bingevader

alternatively get a fairly cheap 20mm and a cheap 2x barlow and see how yhings go. This will give you a reasonable range to start with until you find your feet and decide how u want to go in this hobby without busting the bank.

Good idea. The focal length is 703mm isn't it? That'd give you 35x, 47x, 70x and 94x (ish) magnification. For the cost of one EP and a barlow. Would be a good starting point and give you an idea of which focal lengths you wanted to explore further. The Vixen plossls get good reviews on here and wouldn't blow the bank.

Cheers

Excellent advice as always in here!

Who was the supplier? If it's a reputable company then they should have a reasonable knowledge of their stock and might be able to shed some light.

To reiterate, if you are using the lower power supplied eyepiece (20mm or 25mm in this case I think, with all dust caps and covers removed!), the finderscope is accurately aligned and the focuser draw tube moves freely in and out as you turn the knob and you still can't focus then the collimation must be very badly off or the 'scope is broken. Both are possible if it took a big bump in transit.

Cheers

Now you just need a clear night!

I also made a double piece in a small square and stuck it here:

It stops the OTA from banging hard against the mount if I was ever stupid enough to undo it that much (it is quite heavy one sided with the accessories atm).

Now, that's a mod even I managed! But with a felt pad left over from those used to protect the wood floor from chair legs!

Cheers

Yep, still one of my favourites.

A couple of extra stats for the 8" Skyliner users (1200mm FL). The 32mm gives x38 magnification, an exit pupil of 5.35mm and an (approx) TFOV of 1.87^o.

Cheers

Super duper, again!

Mmm...as tempting as it seems, I think it's too big for a small house.

I could imagine me bringing it into the house and the wife will do this to it

I found this image quite disturbing!

Even if money were no object and I no longer needed it, I'd never do this to a reasonably decent 'scope.

Even if the mirror was completely useless, the tube, focuser and finder look intact.

I'm in the process of "handing on" my scuba equipment, which will probably go to a good home for free, burning it never even crossed my mind!

Cheers

As Eastridge says, it looks nothing like the MA and much more like the 26mm plossls around (looks a lot like my meade!).

I did find this, that bears an uncanny resemblance though!

Cheers

Indeed!

The middle ground does seem to have improved greatly over the last few years. However, issues can arise with the faster 'scopes.

Meissa, you have to decide for yourself! If you're happy with the BSTs in your 12" then there's no problem.

The Explore Scientific 82^o range are a notch up without getting into TV territiory. But get yourself to a local observing session where you can compare and (possibly) try them in your own 'scope.

Only then can you decide if you're content with what you've got or are willing to save for the TVs.

But, isn't it a bit like life in general? We don't all save up for porsches, most people manage quite nicely with a Ford Fiesta/Escort. There wouldn't be the increasingly diverse range of EP suppliers if only TV will do.

Like lots of products, EPs are on a sigmoid curve, there are duff ones at the bottom for peanuts to be avoided at all cost, the greatest quality to price benefit is in the middle, but if you want to squeeze every last photon out of your equipment then that's where the top of the range come in.

You just have to find where you fit, what you're happy to spend and be very content with the lovely sights possible from your own back garden!

Cheers

Oops, didn't know there was one!

Welcome to the South Wales Group, from an unofficial member!

Cheers

It's another of those passing of an era moments!

God bless him!

Cheers

I quite liked the idea of being a vacuum, I seem to have acquired matter so quickly!

Doesn't stop me being vacuous!

Cheers

Looking at dob's sw250 sw300 flextube or lightbridge12" couple of questions. Price for the sw250 £450 not bad but is the price jump for the sw300 and light bridge justifiable + £350 -£400. I know they are portable and that's in the price but take that out of the equation can you justify the extra?

But it's also a lot more mirror!

Depending on the quality, you could pay an extra £200 just for the mirror itself.

Cheers

Is this the hello thread for the S. Wales group?!

It is now!

Hi all.

Most of you seem to be the other side of the M4 from me.

I'm just outside Bridgend, not likely to see you in Blaenavon very often, but I've enjoyed reading this forum for some time now, so I thought I'd say hello!

Cheers