col

1 hour ago, cajen2 said:

To answer your original question about the Heritage 150p, yes, it's definitely worth getting. I have only two scopes: one of those and a StellaLyra 8" dob. The SL is my everyday scope (or should that be everynight? 😄) but the 150p does make an excellent grab&go job. It's light enough to carry in one hand yet gives superb views. If you had one, you might well find the Startravel or even the 80ED redundant.....

Ah yes, that had crossed my mind if I did get a heritage 150 off Santa, as my main scope is the same as yours being the Stellalyra 8" Dob. 

My reasoning is the heritage would give me a look up if i was umming and ahhing  about weather to take the Dob out, so not missing out altogether.

Is that convincing? Or should i just tell the truth, i just like the look of it too 🙂

Having got my Stellalyra Dob I was more than satisfied thinking I wouldn't need anything else, as  I already had my Tal 100R, and the Startravel 102.

Even including my 20x80 Opticron Bino's and my Hawke spotter I couldn't resist the skywatcher ED80, of which I'm very happy I decided to get it.

You would think that's it, everything I need is there now.

But I'm even now thinking Id like a Heritage 150 Tabletop dob for an easy grab and go if its a gamble with the weather and Id like a bit more aperture than the ED80 and the  SW102.

I'm beginning to think I've caught some sort of astro virus.

Looking at others lists of scopes at the bottom of their post  I'm  understanding the multiple scopes some have more now.

Is there reasons why you may have several different scopes, or is it just because you like them?

I think I'm a bit of both 🙂

It's surprising isn't it, taking higher magnification than you'd expect too. 

Definitely a keeper. 

I'm looking forward to see how it performs on the moon, though going on being better than expected on the planets I'm not expecting to be disappointed

2 hours ago, Ags said:

What sort of solar filter?

It's the silver one inside a circular frame that goes over the front of the dew shield. 

It's in the pic i posted above. 

3 hours ago, Stu said:

@col that looks like a great little scope you’ve got there, and a very decent price too I think.

It will certainly be excellent for visual session, these little apos can provide a surprising amount of detail on planets. Last night I was viewing with a 76mm and could clearly see the two shadows which were transiting, plus surface detail well beyond the standard two equatorial belts. This was at x108, but up to x160 should be perfectly fine, and perhaps beyond if you don’t suffer from too many floaters.

You could get a Herschel wedge for it too, and then it will give excellent solar views.

Enjoy! 👍

Cheers Stu, I've been very pleasantly surprised how good the views are considering its size.

It would be hard to justify a Herschel wedge to the wife after what iv already spent 🙂 But it did come with a solar filter so can still have a solar sesh .

4 hours ago, Carl Au said:

Excellent good for you, nice scope at a very good price. You are going to have a lots of fun with it

Thanks Carl. 

I got out tonight and looked at jupiter and also caught saturn with it tonight. 

The seeing isn't great but Saturn's rings were crisp and showed well. 

Next I got a look at Mars, it only looked like a small orange, but I realise the aperture isn't ideal for the planets and will get my 8"dob out for Mars another night. 

I was going to try for some deep sky but the school security lights are on and is washing the sky out a bit, maybe another night. 

Iv only tried a limited number of eyepeices and not got round to the two inch one yet. 

So I'm looking forward to scanning the skies with that next time. 

The novelty of this scope has put my dob in the corner this last week, I'll have to address that. Nobody puts dobby in the corner 😁

I forgot to add I managed ten minutes with the 10mm in the 3x Barlow. 

It was a large image in the eyepeice at 181 times, but not as sharp as it was at 120 times. 

I realise I'd gone past its max power, but I was curious seeing how it would perform at that high magnification. 

It performed better than expected, and was a nice enough image, just a little soft compared to the lesser power. 

All in all I'm very happy with it, and looking forward to clear skies, which are unfortunately not happening here at the moment. 

I managed to get a look at jupiter before the clouds really took over and the train started. 

A 15mm in the 2x Barlow giving me a nice clear image with three cloud bands and four moons. 

