Space Hopper

I reckon the coffee machines broke at mission control.....

My binoviewers max out at 185x I know if the seeing supports that sort of power, i'm doing very well. With Mars, Jupiter and Saturn being poorly placed 125x is more the norm. Lunar for me, much the same. Solar i'm using around 40 to 50x which i find is plenty. With the Dob, mostly i'm working at 50 - 100x For me Low power, wide angle and rich field is best, with a binoviewer if i can.

Great report Mike, thanks, i enjoyed reading it. Very nice mount you have there, from a well respected manufacturer. We have another local L-AZ8 ; one of my EMS friends has one, and it performs very well with his Esprit refractor. I myself am a lover of Alt-az mounts. Delighted with mine and hopefully a life keeper. I am currently doing a few mods with my set-up and will post a few pics and write a few words in due course.

Maplins large, high impact case. Cost is £50. I keep my Tele-vue glass, and bino gear in it. Untitled by Robert Seymour, on Untitled by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

FLT132 on DM6, Solar viewing with Baader Herschel Wedge, Mk V bino & 24mm Pans. Baader Herschel wedge by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Great post Qualla. Essential reading for anyone starting out in the hobby. I too remember being disappointed when i first started observing. I suffer with terrible light pollution here, but make do with what i have. Mag 3 stars can be a struggle sometimes. I'm limited to Solar, Lunar, planets, doubles and the brighter Messiers when i observe. (like a lot of others, i guess) Using a bino-viewer has been a big thing for me. I'm seeing so much more detail on the moon and planets, and it makes observing so much more comfortable.