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).

Very nice image, especially for a first go!

I'd second vlaiv's comments on USB3, you will get much quicker frame rates. If you can stretch to one of the USB3 models I'ts really worth it. On your MBP you can use OAcapture which was developed and is supported by JamesF on here. Those two short refractors wont get you in too close to the moon but you might have some fun with high power barlow/telecentric extenders (3x, 4x, 5x etc.). I use an Explore Scientific 2x focal extender and I think it's superb, they do a 3x version and I'll be buying one of those too at some point. I personally like to see colour images of the moon as there can be some very subtle colouring in the mares which really make an image stand out for me. Personal preference really. Whenever I'm thinking about purchasing imaging gear i will go on astrobin, and being clever with the search function you can compare images taking with that gear to images taken with other gear.

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.

Lovely sketch! I like the way you've done the rough ground around the outsides of the craters

Some excellent shots John, really pushing the mags there. Yes It is great fun to snap away with the phone at the eye piece, the results can be very surprising and can make a handy observing record

Looking at the secondary from the front of the scope, is there anything at all protruding into the light path? I'm thinking screw heads or secondary heater or something like that?

How about this one....

Thanks Mike, I'm just trying to look up Elgers Rille but finding little, what lunar reference do you use? I have noticed that rille visually but never really paid attention to it as I'm usually going after the Alpine Rille! Typical really, there's so much to see on the lunar surface but sometime we can't see the wood for the trees Edit: found another pic which shows it a bit clearer (daytime image taken through my fullerscope)

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.

Thanks, it's am Altair Astro Starwave 102mm f11 achromat - also branded as the Lyra optics 102mm F11

Thanks Wouter, yes this scope is an achromat but I haven't felt the need to filter the view yet, the camera and screen does make the false colour look worse than the actual view through the EP

A few lunar shots through my 4" F11 frac. Used a barlowed 6mm BCO giving about x375... not bad for a 4" scope! Pics straight off phone, no processing at all.

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