The same 15mm in the 3x Barlow and that gave me just as nice a view, but a surprisingly large image in the eyepiece. 

Then the rain moved in just as I'd got my 10 mm to try in the 3x Barlow. 

No red spot yet, but I'll keep trying. 

The two looks at jupiter were two separate cloud gaps, as I keep a look out for the gaps to hopefully appear. 

Looks like that's going to be it for tonight, but my first impression with this scope is its hard to believe it's only an 80mm while looking at jupiter tonight. I'm impressed. 

Not looked at mars properly yet , but cant wait to take a look through the 8" dob.

Cracking images you've taken there.

2 minutes ago, Carl Au said:

Moonfish certainly used to be well regarded. 

With what I already have, and the eyepieces that came with the scope, Iv got a lot of variation to go at.

Ill no doubt do some comparisons too.

Thanks Olly, he did like moonfish as most of the eye pieces are by moonfish. 

Not a company I'm familiar with. 

58 minutes ago, Carl Au said:

Actually it’s a bargain. You did well. 

Cheers, it is old but it's been well looked after and doesn't even have a single mark on it. Iv been over it with a fine tooth comb and is in mint condition. 

These are the eye peices and two barlows that came with it, plus the meade 26 mm which iv got in the scope so isn't in the pic.

. 

12 minutes ago, Clarkey said:

An older ED80 by the looks of it. £300 with the extra's is certainly not over the top in my opinion.

Iv been pottering with  and everything that came with it, and I have to say I'm very happy .

I'm intending it to be my grab and go set up when there's not enough time to take the dob out, or the weather is suspect.

I might even give astrophotography a go with it, but nothing major, just a two second exposure type thing and no stacking or other manipulation.

Then again I do have an eq five, so longer exposures might be an option. But I'm not planning on getting into photography in any way other than the odd quick shot.

I paid £300 for it including some accessories, I'm hoping I'v not over paid and I'm sure you guys will enlighten me on my knee jerk buy. 

But I do like it, as its like new and almost unused. 

He's only used it approximately five times since he got it, about 14 years ago it seems. 

3 hours ago, Ags said:

Not sure what scope this is.... Startravels are definitely not ED scopes. Do you have a picture?

He is going to check but it sounds like it’s going to be the gold ecostar ED80 pro. 
I’ll find out for sure tomorrow.

I asked about its name and It’s a gold coloured star travel ED 80 pro from 15 plus years ago .

Hi guys

Iv got the chance of an old Startravel ED 80 and wondered if it is good for visual astronomy. Or is it not really any good for visual seeing with it's 80 mm in size. 

I was thinking being ED it might be better than my 102 achro startravel for quick set up during sucker breaks in the clouds. 

Worth getting? 

Cheers guys. 

Hi Spile, sorry I missed this post as iv been struck down with a virus, not the covid one but a flu one and have been laid up. 

I'll get a picture on here as soon as Im able. 

8 hours ago, davhei said:

Made one for my 10 inch dob from a rolled up camping mat and duct tape. Length about twice the aperture. Never had problems with secondary dew since, and I observere in quite high humidity. Great DIY mod.

Iv got one of those somewhere, I'll try and dig it out. 

Thanks guys, I hadnt thought about the secondary or light getting in.

I'll  make one while the clouds are overstaying their welcome.

Hi guys,

Due to clouds I got to thinking about a dew shield on my Dob after seeing a pic of one on  here.

Im just wondering , as I’m visual and not into photography, would it make much difference to me?

Because the mirror is at the bottom of a four foot tube, would a dew shield really help much?

Cheers guys.

I had a go at taking some pics of Saturn and Jupiter with the zoom eyepiece and my dslr.

What can I say? Total failure , I need to learn more about the settings on the camera.

But I'm not in a hurry as I managed an Ok picture of the Moon.

Cracking pic, l visited there some years ago and was disappointed to find it being used as a sheep shed. But it didn’t stop me imagining the legend.