Paul73

Thanks guys. I’ll try the ZWO ASI120MM. For an extra £30, I may as well get the USB 3!? Our old laptop died. So my wife (the technical brains of the team) replaced it with a quad core gourmet version. I was properly unhappy about the outlay. Was thinking £350 ish. She spent a lot more. So I’m due a present just to highlight that her profligacy does have real consequences. Paul

Thanks Charl. You seem to get some decent results! The two cameras seem well priced. Pros/cons? Colour or mono? Paul

Possibly a really stupid question..... Given that solar images are generally made by selectively stacking many short exposure images, is it possible to get good results without a tracking mount? If it is. What would be a good camara to stick in the back of a 100mm f10 PST stage 1 mod? It is parked atop a SkyT II on a very solid ash tripod. Paul

Congratulations Paul. I’m not sure about your ‘first step’. A ‘great big jump’ more like. You’ll love it! re. Finding the sun. I have a 6” long chunk of standard copper pipe (normal home water pipes) held onto the scope on the tube rings with an elastic band. Point at sun. Pop hand behind the pipe. When the shadow of the pipe forms a perfect circle. It is straight. Simples! I’ll post a pic on Thursday. There is no need to spend money. Solar viewing is quite expensive enough already. Paul

I was wondering similar. Do you have to stick a filter over the big end of the scope. Or, is it just a case of taking a refractor in standard night time viewing guise and sticking a Quark unit between the focused and the eyepiece? I’ve always been really impressed with Quark views at star parties. Paul

Good post. Sounds fun. I’ll have a look. Paul

I wondered what that was for. Mine is rubbish. Can’t see a thing through it! My Baader diagonal shows the undersides of clouds much better than the Lunt, day or night. Paul

Yes. The BSTs are great for the money. I’d pop the 24mm ES 82° in as your Wide eyepiece.? Paul PS. The wider view helps you find targets!!

To echo Ben’s point. The ED80 is a chunky little wide field wonder. It’s strength is showing vast tracts of sky. Why constrain it with 50° Plossles. I’ve got a few TV Plossles and had a full set of the BCO’s. Both are exceptionally clear eyepieces. But they never really got used in the ED80. The ES 82° Range does well in that scope. Or, there are several great performers for sensible money at the 68° interval. Paul

Open ended budget????? I’m was a happy PSTer. They do have a tendency to grow a layer of something over the ITF. It is fairly easily sorted though. Then I became a delighted PST plus Double Stack owner. Masses of detail that outstripped the Lunt 50 SS. Then I was so happy that I chopped the PST and a perfectly good Bresser 100mm frack in half, stuck them together and can view outrageous proms!??? I haven’t seen a quark used in a scope like yours. Paul

Filter space! Good plan. Wish I’d thought of that. Would have saved a small fortune. Paul

So what is going to fill all of that spare space? Eyepice cases abhor a vacuum.... Paul

I agree. He writes well. Although his vast experience, Hawaiian sky and owl like eye-sight make me feel a bit rubbish as an observer. Best multiply his specified aperture requirements by 2 to get to ‘normal chap under UK sky’ territory. Paul

Well done John. The sky is exceptional tonight. I'll not hijack the thread, but a first view for me too. Using that dud filter that you sold me! Very rewarding. Cracking writeup too. Paul

Far too neat. It'll never last...... Nice collection. Paul

Looks like you have got things covered! Good orange case that can't get lost in the dark. Maybe a decent wide angle 24mm??? My MkIII zoom gets pretty narrow at the 24mm setting.... Paul

The bit about not achieving focus is interesting. Are the struts fully extended? I.e. Hard up against the stops? There are is an interim setting which is a couple of inches shorter. I think that it is to allow a camera to reach focus. Working properly, they are cracking scopes. Paul

Nice collection Shane. Those two shorter Panoptics need some twins, they would work a treat in the binoviewers......... Paul

That looks really impressive. I really like the mirror box(?) / Rocker assembly. Yes. Telescopes should be found!!! How much the bottom section weigh (box,rocker,base and mirror)? Paul

Very very impressive. Thank you Paul

Looks great Garry. Tell us more about the Solar Tak? And, how do the vows compare with the Lunt DS? Paul

Great to hear. I'd be trerrified of ordering a scope like that, just incase the views didn't live up to expectations. I'm loving my SW ED120. But, still dreaming that one day..... Paul

Amazing! I'll definitely be having a go at this one. Great post Harrym. And thanks for wrecking my plans for the morning. It is going to take me ages to work through the "19bn ly" bit!??? Paul

Result! Hope that the views are 'as new. Paul

It's a tough one really. We need to know about the "bad" guys. But, how to make it objective/fair?? I guess that word gets around..... Paul