Paul73

Great write-up. Sounds like a cracking spot for Astro.

Just wait until they get astro darkness back!

Paul

Hi Terry

I run it on an IPad 5 and an iPhone9. I have used earlier versions on an old iPad 2 with no problems. But I don’t use any of the gyro features, preferring to use it as a zoomable interactive map.

Paul

Thanks for the considered review. A pleasure to read.

How did they compare for comfort of viewing? I have found some pin sharp eyepieces quite tiring over relatively short viewing session. Although, the fact that you managed 2 hours would suggest that both are very comfy to use.

Paul

27 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

Haha you joke but it has crossed my mind to put some wood across the top and use it as a dob platform!

That’s the spirit!

There is something very satisfying about completing the Messiers from your own garden. For me, it was far more fulfilling than catching them high in the sky from southern France.

Paul

Dob on the trampoline?

I remember putting mine on a garden table to try for M8. It was with a frac on a tripod that I finally got it!

Sounds like you had a night of great clarity. So often these target are lost in the low murky haze.

Paul

Sharper than a Delos!!! High Praise indeed. They are the sharpest eyepieces i’ve every used (narrowly beating Ethos and the aforementioned BCO’s). I’m going to have to try a Leica now......

When it comes to colour, size matters.

Not sure about Derek’s Dob. My 70mm Finder sits in some big guide scope rings which are screwed onto the Dob tube.

Paul

On a good night with a 16” scope, M42 is washed out green and purplish. The Ring nebula is definitely green to me, but no fireworks.

Paul

A quick note. If buying Urano, make sure that you get the current version. The older ones are pants by comparison.

The ones pictures above are great, as are the similarly liveried vol 1,2,3.

Paul

We could blame Derek?

And imaged? Where is the image?😁😁

Saddly, didn’t get a chance to observe today.

Paul

If I hadn’t seen the eyepiece shot, I wouldn’t be Russian to buy them! 

Sorry.

Paul

Having owned an ED120 (that smelled of Stu’s Shed). I’d have to agree that it would be in with a shout.

The mounting isn’t important. Once I’ve bought the scope, I’d have to swing for a suitable mount. 😁

Paul

Hi Folks

I’m idly pondering future purchases. Other than the massive Dob, I have a hankering for a frac. Size is unimportant (I already have a little ED72). I just want nice planets, crisp stars and 3D clusters. What would be the Best Buy second hand for £400 to £600?

Thoughts?

Paul

You’ll be hoovering them up with that baby! I’m starting to get aperture fever.

Looking forward to the reports.

Paul

The title sums up my 1 hour outside with the Dob. So why am I smiling? The twilight robbed a good 10” off my aperture (16”), Jupiter looked like a wobbly jelly and there was a light haze. But, the colours / contrast was great! Jupiter showed fleeting glimpses of detail with good definition in the bands. So I tried a few wide coloured doubles. Lovely. This is unusual for me as I normally regard doubles with a mirror to be akin to taking a Land Rover round Bands Hatch. But It was fun and relaxed.

Next up was a low mag bright green Ring Nebula and a big Bow Tie. Then M13 filling the eyepiece at 150x and off to bed.

It was really nice to relax and enjoy observing, knowing that the conditions preclude straining for hours to tease out a galaxy on the edge of seeing, or squinting to split a sub second double.

Hope that others had a good evening.

Paul

M81/82? You can see them on 30second subs, so you can be sure that you aren’t imaging empty sky!

I’m in a similar position. ED72 and Driven EQ5. Yet to produce a worthwhile image...

Good luck.

Paul

I gotta gotta bigger scope. 😢

Reading about one is the next best thing. And I’m unlikely to fall off the ladder.

That little run down from M16 through 17,18 to 24 is one of the best little tours in the sky!

Paul

3 hours ago, jetstream said:

It turns out that showy little galaxy is NGC 6552, a Seyfert 2(?) galaxy at 14.6 mag- a nice inadvertent catch.

That is one serious scope. 14.6 seen “inadvertently” with surrounding glow!!

Big Scope & Dark Sky. You lucky man.

Paul

Maybe cutting 10secs of each of the interminable animations would do the trick?

I’d bring the cameras in...... 

Good luck. Stick with it. Plenty of good advice there.

Paul

Mine seems happy in the sun (astro scope  converted to Solar).

I did leave my Dob out all day between fine nights. Cooked the Telrad ☹️.

Paul

Saturn is the biggest normal size scope WOW in Astronomy. I still say wow when I get a clear view,

Paul