CraigT82

Any reasons why mono wins hands down?

I also have the little TP link router hooked up to my Sphinx SXW and it's great, so easy to create a doubles observing list and then just swing by each pair in any order you fancy! Great for me as with my light pollution finding specific doubles not in the star book memory can be very tricky

Has your centre mark doughnut come loose?

Mars should be up at around 40 degrees alt next year so will be a good target

I have a fullerscope newt from the early 80s with inscriptions on the rear similar to yours. As I understand it mine is a B grade David Hind mirror, as noted by 3142B code, the so the R number is probably a Fullerscope identifier.

From someone with a 24" dob and a 5" Tak... this is no faint praise. The heritage 130 was the first scope I bought and is the only one that's stayed with me. So far its seen off a C8, a 127 mak and a Tal100rs. Outperformed them all! (To be fair I think the C8 wasn't the best example)

Just one point to note on the Tak prism, which I've just discovered for myself, is that it doesn't have any filter threads on the nosepiece.

If you can remove the lenses from either the Barlow or erection tube you should be able to use is as an extension. As Geoff says focusing on something closer than infinity push the focus point outwards, so using it on an astronomical target you may find the image focuses a bit further inwards

The extension tube with the lens inside will be the barlow lens, which doubles the magnification of any eyepiece inserted into it (if it's a 2x barlow). We can forget about the barlow for now! Try aiming the scope at a far away target, inset the diagonal into the focuser, then insert the eyepiece into the diagonal, line it up using the finderscope as best as you can. look through the eyepiece whilst racking the focuser in and out all the way. If no image forms, try pulling the eyepiece out of the diagonal slowly and carefully whilst looking through it to see if an image forms. If it does then you need more 'out' focus... an extension tube (without lens) will help here.

Have you tried inserting the eye piece into the extension tube, then into the focuser?

I used to attend the Bristol Astro Society a couple of years ago, but they meet on a Friday evening mostly and I really struggled to get there on time after work, so stopped going. There was a mostly retired Male attendance but there was a few younger members (30s).

You may chance upon a C9.25 or even a C11 for less tha £1000... it will sit nicely on your EQ8, but it isn't the best thing to be starting off with I'd say! Maybe 180 mak? Thetes a nice Russian 180mm mak f10 on Ebay at the minute.

How about this one....

This was my first DSO image, I don't really do it anymore due to not having the time or dark skies (or money!) The heart and soul nebs and double cluster. Shot with 50mm f1.8 on modded 700D on star adventurer.

Another from from last night's lovely session on the moon, again using the Starwave 102mm F11 achro and samsung galaxy S8 (through, IIRC, a barlowed 8m BST = x280). Montes appeninnus region, with sections of the Hadley Rille just about visible. I've cropped, rotated, desaturated and generally tweaked this one on phone in the snapseed app. As with most of my phone images the corners are soft, however this is due to the phone's chip not being properly square to the exit pupil, as this is hard to achieve even with a phone holder. Last night was the first real test of the Starwave since I've owned it. I'm very impressed with it's high mag performance, getting up to almost 100x per inch without softening too much. At this kind of power there is a faint violet 'wash' over the whiter parts of the moon (worst on the southern uplands) but this isn't objectionable (for me) and is easy to tune out whilst viewing. At lower mags the false colour is only really visible at the limb as a faint violet fringe (I don't spend much time looking at the limb anyway!). For a relatively cheap achro it is a very capable instrument.

I'm in Bedminster in south Bristol, with similarly light polluted skies! However plenty to see with a scope... moon, planets and double stars will keep you entertained for years

Some shots from yesterday evening at approx 9pm: Piccolomini, Posidonius, Theophilius and Jansen. Using my galaxy S8 afocally through a barlowed 8mm BST in 8.5" F7.5 newt, giving x405. Using celestron NeXYZ holder. Cropped and tweaked on phone in snapseed.

Well if you can get scope and mount for 200 and then sell the newt for 100 you're laughing really. It's an EQ5 class mount but I think I read somehwere that it has better bearings than the EQ5... I might be wrong though. However the motor kit for the Exos-2 is over £200 I think, and I'm not sure if the cheaper EQ5 motors can be fitted? I'd be more inclined to buy a used EQ5 with motors already fitted, should be able to pick one up for less than £200, wont have the faff of selling the newt either.

Nice job! Could use a flap wheel in a drill to smooth out the top hand hold?

I really like the design which puts the motors on the dec axis opposite the scope which means much less C/W to lug around.... also less cables too. Really well thought out mount I think. Only slightly bigger than a GP but feels like it could take longer/bulkier scopes than a GP could

Have just taken ownership of a used sphinx sxw, bought by previous owner 4 years a ago who then never used it..... the mount was in it's original packaging and the controller, c/w, cables etc were are still in their sealed cellophane wrapping. Great build quality and so far I really like the starbook though not used in anger yet. Think I might need to get the half pillar though (it ain't cheap!)

Well, not strictly delivered by the postman but delivered by a nice chap called Lee.... a Vixen Sphinx SXW mount in unused as new condition. Bought as my AZ4 proved to bit a bit to feeble to hold the long frac still at higher power, and also because I fancied something which will track nicely and allow me to concentrate properly on the view. The Goto is a welcome bonus via the starbook controller (AKA the gameboy) which is really nice and intuitive to use.

Here's mine, cut from 18mm birch ply

I'm also a little bit in love with my new 102mm f11(starwave). Only had it out once so far and it served up lovely crisp views of Mars in less than ideal conditions. Yesterday I checked focuser alignment with a laser and it was dead on using my HG parallizer (though slightly skewed with standard adaptor). Also checked objective alignment with Cheshire and again dead on. Very well made these scopes are! The AR coatings are first rate too. How do you find it on the AYO without counterweights? I've got it on an AZ4 which is fine in still conditions but a bit of wind makes the image tremble. Will be upgrading to giro type mount I think.

For my upcoming refractor pyrchase..... Brand new 1.25" Takahasi prism. Irritantingly didn't come supplied with caps