bingevader

Sorry, I'm with the, "Yet more space junk!" brigade. Just because he can, doesn't mean he has to....

Is the baffle still in the same position as the original photo? Can you hook it out with a long hooky thing?!

I think my EPs well and truly fall into the mismatch collection! They're in the sig, but I'll take a pic with them all lined up if I get the chance.

Definitely! If it's only a few weeks and used once and Widscreen Centre are anywhere near as excellent as FLO, there shouldn't be a problem.

Just saying, "Hello" again, as I've just rediscovered this section after the forum update!

Have you tried it?! I'd make sure there's no way it can actually fall off whilst viewing. If you don't want to tape it to the body of your 'scope, then strapping it on somehow might be safer. The view will be fine. I made a filter for my 8" dob that effectively stopped it down to 2" and it worked a treat. I don't know about making multiple off axis filters though. Someone will be along eventually if they do, if not, why not try it and see?

Alan has a couple of empty cases!

Absolutely delighted for you Alan!

Maybe for his current run of bad weather in Bulgaria, but I'm not sure he can take the blame for the UK too!

Nice one John! But in all fairness, 5 years has been quite a long time in the ep market.

Wow! Both 'scope and storage! And just for clarity and to avoid any misunderstanding, I didn't make mine.

Here's mine, doubles as a seat.

Great to have you back.

But you'd think for the money, that TV could sort out that terrible fuzzy green writing!

It's a fab resource and as Steve says, it should be stickied somewhere or other. However, I don't think the guide is all sketches, Vlasov says this at the bottom of the page: Copyright Information: Thumbnail images were taken from NGC/IC Project database. Negative DSS images were used (data courtesy of the Digital Sky Survey). Additional image sources: Hubblesite, NGC7000 site (Copyright © Ole Nielsen 200-2007),National Optical Astronomy Observatory (copyright © NOAO/AURA/NSF), Sky-Map.org,AstroFX site (Copyright © Charlie Warren). SAC 7.7 Deep sky database: Data courtesy of the Saguaro Astronomy Club His sketches, still incredibly impressive, are here. The good thing about them is that he actually states the size of the 'scope, EP used, mag etc. Puts anything I could do to shame.

This is the one I usually use initialised to today. I wouldn't worry to much about it being too accurate, because the times give the position of the GRS when it's half way across the planet, so you've at least 30 mins before and after that in order to catch it.

Excellent news, but we're still waiting for the star party and the fine Spanish wine tasting session!

I'm loving the OCD and feng shui! I'm severely lacking in both departments, even to not having a case at all! I have 2 very nice plastic boxes with my EPs lovingly (ahem) arranged inside. The 2 boxes do sit inside a rather nice window seat, but I don't think that really counts either. And that's before we even get started on the EP collection compared to what's posted here.

It should be great on the moon. Why do you think it will be too much magnification? I bought an 8mm TV plossl some months back, primarily for the 8" dob, but have been using it successfully in the etx90. In fact, it gave the best images of Mars for me at the time. Cheers

Weasner was always my first port of call if I ever needed to know anything. There's an astrophotography section. Cheers

It was my only 'scope for over a decade and I still think it's great. It comes on holiday with us every year which the 8" can't do! We still often get the two 'scopes out side by side and the etx seems to do better on the poorer evenings, of which there have been many this past few years. It's definitely a decent 'scope to do plenty of observing and as I said, last me over 10 years before I decided I'd like something bigger. It suited me down to the ground to begin with, because I didn't know my way around and the Autostar made that a doddle. But for the last few years before I got the dob, I was finding I wasn't using the computer at all and all the setup and alignment seemed a bit of a faff, hence the dob! I can't help you on the astrophotography front, but I would say that the etx is a great deal more than adequate 'scope for getting you back into astronomy. Cheers

Ah, then your options are many and varied. You might want to take a look at the 68° Maxvisions which are Meade 5000 SWAs that never made it to market, there's a 16mm and a 20mm. Either (or both) would be rather splendid and they're at a very decent price.

I have one of those too! Don't they still come with a 9.7mm? I enjoyed using mine with only the 2 supplied EPs and a barlow on the 26mm for over a decade! A 15mm would be a good choice in the middle though. Cheers

Or maybe the closest to it? That'd be a 10mm or an 11mm EP. However, what's the focal length of your 'scope? Mine's 1200mm and my 'scope has a focal ratio of f5.9. So this calculation gives me a maximum EP size of 4.4mm with a magnification of 273x in this 'scope. That's rather a lot for almost everything but the moon. But, my advice would be to follow the advice Warthog gives with regards to short focal length plossl EPs and get a longer focal length that you're likely to use more often and a 2x barlow lens. I have a lovely 8mm plossl and a 2x barlow. The 8mm (@ 150x) is very good generally in my 'scope and especially when conditions are poorer. On the moon you might even be able to push a little further. Pop in the barlow and the 8mm EP and I get some cracking views of the moon (300x). On better nights, I've enjoyed a 7mm and the barlow (343x) on the moon. I'm lucky enough to regularly use a 6mm EP (200x) from my back garden with this 'scope. I'd just like you to consider the focal length and magnification of your 'scope also and the general conditions of the site from which you regularly observer, before trying to get the maximum out of your 'scope. Cheers