Space Hopper

Welcome back !! 😀

It looks amazing. Hats off to you 👍🏼

Another Tv eyepiece : 35mm Panoptic. Second hand purchase in lovely condition.

Not worried at all. Common sense (not that theres much of that in the world these days) should prevail. Its outside, plenty of space, and you'd think if anyone was symptomatic they wouldn't be there.

Thanks, and that was a nice session you had back there.

Good to hear you're enjoying the 2 eyed view @skyhog There's no better way to view the moon or the big planets. They always give me a wow moment if i've not had a Lunar session for a while.

Haha ! Good to hear its performing ok Neil 😊 Nice to hear from you and i hope you're well. I've certainly been mono-viewing quite a bit more with it and my BBHS Baader mirror, and its given some memorable views. Most memorable was with my 140 with a 2x Powermate on M37, the cluster in Auriga giving 157x One of my favourite clusters and quite spectacular that night.

I'm not actually 100% certain Docter Noblex are no more, but rumours seem to indicate that its true. I actually had a pair for 2 eyed viewing but decided to sell one of them last year. I sold it to someone on here, and i often wonder how hes getting on with it ? My remaining one is a keeper though, and it performs beautifully mono style, with and without a Powermate option.

I think we are blessed to have a company like Tele-vue in this hobby. Look at how their eyepieces have evolved over the last 20 years. Wonderful eyepieces, innovative designs from the likes of Al Nagler Paul Dellechiaie that have enriched our hobby so much. Long may they continue ( I have 6 : 2 pair of Panoptics and a couple of Powermates) I do have other brands as well, and it looks like i managed to get one of the last batches of Docter UWAs before they were discontinued.

I find that because its been stuck low down in the southern constellations for what seems like 10+ years, that makes it all the more difficult to see it, and to manage it you need better than average seeing. Derby city centre is only about a mile to the south of me and directly below Saturn as it reaches it highest point, and i have not only all that atmosphere to look through, but the heat plumes and city pollution mixed in as well. Not a good situation. i'm geographically challenged !! All about getting good seeing, or should i acceptable seeing. I don't think we hardly ever get very good seeing in the UK. Maybe once or twice a year if we're lucky ? Thats my experience anyway. I would say i've only had one really good Saturn session with my 140 refractor in the 2 years i've had it. That night Cassini was easy, and almost visible all the way around the rings, with the shadow of the rings on the planet easily visible as well. We need more nights like that !! Jupiter is now starting to climb a bit higher for us now, and thats making a difference. Saturn seems to move so slowly but i reckon in another 3 years it will be much better for observation and will then keep getting better and better.

I always hankered after one. I really fancied an Intes-Micro M703 0r M715 and once came very close to getting one from Widescreen. They were things of beauty with undoubted world class optics. But i'd read about the thermal issues and the long cool-down times and that put me off, together with the fact that i'd by tying myself in to a pretty tight field of view, and that i really wanted a scope back then that 'could do it all' ie low power, wide field vistas, great high power Lunar /Planetary views, a good double star scope, and something that would cool down fast and work well in poor seeing conditions (ie Derby) I guess i've always been a refractor guy at heart, all things considered. One could argue a Mak-Newt would have been a better option, but then you have the extra bulk, and still have the thermal issues. You read that the reasons the Russian manufactures all closed was due to alot of the opticians and staff there either retiring , or we contracted to do other work in Russia, either commercial or for the military etc. But you'd think if there was sufficient demand, another company would perhaps spring up ?? Maybe theres not enough demand for what is a pretty niche product ?

@Captain Magenta thanks. That explains it : it was the original SW tube that had all the weight. 10kg for just the tube is some weight ! I've had 3 OO scopes, a 10" F4.8 and F6.3 and a 12" F4 all in steel tubes. OO tubes are very light, i bet the 12" F4 only weighed 3 or 4kg, maybe less, but with that lightness comes some flexure. Having said that i never noticed my 12 flexing or losing collimation that much, but maybe my 53 yr old eyes didn't notice it !! The new 10" (purchased used) is the CT F4.8 and i'm told the carbon tube is a similar weight to a steel but obviously much stiffer. I just need to put it to the test !!

