LukeTheNuke

7 minutes ago, Steve Ward said:

I've only ever used Canon DSLRs for my full disc imaging , going right back to 2012 , started with EOS 1000Ds and now using an EOS 6D ... 😉

Do you take stills or do a movie? Is the 6D a lot posher than the 1000D? (I did buy an 1100D in 2012, dunno if that is the one I still have)

48 minutes ago, Steve Ward said:

I found mine whilst moving house a couple of years ago , but these days I find sitting in the shade of the summerhouse at the end of 5m USB cables much more comfortable ... 😉

Look forward to seeing your images soon ... 😀

I'm not 100% sure yet on getting back to the imaging. But there's quite a lot in place. I saw the other day how expensive HEQ5 mounts are now - already got. Lappy on the shopping list for other reasons (funds hopefully due by end of this month - a windfall, touch wood). Have the scopes and Herschel wedges. Can make time during the day (it's a bit complicated, but I'm kinda working from home for myself and can be flexible with my hours). So much in place already. Just missing a camera and my wife's tolerance. Mind you, I do have a DSLR somewhere. And lunar imaging tempts me back too, my Edge 8 would like to come out to play more often.

LOL about the shade of the summerhouse. Very civilized! You know, for years I've stuck a towel on my head while observing the sun. Today I found I no longer need it. Coz I have a sun hat. I feel rather silly now. I  noticed the old shade last year, I think it was, while getting the dob out of the shed. I'd completely forgotten about it! Clearly a sign and a nudge from the powers that be!

Anyway, well done getting that monster!

Very nice! Glad you got in on the action! I saw it after dinner yesterday, but it was through thin cloud. The view was better this morning!

Ah, sunspots like this tempt me back to imaging! And if my luck is in, I might be getting a new lappy soon. I might have to dig out my ©Steve Ward Monitor Shade. I believe I still have it!

You lot are a terrible influence! I have multiple things that need doing, and the thin cloud was still there, but against my better judgement, I had a look. What an AR! White light stole the show. Though it was nice to see the flares in h-alpha. The view was wobbly at times, but it did steady now and then and wasn't too bad.

Well I say white light stole the show. The big prom was rather huge, but very faint in my Quark, I don't know if that's just my Quark or it was very faint. My wife Sarah didn't even notice it. I forgot to tell her about it! 

I also took a moment to appreciate my gear. My little 1.25 inch Herschel wedge is still showing cracking views. I love the Sky-Watcher Evostar 100ED DS-Pro. As Sarah will never let me forget, I initially wasn't very keen on us getting that scope all those years ago. I love it now!

It gives such sharp views (well, when the seeing steadies) and is nice and light. The Tele Vue 85 is built like a tank, and the stock focuser has such a nice action. And I'm glad we kept our Tele Vue Radian eyepieces. They are lovely for white light, and not too bulky or heavy. And I observed without the solar continuum filter for a few minutes, which was interesting. I found the white of the disc rather bright.

Thanks IB20 for posting that iPhone snap, I think it gave me a little nudge to brave the clouds!

Fabulous! I haven't set up the solar gear today, alas, as although it's sunny, it's been through thin cloud (I'm sure I'd still get a view through it, but I can't be bothered to fight my way through). I've been hoping it would clear properly, but no joy. Looks like it may properly clear just after the sun dips behind the houses!

Very nice! And funny enough, I was wondering just yesterday what lunar imaging with this scope would be like!

Nice one, David, good to see you back in action! Thanks for the views. Those spots have some lovely details.

Cor, that's a fab transit, well done! Did you not feel a drop it temp as it flew over and see the light dim? I enjoyed watching an airplane our way doing some loop-the-loops this morning. Must be quite a thrill!

On 01/05/2024 at 21:45, Piero said:

Well, if I were you I would either wait or get a temporary solution from the second hand market until you have moved to your new house. Doing so, you will be sure that you invest money in the right instrument for the place where you will live for a while.

Thanks, Piero. Or is it Master Yoda? Very wise words.

