KevUU

(Well this is weird... I've just logged in after a 4 year absence to find recent activity flagged on this old thread of mine!)

And BOOM, Qualia strikes again As someone who thinks he knows a bit about some of this stuff, I'm flabbergasted at how much information you have packed into here and how much of it was either new to me, or more coherently and cogently explained than I've seen before. And I know how much time it takes to write technical things down properly, how much effort it takes to convert it from a jumble of details to a coherently narrated guide which is easy to read and leads you through the material gently and neatly. So once again, thank you. I tip my hat to you, Rob. And +1 to the idea of you collecting these into a book - I would buy 'The History, Science, Observation and Poetry of the Universe, by Qualia' in a heartbeat

FWIW, AstroTux has the same (1200mm fl 10" dob) and I think said he had heard something similar, but he bought the full set of BSTs for his and rates them well

Blimey I'm late to this party. Good summary Nicko, I'm glad it got pinned it should be very helpful to people. Anyone who's looked at your books at a star party can attest that no-one does planning and notes like you - plus some great sketches I know I'm late but I thought I'd answer anyway: Globular clusters. I mean really, anything and everything: familiar objects look totally different, things that used to be too faint will suddenly be attainable, so just make like a kid in a sweet shop. But the biggest step change for me when I went from my ST80 to Jeffery (8" dob) was globs - just WOW That was on Nick's advice too, thinking about it!

Another top class guide Rob, thanks for making the effort once again. I'm sorry to hear about your problems (I haven't been around much myself so I wasn't aware before now) but I hope things are gettimg back to normal for you. Good job!

Yes, as the others have said it's the Explorer /Starguider EPs I reviewed. They're fairly rare second hand as people tend to hold on to them, but at £49 incl. delivery they're very good value new, especially as many consider them to be in the same league as eyepieces in the £100-ish price range

Thanks Garry. I don't think I've used them in the ST80 at all, I've only used it once since I got the dob. Still love 'em in the dob though Thanks to everyone else for your recent round of comments too. Quite a surprise to see this thread spring back into life

Found it: "It's a long road and on the portal of every entry into astronomy ought to be inscribed: You will suffer for this and be grieved but there will be adventure and wonderful times. If you hang on in there, the sky will be a trusting and good companion. The years will tick by, so much will happen and on one of those days there will be Jupiter, back where it was originally all those years ago when you started out a younger man. The passing of a companion will be dated by the stars that were in the sky that night; the phases of the moon will mark a trying time and its soft light will blanket a tender evening you spent with your loved ones. The evening sky will be there to console you when the hustle and bustle of daily life has taken its toil and when we become a little too much of ourselves and others, begin to believe in our own self-importance there will be the ancient galaxies and stars to gently nudge us back into place. And when we are older and looking back, those cloudy, uneventful evenings will appear to us as a singular, non-descript event, yet shining from them like a host of gleaming stars will be those stargazing evenings where everything just seemed perfect and the universe at last could murmur its secrets." --Qualia I still go back to this, when I'm fed up with things. So once more, thanks dude

Another perfect piece of Qualia profundity I've started a collection, if I can find it I may post the first one (first to me, that is). In the meantime, this seems appropriate:

Another knock-out blow from you Qualia, really well researched and constructed and delivered. Thanks for making the effort on our behalf Pin pin pin.

Wow. Life has kept me away from the forums for a bit, so I've only just caught up... This is an awesome post Qualia, spectacularly well written and giving just the right mix of realism and enthusiasm.