jamesc96

Is the comet visible with the moon being what it is at the moment? Or are all these sightings after moonset.

View of Mars last night at approximately 10pm (Ireland)

Also keep an eye out for local astronomy events and just use the same location at a different time

I've just started, but looking at light pollution maps and then finding mountains/hiking routes within dark spots. I've found that popular mountains for hiking often have a car park nearby and these are perfect to observe from. They are normally without street lights and no one is around at night.

I've accepted portability is more hassle than it's worth. I've just bought the skywatcher steel tripod. I might cut down the legs at some point but not for a while. All the portable tripods suggested arent much narrower than it and that was my main gripe.

Thanks for all the suggestions I'll definitely keep them in mind if I ever get a lighter scope.

Update 

I would not recommend a cheap tripod for this setup. It is far too unstable and flexible to be used. The heritage 150p + az5 is too heavy. Unusable once any breeze picks up (never ending wobbles). The vibrations from using the slo-motion controls weren't awful though. Maybe on an perfect night it would be passable but how many of those are there?

I've now forgotten about portability and have bought a skywatcher steel tripod and will just have to deal with the size/weight. Maybe I'll cut the legs down a bit in future if I find that it is steady enough already to risk doing that.

On 05/08/2022 at 12:49, CraigT82 said:

Here is my 130p on the cut down AZ3 tripod. It’s surprisingly sturdy with the legs retracted, but could only be used sitting. With the legs extended I can get away with standing observing but not for long periods as I have to stoop, it’s also more wobbly at the eyepiece with legs extended.

I don’t really use high powers (I stick to under 110x) with this set up as I only really use it when travelling to darker skies, and so I tend to stick to the DSO objects I can’t see from home. Lunar and planets I can observe fine from home so I don’t bother looking at them when I’m away. 

That tripod looks very aesthetic when cut down! Do you think it would be able to deal with higher magnification at all?

I am not very fussy. I know 3+ seconds to steady is generally considered poor, but my current photo tripod takes infinity seconds when the winds pick up even a little.

24 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

You could consider cutting down the legs of one of the skywatcher steel tripods, get it nice and short for travel on the motorbike and would be nice and sturdy for observing.

I have a cut down AZ3 aluminium tripod that I use for holiday travel  (fits into a carry on case) used with my AZ4 and Heritage 130p tube. 

This is a good idea. The steel tripod would still be no good though since its width is also a problem for me. How have you found the AZ3 tripod? It seems to get a lot of stick here but looks like it could pack down quite flat.

28 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

You might be alright with it, at least for low power viewing. Probably be a lot of image wobble when using higher powers.
 

 I’d measure from the base of the AZ5 to the eyepiece with the scope at 45deg, and add 36cm to that. Compare that overall height with how high you’re eye is when sat on your stool.

Im very keen on observation at both high and low power so maybe I will give the mini a miss.

1 minute ago, Elp said:

You could try it, I went through exactly the same exercise you are right now and from what I read the mini is only suitable for camera use, they're small because they're for macro photography or low level nature photography. The small tripod I ended up using was a Leofoto 253 I already had from previous research, for larger equipment I got the Uni 4, it's considerable cost but it's very sturdy (not really compact though).

I tried a skywatcher steel tripod today at my local store but it was way too big to load on the bike. So the small tripods are my only option. I'll have a look at the leofoto now. I've been looking at manfrottos too since everyone recommends them but I'm not sure if I'll gain much more stability over my own cheap camera tripod.

My original (simplistic) thinking about the berlebach was that wood = stable/no vibration but I guess there's more factors to consider than just that.

11 minutes ago, Elp said:

Are you looking at the large version?

I see now, it is definitely a more reasonable size but the load capacity goes down from 15kg to 5kg according to their website.

6 minutes ago, Elp said:

Are you looking at the large version?

I didn't see a large version, I'll look now. The one that's selling in my location is the one that has a max height of 36cm

3 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

How would you put the scope on the tripod? Have you got a mount? 

I have an az5 mount

11 minutes ago, Elp said:

The mini is tiny, you couldn't mount that telescope onto it and practically use it. Bare minimum you'd need a report. The uni and planet would be better.

