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  2. Hi, your not the first person who's said that about the C9.25 and Jupiter. But, I can't be sure if I'll end up in the mushy or Sharp view camp if I get one.
  3. If you want to lighten the setup in this day and age consider a ZWO am3 or am5. The lack of needing counterweights is a godsend, with the ZWO you also don't need to spend time balancing ra and Dec because it has hd on both axis. The zwo also operates in EQ and alt az. Other options from ioptron are available.
  4. Thanks Bosun, A very interesting post. Have you tried your 10" dobsonian on your az-eq6, or is it a flextube one? I had considered the 180mm mak, but could never find images of jupiter or saturn that matched those in sct or equivalent Newts. But, I note your comment about it in relation to a 300 mm Newtonian. I have been trying to avoid the dobsonian /newt path but primarily for visual observation. With planetary AP, I wouldn't be looking through it. Obviously the odd visual observation through it would be nice too.
  5. Yep - that's certainly how I've found things, several times 🙂
  6. Also remember, what ever you decide to go with, it will be the wrong choice. It's a given. A couple of months or year down the road, you're start getting niggling doubts that you should have taken a different route. Then it starts all over again. It happens to us all.
  7. Zwo Am3 would be the equivalent, Am5 for larger payload. Ioptron do larger ones hem27, their HAE have harmonic drives on both axis like the zwo ones (so no balancing in both Ra and Dec required), higher up the budget you've got Rainbow RST which has been on the market for years before HD flooded the market, Pegasus NYX and the new player on the market Warp Astron with their servo HD drives WD17 and WD20. Once you've used a HD mount, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with a traditional EQ mount, especially if you need to carry it out and back in.
  8. ~ I do no imaging so cannot comment on that aspect, but the best views of Jupiter I've had were through my C-Nine-Two-Five. Which means seeing is everything. .
  9. I use an 11 & 20mm Televue plossl for Ha, work really well for solar. Can pick them up relatively cheaply on the used market. Have an older Celestron 12.5mm Ultima that works really nicely too. Been meaning to try the new Tak TPL line but they’re quite expensive in comparison.
  10. Thanks Dweller, it seems we have been on similar trajectories. The mount I have been considering, and that has been a constant compared to scope choice 😁, is the az-eq6, due to its az ability, in addition to eq. It is a bit more expensive than Eq6, but potentially more flexible, especially if I was to mount a 10inch Newtonian on it. I suspect the latter can give better planetary AP than the C8 I had in mind. I might swap the Askar scope for the StellaMira 125 though at similar cost. Thanks for taking the time to come up with these suggestions 👍
  11. I'm not clear on your picture. Why isn't the diagonal simply inserted into the visual back? The visual back on the 127 looks like this: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/624516-sw-127-mak-adapters-accessories/?p=8699550 And the external threads serve no useful purpose if a 1.25" diagonal is inserted.
  12. 🤪, well, I've had the luxury of time, in that I have been slowly saving, but the day of final decision is 6 months away. As mentioned, I had really decided on the C9.25, but too many reports of mushiness have put me off. So, forcing a rethink now.
  13. ~ Agreed. For outreach, I mount my SW120ED on a CG5, and it works fine. .
  14. Hi, zakalwe .  How about the  proms with Lunt 60 and The DS 50 etalon? Assume they look better with single etalon?  Thanks.    Miertje. 

  15. Oh cool, it all adds to the frantic feeling of not having the time to sketch anything as it moves out of my untracked FOV 🤣
  16. If you want a map, I'd echo suggestions for the Sky & Telescope correct image (binocular view) map. I like the Charles Wood atlas, but some people feel the errata list is too long. It doesn't bother me, but YMMV.
  17. I think looking at the reviews Ed Tring is in an extreme minority with his opinion.
  18. Three years! And you still haven't decided. If I were you I would narrow it down to the serious contenders, then list their pros and cons. Any reviews you read for the said telescopes try and ensure that they are from experienced observers. Even on this forum while I read every comment on equipment purchase and observing results etc, I only ingest and allow myself to be guided by those comments coming from experienced members whose many years at the eyepiece with different scopes forms the basis of their knowledge. I'll say it once again. If you can allow for the cool down time of an 180mm Maksutov then you will have the closest to apo refractor performance in my experience. They are sharper both for visual and planetary imaging than an SCT. They are also good for doubles. They are also compact and easy to transport. The other choice you mention is the ED120 or the SM125. Buying new then the 125 would be my choice simply for the extra 5mm aperture and the better 2.5" R&P focuser fitted as standard. When I'm personally deciding on buying a new telescope it's on the particular model I'm purchasing, as I have decided on scope design and manufacturer some time prior. I also am a planetary enthusiast and have viewed and imaged the planets with refractors (both apo & achro), reflectors, SCT's as well as Maksutovs. The best views were from my 4" apo refractor with lovely colours and sharpness all round. The Maksutovs (once cooled) were snapping at the heels of the refractors along with the Newtonians. Slightly behind the Newts came the SCT's solely due to the views being softer. As you increase aperture the playing field changes in my opinion. Ideally we would just want to increase the size of our apo refractor scope but cost throws a proverbial spanner in the works. For planetary imaging then it's all about resolution to tease out the details on the planets surface which means aperture basically. For this reason it's large Newts and SCT's that are the scopes of choice. As you are already aware the seeing conditions here in the UK hinders the performance we can achieve with larger apertures. So I have found it to be something of a balancing act between conditions and equipment regarding the planets. I have captured images of the planets with a 180 Mak that I haven't beaten with a 300mm Newt. I know that this is solely due to the seeing conditions not being conducive to the larger scope.But I have started asking myself am I getting more enjoyment from several nice images with the smaller scope or perhaps the one excellent image (if any at all) from the larger scope. I am now in the smaller scope camp. I think I will settle on my existing 10" go to dobsonian and I will add a 180mm Maksutov onto my AZ-EQ6 for the nights of poorer seeing. Either that or a SM25 apo and I can then open the sky up to a multitude of amazing views and targets. The only thing that I do know for sure at this second is that it won't take me three years to decide. Good luck with whichever avenue you decide to venture down.
