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  2. If you're unsure see if you have anyone local to you with scopes or a club. Don't trust the word of typical retailers, this forums sponsor FLO have a telescope buyers guide on their site. I think you'd do well with a 6 inch or 8 inch Newtonian (therefore dobsonian because the rocker box mount will be more stable than mounting onto a tripod and mount head, it will cost considerably more to get a stable tripod and mount to hold an 8 inch Newtonian well, and listen when I say this, your setups NEEDS to be reasonably stable, vibration is one of the worst things that can happen when you're viewing (also when imaging, probably even more important when imaging)). A Newtonian however can suffer more from vibration from mild breezes due to the box volume size of the scope, even more reason to consider the dobsonian type mount, so consider your weather too, unless if you can shield around you whilst using it (IE a building, wall etc). But, if you need to carry it, a smaller setup like those suggested herein will be better, you'll use it more the less hassle it is to setup and use trust me. If you're holding out for that "best scope" you'll be waiting all your life, everyone has their own preference. Id suggest as an alternative maybe get a decent brand used scope, less initial outlay, if you don't like it there's minimal loss. But buy from someone who's passionate and been doing astro for a while. There's a Euro classifieds section on here once you've contributed to the forum discussions for a bit, it doesn't take long at all to gain access if you participate.
  3. I would have thought binning post imaging will achieve similar to using a camera with larger pixels. I'd err caution with the 294MC due to some models causing a random red/green swirl pattern across the images due to the sensor glass, a lot of people don't stretch their images enough to see the issue, a histogram stretch preview shows it up straight away in my experience. The 533 is a decent camera though you suffer a similar issue to the 485, the 485 is 16:9 aspect ratio so you feel you miss out on the height, the 533 is 1:1 square so you feel like you miss out on the width, even though a square is technically the right shape to maximise area within an imaging circle in the absence of circular imaging sensors.
  4. Thanks for the detailed input. It's an interesting alternative to, with more reach than the WO Redcat.
  5. Mare Humorum and Gassendi crater. Sky Watcher 200p reflector and Zwo 462mc with x2.5 Televue zoom lens and IR pass filter. 5000frames with firecapture. Best 15% stacked in autostakkert and then processed in Registax, finished in Photoshop CS.
  6. Thank you Ann. Camping Puro Alentejo in particular looks great, we did some birding trips in Alentejo several years ago , would make a nice combination.
  7. Today
  8. Will that work with my data taken via my non astro modded dslr? in my over stretched image, i was surprised how much red i got in the middle. im assuming the red at the edge of the frame (even after a crop) is noise related. Definitely going to give this target some hours, once it comes back into view.
  9. I use Windy.com, a free app which can show you actual cloud cover, prediction of cloud direction and if they grow or dissipate, it also shows satellite images as well as rain, hail, snow, wind etc. Most apps get there info from the met office so how accurate is the met office! Look outside and see! Another app for those who like to get technical is R.A.S.P, designed by paraglider enthusiasts for flyers, very accurate at time of use. chaz
  10. Queue jumping! 😜 My original Amazon order is still not shipped - very weird.
  11. Obviously I need to add flats and also more data to calm the background... Unfortunately I could only use about 30% of subs because of tracking issues. Version 2 also omits AI sharpening, which seems to have significantly improved the star shapes.
  12. SWMBO allowed me a moment for a quick look, between helping her with her projects. There is definitely some activity showing across a wide area. I hope those with those great Lunt scopes can get a break in their weather@
  13. Lovely set of photos Paul. I do like having the various sheds and constructions in the foreground. Gives the photos more character.
  14. If you go for a electronic goto telescope that uses a mobile phone, check that your mobile phone uses a compatible version of either android or iOS you can check this in the relevant app store
  15. Oops ! Now I saw my post lacks the end of a proposition: "and one more Eyepiece like this UFF : APM Telescopes. APM Ultra Flat Field 18mm Eyepiece 65° FOV (apm-telescopes.net) 119 EUR of course you may also choose at the same price the 15mm APM Telescopes. APM Ultra Flat Field 15mm eyepiece 65° FOV (apm-telescopes.net) That would give you the following magnifications: 150x for 10mm ; 100x for 15mm ; 60x for 25mm"
  16. There are no simple answers to your question, if there were, there would only be one telescope available in that price bracket. As others have said, you need to slow down and do some research, otherwise you could make a very expensive mistake. You said you could carry a 10 to 12kg weight ... that's not much, and makes me wonder if you are either small or quite young ?