We're hoping to move to Dorset, and if it happens, I will pile on the pounds in cream teas. But it could be years away, or never happen. So I was starting to think whether we should e.g. delay getting a big dob to see if we make it to Dorset. But I hadn't yet thought about the obvious, which is to buy used and resell if needs be. I wish I could call you a genius, but the truth is perhaps closer to that I am a dunce. Perhaps both are possible.

I'm surprised by just how flexible Sarah is with what we get. She even mentioned possibly getting a used Edge 11 today, as that would work for star parties as well. I was really surprised by that! I'm not sure it gains us a lot on the GSO 10, though I think it would tempt me back to lunar imaging. It is a bit heavy, but I think it would work for us as I'd be okay lifting it up to the mount, while Sarah secures it to the mount. The trouble I had with our old C11 was trying to do both on my own.

I think really I just want to see what the used market has to offer in the coming months, unless there's a really aggressive price reduction on a new scope. Thanks again for the thoughts, and apologies that I thought I kinda knew what I wanted in general terms. I'll have a bit more of a ponder, and perhaps some sense will return to me at some point. The biggest gap does still seem to be a bigger dob really. Or a solar scope, as we're not enamoured with the Quark. I think deep down I might want the VX14 really. Which I think is compatible with getting a 20 inch in Dorset. I just need to work out the money bit for the move (there's always a snag).

On 13/04/2024 at 11:26, John said:

Brass 'n sunshine plus an active photosphere. A nice combination 😁

 

Gosh, I need a brass telescope one day! Posh mount, too. My dad had some brass telescopes up in the loft, as he collected antiques. I asked him if he'd ever tried doing some stargazing with them. He said to me, "I couldn't think of anything more boring!" I dunno what happened to those scopes. Well this doesn't look like a fast scope. What's the focal ratio? I'm guessing it's not a Coronado! The finish does look up a notch...

Having attempted off-axis guiding with a C11, I have only word word to say: obsy.

Wow, it's got some nice depth / a 3D feel to it. I feel like I'm about to fly through it. Warp speed, Mr Spock!

1 hour ago, Altocumulus said:

Player One Apollo-M USB3.0 Mono Camera (IMX174) Upto 164fps Built in tilt plate. 

 

Thanks for the idea, I think that one is over the magical £300? (I suffer from being tight these days). But a built-in tilt plate is interesting, and I think I'd go mono. And there is the used market. I used to have the ZWO ASI174 Mono. Nice fast frame rate as you say, and I found that especially useful for drift imaging untracked, as I could get quite a few frames in before the solar or lunar disc was off the chip. But when tracked I'm happy enough at 30 fps (and Nigella's pics are fab!).

I don't really want to go 174 again, though, as I sold one before, so it would feel like a bit of an own goal. Perhaps no harm done, though, if I can find a used one at a comparable price for what I sold mine for. I think, go cheaper, or maybe even go even posher if I don't use up all of my budget for changing my car. Thanks again for the idea, and I had no clue there was an option with a built-in tilt plate!

14 minutes ago, Nigella Bryant said:

I'm just very cautious about solar viewing with the eyeballs, lol. I'd rather ruin a £300 camera than destroy my eyes. I have made some rouke mistakes in the past with not putting the front covers on and then taking the filters out first. Not with my eyes thankfully. I've melted an eye piece cap, got scotch burns burnt in the wood on the wall of my RoR and holes in one of my jumpers on the arm, (now that's a funny story). I thought someone had a bonfire as I could see smoke but it was me. 

Solar observations is a dangerous sport. Always double check for safety. 

Ah, I see. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or be sad about you burning your jumper! It reminds me a bit of a story my mum tells me about my father. My dad used to talk on the phone a lot. One time, my mum interrupted him while he was on the phone, which he was annoyed about. I'll tone down what he said, but it was along the lines of, "Bob, this silly so-and-so is trying to tell me my chair is on fire, the silly so-and-so." A moment later, he jumps up and sees his chair really is on fire. It turns out that little Luke had lost one of his toy cars under dad's chair, and had cleverly used a match so he could see under the chair to find his car. I did like my toy cars, and still do!

