camp, but I didn't have scopes that warranted such a hefty Mount, so decided to buy an HEQ5 for camps, also because I got fed up with trying to re-polar align the EQ6 when getting back from camp as in those days the only option was kneel down and look through the polarscope, and my Pier plate got in the way of where I needed my chin to be.

Then after a while I was doing so much imaging at camp and virtually none from home, and by then I had bought Polemaster, so decided to sell my NEQ6 to released some of my equity and just use the HEQ5.

Carole 

[Gina]

That was a good Plan Carole.  I have a Polemaster too but the software I use also has PA and works well.  But my main mount stays put on my pier.  If I decide to "roam" with more portable equipment as seems a possibility I shall want a more portable mount.