johninderby
-
Posts
15,408 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
78
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Blogs
Posts posted by johninderby
-
-
While cleaning up in the garage and going through some boxes this aft found a couple of things I’d long forgotten about. What long forgotten or just things that you had lost have turned up unexpectedly? 😁
Found a Japanese science mag with a kit to build a working model of Galileo's telescope and a usefull book.
-
3
-
-
The Heritage 130 is a nice little scope not just for beginners but still liked by more experienced observers as a little grab’n’go scope
Sit it on a table top or can also be fitted to a photo tripod.
-
What you want is going to be over your budget. This would work but ££££
Vixen Porta II mount.
https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/vixen-porta-ii.html
And a SW 150p OTA or a 130pds.
-
-
You can collimate the scope by adjusting the secondary but wonder if that is good enough. Proper collimation please. 🤔
-
While I don’t like the idea of not being able to collimate the primary mirror user reports seem to show it isn’t a problem with this scope.
-
Don’t like amici prisims for night time observing. Good for terestrial daytime use. Just never seen the need for one for night time observing.
Prefer a dielectric mirror diagonal and better still a prisim diagonal with a mak.
This is probably the most popular
This a slightly better version
I use one with my mak.with a helical focuser on top for fine focusing.
-
1
-
-
Great news. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Used to have one myself. Don’t extend the tripod legs as it gets a bit wobbly if you do. Would advise getting a decent diagonal as the stock one is a cheap plastic one. Just decide if you are going to stick with 1.25” or go for a 2” diagonal so you’ll be able to use 2” eyepieces. A 2” SCT type diagonal or a regular diagonal and a 2” visual back.
Finder is not the best but usable. A Telrad is infinately better and not heavy even though it is a big lump. Or you could go for a 9x50:RACI finder.
-
Or get a T2 to SCT adapter.
http://ensoptical.co.uk/--baader-sct-to-t2-adapter?search=t2 to sct
-
Yes you can make ypur own telescope dolly or buy one.
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/build-a-rolling-telescope-dolly/
Ready made but ££££
-
Did soneone mention three scopes on a Skytee II? 😁😁😁
-
1
-
-
You can spend more on some eyepieces than the scope. 🙀🙀🙀
-
An IR Pass filter and a roll of velcro cable tie. Now I can make cable ties of any length. 🙂
-
2
-
-
Harrison Telescopes is showing the Bresser dobs in stock. That’s where I bought mine from.
-
1
-
-
Yes it's best to get used to the scope before buying a lot of extras.
Widefield eyepieces can get very expensive. The Aero is lighter than the Hyperion so would be my choice although performance will be similar.
Perhaps wait a bit and consider a Nirvana 28mm or Explore Scientific 82 degree eyepiece.
https://www.365astronomy.com/SkyWatcher-Nirvana-UWA-82-deg-28mm-2-inch-Eyepiece.html
-
I tend not to use a barlow but do like this one which is actually a telextender rather than a plain barlow.
But this one is cheap but is actually surprisngly good and will do for now. Would wait to see if you actuaaly use the barlow enough before buying something more expensive.
https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/skywatcher-2x-de-luxe-achromatic-barlow-lens.html
The 26mm eyepiece that comes with the scope us actually not bad and is quite usable. Much better than the eyepieces that usualy come with a scope.
The longer focal length BSTs aren’t as good as the shorter focal length ones. I would probably go for a 30mm to 35mm 2” as a widefield eyepiece.I like these but as you can see the price goes up so wouldn’t be in a hurty to buy one.
https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/skywatcher-aero-ed-eyepieces.html
-
Trying very hard not to say Ahh that’s cute 😁😁😁
-
3
-
-
Antares were a Canadian brand of telescopes built in Canada using different objectives.
Found the following info.
Sky Instruments is a company based in British Columbia, Canada. They have in house manufacturing capacity, but many of their products are "hybrids". For example, the Speers-Waler eyepieces have optics manufactured overseas (usually Japan), but the design of the eyepiece itself is Canadian, the housings are manufactured in Canada, and ths final assembly is done on-site. Sometimes all the components come frou outside sources, but final assembly takes place on site.
Their telescopes are much the same. Parts are purchased from a variety of sources, manufactured to their specs, some parts might be made on site, and final assembly and packaging is done on site. I do not know what percentage of what components make up each individual Antares Telescope, so please do not ask. I simply do not know. The only thing I can state is any refractor marked "Vixen Spec" has an objective lens made in Japan, usually at the same optical lab that makes objectives for Vixen itself.
-
Yes I looked at the product photos Bresser is using and they show a flat topped adapter but in photos of scopes recently bpught it shows an adapter with a sloped top like mine.
-
Lot of people nowadays dismiss any achromat as being low quality without realising that a long focal length one made to top standards can be a very fine telescope indeed. I suppose it has lot to do with most manufacturers now only producing achromats as low end and low cost telescopes.
My Carton f/13 100mm is a joy to use and delivers outstanding views and has seen off many an APO on planetary observing.
-
1
-
-
The adapter on mine has filter threads.
-
Did you see this posted by FLO a day ago? Hopefully things will get back to normal soon. 🙏🏼
-
1
-
-
Good luck with the weather. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Would be surprised if something bigger doesn’t come along in the next year or two. 🤔
-
1
-
-
For the filter either size would do. For situations where you would use the polarising filter 1.25” would do as you would be using them with a 1.25” eyepiece but you could fit a 2” filter to the bottom of the 1.25” to 2” adapter in the focuser so that if you changed eyepieces you wouldn’t have to bother switching the filter from eyepiece to eyepiece. Not much difference in price between the sizes for the polarising filter.
For eyepieces usually you would have 1.25” for the medium to high power ones and a 2” for a low power eyepiece for the widest field of view but that is something for later on.
I’d suggest an 8mm eyepiece for now and wait until after you have used the scope a bit before getting any more. Perhaps a 2x barlow next as that would then with the 8mm and 25mm eyepieces give you a ramge of 4mm, 8mm, 12.5mm and 25mm.
Always best to add things a bit at a time based on what you find usefull as you go along.
Astro Bits Found in Garage or Other Places
in The Astro Lounge
Posted
The mag does a science kit every month. Lots of nice pics. Fortunately someone online had translated the kit instructions into English. 👍🏻