But as you say, solar safety is important, and I can well understand you being cautious with your eyeballs. I had a near miss one time, even after doing solar for a few years, I think. It was actually during the solar eclipse, and I got away with it because there was a bit of cloud. I'm normally quite careful, but I was rushing around because there was cloud and I was quite tense and not wanting to miss it. Which taught me that you should never rush when it comes to solar. Anyway, I do hope you found a nice new jumper! Mind you, it would be kind of cool in a way to keep your burnt one. "This is from the time I set fire to myself while doing solar".

10 hours ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Hi Luke, yeah all through a Zwo Asi 178mm camera. The G-band can be visual too as far as I know, never tried it in visual. I imagine it can, only Cak is beyond visual except if you're young. But even then I wouldn't advise it. 

Thanks, Nigella. Gosh, your images are from a £284 camera? Yikes, there IS a tempting camera for under £300! (I'm tempted to get back to a bit of lunar imaging, and maybe some white light solar). Full frame (3096×2080) at 30 fps (10 bit) or 60 fps (14 bit)? Hmmm.

I'll check out for some info on G-band for visual then.

Ah yes, I did know I may have left it a little late in life for CaK visual, LOL, good point! Out of interest, why wouldn't you advise that even young whippersnappers give CaK visual a go? Could it turn their hair purple? (I might fancy that, I do like purple)

I forgot about observing tonight, then remembered after midnight. I popped out with my GSO 10 inch dob and got my first view in, of M81 and M82, then the clouds started rolling in. Oh, why hadn't I remembered and got out sooner! I'd blown it! Oh well, I might as well stay on M81 and 82, and they're worth popping out for anyway. I stayed with M81 and M82 for a while, as the clouds swallowed up more of the sky. Then the pesky clouds took a hike, and I was able to take in a few more targets! M13 was fabulous, especially after I got the 12 mm Delos out to replace my lazy 21 mm Ethos eyepiece. It was hard to take my eye off of M13.

Try as I might, I couldn't find the other fancy globular in Hercules! I gave up after about 15 mins.  Time to get a Celestron StarSense to replace the GSO and my navigation skills?

And I had a good look at the Ring Nebula - it's been a while, and I narrowly missed out on seeing it the previous session. Then I finished up on M51, which to my surprise I found quickly, despite it being high up. Note to self: buy a right angle finder!

Hmm. Another nice session with my GSO dob that I keep threatening to replace. It didn't seem too shabby on M13...

Lovely shots! The spots are a bit more interesting than I realised from Gong.

Hmmm, that looks pretty detailed with the 127 stopped down to 100mm. Are you using some type of ZWO camera? First time I've heard about a G-band filter. Is that imaging only, or does it help for visual as well?

9 hours ago, Louis D said:

Too bad you're not in the US.  I just checked CN classifieds for Dobs under $3750 (roughly your budget), and I found loads options well below that price point including many custom built brands.  Hopefully you can find similar deals on your side of the pond.

Thanks, Louis. I'd consider a move to your side of the pond, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have me!

There are certainly some interesting scopes that have sold for around or below our budget in the UK in the past year or two, so our fingers are crossed. I think we'll try to be patient.

The longer term plan is to move house and hopefully get an obsy one day, then try to get our dream large dob. Something like this looks tempting for £5K! (currently for sale, but I think we'll stick to our new £3K budget, and I definitely don't fancy my chances setting this beast up on my own! Though it does have larger wheels than my car, and a bigger finder than my biggest frac, LOL!)

I think a well-priced Orion Optics 12 or 14 would really tempt us, but we're open to whatever is on a good price. I think I've realised that the priority isn't what I thought it was, which was to replace the 16 inch we sold. It turns out it's really just to add something nice to our collection that offers something to different to what we currently have. It took a while for the aperture fever to calm a bit. Though I am certainly open to a large scope again with the idea that we do stick wheels on it if needs be, so that it's much easier on me than the old setup.

We have a lovely day here today, I hope it's good your way too.

Well caught!

Gosh, I think Sarah and I have come to some sort of a decision at last!

I think the fact that I kept on going around in circles shows that there are a number of different options that all have something to offer. If we ended up with a VX12, that sounds nice. Or a VX12L. Or VX14. Or StellaLyra 12, or 16. Or an Explore Scientific Ultra Light, Taurus, or Geoptik. These all sound good.

