LukeTheNuke

I'll include some comments. I realise the likes of Stu would not be able to do that as it would exceed the amount of characters a web page can handle, LOL!

Celestron 8" Newtonian
Our first "serious" scope after getting hooked on a cheap telescope from Jessops. Sold because I think we caught aperture fever. It was probably pretty good, optically.

Celestron C6
Sold to the guy in the burger van at SGL star parties! This to us was a cracking little scope, and we would have kept it if we didn't get an Edge 8, which is still quite a practical scope, and has a bit of a refractor feel to it (though I guess the frac fraternity will disagree!). But those C6's are little gems.

Skywatcher 12 inch solid tube dob
The one I miss the most. Very low hassle, decent optics. Better than my GSO 10 inch dob, alas. How I wish I could swap them over.

Skywatcher 12 inch FlexTube dob
I think this one gave my my best ever view of Jupiter, at the Kelling Heath star party. It was gobsmacking. As in, I think if Damien Peach had been observing, he'd have said "Bloody hell!" So perhaps this one had a decent mirror. Mind you, I've been happy with the optics in all our Skywatcher scopes. Sold, I think, because we got a 16 inch FlexTube, and a GSO 10 inch solid tube.

Celestron C11
I had hopes of imaging galaxies with this, but I stubbornly tried to go the DSL mod route. With hindsight, I should have gone for a CCD. I did find it a bit of a heft to get it up onto the mount. And it was a bit of a pain setting it up to do off-axis guiding. If I ever return to attempting DSO imaging, I will make sure I have an obsy first! If I still had the C11, it would tempt me to get back into lunar imaging. Though that said, I just don't think our patch of sky is stable enough for close-up lunar imaging. We're surrounded by rooftops, which I am blaming things on, but perhaps it's user error. I think getting the Edge 8 was partly why we sold the C11, as well as the weight and giving up on DSO imaging (I switched to solar instead). But yeah, those C11's can sing on planets and the moon, so I kinda miss it a little bit, though never got close to what a C11 can do with my efforts.

Skywatcher 16 inch FlexTube Goto dob
Reluctantly sold, as I was finding it a bit too heavy to handle, and feared I'd injure myself lugging it around. We put the money into a newer passion: board gaming. I think the optics were probably a bit better in the other SW dobs we had, but we were happy with it. We're hopefully getting a tidy windfall soon (touch wood), so we are mulling over how to finally replace the 400P. Our current largest scope is a 10 inch GSO, which I was reminded the other week is still a pretty powerful telescope, though for me, the optics on all my SW scopes were a bit better than on the GSO. And that's the blooming one I've kept! Though I do much prefer the mechanics on the GSO.

SolarMax 60 x2

We had a his and hers, LOL! Sold because we got a few Quark filters and could use them in various fracs, which was ace. Unfortunately, I ran into several issues with the Quarks, and wish I'd kept at least one of the SolarMax 60s now. Sarah's Quark was okay, but that seems to have degraded terribly, it's gone all misty, and large areas of the view are now pants. I can't sell my or Sarah's Quark, neither are up to scratch for me, so it partly feels like some money has gone down the toilet. It's tempting to get a Lunt with our windfall that might be coming soon, but double stacking is so expensive! Part of me wants to never buy a Quark again (I've tried a few), but part of me is tempted to get back into solar imaging, and the other options are rather pricey. A Solar Spectrum, maybe? A Lunt 50? A Quark, surely not?!

Welcome back! That's a nice lot of spots on the sun. I'm on vacation at the mo from imaging, though it is tempting to get a new camera. Especially as I might be getting a decent new lappy, and one of my wife's objections to me getting back into imaging is that I'd need a decent lappy.

What's your new setup like? What scope / filter are you using, and what camera are you using? I'm completely out of date when it comes to my camera knowledge and am curious to know what folks are now using!

re: Newton's rings, have you tried a tilt adapter yet? I've never used one, but hopefully someone can advise, depending on what setup you're using.

Thanks, Piero, for the piccies of scopes on wheels. I'm going to have a think if I can do something with wheels. I had been thinking that they won't work for me at the mo, but perhaps I can figure something out. The shed, which is where we store our 10 inch dob, has an awkward lip and might be too shallow for a ramp to get over it, and anyway, it's then onto a slate chippings path, which I think the wheels are not going to like.

