coliea

Looks as though there's a new model in the pipeline for an April release.

Thanks guys - sorta confirms what I thought. The plan is to move house this year so maybe I'll add a EQ mount or a DSC equipped Dob once we're settled. Best Col

With SkySafari available for Android and the iPhone has anyone attached their smartphone to a non-goto mount to aid pointing? I've a Samsung Galaxy S2 and was wondering if a bracket/holder/adapter thingy existed that I could use/modify to attach the phone to my Unistar mount? I've had a hunt around, but so far haven't found anything I could adapt for astro use. Col

Skywatcher's problem in a nutshell. IMO for these Skywatcher triplets to sell they have to be less expensive inch for inch than say a TEC140, which even at today's poor exchange rate is retailing for ~£3600. Be very interesting to see how many of these Skywatcher can shift.

Sandybridge is Intel's second generation Core i3, i5, i7 architecture. As Mike states the processors can be identified by a 4 digit naming convention e.g. Core i3-2100. The desktop chips use socket 1155 motherboards whereas the 1st gen Core ix processors use socket 1156. The two are not interchangeable. For laptops you could check out some respected online retailers like Ebuyer who have some reasonably priced machines available: Col

Might be funny if it wasn't for the fact that some poor individual might actually buy one

Another dim question Steve, but what are the main disadvantages in using a dedicated imaging scope such as this for visual? Is there an issue bringing certain eyepieces to focus or is it a bit more complicated than that? Ta Col

I've my 4" refractor on a Report 3012 which at 3.4kg is less than half the weight of the Uni 18. When/if I upgrade to a larger scope the Uni range would be the way I'd go. Beautifully made tripods. Col

The LAC charts on the Lunar & Planetary Institute site are excellent. Col

Steve, I don't think that is at all unreasonable in the current economic climate and most SGL members would appreciate your reasoning. I've taken advantage of FLO's price matching and SGL discount more than once over the years, but the excellent customer service I've always received from Steve, James and crew mean FLO will be my first stop for all things astro regardless of whether there's a discount scheme in operation or not. Keep up the good work guys... it's very much appreciated Col

Brilliant job Tim. I dream of something similar when we've moved house this year, but my DIY skills just about extend to wiring a plug I feel your pain with the bamboo though - my neighbour planted some next door and it was the most invasive weed I've every come across. Seriously contemplated buying a panda! Thanks again for the pics and inspiration. Col

Nice one MoonNut - what a clever idea. I'm struggling to find a 72mm push-on cap for my de-cloaked Meade 40 SWA. Pity they don't make jumbo milk containers. Col

What's the difference between the H5D-00003 and H5D-00001 model?

Yep - fantastic deal. I recently bought the 28mm and the 40mm from another US supplier. Total cost including shipping, UK VAT and courier handling fee was £96.60 for the 28mm and £124 for the 40mm. That was a £300+ saving over UK prices. It pays to persevere. The first US dealer I contacted told me they couldn't contractually ship Meade kit outside North America - the second dealer said they would, as long as I was discrete. This is me being discrete Col

Anyone know where I can get one of these? I'm planning to strip down my Meade SWA 40 as per this CN thread but I'll need a 72mm (72.5 to be exact) push fit lens cap for the stripped eyepiece. I've hunted all the UK photography suppliers I know try but all their lens caps are of the snap fit variety. I've also tried ebay and US vendors but postage makes the few I've found uneconomical. Warehouse Express do lenscoats hoodies which look the part, I'm loathe to spend 14 quid on what's essentially just a fancy lens cap. Any pointers gratefully received Col