In what way wouldn't it work? I really have to emphasize the size of my chair, it's about 20cm from the ground.

Edit: nevermind, just seeing your other reply now

Has anyone experience with using a berlebach Mini with a reflector? They are much cheaper than the larger versions. 

I have a heritage 150p reflector and need a very portable tripod (traveling by motorbike). Since I use a short camping chair when viewing I was thinking the berlebach could be perfect.

Additional info:

The weight of my scope + mount + eyepiece would be roughly 6.5kgs

An update on this for anyone who might need it in the future.

Ive only tested in daytime so far due to weather but I've noticed that there is considerable flex in the tripod legs when doing anything with the scope (focusing/moving). The scope will wobble fairly aggressively for about 5 seconds at 150x.

This does not seem to be a issue with the tripod weight as the feet do not move, but simply flex in the cheap tripod legs themselves. 

Once a target is located and adequate focus is found (this part is difficult due to the wobble), I can use the slo-mo controls and the problem is reduced significantly. Maybe 2-3 seconds wobble and not nearly as violent. With practice maybe even less.

I believe the issue is manageable and is worth the portability I've gained. However I would DEFINITELY not recommend a similar setup without slo-mo as it was the lifesaver here. I'm very very glad I did not go for the AZ4.

I will update again as soon as I get a chance to track Jupiter or Saturn!

4 minutes ago, ONIKKINEN said:

I wonder if these "ED eyepiece" models from TS are the same ones as the BST starguiders? Sure look similar.

8mm as an example: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4934_TS-Optics-1-25--ED--eyepiece-8-mm---60--flat-field--long-eye-relief.html

It looks like the key word is ED. Searching "ED Eyepiece 8mm" for example shows up a few different brands like TS and also Artesky which looks identical too. Thanks!

37 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I agree with your experiences.  The 25mm is a slight improvement from the 15mm and 18mm units, but it is certainly no 24mm APM UFF.  See my write-up versus the Meade HD-60s:

I recall someone on CN also commenting that the 3.2mm has off-axis issues.  I didn't pick one up because it wasn't part of the used package I bought, and I saw no reason to complete the set based on these shaky reviews.  Besides, I rarely use my 3.5mm Pentax XW, so the 3.2mm BST/Paradigm would have just about zero utility for me.

38 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I agree with your experiences.  The 25mm is a slight improvement from the 15mm and 18mm units, but it is certainly no 24mm APM UFF.  See my write-up versus the Meade HD-60s:

I recall someone on CN also commenting that the 3.2mm has off-axis issues.  I didn't pick one up because it wasn't part of the used package I bought, and I saw no reason to complete the set based on these shaky reviews.  Besides, I rarely use my 3.5mm Pentax XW, so the 3.2mm BST/Paradigm would have just about zero utility for me.

Are there any other alternate brandings for the Starguiders? I'm located in Ireland so would like to know of alternatives that are easier to ship here than the BSTs.

Hi All,

It seems clear that the 8mm is the most worthy of the lot and that a larger 32mm plossl is worth it too.

If I had my way, based on what's been said I would buy a 8mm, 12mm and a 18mm (the very helpful @Tiny Clanger messaged  and recommend the 18 for the heritage & DSOs) and also a 32mm plossl.

However, I've found an online sale of the the 8, 15 and 18 together for a very good price so I am going to snap it up and see how I get on! 

I was extremely tempted by the Nirvana's after the suggestion of @wulfrun . But unfortunately can't justify the cost right now and would like to steer clear of Barlows for the moment. Maybe next year.

Thanks everyone!

Hi,

I recently purchased the skywatcher heritage 150p and would like some help choosing new EP sizes.

I have only tested in daylight so far at distant objects due to weather. The stock 25 seems fine, but the 10mm seems very difficult to use. It is impossible for me to get close enough without my eyelashes touching the glass (even though it says long eye relief on the eyepiece?).

Since they are affordable and well thought of here I'd like to try the starguiders.

Should I just buy a 10mm to replace the stock, or buy an 8mm and/or 12mm due to their great reviews. I'm asking here because I have no clue about what eyepiece models/sizes work well with a particular telescope.

