The Official Shoot the Moon Thread

WestCoastCannuck wrote in post #18931354
You don't need the pole star! Not with ALT AZ mount, only with EQ. The unit does all the work itself actually.... you just have to fine tune left and right a bit usually.

Here is a little vid showing set-up... though as I say, you do have to tweak it a bit. I have only used mine a few times, and could not see what it pointed at for alignment (clouds, whatever...) it did not matter, I just confirmed position anyway, and told it to go to the moon, and adjusted on it and it tracked fine. Not ideal I am sure... but it has worked anyway.

See a vid here.... daytime, but it goes through the motions. I am sure there are better vids out there.

https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=v3nNHwQLnfA

Thanks. With my limited space and obstacles making polar alignment difficult, this might be just the ticket for me. Now I just need to find an Arca-Swiss to dovetail mount for my Sony FE 100-400 lens foot.

Any suggestions?

navydoc wrote in post #18931392
Thanks. With my limited space and obstacles making polar alignment difficult, this might be just the ticket for me. Now I just need to find an Arca-Swiss to dovetail mount for my Sony FE 100-400 lens foot.

Any suggestions?

Would this do the job?

https://agenaastro.com …plate-red-m-prc110rd.html


There may very well be something out there, but this is what I did. I am a machinist, so I just made myself a little adapter for my lens foot on a break at work to go on a cheap Vixen dovetail I picked up on Amazon. (yes, I can make that too... but wanted a "factory" one to model from). I did have to drill and counterbore the dovetail, and grind back a 1/4-20 cap screw to the right length. I thought I would just need the dovetail, but my lens would not clear the holder. It isn't pretty... but my lunch is only 30 minutes. ))

WestCoastCannuck wrote in post #18931488
Would this do the job?

https://agenaastro.com …plate-red-m-prc110rd.html

There may very well be something out there, but this is what I did. I am a machinist, so I just made myself a little adapter for my lens foot on a break at work to go on a cheap Vixen dovetail I picked up on Amazon. (yes, I can make that too... but wanted a "factory" one to model from). I did have to drill and counterbore the dovetail, and grind back a 1/4-20 cap screw to the right length. I thought I would just need the dovetail, but my lens would not clear the holder. It isn't pretty... but my lunch is only 30 minutes. ))

Very nice job you did! I am also a machinist, working in a precision machine shop, but I have not done any machining for 20 years now as I am an inspeqtor (oops inspector!) for the company I work for. I have run in the past lathes, mills, grinders etc.

WestCoastCannuck wrote in post #18931488
Would this do the job?

https://agenaastro.com …plate-red-m-prc110rd.html

There may very well be something out there, but this is what I did. I am a machinist, so I just made myself a little adapter for my lens foot on a break at work to go on a cheap Vixen dovetail I picked up on Amazon. (yes, I can make that too... but wanted a "factory" one to model from). I did have to drill and counterbore the dovetail, and grind back a 1/4-20 cap screw to the right length. I thought I would just need the dovetail, but my lens would not clear the holder. It isn't pretty... but my lunch is only 30 minutes. ))

Well, as to the one you linked to, the dovetail side would connect to the iOptron mount alright but it seems the opposite side is the 'male' side of an Arca-Swiss mount, which is what the foot of my lens has. So, I would either need the female Arca-Swiss mount on that plate or insert a female to female plate in between, it there is such a thing.

The black plate you have connected to your custom aluminum lens plate looks like it should work for my needs. It appears to have a male dovetail side and a female Arca-Swiss side.

Thanks for the link anyway and I'm sure your machined part does the job for you just fine.

navydoc wrote in post #18931502
Well, as to the one you linked to, the dovetail side would connect to the iOptron mount alright but it seems the opposite side is the 'male' side of an Arca-Swiss mount, which is what the foot of my lens has. So, I would either need the female Arca-Swiss mount on that plate or insert a female to female plate in between, it there is such a thing.

The black plate you have connected to your custom aluminum lens plate looks like it should work for my needs. It appears to have a male dovetail side and a female Arca-Swiss side.

Thanks for the link anyway and I'm sure your machined part does the job for you just fine.

It does work great! Though the plate I bought does not have the dovetail you need I don't think.....

https://www.amazon.com …-Equatorial/dp/B07LGDCK​ZX

Hope you can find a solution!! There are some good threads on the iOptron at Cloudy Nights worth plowing through - its not all roses with the mount for some people. I have not had to call them myself - all was good from first time. It fit exactly what I needed, so I took a chance.