And if we store the big dob indoors, it's got to go in the cupboard under the stairs, so it has to be not a solid tube. And currently I don't think a ramp works too well through the back door either. I'll have a ponder whether we can make either storage option more wheel-friendly. I did see someone post a piccy of their new 12 inch dob just with castor wheels screwed directly into the dob base, which looked pretty neat.

John, I like your ambitious thinking outside the (mirror) box, I had a crazy idea too. I like my RC cars, and I must admit, I wondered if I could get something like this to tow the telescope if I can get it on wheels:

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

When I started on the Ethos journey 2 years ago knew I wouldn’t rest until I’d completed the set……

 

Congrats on the full house! This is the kind of talk, though, that makes me think I shouldn't add a second Ethos! I'm a terrible completionist...

I have just the one at the mo, the 21 mm! The 13 is very tempting, and I've been mulling it over. Please tell me it's your least favourite.

Thanks for taking the time to do a review. This one tempts me. I've thought about the Tele Vue 3-6 mm zoom a few times, but what puts me off is the cost combined with knowing my wife Sarah wouldn't like it (I think the eye relief would be too tight for her). I could justify the cost of this one from Svbony. And a 3 to 8 mm range sounds very useful. I don't think I've tried anything from Svbony yet, but I get the impression that some of their stuff may be good bang for buck from what others are saying. I have pondered trying a few of their cheap cameras, maybe for some lunar imaging.

I'm hoping to have the funds by the end of May, touch wood. I'm still not sure what to do.

I'm currently thinking, maybe a 12 inch solid tube dob that I can easily set up on my own, and a 16 inch that can easily be set up by two people, if needs be.

Maybe go all-in on StellaLyra, with the 12" solid tube and 16" truss? Though I am also still tempted by the Celestron StarSense for the 12 inch scope, and am warming to the idea of actually making use of the StarSense feature. Some folks seem to find it a joy to use, and it potentially would be the scope I use the most.

One thing for the StellaLyra scopes is they look good bang for buck. Those sizes come with right-angle finders and dual speed focusers, for example. Though we do have a good spare focuser. And FLO's customer service is great.

I'm feeling more positive about GSO mirrors after reading multiple positive comments.

I thought I'd ask ChatGPT as well, and have a bit of fun asking! My convo with the AI is below. The strength and IQ thing is just me being a bit silly and wanting the AI to not go lighter than I'm fine with, and the IQ was a silly reference to a joke I made in the lounge. I like the idea that I should consider buying the 13 mm Ethos! 😁

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LukeTheNuke:
What is the best lightweight telescope option brand and model with the largest aperture that has no single part that weighs more than 25 kg and that can easily be moved and set up by one adult male of above average strength and intelligence, with an IQ of 404? PS make it a big one.

ChatGPT:
The best lightweight telescope option with the largest aperture that can be easily moved and set up by one person would be the Sky-Watcher S11530 Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope. With a 127mm aperture and weighing just under 9 kg, this telescope is portable and easy to set up solo. It also offers excellent image quality and is a popular choice among amateur astronomers.

LukeTheNuke:
What's the lightest 16 inch commercially available telescope?

ChatGPT:
The lightest commercially available 16-inch telescope is likely the Meade LX65 16" ACF telescope, which weighs around 135 pounds without the mount.

LukeTheNuke:
What's the lightest 16 inch dobsonian telescope on the market?

ChatGPT:
One of the lightest 16 inch Dobsonian telescopes currently available on the market is the Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope. This telescope features a collapsible design that makes it easier to transport and set up compared to traditional solid-tube Dobsonians. It weighs approximately 93 lbs (42 kg), making it relatively lightweight for its size.

LukeTheNuke:
Does that weight include the base, or is it the OTA only? It makes a difference to my back. PS I already had one of those [sigh].

ChatGPT:
The weight typically refers to the Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) only and does not include the base. It's important to consider the total weight when carrying or transporting the equipment to avoid strain on your back.

LukeTheNuke:
Tell me about it! That's why I sold the Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope. Are you sure there isn't a lighter one than that? Do you work for Synta?

ChatGPT:
I'm sorry, I don't work for Synta or any telescope company. The Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope is definitely a heavy and bulky telescope, which is why you may have decided to sell it. There are definitely lighter options available, such as smaller Dobsonian telescopes or other types of telescopes like refractors or compound telescopes. It really depends on your specific needs and preferences.

