Shimrod

The only thing missing is a binocular mount that could be attached to the handles for larger binoculars. I'd certainly buy one of these chairs if they became available.

Assuming when you say Edge mount you are referring to an Evolution mount, it would probably be an easier and quicker sell if you sold the Starsense camera and handset with the mount. Selling separately you could probably raise a bit more cash though.

If you want to put a handle on your SCT, you could consider fitting another dovetail to the top of the OTA then getting a handle something like this - Baader Handle It's not cheap though, and the bag suggestion from Elps may be the cheaper option. There is also a cheaper suggestion for a handle here, if you don't mind drilling a couple of holes:

Could you make a ramp for your steps and move the ota/mount on a small trolley? Ramp wouldn't need to be anything fancy - you might bet away with a small piece of plywood if the steps aren't too steep - you'd just need to shape the edges so you don't have to bump the trolley up a 'lip'

How much reach do you need? Would a 20x pair of binoculars do instead - although you would need to mount them on a tripod. I am thinking something like this at £139: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-binoculars/opticron-oregon-observation-20x80-binoculars.html although you may be able to go up a level if buying second-hand. Alternatively, if you already have a small refractor, have you considered getting a 45 degree erecting prism diagonal? This would turn your telescope into a spotting scope.

I fancy Iceland for 2026 - although it will probably be cloudy. I'd base myself in Borgarnes which gives a few more options for moving up and down the west coast depending on weather.

I'd assume the binoculars use the same IS system that is found in Canon lenses. While it is something that may fail one day (a mix of mechanical and electronic components), I have some Canon lenses that are 15 years old and none of those with IS have failed so far.

Last time I checked, the firmware versions on the celestron website were out of date, so don't be surprised if your firmware erosion is not listed I've never had a problem using CFM for updates so I don't think you have anything to worry about.

I am very interested in the new wave of harmonic drive mounts, but I'm sticking with my current gear for at least a couple of years to see reviews and also what turns up from the likes of Celestron and Skywatcher. If I had to choose between one of the two now, I would probably go with the Ioptron simply because they have a history of building mounts, and the AM5 is (as far as I know) the first mount built by ZWO. If there any teething issues I'd expect them to be more likely in the ZWO model.

I'm not sure I understand the logic of selling an 8" Edge but getting a heavier and larger 9.25 SCT. Was it the mount rather than the OTA that is causing the issue? I've no experience of it, but if needing something lightweight for planety the Stellalyra 6" Classical Cassegrain might be a good choice, or for lighter still the Stellamira 80ed F10 refractor.

With the latest price rise, these Stellalyra binoviewers are also nearly £100 cheaper than the Baader set as well. I'd be interested to know how they perform with bright objects - a thread on here reported relfections with the Technosky version, but I have read some versions perform better than others - possibly due to different mirror coatings.

There's a used WO binoviewer package at Cambrian photos for £179: https://www.cambrianphoto.co.uk/collections/used-binoculars/products/used-william-optics-binoviewer-complete-package

Available from Bresser as well, although both Stellalyra and Orion versions are cheaper. They all look exactly the same unless there is some difference in quality of the mirrors. https://www.bresseruk.com/Astronomy/Accessories/Eyepieces/BRESSER-BinoViewer-Deluxe-1-25.html?listtype=search&searchparam=binoview

There's a couple of reviews on the Sky at Night magazine website: RVO Scope reviews

Prices are already on the FLO website as well - the 678 is £319

Quite a big discussion on the Svbony mini-mak in this thread:

I would guess the list of cameras is just not up to date - it looks like it stops somewhere around 2015

I have a skyportal wifi module for my AVX - the naming of the wifi connection is Celestron ### so I would guess the Evolution hand book is just out of date. I've never had any problems connecting to mine - but it is the external module. You might want to check the version of firmware in your Evolution mount - looking at the history there have been some fixes for the wifi module - Celestron Firmware update history

I'm going to say Evolux 62

Are you able to use binoculars through a window? I appreciate this may give you a limited field of view,, but if you turn the lights out in the house you could explore the nightsky that way. I will sometimes do this if I happen to notice the sky is clear on the way to bed. A small telescope on a tripod used in the same manner may also be a possiblity - there have been a couple of threads on here from people who observe through a window from a flat (and I think one person used a velux window in an attic roof. Clouds are the bane of astronomy in the UK and sometimes patience is required - that's why binoculars are handy - no set up time required!

I would expect this to be sold as 'mount only' given they have an optional carbon fibre tripod upgrade on the Skyhunter webpage https://www.ioptron.com/category-s/255.htm - although there is no separate listing for mount only at the moment. They still ship the counterweight with the AZ only version but it's not clear whether you this is optional for AZ mode (I have seen reports of people exceeding the weight limit of the AZ GTI by balancing the scope). In the UK it looks like it will be 50% more expensive than the AZ GTI (although FLO have said expect a 5-10% price rise on Skywatcher kit soon) - the convenience of the internal battery and possibly better durability of a metal case may make the ioptron a better option as a travellers portable mount.

The AZ-GTI is a known quantity with a lot of happy users (and a few who've reported issues) - have a read of the thread here: I'm sure the skyhunter will be fine, but it's a new mount with no release date, reviews or feedback yet. If budget is an issue, the AZ-GTI is likely to be cheaper as the Skyhunter comes with an ipolar (costs nearly the same price as the AZ-GTI mount by itself). Neither comes with a hand-controller as standard, and both will be the same price.

Wow! Definitely glad I didn't order these last year then. At least you'll be getting them at the slightly lower price - they went up in price sometime around December.

Could be the crystal spheres by David Brin? Each solar system is protected by a shell that can only be broken from the inside.

It's even more obvious than that - they're probably using rechargeable batteries. They should it from mains power adapter and that will solve all the glitches - just need to make sure it is at least 13.8v