The plan is to set aside £3K, which is about how much a SkyWatcher 400P Goto costs now. We sold our 400P Goto and didn't reinvest the money (it went on our new passion of board games!). I like the idea of restoring the value of that loss to the astro collection!

And we plan to look for value, either from the used market, or from special offers new. E.g. today I could have got a Celestron StarSense Explorer 10 new for £680 delivered. That seems a decent deal, and I'd be tempted to replace the GSO 10 with it.

Maybe a good price on a used Lunt solar scope would tempt us. That could work well for Sarah - she might get more use from that than from, say, a 16 inch dob.

I am prone to aperture fever, but a 10 inch scope is actually pretty powerful anyway, and we can keep the GSO 10 if something completely different makes sense. I've been using it for a decade, so it's not that terrible!

If we see something that could benefit from wheels, then we'll look at that. I think we can be flexible, and see if something tempts us. I'm quite excited now, not knowing what the hell we'll get, but, touch wood, it will be something that boosts our collection.

If we go used and somehow end up with enough money left for an Ethos 13, we might fancy adding one of those.

Thanks again for the thoughts. We feel better informed on the various options now, and I think it's helped to make me realise that there are multiple ways to go, which all have some appeal and could work, so why not look for value, when we can be flexible?

I think a big question for me is whether I will find the VX14 easy enough to move, even without wheels, for it to still be a scope I plonk out as readily as I do the GSO 10 inch.

One of the VX12s would be a safe bet, I think. I'm trying to find reviews on the VX14 to see if folks are commenting on how easy they find it to move.

I don't recall finding my SkyWatcher 12 solid tube that much of a hassle to plonk outside. I miss that scope! So I am wondering if the VX14 would be just dandy for me.

Sarah said I should focus on what is the most important thing. And to me, that's a low hassle dob that I plonk outside on the off-chance it might be clear. That's where the GSO 10 sings. I don't think it's the best optically, hence my slight nervousness about going for another GSO mirror. But that's just me, and not a very large sample size!

I do think the OOUK is likely to pretty much guarantee a good mirror.

There is the wheels option to consider, though our shed's door opening is only 169.5 cm tall, so for a big scope, if it's going in the shed, I think a 16 inch truss design has to be put away rather than left out. That then makes it a bit of a hassle for me to use, rather than just wheeling it out already set up. And I do like that solid tubes are less prone to dew.

So I think wheels are an option for a 16 inch dob, if going the two scopes route. But I don't think it works for me as the only scope. I want to replace the GSO 10. We have great eyepieces, but not the best GSO mirror. It's not terrible, but I'd say it's the weakest optics of the dobs I've had.

If the dob is stored indoors, Sarah wants a non-solid tube that goes under the stairs, so again, it becomes more hassle.

The low hassle of the GSO 10 inch was a very strong plus for me. I observed more because of it, no question. I didn't get too angry with the clouds, because I invested next to no effort to plonk the scope out. If the VX14 can do this for me, it could be the winner. Wheels are cool, but I might not need them for the VX14 anyway. I feel I need to find more reviews and comments on it.

I think a VX12 is a good option too, and although a 14 has more light grasp, I'm sure I'd appreciate the even lower weight of the 12. Sarah thinks, if going for a 12, to go the faster one, as it's easier to take to star parties.

So the other question is what we do about star parties. This matters to me less than to Sarah, as I observe more than Sarah at home, so the vast bulk of my viewing is at home. Though she's okay about the idea of taking the Edge 8 to star parties. She also likes the social aspect and looking through other scopes too. One idea here might be to get a lightweight fast 12 inch reflector that we can use on a dob base that I could do some lunar imaging with on an NEQ6. Maybe even an Orion Optics 12 F4. Perhaps if we could pick one up second hand.

I do think I would enjoy using a fast 12 for some lunar imaging on the NEQ6. I have been thinking about getting back to imaging in some form, especially if I can find an acceptable camera for up to about £300. I'm not sure where cameras are at these days. I might be getting a decent lappy unrelated to stargazing, so I don't have to pay out separately for that.

