Fozzie

Love the colours in that! Nice Nice shot.

Just had an exhilarating jaunt up the hill... glad I did..

Cracking images..

39 minutes ago, John said:

 I totally accept that the ED120 might just not be the type of scope that the OP is looking for. Thats a much better reason not to go for one IMHO 

Haha Not going to let that one go are you, which is fair enough, i admit it's a shallow reason, not liking the look of something despite the obvious optical performance and availability to the masses that the scope brings.. 

In fairness the op was about either rich field or a better 100mm frac, but as we love to spend everyone else's money these types of questions often evolve into suggestions a bit beyond people's means and wants.. but those suggestions are made from a wealth of experiance by those who have already asked and answered the questions.. i respect that.. i just dont think a 120ed is where im think currently..

that's not to say if a 120 equinox was available second hand, sliding dew, rotating focuser etc and I had that budget then I'd be interested..

I guess what I'm after is a complementary rich field scope, that goes a bit deeper than a 100mm, and maybe upgrade the 100mm in the future..

Just got back in from hunting down neowise between the clouds.., and boy the wind was up too..

A few shots for your pleasure..

It's a lovely sight, clearly visible..

1 hour ago, dobbie said:

hi yes i am fine thank you . the altair is a great scope but  i dont think there was a big difference between the f/11 apart from the focal length the view was very similar,  the f/7 is easier to handle apart from that i dont think you would be gaining much selling the f/11 to get the f/7  so maybe get another frac with a bigger aperture , but your more than welcome to meet up and try mine regards john.  

Oh dobbie I half hoped you'd say it knocked to socks off the f11!! I see a 120 f5 has popped up in the classified.. could be a good partner for the f11 for wide field and solar.. might just scratch the itch for a little while..

Thanks Dave, yes family is keeping well under the circumstances, the same for you and yours I hope..  thanks for your thoughts, interesting what you say about 120ed and it just not being right, I recall Jules having similar thoughts and experiences not long back, both of you being big frac people it's a point I have in my mind..

I've seen the vixen on ABS, if it had been later in the year I might have gone for it.. if I buy it'll be on an intrest free credit card I've just taken out, so I can save the savings, that and with the distance and covid, I'm less inclined to travel at the moment.  Otherwise yes excellent choice, and a nice vixen frac on my GP

I suppose another one of the things in my mind is my GP, after I thought the motor had failed, I'm not wanting to over face it with a bigger frac such as a 120ed.. another reason why I'm not pushing towards what is probably the the logical choice..  keeping around 5kg on a shorter tube is the way to go, hence option 1 or 3.. complimenting the 100mm and gp combination..

1 hour ago, John said:

Seems crazy to me to let the colour of a scope get in the way of an absolutely superb option but there you go

My ED120 is a wonderful refractor and compares well against my Tak and my TMB/LZOS 130 triplet which of course cost considerably more.

Hope you find something the right colour soon

 

Oh I know... I fail to explain my mind sometimes, and absolutely the 120ed is probably right on the money.. yet I look at it and it just doesn't take me to that place that my f11 does... not sure how to say it... maybe I just don't find it lickable enough!

59 minutes ago, dobbie said:

hi fozzie  how you doing? i have the altair  102ed f/7 ,  we should meet up and you would be able to compare the 100 against the altaire. it will be great to see the f/11 achro again. john.

Hi Dobbie, all well thank you, yourself?  I'd forgotten you had the F7 ED, sounds like a plan for a meet up.. whats your thoughts on the comparison..  I'll be honest i had a 72mm ed altair scope a while back and it worried me at the time, how nice it was..  that was fpl 51 (or equivelent) i think... so i suspect that the fpl53 is a great scope..

12 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Perhaps something like this. 🤔

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4652_TS-Optics-ED-110mm-f-7-ED-Refractor-Telescope-with-3--Crayford-Focuser.html

I have, and i quite like the look of altair's fpl51 version...  but then would the 102mm fpl 53, at £100 cheaper be a match for better optics against 16% more light grasp

15 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

@Fozzie

Have you considered the SW 120ED ?

I have, of course, family favourite, does the job, well and simple... but for some reason i prefer a white tube, so these don't stick with me... fine scope as they are! ( @Alan White don't say i can wrap it in sticky white dc fix!)

17 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Why not go the whole hog and get an ED150, you know you want too 

You rascal, you.

4 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Putting perspective on it, as I have done for myself.
I have noted almost all who have had a f5.9 achro although delighted at the time have sold them on.
To me that puts a perspective on it as well.