  19. Ok, thanks. You have a good budget but like me you like sharp clean views, have early cataract development, a bad back and move all your kit in and out for astro sessions. It sounds like you have DSO AP covered with your ED80. You can probably sell the 127 Mak to add funds to the kitty. Your first choice probably needs to be the mount as that dictates what weight of scope you can use, You have mentioned an EQ6 in the past but they are heavy so would suggest you pay a visit to Rother Valley Optics and or your local astro club to see if you can manage one. Possibly the easiest choice for planetary and double star observing is a refractor but the OTA size depends on the mount. Refractors are less affected by the poor seeing we can get in the UK. Binoviewers are highly recommended for this. I don’t do Planetary AP but would suggest a Newtonian with a rear mounted fan for quicker cool down, again the size is mount dependant. Suggestion 1 : Heavy option (new prices) SW EQ6 PRO: £1500 Askar 120 APO triplet: £1500 SW 10” F/5 Newtonian: £530 Suggestion 2 : Lighter option (new prices) SW EQ5 PRO: £699 Starfield ED102: £899 SW 8” F/5 Newtonian: £349 Many other options are available 🙂 Hope that helps.
  20. An SCT may prove to be off-putting if you have to wait for it to cool each time you want to use it. With your budget I'd be looking to get the best scope for the money, and this is where we all differ. Whats best for one isn't necessarily best for another. Personally I'd grab myself a TSA120 for visual, and a no skill needed SeeStar 50 for DSO imaging. Slightly pushing your budget I know, but good stuff is worth fighting for!
  21. Ah right, I didn't understand your original post as I'd never heard of it! It looks a neat, lightweight package, - relatively portable, especially compared to my heq5 pro which I struggle to pick up even on its own. Price isn't too bad, considering. I'm contemplating buying a StarAid Rev B standalone autoguider which is priced around £800... However, Flo says it's 'unavailable' so not sure what the situation is with it. It doesn't seem to be a 'big seller'. Maybe there's an alternative out there? Louise
  22. Today
  23. Lunt's own zoom EP is very good. I wouldn't normally recommend a zoom EP but with solar observing the seeing plays a dramatic role. Having a zoom option helps you find the sweet spot on any given day. I used one with my Lunt 50. I also have to hand either my 14mm or 20mm ES 68' EPs. They are excellent for the price.
  24. Still a novice so this could be a stupid question. I captured some flats after an imaging session the other night. The original lights were captured in Ekos but the flats I captured didn't actually seem to capture anything. I then captured more flats in ASI Studio and they seemed ok. When I stack these in Affinity photo the red and green channels seem ok but all the blue data is stacked to the extreme left i.e. level 0 of the histogram is reporting 518000+ pixels in the blue channel (I'm assuming this is reporting clipped data). Presumably some mismatch between ASI Studio and affinity might be the cause of this but has anyone else had this issue or similar? Anyway to recover? The resulting flat is yellow. I'm assuming this will adversely affect the eventual stacking?
  25. Think I'm gonna find an in depth look at Nina find out more how the magic works
  26. Hi Dweller, 1. In the region of £4K 2. Ed80, 127mm Mak. Az - Gti, D7000 dslr 3. DSO AP with ed80; planetary AP with good resolution ; splitting difficult doubles, including sirius. Planetary obs. Sharp clean views important. 4. Nottingham area. Seeing varies, usually max out at 140 x with ed80,wrt sharpness. Naked eye limit about mag 4.5. 5. Yes. Either from garage or house, depending on scope. Can't store it outside. Would need setting up each time. Oyher details : 59 yrs old, I'm told I have very early signs of cataracts (but I can't see any symptoms yet, that pleasure awaits). Reasonably strong when not having back issues (which randomly appear every so often) but in latter case, even setting up a tasco would be off the list. Hope this helps paint a clearer picture. ☺️ Thanks Mark
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