Chris

Hi Mark, hope you're well Well this is the thing! There is so much 'scope' for different videos with this Heritage 150p, including a video about performing the usual mods (PTFE tape the helical focuser, home made shroud, and flocking) As well as the usual setup and first impressions video I tend to do. I'm also keen to do an optical comparison with my 4" f/5 Achro to show prostective buyers the difference between the two types of scope. In particular I will be keen to Ronchi test the optics, and plug my little ZWO camera in the focuser to demonstrate what bight stars and planets look like with the 3 vane obstruction. Should be fun Of course, several months down the line you can probably expect this in the for sale section to make way for the next thing I want to test lol

Just ordered one to review for my Youtube channel. There's quite a few interesting aspects to this scope, and I want to put it through it's paces like I'm doing with the SW Starquest 102 R.

True Dat Steve (as the kids say) this could be a Dobsonian gateway to aperture fever. It is very close in price to the arguably better starting point of a 150 Skyliner though. to me the H150 looks aimed at grab n go crowd as well as beginners, so I can see the case for an R&P. I reckon it could be partly weight saving. One reason I think it isn't aimed purely at beginners is the collimatable cell. SW's fixed primaries work really well (I've tried several) and may have been both cheaper to produce and better for the beginner as it's one thing less for them to worry about. Regardless of any of our thoughts it will sell like hot cakes of course

I'm with you in prefering a simple R&P on most beginner scopes. I'm just wondering if it's not only cost saving but also weight saving? If so I get that considering the design. easily fixed with PTFE You can fix anything with gaffer and PTFE tape, WD40, and by turning it off and back on again 😁

How cool is that! Looks collimatable also. I wonder if they've improved the play in helical focuser too? Although easily fixed with thee old PTFE tape. They'll sell like hot cakes

I think if he's reached the point where he's hyperventilating in order to see faint objects more clearly it's time for him to look into electronic aided observing 😂

Oh my word! Takahashi top to toe! Congrats, Garry, what a fantastic setup!

How wonderful, Stu! I'm enjoying this thread so far and looking forward to more The coatings remind me of a scope I've owned, maybe the Skylight 60mm f/16.7 with Carton lens maybe?

Looks wonderful John, proper telescope! Long focal length fracs have always spoken to me (not literally of course, I stopped the drugs in the 90's) 😃 Really very good to hear it's mainly metal construction, it would have been a travesty in my eyes if not. I'm seriously looking at my little motor driven SW Starquest mount, wondering if it could take the F12.5 version? Although of course I really want the f15!

I didn't know about the talk, but if it discusses CA removal it would be good to see it. Was it on TV or Online? Thanks

Hello all. I'm really enjoying the Skyquest series of telescopes, and I've been doing some videos documenting the basic (out in your garden) process of imaging the planets, the Moon and trying to image deep sky objects with it. This is mainly just to show that you don't need fancy kit to have fun and 'document' extremely distance objects many millions of light years away on your computer screen, or the back of you camera! Although, this is with the disclaimer that if you want really good images it's easier to achieve with 'fancier' more expensive equipment. This is the second video in my mini series. In the first I image Venus and the Ring nebula, and in this video I image the Moon and Cigar galaxy. The video takes you through the process of trying to capture images with limited equipment. No fancy scopes and mounts or guiding here. And all the software used is free to down load! I've tried to be creative in the video so it's not too boring for people to watch lol

Core blimey Gary, you've got some lovely top notch astro stuff. That TOA setup looks ridiculously good!

Crikey! Next ZWO will be slapping on Peltier coolers to Fuji's 100MP Medium format sensor.

It's cheesy to say, but that's what heaven looks like!

I really hope not Upon setting eye's on the Scopetech f15 I kind of wanted it like I did the StellaMira 80mm f/10 when I first saw that. For £430 it needs to be made to last with good fit and finish, else why would you not get the plastic but optically very good Bresser's 90/1200 at a fraction of the price? I can't abide too much plastic on a scope, I'm hoping the speculation is wrong.

You know what, it's such a great little versatile easy to use mount, I'm wondering if @FLO would consider the possibility of looking into whether or not it would be possible to sell the mount separately?

Cheers, I have a wanted ad for fringe killers so we're on the same page. I'm on the look out as I'm keen to experiment with different filters and imaging. "you don't see the CA" Hey! lol if you had quoted me a bit more broadly I actually said "you don't see the CA as purple" lol

These look familiar! Has this pic been posted before? I can't imagine how much these cost but I applaud the fact they have been made. I only hope plenty of people get to look through them! What a treat that would be on a night of good seeing.

Yeah I don't mind using a mono camera with an Achro so much. I guess technically mono picks up everything, only you don't see the CA as bright purple so it's not in your face like it is with OSC cameras. Some of the stars with my Ring neb capture were pretty large, so I put it down to the light being spread out more (CA) only they just look like big stars in mono, and they don't drawer the eye as much as the dreaded purple fringing

That's a brilliant haul of captured objects there Geoff, nice one! I had a bit to say about the dovetail on the Starquest too, mainly that it was fixed and short which could be problematic for balancing heavy accessories, but of course it's totally acceptable for the budget entry level telescope it is. All this made the cutting room floor as I whittled an hours footage down to 19 minutes in an attempt to keep things vaguely 'snappy'

I'm nothing to do with the ad, but this Fullerscope refractor looks like a very interesting scope. Lovely looking thing. https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=161663

Hello all. I've put together a video which might be useful for anyone starting out imaging with basic entry level equipment? In the video, after I initially setup the StarQuest out the box and attach the motor drive, I set about imaging Venus and the Ring Nebula (M57) with a ZWO ASI120mm guide cam. I just wanted to show you don't absolutely need the recommended HEQ5 plus ED80 to have fun imaging and capture something you can enjoy and share. You probably won't get an APOD imaging with a cheap achromat and guide cam, but it's still lots of fun. Total cost for everything used here was £370 (£270 for the SkyQuest 102R & motor drive from FLO, and £100 for a second hand ASI120mm)

All I can say is the sight of these makes me happy. I love a good long focus refractor, and these look like they've had a lot of care and attention put into them. Maybe not as practical as a shorter Apo, but if you can mount them properly, the views and the experience of using a decent long focus refractor is something really special. Nice one FLO!

Yes, the 130p has the same f-ratio of f/5 so it's 'fast' enough for imaging. The focal length is similar with the 130p being slightly longer, so the field of view will be slightly less. The focuser on the 130p isn't the most camera friendly so you'll be limited to cameras that you can plug into the focuser like an eyepiece, like the one I used above.

Wow! it's nice to see the outer shell, you don't see that on images too often. I managed to image this the other night also with a cheap achro plus ZWO120mm. Not quite the same result as yourself lol but pleased to have just captured it.