The Collimation
A very comprehensive page on how to collimate your SCT, complete with many photos, charts & drawings.





GoTo & Tracking Systems


This site is all about converting a manually guided telescope into a computer controlled telescope. By computer controlled I mean one that is quite capable of pointing your optics (via motors) to known celestial objects (aka Go To) and then holding them in the eyepiece for however long you choose (aka tracking). The objects most frequently looked at are not only the stars you can see un-aided at night. By objects I mean nebulae, galaxies, open and globular clusters, planets, double stars, the moon and sun. The data base of available objects is only limited by your observing location and size of your optics.





Catching the Light - Astrophotography

By Jerry Lodriguss

This is a web site of deep-sky astronomical photographs, tips and techniques for astrophotography, and digital enhancement in Photoshop



Repairing the LX200 Dec/RA drive


There have been lots and lots of discussions on the problems faced when your LX200 Dec or RA drive doesn't work correctly. The most common of these is 'runaway', or a 'buzzing' of the motor, and the second-most common being a drive that is completely dead.



Tips On Observing The Universe


A selection of popular how to articles from the Sky & Telescope's Backyard Astronomy series along with an assortment of other useful tips.



Common "Screw Ups" Made by Astrophotographers

By Jim Pennington
A whole list of little things that can ruin your outing




Guiding Tips With an Autoguider on a Schmidt-Cassegrain

By Chris Vedeler
This page is an outline of some of what I have learned about the tricky art of autoguiding using a CCD autoguider with my Meade 10" LX200. I want to share what I learned so hopefully others don't need to go though the expensive and frustrating learning experience I did.




Home Made Adjustable Dew Heater

By Nick Zivanovic
The Kendrick and Orion systems looked attractive, but expensive. Most of the home-brew systems involved gluing the resistive elements to the corrector of the scope, a route I did not want to take.! decided to design a system that would give me the best of both worlds: a neat, finished-looking end-product similar to the commercial ones, yet inexpensive to build and easy to use. My goal was to produce a unit that would not have a tacky homemade look but would complement the appearance of my scope (we all know how important that is!).




Astro Cruise Articles & Projects



Adventures in Astrophotography With A Small Telescope
 By Jeffrey R. Charles

An excellent page including topics such as:
  • Telescopes Without Equatorial Mountings
  • Telescopes with Equatorial Mountings and Sidereal Drive
  • Prime Focus Off-Axis Guided Photography: Step by Step
  • Photography with Auxiliary Optics
  • Optimum Use of AutoGuiders
  • Other Techniques
  • Astrophotography Exposure Guide
  • Images
  • References & Additional Information




    • The Art of Astroimaging
    by Paul Van Slyke

    An excellent page including topics such as:
  • Properly installing an imaging train
  • Installing a Secondary Focuser on your Telescope
  • Installing a Focal Reducer to your Secondary Focuser
  • Installing a Versa-Port Slider
  • Installing your CCD or 35mm Camera to your VP Slider
  • Preparing your imaging train for astroimaging
  • Paul's Pictorial Parfocusing Primer
  • Focal Plane Focusing Devices for your 35mm Camera
  • Taking the first exposure through your imaging train
  • Eyepiece Guiding on a Guide Star
  • Cameras & films for astrophotography
  • Filters for 35mm & CCD astroimaging




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