RobertI

50 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

If I wasn't already there, the Astronomy Centre would be a Mecca for me.     🙂

I did think about two categories - historic Mecca’s and observing Mecca’s -  I’ve always wanted to visit the AC so perhaps that qualifies as an observing Mecca for me! Other observing Mecca’s include Tivoli Farm in Namibia and some of the famous US star parties. 

48 minutes ago, John said:

I agree with the ones you list 🙂

I'd add the Norman Lockyer Observatory near Sidmouth, Devon to the UK ones.

A few years back we travelled to northern Arizona and I was able to visit a number of astronomy / space connected sites including Meteor Crater and the Lowell Observatory at Flagstaff. There are also plenty of places around there that the Apollo astronauts trained for their lunar excursions which are fun and interesting to visit such as Sunset Crater and of course the Grand Canyon.

Add some fascinating sites formerly inhabited by indigenous people, plenty of sunshine and amazing landscapes and geological features and you get a fine place to spend a couple of weeks 🙂 

Yes, I also did a two week California trip, including the Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. I loved it and plan to go back at some point. I also went to the Griffith Observatory in LA which is pretty iconic. 

Just reading a book which gave me pause for thought. It mentioned the Royal & Ancient being the Mecca for golfers around the world. That got me wondering if there is an equivalent for us astronomers? I was thinking perhaps Jodrell Bank, Greenwich or Herstmonceaux in the UK. And outside UK perhaps Kennedy Space Centre for those into space exploration. I have romantic notions of many observatories around the world such as Mount Palomar which produced so many images in astronomy books when I was starting out. And I had a picture of Pic du Midi on my wall as a teenager (along side Sam Fox!) and managed to get there a few years ago, but more of a personal pilgrimage I guess. 

Where else do people think are astronomy Mecca’s? 

You definitely did the right thing. The shop could probably put it on a camera tripod to make it more suitable, and more usable!

2 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

See this video…. There appears to be severe coma with the Funstar

 

 

Oh yes there is that minor problem too! There are all kinds of aberrations as you are using a spehrical F2 mirror with no corrections. I assumed the OP would know its limitations, but if not, that video is a good illustration. 

6 hours ago, labtech1122 said:

Hi, does anyone know if I can get the funstar for the 6" sct. I've seen on Google it says the 5,6 and 8 but when I go on each website no one seems to have it for the 6" 

Not specifically answering your question but I recall that on a C6 you can make a homemade version by screwing the standard visual back onto the secondary holder (once the secondary has been removed). Might be worth a try?

Another reason I like the 70mm scope as a good “lending” scope is that it has a RACI prism diagonal, so beginners don’t have the confusion of upside down images. Also I like the red dot finder as it’s low profile and holds alignment really well. I was also thinking of replacing the knob on the mount’s Vixen dovetail clamp with a hex bolt, so the scope is permanently attached to the mount - the reason is that at night the alt locking knob feels identical to the clamp knob, and a couple of times at night I have almost disconnected the scope from the mount! 
 

15 minutes ago, Stu said:

Found one 😊

 

Yes that’s the thread I’ve been looking at too Stu. I was planning to try John Inderby’s finder dovetail and ballhead approach so I can attach it to any scope, although the finder shoe is very close to the eyepiece on the 102ED and might not be ideally placed. For now I’ve just attached the whole unit to my 102ED with cable ties, which works fine as I can mount it further up the scope and out of the way. 

11 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Try it with some yellow (#8 or #12), yellow-green (#11), or light green (#56) filters to see if narrowing the pass band sharpens things up a bit on high contrast objects like Venus and the moon.

Thanks, yes I have a yellow filter so I shall bear in mind. 👍

24 minutes ago, Naughty Neal said:

I quite liked the content and the delivery, but oh dear how can some one be so flippant and casual  in handling an optical OTA .

One can only think though it is to get likes and folks to keep watching the channel for the disasterous outcomes .

The Frank Spencer of the astronomy world. 😉

I recently bought a Celestron Starsense 70, purely for the Starsense attachment, which I put on a better scope and effectively retired the 70mm scope as it was largely plastic and mount and tripod were awful. But in a quick test I actually thought the optics were ok, so I have taken the scope off the terrible mount, put it in some rings and mounted it on my Mini-giro and Horizon tripod. What a difference! The scope is now stable and adjustable. Part of the reason for doing this is I think it is now the perfect scope for lending to friends, relatives and any budding astronomers who want to have a go. And for kids, it looks like a ‘real’ telescope. I expect I will also enjoy doing some testing against my other scopes. 