If we got the VX14 second-hand, our budget would let us get, say, the Explore Scientific Ultra Light 16 inch as well, which I believe is a GSO mirror. The heaviest single part is the mirror box, at 23.8 kg. I think I might be okay to handle that one on my own. The StellaLyra, perhaps not. Though maybe on wheels.

There is the question, that if I had a VX14 and Explore Scientific 16 (or StellaLyra 16 on wheels somehow), would the 16 come out to play enough at home?
 
Thanks all for the thoughts. And I hope I'm not driving you too nuts with my waffle, going around in circles, and indecision! I'm gonna go look for some more VX14 comments.

Thanks, Jeremy.

Yeah, maybe I should think about wheels again. Wheels don't work so well currently for us. Though that said, thinking about it, we need to redo the area outside the back door anyway, and we could get that done in time for the new season. We could consider redoing it bearing ramps in mind. We are hoping to move in the not too distant future, but that is probably 3+ years off.

And Sarah says she'd be okay to get rid of the slate chippings path that leads up to the shed, which is the quicker fix, if we can fit the dob in the shed.

I'll go chat to Sarah about wheeled options. Blimey, I hope we don't end up buying the SW 400P FlexTube Goto we sold! What an own goal! 😁

Gosh, I keep going around in circles. I've been looking at Geoptik and Taurus dobs over the weekend, and the Explore Scientific. Partly against Geoptik and Taurus is that I don't think the 16 inches and upwards are on sale anywhere in the UK.

I now feel pulled back to the Orion Optics UK VX14. It's a touch over £3K with the 1/10 upgrade and variable brake. Then I see what some 1/10 VX14's have sold for used, and it's quite sobering. I'm minded to wait for a used VX14.

I think the VX14 can replace our GSO 10 inch. I think the weight and convenience is fine and about as big as it gets for a low hassle dob for me. But it might not work very well for taking to star parties. That's the snag right now. If we waited for a used one, we could also get, say, the Explore Scientific Ultra Light 16. But then it's only two more inches of aperture. Will I be bothered to set it up at home if there's the VX14 ready to go? And close to £2K is a lot it the 16 will basically only be used at star parties.

Sarah thinks maybe go 12 inch and 16, but I think, it would be fab if 14 inches was the scope we use a lot. I think I might gain more from having a 14 than I would having a 12 and 16, as the 12 would likely get used far more than the 16. So I'm thinking viewing at 14 inches by default is better than 12 inches by default with the odd bit of 16.

Another option is to delay getting the bigger scope, and to think about an 18 or 20 inch down the line. A 14 to me may pair well with an 18 or 20. We are hoping to move house in the not too distant future, so accommodating a big scope might work better then, be that having an obsy or catering better for ramps/getting a bigger shed then.

It's the star party aspect that's the headache at the moment. We could take our Edge 8. I am due to switch car soon (thanks to the upcoming tidy windfall, touch wood) and if I got an estate car, that could make the VX14 doable for star parties. But I'm not sure I want my stargazing hobby to influence which car I get. Though at the mo, an estate is one of my two main car options anyway (I've been drooling over the Audi A6 Avant/Allroad, versus getting the same again - a VW Touareg, which I don't think would quite fit the VX14 in). Hmmmm. I wish I could hurry up and decide!

I'm a bit late to the party. I have a SW Equinox 120 and an Edge 8, and I think it's worth keeping both. For me, the Edge 8 has a bit of a refractor feel to it, and having it helps me to think it's not a great idea to add a bulky ED150 to my collection. I still get tempted by the ED150 from time to time, but having the Edge 8 keeps it at bay. For me, the Edge 8 is a bit like having a bigger frac than the ED120, without the bulk (not as sharp as a frac, but it goes some of the way there). The 120 already feels quite a large frac, and for me, the Edge 8 partners very nicely with it.

I did a bit of lunar imaging with the Edge 8 and ED120, and solar imaging with the ED120 and a Herschel Wedge or Quark, but no deep sky or planets. I'm sure the Edge 8 is interesting for planets, but our skies don't seem very stable my way for high res planets, so I don't bother trying.