Thanks for sharing, that was a good read. I'm surprised by your quoted weight figures of 28kg then 22kg for the ota. The AZEQ6 must be about maxed out with that ? 22kg seems heavy for a 12" carbon fibre scope ? OO's own CT12L is quoted as about 19 kg with rings and thats quite a heavy tube, and i thought a Helmerichs tube would be quite a bit lighter than that ? But anyway its a super looking setup you have there, and hopefully it will yield even more spectacular views in future sessions. I've thought about doing something similar myself by trying a mid sized Newtonian on an alt-az mount, and recently sourced a nice OO CT10 (short) which weighs only 12kg. Unfortunately its too big and unwieldy, certainly for my DM6 alt-az / Planet combo. It would tip over if i used it in the field, and i would need a counterweight and i don'y have that option. So i'd either have to look at a new mount option (RA AZ100 ?) or let the CT10 go and sell it on. Difficult one.....

I came across this the other day, and wondered if anyone on here who likes their Takahashi's has ever seen one...? Long discontinued, but a fascinating telescope non the less.

Derbys seeing this evening was pretty average, but did improve a bit after midnight. I followed Io as it neared the planet and just managed to see the transit start. Io's shadow first then Io itself shortly afterwards. Shadow and moon very close together. You can tell opposition is not far away. Unfortunately it clouded over soon after that, but we had a fun night chasing meteors and planets in between 🙂

Warning : big 2" glass can lead you towards a slippery slope !!

Excellent and amazing progress. Respect.

Haha, who knows ? I thought that was "for the benefit of all" @Oldfort its a lovely looking scope. Interestingly, the 90mm version is 'only' £600 or so less than the 107mm And £600 is quite a modest increase for 17mm extra aperture in the refractor world. I wonder how they perform optically ? Its a Canon designed optic isn't it ??

I'd have to go for the Feathertouch option myself !! 😉 In for a penny, in for a pound....

A question to the AZ100 fraternity.... Is anyone using mid sized and above Newtonians on them ?? I have recently acquired a nice 10" OTA (Orion Optics) but its too big to use on my regular alt-az mount. Too much mass / size. Maybe it would be better on the AZ100, (using counterweights) but i get the feeling that these class of mounts are at the limit with an 8" size Newt and anything bigger would be too much. And its not the actual weight of the scope, more the actual size . And its a 1200mm 'shorter tube' version i have rather than a 1600mm long tube. I'm guessing any longer tube at that focal length would also have tripod clearance issues as well unless a pier was deployed. Thanks, Rob.

I've used the SSV for years and wouldn't be without it. My own sits on the altitude axis of my alt-az mount on a simple 90º bracket. I like it there, as its less vulnerable to me knocking it and if i use a different OTA its just one thing less to mess with. You are correct about the dot adjustment being a pain : a simple thumbscrew design would be so much better and easier. TS also do their own similar version which is alot cheaper.

Just shows you what a well ordered C8 is capable of. Excellent work. I had a C8 HD Edge a few years ago and foolishly sold it. Always regretted it.

Many thanks for your contributions over the years John. I always value your input, and enjoy reading your posts. Here's to the next 50000 🙂🔭

I can't say i never had the chance to buy a Russian Mak when they we around, because i did. When they we new, and on the shelves of astro stores. I Came close a few times but never hit the 'buy button' I regret that now, and the chance has gone.

Yes Mark, its on order and i'm expecting it to arrive in another month or so hopefully. I will post my first impressions, but i'm afraid i'm no Bill Paolini in the eyepiece department. Regardless of scope perception, i'm very much a beginner. Only '2 or 3 rungs up from the bottom of the ladder'