Regards

Mike

WestCoastCannuck wrote in post #18931507
It does work great! Though the plate I bought does not have the dovetail you need I don't think.....

https://www.amazon.com …-Equatorial/dp/B07LGDCK​ZX

Hope you can find a solution!! There are some good threads on the iOptron at Cloudy Nights worth plowing through - its not all roses with the mount for some people. I have not had to call them myself - all was good from first time. It fit exactly what I needed, so I took a chance.

Regards

Mike

Thanks Mike. I'll probably wind up getting a vixen style plate that I can bolt the lens foot onto instead of using the arca-swiss rails. Not quick release but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18931498
Very nice job you did! I am also a machinist, working in a precision machine shop, but I have not done any machining for 20 years now as I am an inspeqtor (oops inspector!) for the company I work for. I have run in the past lathes, mills, grinders etc.

Very cool! I did not know that! Amazing that has never come up in our correspondence. lol

Well, then, you would appreciate this adapter I made so I can use 1.25 inch astro filters in my 42mm drop in filter slot of my lenses. Its out getting black anodised right now. (I made and kept a second one "naked" to use in the mean time) I did it all on a CNC mill, cut the threads with a single point threadmill.

WestCoastCannuck wrote in post #18931529
Very cool! I did not know that! Amazing that has never come up in our correspondence. lol

Well, then, you would appreciate this adapter I made so I can use 1.25 inch astro filters in my 42mm drop in filter slot of my lenses. Its out getting black anodised right now. (I made and kept a second one "naked" to use in the mean time) I did it all on "my" CNC mill, cut the threads with a single point threadmill. In fact, my shop PAID me to make it for training purposes on the stipulation that I program it all with new software I have been procrastinating about learning. haha (I have been firmly stuck on the old cad/cam software I have been using for years)

And now... back on topic, here is one from a couple days ago I don't think I posted.

I think it was with the 300/2.8. (yeah... my memory REALLY sucks)

I ran a Mazak mill for a few years back in the mid 90's and another Hurco mill (looked like a bridgeport mill) for a couple of years in late 90's then moved to inspeqtion. I love inspeqtion!

Your moon shot looks excellent! Lots of good detail!

While taking the trash out earlier this evening, I happened to notice the Moon low in the western sky. I haven't a chance to shoot it with my new Sony a7rIV and thought this might be a good opportunity.

It just so happened that I already had my 1.4 telextender on my FE 100-400 lens.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hpn​6wY

navydoc wrote in post #18937407
While taking the trash out earlier this evening, I happened to notice the Moon low in the western sky. I haven't a chance to shoot it with my new Sony a7rIV and thought this might be a good opportunity.

It just so happened that I already had my 1.4 telextender on my FE 100-400 lens.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hpn​6wY Eleven Sixteenths Illuminated by Gene, on Flickr

Very nice shot!

I am waiting for the skies to clear when I am home to get a shot of the moon with my new 90D!

The other night while I was at work I saw a very beautiful crescent moon low in the sky. Oh how I wanted to be at home at that moment.

I knew by the time I got home it would be below the horizon. The next night it was cloudy when I was home of course

First attempt...

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hpN​nXb

Inspeqtor wrote in post #18937549
Very nice shot!

I am waiting for the skies to clear when I am home to get a shot of the moon with my new 90D!

The other night while I was at work I saw a very beautiful crescent moon low in the sky. Oh how I wanted to be at home at that moment.

I knew by the time I got home it would be below the horizon. The next night it was cloudy when I was home of course

Boy, can I relate. There have been more than once I've come across a perfect scene from a perfect spot and at the perfect time of day only to realize I was on the Freeway and would never find a similar point of view or time once I found the nearest offramp.

Low in the western sky, the Moon had a warm tint to it this early time of the evening (7:41 pm PDT).

Shot using the 2x extender on my FE 100-400mm lens and Sony a7rIV. This is a 66% zoomed in crop.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hpR​8dm

navydoc wrote in post #18938079
Low in the western sky, the Moon had a warm tint to it this early time of the evening (7:41 pm PDT).

Shot using the 2x extender on my FE 100-400mm lens and Sony a7rIV. This is a 66% zoomed in crop.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hpR​8dm Brown Moon over SoCal by Gene, on Flickr

Nice work Navydoc!!

I am so missing the moon.... I went out in my van, set up and shot through a sucker hole in the clouds after a 30 minute wait, and it was only a bit above the horizon. (11 degrees)

Minolta 400mm camera lens (@1200mm) and ZWO ASI183MM camera. Best 1000 frames of 1600. Reduced in size a fair bit.

34.4 % Waxing - Oct 3, 2019