johninderby

Replacement item arrived today. 👍🏻

How would I rate the performance of UPS?

Driver - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Customer service - 👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽

UPS overall - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

When there are no problems UPS do a decent job but when things go wrong their customer service is dreadful. No help at all.

I would prefer the mak as it would have no CA (chromtic aberation or false colour) at all. The Evostar being f/10 won’t have too much though. Some people aren’t that bothered by CA but most are. More important will be which mount. The mak being a very short scope will be more stable than a long refractor. on a light duty mount and speaking of mounts would you want a manual alt-az or EQ or a GOTO mount?

The 102 Mak is still a small lightweight scope so worth considering.

This thread discusses the 90 mak and a similar refractor.

Been thinking about getting this book set. Looks really good.  🤔

The StellaMira objective has FPL53, FPL51 and a Lanthium element whereas the Esprit has one FPL53 and two unkown elements. Should give the StellaMira the edge optically. 

The SW diagonal is a basic dielectric one and while better than the typical cheapie ones included with a lot of scopes not the best. 

EQ3 counterweights for my Alt-Az mount counterweight system. 👍🏻

FLO mentioned that ES Reid found the StellaMira scopes to have more consistant quality control than the Esprit scopes and very few needed any adjusting. 

The 80mm f/10 and loving using it. Great build quality (about the same as WO) and noticablely better optics than the Skywatcher ED80.

Not sure if it would make any real difference in tracking other than the bearings should hold up to wear better. Apparently the LXD75 mount usualy needs tuning up to get it to work properly. 

The 75 is more like the EQ5 but with better bearings. The HEQ5 is a heavier duty mount. 

Foind a small scale image taken with the EON version of this scope.

Well you’ve gone and done it now. Clouds for everyone. 😁

Congratulations on the new scope. Impressed with my StellaMira and look forward to seeing how you get on with yours. Have a feeling it may be uncomfortably close in performance to a Tak than Tak owners would like. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

My solution for Firecapture and it’s micro text. 

Aluminum tube is better. It’s what I used when I built my own refractor.

I’ve cut down to five scopes now. 🙀 😁😁😁

With my 8” Classical Cassegrain which uses the same backplate as the RC (but different mirrors) when collimating you loosen the lock screws then colimate using the colimation scews then when finished tighten the locking screws. 

The Revelation moon filter is fine but perhaps worth getting a variable polarising filter instead as it can be adjusted to suit. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/moon-neutral-density-filters/astro-essentials-variable-polarising-moon-filter.html

An OK basic barlow but yes there are much better ones ££££ depending on your budget. However would recommend holding off on the barlow and getting a better eyepiece as the suppiled ones aren’t that good.

The BST Starguiders are very good and would also be good if you upgrade to another scope later on.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/search/for/bst/

If you think that”s expensive. 😁

https://www.dhinds.co.uk/products/planewave-cdk-24-telescope-optical-tube-assembly

You might want to look at the new StellaMira 104. Very interesting and the IKI observatory is doing or about to do some imaging with it.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellamira-telescopes/stellamira-104mm-ed2-triplet-f6-25-apo-refractor-telescope.html

Found a use for it. 🙂

A bookmark.

Danger, accountants at work. 🙄

Cost saving measure I suppose but seems a strange one. 🤔

13 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

Ooooh, that's very nice. That would be a really useful size. My list is growing, haha. Number one for me, I seriously need a better workspace. 

Thanks John! Nice to see others making their own items. 👍

Just such a handy size for small jobs. Bigger lathe in the shed is just gathering dust. 😁

Got a soare one if anyone “needs” one. 😁😁😁

My micro lathe gets the most use although have a bigger lathe in the shed. 

Has anyone actually used one or more likely just chucked it back in the box. 🤔

Here you go.