  17. More data, more stretching less color.
  18. I live in Catalonia which does have dark sites, BUT in the winter the interior, especially the plain of Lleida, very frequently gets fog which can last for weeks. When the skies are clear the seeing is excellent. I would suggest heading further south and west to Andalucia/Extramadura, but pass through Catalonia in case the weather is good, and as you have a campervan you can always park up on a mountain for the night 😉
  19. Askar 71F Review This is now the smallest telescope I own, beating my Skywatcher 72ED by just 1mm ! Like my other Askar telescopes the 71F is a high quality instrument, the deep blue accents making a welcome change to the red, gold, and green offerings that seem to have become so popular. The fit and finish is first class, and once again Askar appear to have put a lot of thought into the design of both the telescope and the accessories that come with it. I purchased the 71F to use as a high quality spotting scope as well as for astronomical use, and indeed Askar are promoting the terrestrial capabilities of this scope both in their promotional material, and by including an erect image diagonal and a couple of eyepieces in the package. As far as I know this is the only Askar scope that has this. This is a handsome looking scope and includes such luxuries as a retracting dew shield, twin finder mounting shoes, a carry handle that can also hold additional accessories, a sensible length 230mm vixen style dovetail bar, CNC machined tube rings, and a rotating duel speed 2.4" focuser. The included eyepieces are 8mm and 20mm plossls which seem to be of good quality if a little restrictive in their apparent field of view. The erecting diagonal is a bit of a let down in that it is made of plastic - very un-askar-like - but it seems to do the job adequately. A camera adaptor is also provided. It screws into the focuser in place of the eyepiece holder and terminates in a 48mm thread onto which you can attach a camera T-ring, or the barrel of a dedicated astro camera. The 48mm threaded ring unscrews to reveal a larger 54mm thread, and the facility for mounting a single filter if required. This arrangement is pretty standard for Askar scopes. Back spacing is not an issue, if you are in focus you are good to go. Now to the optics, the heart of any telescope. This is a four element flat field instrument that follows the same layout as in the more illustrious PHQ series, that is a triplet up front with a single field flattening element further back, the significant difference being that in the 71F there is only one ED element (of unspecified type) rather than two. Having four lenses certainly adds the the weight of the system, and the OTA with its accessories weighs 3kg as compared to 2kg for Skywatcher's 72ED. So how does the 71F perform? In a word, excellent. In several words, very impressive indeed. Using a 2" 40mm focal length wide angle eyepiece, details were sharp pretty much to the extremities, any minor aberrations probably due to my 25 year old eyepiece rather than the telescope. Attaching a full frame DSLR and taking a series of short exposures in the region around Polaris showed nice round stars right across the frame and into the extreme corners. And no nasty purple or red halos around bright stars, at least in the test images that I took. This is indeed a flat field telescope doing exactly what it claims to do. Nice. Askar didn't quite get it all right though. The small screw that locks the focuser in position is not attached when the scope arrives, but is in a little bag packed away with the instructions and quality control certificate. When I tried to attach it to the underside of the focuser I found that I couldn't because the dovetail plate was in the way. Sliding the tube backwards in the rings cured this, but resulted in the dew shield not being able to retract fully, and with a heavy DSLR attached the balance point was off the rear end of the dovetail plate. Raising blocks under the tube rings would cure this, but to be honest the focuser works so well without the little locking bolt in place that I just removed it. Next point, the carry handle cannot be used as a carry handle. It it too short, at least for my stubby male hands, and there is not enough room between it and the tube to fit your fingers underneath it. More raising blocks required, perhaps. To be honest though, the 71F is so good in every other way that I can forgive it these minor misdemeanours. It is a lovely little scope, well equipped, and very good value for money. An absolute winner in my book. You might well compare the 71F to Skywatcher's ED72 which, at around £300, is half the price. But factor in the cost of a flattener, two eyepieces, diagonal, carry handle, longer dovetail bar etc. and the cost difference diminishes. Bottom line, the 71F comes highly recommended.
  20. Here are my sugestions: Sky-Watcher SKYMAX-127mm (AZ-GTi) WIFI Maksutov (robtics.nl) 775 EUR - it comes with Alt Azt WiFi enabled mount , includes a RedDotFinder , a 1.25" diagonal and two eyepices (10mm and 25mm) To this I would add a finder ( of course you may like the RedDotFinder and not need it by I find it usefull) Sky-Watcher 9X50 Angled Finder Scope with Bracket and Corrected Image (robtics.nl) 106 EUR and one more Eyepiece like this UFF : APM Telescopes. APM Ultra Flat Field 18mm Eyepiece 65° FOV (apm-telescopes.net) 119 EUR course It so happens that the total is exactly 1000 EUR , but you must also pay for transportation , so I thing you are just within the 1200 EUR
  21. They are used only for planets or close double stars, so the eye is held back far enough the field size is reduced. Only recommended in scopes that track.
  22. Hi all I am upgrading my 150 quattro,just wondering if anyone as done a upgrade on the focusers of the 150 and what focuser you used without breaking the bank.🤔
  23. i thought maybe a full telescope like scope and everything else with is is a good idea, is it? and if yes which ones are good than
  24. In that case I suggest you slow down, read as much as you can and perhaps join your local astronomy club . When you have more knowledge you will be able to make your own choice with confidence 👍
  25. i dont know which one i need to buy or is the best one for me
  26. You need to first decide what scope to but, then you will get better advice on accessories 👍
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