JG777

@FLO do you think you might be stocking the iOptron Maksutov telescope MC 150/1800 OTA at some point in the future?

This is really interesting, looking at RVO and other sites a C6 OTA is £679 and the Astro Fi is £649, so if the scopes are exactly the same, going the Astro Fi route is cheaper with a mount thrown in? I get your points about the weights as well, what a minefield.

South of France for me too the whole of August, Cote d`Azur mostly Nice for the first half then Bordeaux and around for the second. Will be taking the 72mm TS Apo and an eye patch to restore single vision...

http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html Printable monthly PDF , with a long list of objects.

I have the 9.25 Evolution, 2 people in my astronomy group have 8 inch versions one being an Edge. The mounts from what I can see are the same, the difference being the beefed up tripod for the 9.25. I have used my Equinox 80 on it without issue, it clears the base and gets to the zenith. I did try a 100 Ed pro but that scope was too long. The mount won't fit my UNI 18. Mine is a first generation mount with the Roving Networks wifi which is a bit flaky at times especially if there is other network signals nearby. If your buying new , it will have the improved version which although is still not perfect is a lot better than the gen1 version. But if your buying used and a good gen 1 version is well priced nab it because if you want reliable wifi you can add a skyportal adapter with the zentri chip and this works like a charm with Sky Safari. You can find out which version the mount is using a network app to interrogate the wifi. If you go that route give me a shout and will explain exactly how to set this up. In use the mount is excellent. Recent firmware updates have added some very good improvements to accuracy and quietness. The edge owner in my group has also done some very good imaging as well, though he has a lot more patience than me I am purely visual. I do believe that someone on CN has has fitted a new battery and documented it, but mine which is just over 4 years old is still as good as it was when I got it. It gets a monthly top up although recent firmware added a feature where you can leave it plugged into the charger all the time, and it just switches down when need be. Adding Starsense is the icing on the cake but even without SSA a 2 star alignment is quick and easy to do and is just as accurate. I much prefer the original HC over the SSA one for a number of reasons. All in all its much better quality than the SE mounts and worth the extra cash. Maybe if you ask FLO to split one they might, I'm sure they did in the past a few times.

SD cards have a small slider tab on the side which write protects a card. Try sliding it the other way and see if this works.

Two things that help with SCT, every now and again using the focusser are to move the mirror up and down the full extent of travel, maybe half a dozen times as this distributes the grease more evenly, and when you actually focus into an object ensure you are adjusting the mirror to move upwards rather than down where the flop is more pronounced.

I once added a Crayford to my SCT, IIRC it means after rough focussing with mirror slop you then use the fine focus that does not move the mirror. Downside is that you make the scope a bit longer and back heavier which may not suit you. I am not sure if it affects focal length or whether you can use a reducer as well, I didn't have it for long because FLO once had this sale on Starlight Fethertouch focusser s which was too good to pass up. Dunno about the C5, maybe add some felt tape to the inside of the cap to make a better fit?

I have an 80 Equinox which is F6.25 and a 150 OO UK F5 reflector and for wide field the reflector wins out by quite a margin in terms of overall view, which is what I bought it for! Also for DSO it wins the race here as well against the 80mm and under your skies I think this could be even more of an advantage. I think the reflector choice and variation it gives complements the Mak more than the 80mm for those reasons. Your already sorted for planets with the Mak which are not well positioned for a few years so another reason to delve into widefield clusters. As you mentioned a 150 fast newt is easy to transport and does not tax a mount too much. I keep the 80mm for UK travel by car when space is at a premium, its a lovely scope and suits this role perfectly. It is in danger though of being swapped out for a 102 F7 APO! If I do planetary its the C9.25

Yes John totally agree, the chain was always tangled around something or would catch on something in transit. I still have the chain somewhere so may convert it to hanging basket duties!

I have a UNI 18 with the central spreader, it would be very difficult going back to steel tripods, definitely an improvement for damping. I wish there was a way to put my Evo mount on it as well! Build quality is superb, these things are designed for a lifetime. They are also much nicer to handle when it is cold. The only person I know who has broken one is me! Somehow I managed to get the 3/8 Berlebach adapter jammed onto the central screw, and no amount of leverage on the screw would shift it. So I sent the central head to them in Germany and they freed the adapter, fitted a new screw and posted it back to me within 2 days FOC. Now that`s seriously good service! I also have a report 112 tripod for smaller scopes which is also far better than steel tripods in the same class.