LukeTheNuke:
What's the best refractor for me to get that weighs less than a Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope but will give equivalent views of deep sky objects? PS are you a frac or dob type of person?

ChatGPT:
If you are looking for a refractor telescope that weighs less than a Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope but can still provide equivalent views of deep sky objects, you may want to consider the Takahashi TSA-120 or the William Optics FLT 132. Both of these refractors are known for their high-quality optics and ability to provide crisp, clear views of celestial objects.

As for whether I am a refractor or Dobsonian type of person, I am an AI digital assistant and do not have personal preferences. It ultimately comes down to your own preferences and priorities in terms of portability, ease of use, and desired viewing experience. Both refractors and Dobsonian telescopes have their own strengths and limitations, so it's important to consider what factors are most important to you when making a decision.

LukeTheNuke:
Well I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want: the largest dob that won't give me a hernia. My budget is about £5K. I currently have a 10 inch GSO dob, which I find very light. I'm looking for something bigger, but not as heavy as the Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope. What do you suggest? I know you're an AI digital assistant and do not have personal preferences, but if you had to buy a telescope today, for up to £5K, that wouldn't give you a hernia if you were a human (please use your imagination), what would you get?

ChatGPT:
If I were to recommend a telescope within your budget that is larger than your current 10 inch dob without being too heavy, I would suggest looking into the Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Truss Dobsonian Telescope. This telescope has a 12 inch aperture which will provide you with increased light gathering power and better viewing capabilities compared to your current 10 inch dob. The truss tube design also helps to reduce the overall weight of the telescope, making it easier to transport and set up compared to the Sky-Watcher Flextube 16" Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope. This telescope is also within your budget range and should be a great option for upgrading to a larger dobsonian telescope without the risk of giving yourself a hernia.

LukeTheNuke:
What would be the biggest option for upgrading the Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Truss Dobsonian Telescope that would be without the risk of giving myself a hernia? That one sounds like a winner!

ChatGPT:
One possible option to upgrade the Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Truss Dobsonian Telescope without the risk of straining yourself would be to invest in a motorized equatorial tracking mount. This would allow you to automatically track celestial objects as they move across the night sky, eliminating the need for manual adjustments and reducing the physical strain of constantly moving and adjusting the telescope. Additionally, you could consider upgrading the eyepieces and accessories to enhance your viewing experience without adding significant weight to the telescope.

LukeTheNuke:
Ah, cool. I mostly use the Tele Vue 21 mm Ethos eyepiece. What eyepiece should I upgrade it to that will make the Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Truss Dobsonian Telescope really sing?

ChatGPT:
If you're looking to upgrade from the Tele Vue 21mm Ethos eyepiece for your Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Truss Dobsonian Telescope, you may want to consider investing in a higher quality eyepiece that can provide better clarity and resolution. Some popular options that many astronomers recommend for this telescope are the Tele Vue 13mm Ethos eyepiece, the Explore Scientific 14mm 100-degree Series eyepiece, or the Pentax XW 14mm eyepiece. These eyepieces are known for their excellent performance and can help enhance your viewing experience with your telescope. Ultimately, the best choice will depend on your personal preferences and budget.

Enjoy! Those little wheels on the dob base look neat!

What a lovely report, very heart-warming, and a nice photo. I think Sarah and I have bought about 25 items made by Tele Vue, and they've all been flawless, as far as I can recall.

My favourite Tele Vue item is tough. It's between the Tele Vue-60 telescope, which I've used for quite a few solar sessions in particular, and is so tiny and portable and made me no longer hate helical focusers, and the Ethos 21 mm eyepiece, which is admittedly not that tiny and portable! I'll go with the Ethos 21 mm. It's the eyepiece I use the most in my 10 inch dob, and sometimes it's the only eyepiece I use for the session, if I'm feeling lazy.

A solar h-alpha image captured with my beloved Tele Vue-60 and a less beloved Quark filter. This was taken on a manual mount, just letting the sun drift across the chip.

And my biggest Tele Vue regret is selling the 13 mm T6 Nagler, which was a cracking, small and light eyepiece. Sarah didn't take to it, alas, I think because she prefers longer eye relief, and is these days very happy with the Delos eyepieces, with their 20 mm eye relief, I think?

Orange County, Jaffa Cakes... Surely not a coincidence?