Before………

After……

Great list and the first one chimes with me, I long for some truly dark skies. 

Well, the video has landed. Another brilliantly executed astro-drama! Very entertaining as always. Not so sure about the guitar string secondary spider though! 

Nice comparison John, a fun thing to do with your scopes. It’s amazingly clear and transparent out there tonight, but I’m just too tired. 😴

On 12/06/2023 at 10:23, Mr Spock said:

Celestron 80ED. Nice optics but what an ugly lump. Weighs the same as the Tak  Must have the worst focuser on the planet. Quite happy to leave this on the shelf. I used to use this for variable star observing due to its lovely rendition of stars.

Interesting walk through your collection Mr. Spock. Is the 80ED good enough to be worthy of a focuser upgrade at some point do you think?

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Awnings are great. They are also good for health. We got one installed after my wife got melanoma (now treated)

It wasn’t cheap but so pleased I got one. The current trend seems to be for houses to have massive bifold doors (I’m not a not a huge fan personally!) which turns the room into a greenhouse. The awning has really helped reduce the temperature in the house, create some privacy and allows enjoyment of the garden in the shade. It’s been a real boon. Glad your wife was successfully treated Jeremy, not a pleasant thing to go through. 

Had a lovely session in the peace and tranquility of the garden. Found a nice spot under the shade of the awning where I could sit and view in comfort. Plenty to see with the Hershel wedge and binoviewers. Tried some captures for posterity using my phone. The first one was at around 150x I think and the second was at around 300x. Sorry for all the dust bunnies and hairs! 
 

Yes, there is always something to see setup there. I often feel the need for a quick fix or just the opportunity to relax under the stars, usually involving a telescope or pair of binoculars. Last night I had planned to do something, but too tired, I looked at Venus and Mars through 10x50s, a lovely sight. 

3 hours ago, Stu said:

Genesis       Phil

Brilliant! 😂

Fascinating to see their relative sizes, and the standout is the compactness of the FC100. 

I’m pretty sure there used to be a page which gave an interesting overview of the origins of SGL, I’m sure it has its roots in a Yahoo group or similar. Perhaps the page can be reinstated if there is enough interest? 

Superb picture of the Marius domes and a fascinating read. 👍

I’d agree with most of the comments, and would heartily recommend the Starfield 102ED (or Altair Astro or TS equivalents). I agree that it is not really complementary to your 130PDS and is more like a replacement, assuming you prefer the refractor views (who doesn’t love those pinpoint stars and crisp planetary views?), but you will be able to make a direct comparison to understand the pros and cons of each. Obviously the 130PDS is not really optimized for visual with the larger secondary. My F7 102ED is also a little kinder to eyepieces than my F5 130 Heritage - my 21mm Hyperion is almost unusable in my 130 because of edge of field aberrations but is acceptable in the 102. I find the 102 is rock solid on my AZ4 and steel tripod, I’d assume the AZ5 is as solid, but may be wrong judging by some comments above. 

I still have a soft spot for Newts though, and would make some points in favour of the 130PDS (which you already know as you own one!):

• Newts are better for viewing overhead IMO as the the eyepiece position is better - if you have an EQ mount too, you access all those objects in the best part of the sky.
• The resolving power of the 130PDS shouldn’t be underestimated, although the stars are less perfect, it can still split some really tight doubles, beating the 102ED I would think (happy to be corrected) 
• Newts open up the possibility of viewing when standing - something I no longer do tbh, but does remove the need for a chair
• I prefer the eyepiece positions in Newts as you can rotate the OTA to get the perfect angle
• You can hug Newts while observing 😉

Having said all that, I generally use the 102ED now, and have lent my H130 to a friend! 🙂

I’m sure there used to be a page outlining the history of SGL. From what I recall it all started out as a bulletin board group thingy (possibly a Yahoo group) run by astronomy enthusiasts, some of whom are still involved or were until recently. I’d always assumed the model was that SGL was run as a ‘open’ group type model with its own rules, with FLO being the authorized sponsor. But I may be wrong or things may have changed. Perhaps someone can clarify? 

Apple has obviously worked hard to make this really groundbreaking. Some interesting tech, like the 3D videos, and face simulation. I had an Occulus for a while, but sold it eventually - the main problems being lack of resolution, lack of apps and content, and the biggest things - you can’t do anything else while you’re wearing them, not even drink a cup of tea, and they are uncomfortable to wear. I wonder if Apple have solved the “cup of tea” problem? 🙂