johninderby

Unfortunately not a practical conversion as you would have to cut down the tube and find a way to fit a prism diagonal to the cut down tube. Simply fitting a diagonal to the tube won’t work as it can’t focus. Much better to sell your straight through and buy a RACI.

The National Geographic channel is on Sky, Virgin. BT and Now TV.

Will work just fine on an AZ-GTi

Telescope Express does a counterweight system that will work with the AZ-GTi. https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p10777_TS-Optics-Adapter-Plate-for-alt-azimuth-Mounts-with-perfect-Weight-Compensation.html

Stay away from those glass solar filters. Trouble with the glass filters is the cheap glass used isn’t optically flat and optically flat glass is very, very expensive. The Baader solar film is optically flat despite not looking flat to the eye. Next best thing to a Herschel wedge but a wedge can only be used with a refractor. This is a better choice. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/astrozap-baader-solar-filter.html

Have a read of this old thread.

Pick up one on ABS and then if you do sell it on you’ll get your money back.

I tried both on Jupiter and prefered the view with the Neodynium filter. Didn’t think the contrast booster showed any more detail.

I had both but sold on the contrast booster and kept the Neodymium fiter.. Just didn’t like the yellowish tint of the contrast booster. There are a couple of the contrast booster filters on Astrobuysell at the moment if you wanted to pick one up to try.

Glad the approach was usefull to you. Sort of DIY Protostar Flockboard. 👍🏻

Looks like an interesting little mount. Found this on Youtube and although not in english at least gives you an idea.

I used to sell the Protostar flocking for a while but gave up as the price was so uncompetative. 🙁

Or for a bit more there is the StellaMira 85 f/6.6. Build quality is the same as rhe WO but with a bit better optics. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellamira-telescopes/stellamira-85mm-ed2-triplet-f6-6-apo-refractor-telescope.html

Protostar flockboard is a great product but ridiculously expensive when shipped from the US. The FLO flocking is pretty inexpensive anyway so it’s what I use.

Wait for the testing of the StellaMira 104 about to take place at the IKI observatory. The StellaMira scopes are better built than the Esprit line and during testing by ED Reid have proved to be more consistant in quality. The FPL , FPL51 and Lanthium combination will give better colour correction than the Esprit scopes in imaging. And also remember you are comparing the StellaMira and Esprit scopes not TEC etc.

I’m using the StellaMira 80mm f/10 doublet for visual and thoroughly impressed with the performance and build quality.

The new but very intersting StellaMira 85 f/6.6 should be a great scope for AP. Bit better optics than the Esprit. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellamira-telescopes/stellamira-85mm-ed2-triplet-f6-6-apo-refractor-telescope.html

I prefer to flock the entire tube altough just flocking oposite the focuser and about a foot up from the primary mirror does work nearly as well. You will find flocking really helps with planetary observing with much improved contrast but not that much with DSOs.

I used acetate sheet to make a liner for the dob then applied the flocking to the acetate sheet while it was lying flat on a table. Much neater job than applying it directly to the tube.

The OTA only without VAT is US $169,000.00 Eeeek 🙀🙀🙀

This 304 f/11.8 makes an ED150 look like a finderscope. You would need a bigger balcony though. 😁😁😁

The mak is a more specialist scope. Great at lunar / planetary and small DSOs but it’s narrow field of view means it won’t be as good at low power wide field observing. But it is compact and ideal for a small space such as a balcony. and is light and easy to carry outside. A 127 mak on an AZ5 or other alt az mount makes a nice little package. 127 mak on a photo tripod and head.

A mak for lunar / planetary and a refractor for widefield make a nice combination. As you will often read no one scope does it all.

Not a good idea to use felt sheets boight iin a craft shop as most will shed fibres. Better to use proper flocking material such as the kind sold by FLO. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/misc/black-velour-telescope-flocking-material.html

Those people that offer tempting items in the sale section have done real damage to my bank account. They have a lot to answer for. 😁🤣😂