I've recently returned to SGL under a new user name. I stopped posting regularly years ago, having become a bit obsessed with a new hobby, and having felt a bit deflated after very frustrating problems with my solar filter.

And I have a new appreciation for how generally sensible and nice this forum is, having used some less nice forums for other interests and hobbies! I like having a natter about a hobby I love, and from my travels, this to me is the best place for it by far that I've seen.

Also, you can learn so much about this hobby from SGL. And it's just nice to share your enthusiasm for this hobby with others.

I am sad to see that some long-term members have passed away since I used to post here regularly. I saw earlier this week that johninderby is no longer with us. I enjoyed John's posts. It's embarrassing to admit it, but for years, I thought John's surname was Inderby, which I thought was quite a cool, posh surname. And I see Gina has passed away too.

I know this is a sad thought, but in a way, to me it shows that SGL isn't only about sharing knowledge. It's also about the people who do stargazing. It's been nice to see some of the old gang still active here, and I look forward to getting to know some of the newer SGLers.

Part of why I love stargazing is thinking about what life might be out there. I have this wish that alien life will be confirmed during my lifetime. If so, I hope they come in peace. Or at least, will spare the stargazers.

Very nice! I especially love the colour in the first shot. Taken with a Player One Saturn-c SQR? I'm not up to speed on modern cameras, never heard of Player One Astronomy before! Ah, going since 2021, and based in the UK?

Wow, that's stunning. Well done! So much to see.

It looks lovely! I've never owned a William Optics telescope, alas.

I like the idea of a big frac, and I was trying to persuade myself towards the Skywatcher ED150 just yesterday. But I think I am probably sticking at 120 mm as my biggest frac. I figure, it already feels fairly big to me, and not going higher gives me a good excuse for getting the Edge 8 SCT out.

I keep trying to talk myself into various new scopes, but I think it's just a dob larger than 10 inches where I have a proper gap. Of course, the Frac Fraternity may have different priorities to me!

The seeing never seems to be very good where I am for planets or high-res lunar. I've never had a view of Jupiter as good, or anywhere close to it, as I had at the Kelling Heath star party one year. I've put it down to there being rooftops in every direction at home.

This thought puts me off getting back to lunar imaging and trying to do high res stuff. Most of the time, I'm not sure I can even max out my 120 mm refractor.

Thanks for the thoughts, John, much appreciated! You are so kind with sharing your knowledge on SGL over all these years. 🫡

I did wonder after posting if for some folks it will mainly come down to basically your favourite focal length in the scope(s) you use. I think I do tend to find around the 12 mm - 14 mm mark particularly pleasing. Not pushing the conditions or my human goto skills (LOL!) too much. I really miss the T6 13 mm Nagler, and kinda regret that we sold it. Sarah just didn't get on with it, perhaps because of the 12 mm eye relief, hence moving it on. But for me, that was a very sweet, compact and light eyepiece! Maybe a 13 mm Ethos would ease my pain a little!

I hope you get to try the 10 soon. I'm a bit of a completionist at heart, so perhaps it's quite dangerous for me to risk adding a second Ethos. 😬

I hope this isn't like asking a parent with multiple children to pick their favourite child, but...

Which is your favourite Ethos eyepiece, and why?

The reason why I'm asking is that I'm considering adding one (I do have one already, plus a full house of Delos eyepieces).

Well they're rather lovely! Well done!

I wasn't sure I'd observe tonight, as I was a bit short on sleep, and it was pretty windy earlier in the day. I popped outside to try to convince myself that the stars were twinkling like mad and conditions must be terrible. And earlier in the day, I'd checked the lunar phase. No excuse to be found there! The wind was not bad at all.

But gosh, it would be a cold one, and my wife's just gone down with suspected Covid.

But out I went. I blame it on returning to SGL. You folks get me all excited again about this wonderful hobby!

I intended to be super lazy and use the 21 mm Ethos in my 10 inch dob. But then I fancied viewing M13, so I grabbed a 12 mm Delos along with the 21 mm Ethos.

M13 looked pretty good. Gosh, my garden is looking like a runway these days, thanks to a bunch of solar lights. I thought it would be a good idea to switch off the two brightest ones.

I tried to find M81 and M82, but they were very high up at that awkward position for dobs. I took in some galaxies in Leo. M51 was looking splendid. That other globular in Hercules, I forget the name - it is pretty sweet, I spend more time on it than I normally do. Back to try for M81 and 82 again. Bingo! My, the galaxies are looking sweet tonight.

