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International Astronomy Show


Streetbob

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Ahhhh... it was Andy - thanks mate my memory's getting very ropey these days :)

 

I see, so the name badge is for your benefit not ours then ;):P

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Good chatting with you too Peter - and Di says thanks for the lens advice :)


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Really enjoyed the show today.  Good to meet a few of the EMS crowd.  


Enjoyed the talk on 'do we need a new theory of gravity' ... it seems the answer is yes (would have felt my £6 was wasted if he had just said no!)


 


Picked up an ex-demo HEQ5 Pro for £620 from http://astrograph.net/  so came home happy!

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I'm getting this tomorrow. I just need to get some luggage straps to hold it onto the roof for the journey home; i could always ask eddy to collect it on his bike :)

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I'm getting this tomorrow. I just need to get some luggage straps to hold it onto the roof for the journey home; i could always ask eddy to collect it on his bike :)

I know someone who had the 200mm version, he said it was pants compared to his Skywatcher 150 evostar!

Have to take his word for it.

Or was it TMB?????? Can't remember.

Edited by andyboy1970
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Nice to meet up with you all EMS guys


 


great potential and alternative to Astrofest and much easier to get to and a little bit more room to get round.


 


 


I can see me visiting again.


 


I agree about the food but Astrofest was worse TBH and its more than 5 years since I went there

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Guest peter shah
Good chatting with you too Peter - and Di says thanks for the lens advice :)
no problem :-) i did see a few things i really wanted to get but unfortunately super expensive
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Yes, another great day.


 


The only thing I saw which I really wanted was the roll off roof observatory. The guy who makes and installs them for Ian King lives in Worksop, and he was keen to sell me the display observatory at a reduced price (as I live in Nottingham), but I said I wanted one with a warm room attached, and maybe a different (bigger) size. He's invited me to his place to see his setup and to help me decide on size and talk about the prices more and the preparation I need to do for the ground.


 


Managed to find a £5 diagonal and a £10 6x30 finderscope and mounting arm for the reflector, so that is now a whole bit of kit which I can use as a grab and go; thanks to philjay for giving me advice on fixing it up.


 


Great to spend time with Astrocookie and try and spend his money, and for him looking into making a pier for me; not too over engineered please :)


 


Great to see the others too, Ron, Rob, Nick, Tbird (and his Dad), and for the pesky texts from Felix, Damian, and Tobias who was trying to get me to buy kit for him :) Also found a new guy I will try and get on EMS, from Bakewell, Matt, who looks like Professor Brian Cox, and who has an image in the Sky At Night Magazine which has just come out (a nebula, I can't remember which).


 


The black pudding was lovely too.


 


James


Edited by dawson
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Guest CodnorPaul

I was just admiring that picture - its the Rosette Nebula, and it is truly stunning!  When you've got an obsy James...


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Decided to go along at the last minute. Never been to Astrofest so I can't compare, but there was certainly plenty of nice shiny kit there! I'l certainly go again if the show is repeated next year. Bought an eyepeice too.


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Oh it gets worse, DaveJW too. I am sorry. Will your new eye piece work nicely in my scope at the next meeting :)


 


James

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Good day out, enjoyed meeting EMS folk, my only criticism was the lack of good discounts being offered? Overall a good show and I will go again!


 


Ron


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Had an enjoyable time although it was hard on my feet a long time.  Nice to meet some of the EMS members but some were in talks and I missed them.  Not really up to speed with the modern systems and came away with brochures. Kim was very helpful providing guidance and pointing out some kit. Al was made up with his mount.  Met Dion and had a chat after having bought some of his kit ~2 years back. Talked to Paul Money. I hadn't spoken to him since 1988 - when he gave a talk on Mars at Close House, Heddon on the Wall.


 


Saw a load of different CCD's. Not really sure what type to get yet because of the different available depth of the focus in relation to my reflector and focusser depth. I may have to raise the primary mirror of my 8.75" Fullerscope to get focal plane enough outside. Ironically, I lowered the primary in order to accomodate a low profile 2" helical focuser (but that was for old SLR format cameras where, I think the distance to focal plane is 42mm (?) from flat part of the camera body).  I may have to look at that again.  But the show gave me some ideas for new kit. I think I'd like a refractor like the one Kim has.   It would definitely be of use to have an obsy. The ones by Ian King seemed to have high walls though which would obscur a bit of sky and restrict windows of observation. But one day, I'll get an obsy with your help.


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Good day out, enjoyed meeting EMS folk, my only criticism was the lack of good discounts being offered? Overall a good show and I will go again!

 

Ron

 

Apart from shifting old stock,ex-display items or seconds, I expect the cost of the stalls, transport and other extra's probably negates any margin for much discount.

 

Plus the fact that dealers know that we're going to buy the stuff anyway  ;) 

 

I enjoyed the show and would certainly go to another there but was a little disappointed there wasn't more books for sale

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Cambridge University Press had piles of books yesterday. I told the young lady she needed to stock up for Today, but I guess they were limited. It was a shame Waterstones or the like wasn't there is a range of publishers books, I agree, they'd have sold loads as they are so tempting. As well as an observatory, I need a library too :)


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The sides of that roll of roof obsy do drop down.


 


http://www.iankingimaging.com/show_products.php?category=184


 


 


If you were observing or imaging that low, you would run into the corner struts which are full height though (193mm I think). I had a quick rough and ready assessment of the angles, and I think with the sides up (not dropped down) with my scope on a pier, that the sides would be at about 25-30 degrees above the horizon. Looking in my garden tonight, I think I have obstructions in most directions to 25-30 degrees above the horizon so would suit me and probably help block out some stray light from at least one lamp post.


 


I plan to go to Worksop and have a look at one set up and running. I might take Rob with me as the local expert in the field; he doesn't know yet!


 


James

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Had a  great day too.  Really enjoyed the 2 talks I attended.  I didn't get to meet up with anyone I'm afraid, but had a good chat on Altair stand.  Next purchase could well be a 8" GSO and I really liked the iq25 mount.  Will have to be awhile 'cause just bought a new crash hat (no not for observing, I'm not paranoid about NOEs).

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Oh it gets worse, DaveJW too. I am sorry. Will your new eye piece work nicely in my scope at the next meeting :)

 

James

Might do, depends whether or not I bring my scope along too!  :)

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Great day out.


 


Despite your best attempt James, I decided to hold fire on any rash purchases.  :D


 


A little disappointed by Nik's talk. I was expecting a bit more information on how to take astrophotos.


 


I felt it was a bit more like looking at his holiday snaps.  ;)


 


What he achieves is stunning however. 


 


As for all the kit on display. I came away thinking I need a better paid job or lottery win  :lol:

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