OGLE 2013-BLG-0101

First event we have followed this season. Nice clear skies and easy to see target. Had drama with serial ports not working, pinpoint not solving and flat dome batteries. Also major frosting on the CCD chip had to run at +10 deg C not ideal at all.
RA (J2000.0) 17:52:55.20
Dec (J2000.0) -31:30:42.5
Optics: Celestron C14
Focal length: 2634mm
Pixel Scale; 0.70"/pixel
Camera: SBIG ST10 XME Deluxe
CCD: KAF-3200ME
Filters: Wratten #12
Autoguider X=191 Y=212
Exposure: 300 sec
Observers: David Moorhouse

Astrotech (GSO) 10" RC

Almost at the point of being able to take my first ever image with my GSO (Astrotech) 10" RC telescope. It has taked ages to find the parts I needed to make this work with my SBIG STL-11000 camera as the focuser that came with it is not up to the job of loading a heavy load and being changed to allow motorized fcusing. Also had trouble with the fact that the RC design produced a coma free but curved focal plane. With a full 35mm chip this causes out of round stars at the edge of the images, so a feild flattener is needed. I finally found a flattener from teleskop-express the TS2.5Flat This needs a spacer to get the right distance from the flattener and the chip on the STL camera they make this as well. Extender tube for TS2.5Flat to STL Next I needed to change the focuser. Ron at Moonlite Focusers is organising a special very low profile 2.5" focuser for me as the standard one ended up not having enough backfocus so I could not get it to pull focus.