Yep, any marine centre will have distilled water fairly well priced, but the Halfords de-ionised water will do the job equally as well. I have used both in the past, mostly the deionised because Halfords is very nearby. Both types are purified water, slightly different process in manufacturing and result, but both run off the mirrors without leaving streaks or contaminants. No impact on my mirrors using de-ionised, other than being sparkly clean!

This update has now been replaced by Firmware version v1.3.7 due to a few bugs caused by the previous one. Serge has also added a new observing list by Don Pensack (CN) that has 500 objects for northern hemisphere.

Incredible looking scope, never seen anything like that before. OK how much? 🙂

For users of Nexus DSC, Serge has updated the firmware to v1. 3.6 and brings in some nice changes and additions. A one star alignment has been added, plus its now possible to specify mag limits for alignment stars and have these limits different in the find mode. Coordinates can now be displayed differently as well. A rather neat addition is the visibility graph of the object you want to look at, a well thought out function. The catalouges have been updated as well. https://www.astrodevices.com/downloads/softwareupdates/index.php

Good report, thanks. Im wondering why your Baader zoom does not reach focus, I use a Mk3 BZ with my Equinox 80 and it works fine, also works with the dedicated BZ barlow, I am using a WO 2 inch diagonal.

Have a read here http://www.astrodevices.com/AllAboutDSCs/index.html Encoders are small rotary devices that measure a mounts position in altitude and azimuth. They send a signal via cable to a unit that is pre loaded with astro objects, and the user just pushes the scope into position usually following the guide arrows and co-ordinates on the units screen. Once the co-ordinates are "zeroed" the telescope will be pointing at the chosen object. This is referred to as "Push to". Advantages are silent running, custom catalogs, fast easy set up and minimal power requirements. Disadvantage is cost ( more than GOTO usually ) and some folk do not like nudging their scopes to view objects. Personally I really like it and have two set ups, but I am not very good at finding stuff manually and my local skies have a fair amount of LP.

I second this. This thread has definately suffered from mission creep with talk of flocking , changing out spiders etc, etc, when all you need is some experience behind the focusser with a well collimated scope. Keep it simple and build up your experience observing and with basic telescope maintenance. ABs guide and a cheshire is all you need for now and a a good few clear nights.

One of these https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/rigel-aline-collimation-cap.html to get started. Then, or one of these https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/astro-essentials-cheshire-collimating-eyepiece.html And this guide http://www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ Plenty of help here as well if you need it.

Thing is I use the battery to power a dew heater/controller as well for my C9.25 so would need extra cables from the battery, and I already have a drawer full of cables half of which I'm sure I have never used ?

I have the 8ah Tracer and use it for my newts fan. It comes with a cable that ends in 12 volt cigar female socket. So the cable from your newt would end in the standard male 12 volt, like the ones with a satnav. Just ensure your cable from the newt has the correct fuse. My original cable for the fan ended in spade connectors so I chopped them off and wired in a 12 volt male socket. Excellent battery and life!

I also have the Equinox 80 and the TS72 you mention, the 80 does pull ahead visually with the extra aperture but the 72 is easier to take on planes. Both scopes are really very good and very well constructed, sometimes the rotating focusser on the 80 is an advantage. I did add a dovetail plate to the bracket as well. I would say the 80 for a better experience visually but the 72 is no slouch and far easier for aircraft travel with a focusser that feels bullet proof. Quite impressed with the 72 overall and considering adding the 100 F7 and maybe selling the 80 to help fund it !

I would say a C8 SE is a great choice and a low maintenance all rounder. A better choice would be an 8 inch Evolution as your power requirement is taken care of by the on board battery and with built in WiFi and far better gearing. Either way you will need some kind of dew control for an SCT on the form of a shield and some heat. GOTO is extremely useful and will allow you to see more in a given time frame, unless as mentioned you will enjoy manually hunting targets down. In light polluted skies this can become tiresome and GOTO starts to earn its keep. Dobs give you the same aperture for cheaper and come with GOTO and tend to be faster scopes typically F4. 5 to F6 compared to the F10 or thereabouts of SCT. So the dob will do wide clusters better but the SCT will pull ahead for planets all things being equal. Dobs need regular collimation and mirrors may need to be cleaned from time to time.

Indeed, but its the power options that worry me, not a standard 12v Lithium battery ...

Here is the one I have been promised if I buy any more telescopes ...