My new toy

A 2032mm f/10 (8") catadioptric telescope. As you see it right there, it is about 75 pounds total, including the D850 and battery grip. I also have 6 different strength eyepieces and a 2x Barlow lens (essentially a 2x TC). It is all hooked up and ready to rock and roll. I am still waiting on a mount for the guide scope, but that will be here next week. Not a necessity really, it will just increase the precision of the tracking. The electronic focuser (that thing just below the camera) makes focusing very easy and very precise and you can control it from the hand controller or via a computer with the requisite software. The thing on the top is a Telrad reflex finder. The little red dot thing that came with the telescope is not particularly high quality. I will be shooting some nebulae this evening. I have to figure out a two star alignment procedure first!

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Originally Posted by BF Hammer

The nebulae won't know what got 'em!

Looking forward to your shakedown photos. I was snakebit for a 3rd time in a month trying my wide-field shot of Orion and it's surrounding nebulae. Had to give up with a technical problem before taking any photo earlier this week.

It is partly cloudy today but should be clearing by early evening, I will hopefully give it a shot then!