tuckstar

Now that why I came here, so much knowledge. A new track to go down.

Thank you very much @Clive Elliott

I have zeiss telementior that is/was.925 but unfortunately it didn't have any eyepieces. Just one adapter from apt and it now takes 1.25 eyepieces. No messing with original scope and now I use a set of Clavè eyepieces with it. 

Hi fellow classic equipment enthusiasts,

Time to pick your brains. I have in my possession, but not mine, a 6" mirror inscribed as H N Irving and son, Nov 1954, must be R N Irving as H N died in 1941.  It is an f8.3 mirror with secondary which is also inscribed as Irving but no date. Secondary has no silver and primary needs a recoat.

So any of you guys know anything about the mirror set?

I have found R N Irvings obituary which talks about the high quality optics he and his father produced, and I see the science museum has a collection of Irving items so I have contacted them and, at the owners request, they may end up there.  If not they may well be on the market. I'm tempted to put a scope together with them, I think it would be a planet killer. Also has a spider and eyepieces.

Please note, not my photos, no way I would put a mirror face down on the table like that even if it does want a re-coat

You're not a double star observer unless you've had a zeiss telementor!!

I had a set of hyperion i used at f7 and f13 and they were really good. Then went to f5 and they just didn't perform as well. Es 100° for the dob now.

Think my best was 2013. According to my Facebook memories I saw 75 in 4 hours. Couldn't get the time off work today and to be honest, sounds like I would of been disappointing if I had! Oh well, bring on the Geminids.

I'm bortle 6 at home and struggle with the fainter galaxies in all but the best conditions. The sky isn't getting dark at present which won't help. You need to be dark adapted. Try for andromeda to star with. M81 and m82 are quite easy to find. You have enough aperture do see plenty. Sometimes its just knowing how to look, give it plenty of time at the eyepiece and learn about averted vision, looking but to one side and using the more sensitive part of your vision.

1 hour ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Anyone else picked up any "little gems" and total bargains that they wish to share ?

A few years ago I had the opportunity of going to a house clearance via a friend. An old guy had passed away and had loads of camera equipment and a few scopes. Hadn't been in to astro long at that point. Saw a frac that I didn't recognise and didn't know what it was. So to cut a long story short, I walked away with a x2 skylux, a rubinar 250 mirror lens and a smallish white frac for £150. Sold the rubinar for £250, both skylux for 30 each and the white scope, turns out it was/is a zeiss telementor 2!! Thats a keeper and cost me minus £. My friend also picked up a tal 1. So much camera gear, if I knew then what I know now I would of took the lot and worked out a percentage. They were just throwing away camera lenses and binos. Heart breaking looking back.

I have a resistor on my secondary. Shares a port on my dew controller, via a splitter, with my telrad heater, also a resistor heater.

22 hours ago, Philip R said:

I don't know if it is true, but I heard a story that the Australian Gov't. 🇦🇺 [at the time], fined NASA for the clean-up operation when Skylab left a debris field 'scattered' across their country.

Yes they did, they issued a littering fine but very tongue in cheek. It was paid for by a US radio channel who did a fund raiser.

1 hour ago, powerlord said:

wow - that will be a yes then. 😀

I also did the focuser tube as well while it was in bits.

Spray a drop of soapy water in a spray bottle before placing the material, whatever your using but assuming self adhesive, it gives you a few seconds to move it about and get it placed and any bubble out before it glues to much. And hoover it when it's dry, you don't want any loose flock to fall on your mirror when you've put it back together.

One last tip, make sure to put markers on your mirror cell and ota to match up when you put the cell back. It needs to go back in the same position. I just put a bit of tape on mine, think its still there.

I flocked my 250px. It does improve contrast. Mine was painted black inside but you can see the difference it makes below.

My kids quite like these cards.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0746088620/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glc_fabc_VGKP0GTKND7QEQQK0Z3X

I think is for attaching a camera to the tube rings should you wish. Normally sits at the top of the tube rings.

Oldy but goody, remember when we used to be able to do outreach in person!!!

I'm another fan of sat24. Use met office, met check and co, but always a final check on sat24.

I have heard good things about the apms. I got my 100° ES's before the apms came out. Hard to believe i only paid £360 for my 20mm!!

The 9mm 100° es and apm are about the same price in the UK.

6 minutes ago, CowsonConcrete said:

I'll take it. I see you're in Derbyshire, not the Sheffield side are you?

I'll pm you

I have an older Altair dielectric 1.25 diagonal not doing anything. Yours for £30 + postage if you want it. 

Do day time moons count?😉

Been a while so here's my cases.

Clavè plossls and Barlow (negatif f= -113.4) and baader zeiss amici prism for my telementor 2.

My 100° ES for the dob

Williams bino and 20mm plus pair of pentax xf 8.5mm, 12mm on their way. Again for the telementor.

Cant go far wrong with a circle T. I had a 660 but that was circle k. Still fine optics but the mount was nye on unusable.

I went in April 19, amazing place, and that Saturn v!!!

I have seen a slight green tint but only in a very dark sky with a 10".

9 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Will be interested in the comparison.

The little sights are not much use really. I suppose if you didn’t have a finder fitted they would be better than nothing. 

 

I just have those on my telementor. Really good for just pointing at bright stuff, and no need to faf lining up a finder. Useless for dso!