Coxy80

8 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

Hi. My thoughts are in a different direction.
A big reflector will gather the light, like an SCT. However, the faster focal ratio producing wider views may be better suited to a manual mount.
Especially if you combine it with wide AFOV eyepieces.
However, if you have the encoder/Nexus add ons, the argument tilts towrds the SCT.

Why not buy a battered old 8" newt and give it a try?
You can sell it on at little or no loss.
I would offer you loan of an 8" or 10" scope, having a couple of old ones in need of TLC. But you are a long way from me.

Thanks an 8" newt would certainly be cheaper, would it not put the eyepiece in awkward position in relation to the refractor ??

On 29/01/2023 at 19:23, DeanCJ said:

Hi Coxy

My wife and I have the Altair Starwave version of your scope albeit with fpl 51 glass. We also have a Skywatcher az-eq5 mount. We often use this in alt-az dual saddle configuration, this is rated I believe at 15 kg per side, and pair the refractor with a Celestron 8”sct, the mount handles this size/weight combination easily. We find that 8” really starts to show dso’s well and compliments the refractor very well. 
we also have a 127 Mak but tend not to use this much as the views are quite similar, on really good nights the Mak will be better on lunar and planetary, but not by much, and on most nights the refractor is better, the Ring Nebula for example, in the Mak l use averted vision more but with the refractor it kind of just pops out without. I think this is where the central obstruction and contrast comes into play. 
So, if you are thinking about a Mak or sct I would be thinking about 150mm or bigger, bearing in mind, an 8”sct weighs more or less the same as a 150 Mak, but has greater aperture, this was for us a better mounting option.

Hope this is helpful.

 

Cheers Dean I had thought about an Celestron C8 XLT, need to get saving or look for a second hand one. 

I have a Rowan AZ75 mount set up with a fantastic Starfield 102mm f/7 ED Doublet Refractor that I am enjoying very much. I would like to purchase another scope that would complement the refractor and go on the other side of the mount ideally something with some more aperture to view some deep sky objects. This set up will be purely for visual. 

Does anyone have any suggestions of what to look at ??

Thanks in advance! 

15 hours ago, powerlord said:

I just use 5v USB ones for all refractors and guidescopes. About 15 quid each from amazon.

Mine all powered by dc 5v psu, but USB power banks work fine. No need for expensive 12v astro stuff.

Just search for lens dew heater on amazon.

I use these ones:

KIWIFOTOS Lens Heater Warmer Dew Heater Strip with Temperature Regulator for Universal Camera Lens Telescopes Eyepieces Heating, Dew Remover Lens Heater Warmer https://amzn.eu/d/0jiLsCp

Stu

Do you think a power bank like this would power a couple of the usb strips in your link? 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BBGPMT2H/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1TW3I98UKHHWA&th=1

Cheers for all the helpful replies guys. I was thinking of giving these a go along with a rechargeable power pack https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/rvo-heater-bands-with-integrated-controller.html anyone used these? 

I liked the idea of not having to buy a separate dew controller. 

Having bought a new scope over a month ago and suffered a month of clouds and rain I've finally been able to get out with it a bit despite super low temperatures. It has been below -10 here for quite a few nights, the last couple of nights have warmed up a bit.

I was out last night in what was maybe -3 and had my fist glimpse of a few Messier objects and throughly enjoyed it but ended up plagued by my eyepieces constantly misting up. 

Upon packing up I also notice that the main objective was also misted up. 

My question is will this happen most nights in what is a damp cold part of the UK (Scottish Borders) and will dew prevention of some sort be an essential thing to have? 

Clear sky's are rare here and don't want to waste them but also don't want to send money on something that won't be needed much. 

My equipment is a Starfield 102mm f/7 ED Doublet Refractor with a selection of Baader morpheus eyepieces. 

Has anyone tried this eyepiece? 
 

My widest eyepiece is a Baader Morpheus 17.5mm and I wondered if the StellaLyra 30mm Ultra Flat 2" would be a good match for my Starfield 102mm f/7 ED Doublet Refractor? 
 

Chilly night tonight but after so many weeks of clouds just had to get out! 

As clear as its been in ages, very damp though. It's much clearer than the clear outside app would suggest. 

I managed to get the scope out for a little bit before I had to take the dog out.

Keen to get  back out later! 

Well got back from work tonight and all the pieces had arrived, sadly the weather means there’s no panic to get them set up! 

cheers for everyone’s help on the topic so far! 
 

18 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I've just measured mine and the bolts are 20mm apart, so the Astro Essentials should fit. 

Brilliant thanks for checking that for me

Cheers for the reply I looked at this one, sadly it’s out of stock just now. Do you know if this is likely to fit? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-finder-shoe.html

On 11/11/2022 at 01:09, Mr Spock said:

Here's my choice:

That set up looks great, I was thinking about the same diagonal as well. 

What are you using as a finder shoe for the Baader RDF? 

Yeah that had been my thoughts, I have a few Baader Morpheus eyepieces 17.6, 9 and 6.5 the Naggler zoom would be nice to add to that plus a nice diagonal and still be cheaper than the Takahashi! 

What would you recommend as a finder for the Starfiled? 

Super keen on the Starfield but still not ordered it yet(weeks of cloudy sky's might have something to do with that!) other question was do I buy the Starfield now or should I save up a bit more and buy a forever scope like a Takahashi FC-100 DC ?? or would I not see much difference visually for double the price of the Starfield? 

I'm looking for help choosing a refractor purely for visual use.

It will be mounted on a Rowan AZ75 with a Nexus 11 using Sky Safari to find targets.

I want something that will be a good all rounder for planets, lunar and brighter deep sky objects. 

I live in a bortle 4 area with easy access to bortle 3 within a 15 minute drive. 

I was looking at something like Starfield 102mm f/7 ED Doublet Refractor , Sky-Watcher Evostar 100ED DS-Pro or StellaMira 110mm ED f/6 Refractor Telescope but open to any other suggestions and pros and cons of the above. Or are there other options instead of a refractor I should consider? 

My current acquired equipment list consists of a Skywatcher Heritage 130P , Altair Starwave 70ED + Baader Morpeus 17.5, 9 and 6.5mm . 

Thanks in advance for any help. 

12 minutes ago, Coxy80 said:

I've ordered and received the following tripod from FLO Uni 28 for AZ-EQ5 as it was the only one they had in stock plus the following adapter https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tripods/astro-essentials-3-8-photo-adapter-for-heq5-az5-tripod.html is this a sensible way to do things?? 

I'm just about to unpack things and check everything works! 

Everything seams to fit and feels solid enough!

926BDE78-B802-4068-A7F3-52B7223F67DB.heic 269AE52E-0C25-464B-B911-84523B52FAD2.heic ECC6575F-5FDE-482E-9462-33F1B859BAAB.heic 4ED427BE-1000-46D6-9DB2-B232C44F0CEC.heic

I've ordered and received the following tripod from FLO Uni 28 for AZ-EQ5 as it was the only one they had in stock plus the following adapter https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tripods/astro-essentials-3-8-photo-adapter-for-heq5-az5-tripod.html is this a sensible way to do things?? 

I'm just about to unpack things and check everything works! 

I've just taken the plunge and ordered an AZ75 anyone have any suggestions on a nice tripod for this? I did fancy a Berlebach but unsure on which one will fit?