Kobayashi Maru

Can I ask why the preference? My main concern re Unanometria is that it's a book rather than spiral bound so may be difficult to use in the field. I do like its map scale though.

Purchased new telescope when I’m wanting to do a lot of observing…clouds….so many clouds. Get a clear night after weeks of clouds. Set alarm for 2am. Woke up to observe…full moon.

I assume this is the correct forum? Looking for a step up from the Cambridge star atlas. Interstellarum or Uranometria all sky? Both are approximately the same price.....I probably can't go wrong but views would be appreciated. I suppose I should also consider their supporting guides. Thanks in advance.

Surely something in astronomy cant be as simple as you first expect! I'm going to need a lie down.

Yeah I saw that as well. Originally I saw the TSS Panther mount referred to as isostatic. https://trackthestars.com/tts-160-panther-telescope-mount/ . Someone on SGL made DIY solution with similar mechanics. I think some other reversed fork mounts are also referred to as such.

One day Ill get into imaging/EAA....but so many wires! I already spend way too much time tweaking my scopes...I would have to give up my day job!

...and the size. A 10 inch is a big boy. Mine is a solid tube and pretty awkward to move about. The truss dobs would be easier but have other issues obviously (collimation, light shrouds, set up).

I would reiterate the benefits of tweaking the mount on the cheaper dobs. Replacing the needle bearings with Teflon pads did wonders for my 10" GSO.

Do these sorts of eyepieces work well (or ok) in F5 scopes?

Out of interest the Actual astronomy podcast (not affiliated) has a resent episode on the history of the 100mm Taks...there are quite a few. Interesting listening as they also go into the history of the company.

Please forgive my ignorance but what is an isostatic mount? I know what one looks like and I think I understand why they would be well balanced and easily panned...but what makes them isostatic? - The counterweights ensure even balance in altitude - The fork would help with torsional forces when panning Is that it? If that is it wouldn't a T mount with a forked tiller also be isostatic?

Welllll……when I say teeth I mean those we picked up after our farther had beaten us to death the day before for complaining about the lack of stars. Inky blackness….We used to dream of inky blackness! All we had was clouds! And we couldn’t even them due to the death beating of the day before…of course things were tougher back then.

Grinding your own mirror!? Luxury!!! When I was young we had to make our telescopes out of used drinking straws and the bottom of coke bottles which we ground with our teeth! Try telling that to the young ones today and they won’t believe you!

Thanks for all the replies. the mythic telescope idea is interesting. I’ve always wondered how much magical thinking there is in astronomy. Is it similar to hifi with their god speaker cables etc.

Yeah. There is also that matter of diminishing returns I suspect