Off to the Virgo Cluster. Only I can't find it! Where the hell have they put it? After a while, I realise I have forgotten what Virgo looks like, and I'm not looking where I think I am. Until now, I've just been using the 12 mm Delos. Time for the 21 mm Ethos! Ah, yes, at last, several galaxies spotted. It definitely helps if you don't invent new constellations.

Well somehow I've been outside for two hours. How wonderful that gear that I think is over a decade old is giving me these views tonight. And I'm reminded that as much as it's fun to get aperture fever if funds allow, a 10 inch scope is a pretty potent device. 

Your Quark image looks good to me.

Wowsers, Zakalwe's flat is lively! Which I think just goes to show, it's about the end result!

There are some (downsized) flats below from two of my Quarks. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the second flat below is from my best Quark (which went faulty, alas, and was replaced). My advice would be to see what the end result looks like applying the flat, and if it looks good, don't worry about it. You could possibly get a flatter Quark, but it might also be one that shows less detail.

My favourite Quark wasn't the one that was the most even. It was the one that showed the most detail.

Hmmm, that doesn't sound like the talk of the SGL Imaging Winner Galaxies 2023! I had a quick look at your gallery. Incredible stuff!

I'd suggest, have a look at your own gallery, read the words you wrote, and have a think about what it was that made you hungry to image in the first place.

Despite the challenges the weather brings, look at all those lovely images you made. What you are imaging is incredible. You've mastered a lot of challenges to get where you are.

It might not seem like you are getting much done now, but the evidence of how far you have already gone to date is there to see. It's easy to overlook what you've already achieved.

I hope you find your mojo soon. Oh, and maybe get another hobby that isn't weather dependent!

Nice write-up!

As they say, aperture is king! Mind you, I have to say, I really enjoy looking through scopes of all sizes and types at star parties. They each have their own benefits and charm.

I had a Skywatcher 400P Goto for a while. I sold it as I found it a bit too heavy to keep managing on my own. I was worried I'd injure myself. The goto was not that much hassle, honestly, and I think it saved me quite a bit of time.

There would be the odd time where I'd set things up and then the target wouldn't be in the eyepiece. But most of the time, it worked well and saved me time. You could argue that when you are at a star party, provided it works (!), a goto will help you to make the most of those precious dark skies. Though some folks I have to say are lightning fast finding targets manually!

That said, when I get my next dob, I'm not that bothered about goto. I find manual encourages me to get to know the night sky better, and I find that enjoyable.

I think my favourite dob "pound for pound" was a Skywatcher solid tube 12 inch, manual. I found it okay to handle by myself, and it was very low on hassle. I found the optics great for the cost.

Yeah, with eyepieces, you pay a lot for usually pretty small gains. I have mostly Tele Vue eyepieces now, but I have a few eyepieces I got for I think it was about £20 to £30, and they're really good for the price.

re: 100 degrees, my favourite eyepiece is the 21 mm Ethos. I find the wide field of view useful. Sometimes, when I feel lazy, I just use the 21 mm Ethos for the whole session. I like seeing M81 and M82 in the same field of view, for example. It's easier for me to find my targets with a wider angle eyepiece when not using goto. But some folks might not enjoy the wide view.

That's one lovely thing about star parties. How you can hopefully get to try different gear and see what works for you / what you find worth the cost. And to see how big some of those dobs are! It can end up quite costly trying out eyepieces though...

The moon isn't always visible at night! Some nights, I've gone out to observe after the moon has set.

You can see average moonrise and moonset times here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_phase#Principal_and_intermediate_phases_of_the_Moon

Wow, that's amazing. Well done!

I'd love a Lunt 60 double stack solar h-alpha telescope. It, or a single stack, could be in budget soon, but a dob is looking more likely to scoff the budget. Those solar scopes can get a lot of use during the year, though, especially if you can observe during lunchtime. So in a way, I think they're not as expensive as they look. Or perhaps a Solar Spectrum H-alpha filter.

1 hour ago, Ags said:

Yummy!

Gosh, I am so out of date. What is this? A Ritchey-Chrétien? To my untrained eye, it looks like an insane, fat refractor, that could be very exciting. Anyway, congrats, it looks like a potent scope! Will this be for imaging or visual or both?