MORNING STAR OBSERVATORY
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    • Star Trek Communicator

N 39.05° | W 78.74°
1840 ft EL

The old observatory in Virginia was dismantled in late 2017 and all the equipment packed and stored, awaiting completion of a new observatory building in WV. Things haven't exactly gone as planned and the new building is still on the drawing board.

The original plan was to erect the 12-1/2' Lancaster dome to replace the smaller 8' Exploradome from the old site, and that's still the plan, but now we are back to searching for a new site. If I don't find a good site this year I may just sell off everything and call it quits.
Picture
My EQ-8 has always been pier mounted and I don't have the tripod for it, and its too heavy to lug around anyway, so I amuse myself with binoculars for the present. I did pickup a Questar scope, and a pair of Canon image stabilizing binoculars, in a recent trade so I have a couple of new options for portable viewing. I sent the Questar back to the factory and had it cleaned and serviced, but I haven't used it yet. However the binoculars are really good at stabilizing whatever you're viewing. I also still have my old Celestron Ultima 8 and its tripod that I can fall back on for some higher magnification stargazing.
If and when we do get the dome completed, it will house my Orion HDX110 EQ-G (EQ-8) GEM mount and Celestron C-11 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope (SCT). Also an Astro-Tech AT6RC astrograph for imaging and, of course, another piggybacked guide scope with camera.

My imaging cameras are a modified Orion StarShoot Pro 6MP one-shot color camera and an 8.3MP QSI 683 mono camera with LRGB, Ha, SII and OIII filters. There is also a ZWO CMOS mono camera for autoguiding and possibly planetary imaging.

I have several other hobbies, not related to astronomy, that I also occupy myself with while waiting to build the dome, and I've created some pages relating to those.

The layout for the pages on this website are best viewed on a desktop. The mobile views usually look OK, but sometimes not so much. I've just learned to live with it, being it's a free website provider and all.
Picture

moon phases
​
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork... Psalm 19:1


​Disclaimer:  The information contained on this and related pages is believed to be accurate, but no guarantees are expressed or implied.  Any information on these pages should be considered "as-is" and the reader is completely responsible for the way it is used. 

​Copyright © 2011-2021 Stephen Statts, All Rights Reserved
(Last update to this page - 4/8/2021)
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  • Home
    • Contact
  • Astrophotography
  • Observatory
    • New Observatory
    • Lancaster Dome
    • ExploraDome
  • Equipment
    • Accessories >
      • RA Drive Corrector
    • CCD Cameras >
      • Orion Starshoot Pro
    • Mounts >
      • Orion HDX110 (EQ-8)
    • Telescopes >
      • 1956 Questar 3.5
      • Astro-Tech AT6RC
      • Celestron C-11 XLT
      • Zhumell 152mm Refractor
  • Projects
    • C11 XLT Mods
    • Dome Automation
    • Orion SSPRO Camera >
      • Disassembled Views
      • Noise Reduction Mod
      • Temp Controller Mod
    • Ultima 8 Mods
    • Zhumell Refractor Mods
  • Non-Astronomy
    • Amateur Radio >
      • Accessories >
        • Station Boom Microphone
      • Ameco >
        • Ameco AC-1
        • Ameco OCM
        • Ameco PT-2
        • Ameco R5A
      • Vintage Equipment >
        • Knight Kit T-60 Transmitter
        • Heathkit SB-102 Station
      • Yaesu FT-817 >
        • Yaesu FT-817ND
        • LDG Z-817 Autotuner
        • Windcamp LiPo Battery
    • Antique Radios >
      • Building A Radio Workbench
      • Radio Dial Neon Clock
      • Radios >
        • Boat Anchor Radios >
          • BC-348N Receiver
          • Collins 51J4 HF Receiver
          • R-392 HF Receiver
        • 1938 Zenith 6-S-254
        • Echophone EC-1
        • Eltz Radione 2
        • Knight Kit Span Master II
        • Panasonic RF-5000A
        • Silvertone Model 4465
      • Test Equipment >
        • Hickok >
          • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
          • Hickok 19X RF Generator
          • Hickok 225K VTVM
          • Hickok 288X RF Generator
        • Simpson >
          • Simpson Genescope
        • Supreme Instruments >
          • Supreme Model 385 Automatic
          • Supreme Audolyzer
          • Supreme Vedolyzer
          • Supreme 563 Audio Generator
        • Military Test Equipment >
          • BC-221-AF Frequency Meter
          • I-177 Tube Tester
          • LM-21 Frequency Meter
          • MX-949 Adapter
          • TS-323/UR Frequency Meter
          • TS-465 C/U Sweep Generator
          • TS-505D/U VTVM
          • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
        • Rider Chanalyst
        • Tektronix 326 O'scope
        • Tube Testers >
          • Alternating Current Sink
          • Drug Store Tester
          • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
          • I-177 Tube Tester
          • MX-949 Adapter
          • Precision Model 10-12
          • Supreme Model 385
          • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
    • Star Trek Communicator