Nicola Fletcher

I ended up having a ‘pandemic buy’ and getting an EQM-35 Pro. I know it’s equatorial but I did want GoTo and I found one in stock. We will see how it goes. I like the idea of using it to mount a DSLR too in the stripped down mode. We will see how it goes when the mount arrives on Monday!

22 hours ago, Spier24 said:

I've only heard good things about the scope. I believe the only differences between the Skywatcher and celestron versions is that the celestron tripod is a bit sturdier and the celestron alignment system is easier to use. Although the new Skywatcher az gti is supposed to be he best of the bunch in terms of tripod stability.

 

If I get the scope then I'll probably just upgrade the eyepieces to some standard skywatcher plossls. 

Honestly, the only thing I would critique is the tripod - but I’ve got so used to it now I don’t mind it anymore. The alignment and GoTo are great. I just bought a Sky-Watcher EQM-35 for my new refractor so we’ll see how they compare! Definitely upgrade the eyepieces, it improves the whole viewing experience so much. Best of luck with your purchase!

I don’t have any experience with the Skymax but the Celestron 127 was recommended by someone in my astronomy club as her favourite even though she had bigger scopes. I bought one in 2013 and it has been my main scope since then. It is so much fun to use I have been reluctant to buy anything else (although I just bought my first refractor). I upgraded all the eyepieces (I use BSTs and a Baader MK IV zoom), the RDF and I use a Celestron lithium power tank which has a brilliant red light that shines on the accessory tray when I’m setting up). I find the optics fantastic, the GoTo system is ridiculously easy to use and the mount is a bit wobbly but I haven’t changed it. I find that if I don’t extend the tripod legs and use it on a soft surface (grass) it is acceptable for me. It has been a brilliant visual scope, it’s been on many holidays with me and I am very glad I bought it.

11 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Thankyou Nicola!

It's worth mentioning that the sketches really represent what I saw over time. So for example the nebulosity enmeshing the Pleiades took me 30 minutes, Orion nebula 20 mins, and similarly with the Dumbbell and Ring nebula. With the Orion nebula, the longer you spend studying it the more three dimensional it appears to be, and the more obvious and impressive the layers of black nebulosity become, adding depth. The green colour also becomes very evident.

You must see a lot more detail as time goes on. I have done the vast majority of my observing with a Celestron 127 SLT (I recently checked and I bought it in 2013 so I’ve got tons of value out of it but I’m definitely ready for an upgrade!). I suppose the decent dark skies I have at home help with observing, and I recently saw wonderful detail In the Orion Nebula on a very clear night, but I’ve never seen colour and only recently realised that was possible. I love the idea of taking the time to sketch and see more detail over time. 

32 minutes ago, Carl Au said:

Big open clusters and global clusters are very pleasing sights as are the brigher nebulars (Orions, dumbbell, ring) The double cluster is a remarkable sight in a wide field refractor. The contrast you can achieve with a refractor makes some of the fainter stuff pop. If you want to hunt for the faintest of fuzzy blobs then a big dob is obviously the way to go visually.

 

Fantastic, that’s something to look forward to. I have never looked through a refractor before so I’m dying to get hold of it. Thanks for all the info!

2 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

DSO's in a 4" F7 can be quite impressive, especially if you block out surrounding light by using a blackout blanket or hood over your head and eyepiece. Also, with the beautiful wide field your scope will be a great comet seeker too!

 

That’s brilliant news, and more than I was expecting to be honest. Thanks for attaching those beautiful sketches too. I’ve been very inspired by your post showing your Takahashi DZ and your observatory - really appreciate you sharing all those pictures!

It looks absolutely fabulous- and also the sort of setup you’ll get loads of use out of. Congratulations! Mine has arrived in Dublin and cleared customs so I’m hoping for delivery on Monday (fingers crossed).

What do you think it’ll be like for DSOs? I’m assuming planets will look wonderful. I think we will get a lot of fun from these scopes 😊

11 hours ago, Carl Au said:

Hi Nicola the short answer is no, you need to buy a finder with a shoe. I like red dot finders personally. RVO has the WO version on my scope in stock if that helps any. 

The Wicklow mountains eh? Been a long time since I was there. I did most of my stargazing in North Co Lietrim and Sligo when I lived in Ireland.

Thinking of just going all out and getting the Altair RACI - I haven’t used a finderscope in a while but I really liked the one that was on my LX200. Wicklow is a good place for reasonably dark skies - although I brought my little 127 Mak to the Burren in Co. Clare last summer and Wow the skies were great! Leitrim and Sligo would be good too I imagine

10 hours ago, RobertI said:

I use the Altair RACI finder which comes with base. Not the cheapest option but works well. 👍 Like Carl I find the RDF is fine for most targets on most nights, although the finder is very useful on moonlit nights or in areas where there are few guide stars. 

Thanks a lot - I’m thinking of getting the Altair RACI finder too. Yours looks great on your scope!

19 minutes ago, Carl Au said:

Good for you. Buying astro gear at the moment really isn't easy. I/we are able to buy the scopes we want. It's a 6 month wait for lots of folks out there. I love an AZ4 for refractor this size. Giro III for anything bigger.

Thank you - having everyone’s input made it easier to press the button. I might hold out for the AZ-EQ5 - I really like the look of it and I think the scope will look great on it. Enjoy yours!

It looks absolutely fantastic - can’t wait to see mine in the flesh! Hope you get clear skies soon 🤞

Thank you all very much for your help - I just bought the scope and a star diagonal from Altair. Now to wait until mounts are easier to find than hens’ teeth! @Carl Au looking forward to seeing your setup!

51 minutes ago, RobertI said:

The scope looks perfect on the AZ4, a lovely simple, but quality set up that will get a lot of use I’m sure. 
 

FYI,  I found having the RDF or straight through finder attached to the focuser drawtube involved too much neck twisting, so I ended up putting  a nice RACI finder there, and attaching a Rigel Quickfinder further up the tube. I’m sure you’ll find your own solutions if it’s a problem for you too. 👍
 

 

Do you mind me asking which RACI finder you are using? I just bought the same scope and I haven’t picked out a finderscope yet. Do you know if the Altair finder comes with the bracket to fit it to the scope? TIA!

Thank you very much for all these suggestions. The AZ-EQ5 would definitely fit the bill. I think I’ll stick with a 4 inch - I learned my lesson with that 10” SCT - really appreciate your input and help. 

Hi all,

May I ask your advice? I’d really like a refractor, for visual only, that is portable. I recently gave up on a 10 inch Meade LX200 which was just too big for me to move (I live in the Wicklow mountains in Ireland with Bortle 4 skies but really nice dark skies facing south away from Dublin). I’ve been using a 127 Mak and binoculars for the past few years and I love them, but I have refractor-envy and am happy to pay £1000 - £1500 for the scope, and then buy a suitable mount separately. 

I’ve been looking at this: https://www.altairastro.com/starwave-102ed-r-fpl53-refractor-459-p.asp and wonder what your opinion is? Also, mount-wise, there doesn’t seem to be much choice in the way of alt-az, GoTo mounts that can handle this payload but are still portable - is the HEQ5 Synscan a terrible idea given that I only want to use this setup for visual use?

I’ve been looking online and reading reviews for too long now, and hope you might be able to steer me in the right direction. 
 

Thanks in advance!

Nicola

Hello from Roundwood in Wicklow!