johninderby

Or just get the best HA zoom there is. 

The Pentax XF Zoom is my favourite HA eyepiece. Find it just as good as a very goof ortho despite it being a zoom. It is a far higher quality eyepiece than the Lunt both in build quality and optically.. Wex always seems to have the lowest price on it. Some UK dealers charge £100.00 more than Wex. 🙀

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/pentax-xf-65-195mm-zoom-eyepiece-1529787/?mkwid=s9OF3Sj7c_dc&pcrid=310558796128&kword=&match=&plid=&product=1529787&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjqTouMrQ5wIVmpntCh2WTwisEAQYASABEgIi0PD_BwE

Perhaps something as simple as a T knob. 🤔

Nice neat job. 👍🏻

Now if the saddles came with proper knobs in the first place...................

Ah OK. 

Bet you can’t wait to get ypur hands on it. 😁

1 minute ago, bsdsgl84 said:

Expected delivery today!! 

 

Wasn’t shipped by DPD?

There is one thing I can’t understand. Why do almost all manufacrurers use low grip knobs on their saddles.🙁

Farpoint uses large rubber covered knobs on some of their saddles. Easy to grip and not cold to the touch.

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of twiddling. 😂🤣😀

Or just fot these knobs from WDS Ltd.

https://www.wdscomponents.com/en-gb/tri-knob-with-threaded-hole-316-stainless-steel-matt-finish-wds-8147/c-389/p-32413

“She” is indeed a keeper. 🙂🙂🙂

Such a perfect combo the AZ100 and the StellaMira 80mm f/10. Just so much easier to track with the AZ100 compared to the old Skytee. Have found that by just applying gentle pressure to the Az knob more than really turning it allows you to keep the moon or whatever centered in the eyepiece for ages with no effort. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

What a mount. 🙂🙂🙂

Maximum magnification on the moon depends on the scope. With my 8” classical,cassegrain I can use 550x on a good night and with my 80mm f10 ED about 200x. 

The Altair is a straight bolt on. Used two M8 bolts.

The saddle worked fine except the stock knobs were a bit rubbish. Not quality wise but hard to get a proper grip of. Hence why I fitted the WDS stainless tri-lobe knobs. The new knobs were £28.00 so the toal price was about the same as the Rowan one.The one advantage the Rowan has is there are two independant clamps on the saddle so,easy to tighten them one at a time instead of both toghether. 

I just received one of the Rowan dual fit saddles today. Sold the Altair the other day.

Sold the Altair saddle and fitted a Rowan saddle. The Altair was just fine but decided I wanted the mount to,be all Rowan. 🙂

Postie just dropped off my new saddle for the Rowan AZ100 mount. 👍🏻

Replaced the white foam blocks in the case with pick’n’pluck foam. With the handle fitted to the scope it has to lay on its side in the case.

Find the case is more suited to storing the scope in. If carrying it around a lot would prefer a heavier duty case .🤔

52 minutes ago, Raph-in-the-sky said:

Where did you get it?

They have loads of different sizes.

https://www.cases-and-enclosures.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=cubed+foam+block

Pick’n’pluck foam. 🙂

Flat earthers and others of that ilk are denying reality as many find the truth to be too confusing. or difficult to understand. It’s a “safe” easier to,accept alternative for them so when you question their belief they can’t or won’t accept any rational discussion.

A good way to counter these people is to say something like “Ahh a denialist then” and say no more and walk away leaving them trying to work out what a denialist is.😁

Forecast at 7:00 am was for completely clear skies later on tonight. Just changed to partly cloudy. 🙁

I’m all for hearing different opinions and reasoned debate but wild ranting and a closed mind and a refusal to consider other opinions  isn’t welcome. 

I’m sure there are some who prefer the EQ1 over the HEQ5,and they are welcome to their opinion, however misguided that might be. 😁😁😁

Makes you wonder how someone could be so empty headed. 🤔

Partly clear this morning but the moon does look nice. Taken at 8:00am.

Clouds were in the way except for the moon last night and being a bit cold and breezy could observe from inside the conservatory. 🙂

Few moon pics with the smartphone tonight and the StellaMira..

Dobs do need a fairly level surface but in practive never seem to have a problem finding a flat enough spot to use it on.. More important is having a dob that moves smoothly and easily. Alt-Az mounts mounted on a tripod have no problems with uneven ground of course. I use both but prefer manual undriven mounts. 

EQ mounts need to be level to operate properly but that’s all part of setting it up before observing.

I’ve owned a couple of WO scopes and my new StellaMira 80mm f/10 is as good in fit and finish. Optics are impressively good as well. Thought it was a bit on the expensive side when I bought it but now after a bit of use seems a bit of a bargain for the quality. 

And have found a Primaluce finder shoe with the cirved base fits perfectly although needs a small dimple drilling in one corner on the back to clear an adjusting screw.