EDIT: I already have the 5mm BST ordered for planetary, it just hasn't arrived yet.

Thanks!

If you haven't tried the BBC sky at night magazine I think it's laid out very well and consistently has interesting articles that aren't too scientific. A great amateur mag altogether.

It also has a brilliant pull-out sky guide. 

5 hours ago, LaurenceT said:

For my home based grab and go I mount an Orion 80ED on my AZ5 mount. The total weight of the scope with all the bits on comes to 3.65 kg. The mount handles the scope perfectly although there is some backlash that I can't seem to cure. I have used it on both on the Skywatcher tripod :

Sky-Watcher Tripod for Star Adventurer | First Light Optics which is the tripod sold with the AZ5

and also my Manfrotto 055CXPRO3:

Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 | Cameralabs which I have had many years and used for photography

with both I noticed a degree of shake when viewing through the eyepiece which I found unacceptable. However I didn't feel that either of them felt unstable with the mount in place unless I raised the central column which I would advise against. In order to make them both more stable for viewing I bought one of these:

 Neewer® Black Heavy Duty Photographic Studio Video SandBag for Gitzo, Manfrotto, Didea and Benro Series Stands and Other Universal Light Stands, Boom Stand and Tripod (2): Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

which are out of stock at Amazon but may be available elsewhere, together with this:

Amazon Basics cast-iron kettlebell 4kg : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors

which made a huge difference, I appreciate that is not an option for travel.

I plan on being seated on a not-so-tall camping chair while observing so this gives me hope that the cheap option will work. The central column will definitely not be raised and the legs barley extended like StarryEyed said would help. Plus I already have 10kg+ worth of weight (my camping pack) that can be added to the hook or separator.

Everything is ordered now and I'll give an update on how I get on in a few weeks!

22 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

Weighting a tripod will help prevent it getting knocked over in the dark.
But if the legs and frame are made of bendy and twistable material, it won't help much.

Something to remember about how much flex you can tolerate on a tripod.
0.5deg movement is your scope going one side of the full moon, to the other. Or 30 Jupiter diameters.
Just think about a gentle twist on a focusser, or accidental touch when viewing.

This is why we spend on big rigid tripods.

Sorry - forgot. Welcome to SGL. A very friendly and helpful astro forum.

HTH, David.

I've decided to test out the cheaper setup but I feel like you will be correct and I won't have a great time, especially because I want to spend some time on planetary views with higher mags

Better to lug a heavy tripod and have good results than to have an easy hike but be disappointed later I'm sure.

9 hours ago, jjohnson3803 said:

I have an AZ5 on a cheap photo tripod (Benro something or other).  It works fine with lighter scopes, but experience indicates the max scope weight should be no more than 3.6 kg.  I haven't used a hanging weight often, but I do have a 5 pound plate weight I've used a few times which helps with stability a bit.

50mm f5 RACI finder converted to a wide-field scope is just fine, as is an ST80 refractor with an upgraded 2-speed focuser.  ST120 is over the limit and I'd be fearful of trying my f7 102ED on it.

There are inexpensive 1/4 to 3/8 adapters available.

I notice your pod has a spreader on it, which I would think would help with stability as long as you don't overload it.

The ota weight of the heritage is already 3.6kg so it will probably be too heavy based on what you've said.

I might try it anyway and see how it goes since I will likely be buying the SW steel tripod and az5 separately. Ill just hold off on the tripod until I've tested the setup.

Thanks!

Hi, 

New here so hello to everyone :)

I'm wondering if it is the weight of aluminum tripods that make them unstable or simply the design itself?

I am asking because I own a cheap camera tripod that allows the adding of additional weight via a hook underneath. I am getting a skywatcher heritage 150p very soon and looking to get an AZ5 (mount only). My thinking is the tripod normally supplied with that mount may be no better than my own that can be weighted.

I have two main considerations.

1) Weight/portability as I will be hiking with the setup. My tripod is very light and compact.

2) $$$ (this is not as important as weight or performance though)

Finally, the tripod looks to have a 1/4" screw. Am I correct in assuming I can buy a 3/8 adapter and an AZ5 will fit?

Thanks!