Well excepting John who just posted as I was typing, typical.

 

It's a fair point.. but then the classifieds aren't littered with them... 

2 minutes ago, johninderby said:

I really liked the scope but I think it was the fact it was a heavy lump mean’t it didn’t get used a lot. Think that was why I sold it on. 

 

I think that could be just the reason.. what 9kg or something...

May be an upgrade 100mm and a 120F5 is a better combo..  Don't want to go down the space heater route. 

11 minutes ago, johninderby said:

 Excelkent for low and medium power widefield.

which is what i'm thinking about, as the f11 does the other side.. 

8 minutes ago, Alan White said:

I would be nervous with a 6" frac on a GP mount, even at f5.9 that is quite a lump and tortional? load.
I have desires on a 6" one day too and am pondering the mount going forward, hence my comment.

Would suggest you have a look at a f5.9 frac as well in the metal, it is larger than it looks online, it truly is.

I would also add that as great as the f11 achro is, perhaps a higher glass type 4" would surprise you,
My Vixen ED103s shows an awful lot and has very good control of focus.
The hallowed Takahashi FC series might be an answer and fit that GP mount well.

Oh i absolutely wouldn't put a 6" on the GP (i am just sure she can take it)!  I had a 200p on the skytee for a while so im thinking the 6" frac is going to be a similar beast.

As hallowed as a Tak would be, if i go high end, my hearts set on the vixen SD115, but that's dreamland as i'm not spending that much, this time round, even if i cash in the skytee and f11 as a deposit... so to speak!

You can see the problem though.. i know high end (well middle end) might be the ticket, but would that compensate for aperture in the end..

8 minutes ago, johninderby said:

I had a 6” f/5.9 and it is indded a heavy lump. OK on the Skytee biut near it’s max load with accessories. Excelkent for low and medium power widefield.

puts some perspective on it doesn't it!

4 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Is the GP really up to a 150 mm Frac though?
 

I'd like to think it is.. infact im sure it is..   but i need to treat those motors with some respect to their service years..  The skytee is for the bigger frac...  it'll only go if i decide to stay with one scope, upgrading to a better 100mm

1 minute ago, Alan White said:

It's not my money or my wife..... so option 3.
Good luck with that one!

 

i was waiting for that...

Afternoon all,

I have this growing itch, in my mind, i think i want to scratch at it and look at getting another frac.. so this is one of those "what would you do threads" do i compliment what i already have leaving me with two scope, for theoretically different observing or replace the one i have for better optics..

My current scope is an altair 102 f11 achro, and i am very, very happy with it.. I know given the right atmospheric conditions that this scope is no slouch at all, but it is my only scope, and with that FL is better suited to solar system work, and brighter PN's etc.

My thoughts are turned towards a 150mm frac, probably the F5.9 variants, to get me a bit deeper and wider.  Other equipment wise, i have a heavy duty Alt-Az mount, and vixen GP so im covered, wide EP's I've a 24/68 ExSci, and a 17.3TVD, only have 1.25mm filters so not overly interested (yet) in 2" EP's

Sense would say, compliment the F11 with a faster larger scope..

BUT this little voice on my shoulder keeps saying upgrade the f11 to a better 100mm, like the fpl53 F7 starwave, which is quite appealing as i've been happy with one scope for a few years, so why not just get a better one, and keep on being satisfied..

I've thought about a Dob, or Mak/SCT, but i'm a frac man and I've put a bit of time money and effort in to the Alt-Az set up with my mind on a bigger frac, to that end my options would be

1, compliment to existing frac with another rich field 150mm sort

2, Sell the sky-tee and current frac, and put towards a higher spec, 100mm ish f7 frac.

3, the last option and one not to tell the wife, is to do both, keeping the skytee..  maybe sell the f11, and get a 150mm and fpl 51 100mm f7 doublet.

Whats others thoughts on this please..

Thanks

Fozzie

8 minutes ago, Robindonne said:

How you know he’s gay?

I suspect that's a typo and they mean "local guy".... 

He's back...! That'll do.. bit more back towards some kind of normality!  

I got up for 3am, but alas no joy due to clouds...  One thing that is bugging me though and its probably me.. what elevation are you folks seeing here, all the images look to be quite manageable, however the sky live is showing hugging the horizon between 2am and 3am around 6deg..?

I think this looks quite refreshing!

That "streamer" was the brightest nlc feature I've seen.. doesn't even look like there's any ground distances between the images does it!

15 hours ago, Ant said:

I'm in North Cambridgeshire, but the last one visible that I saw, Fozzie saw from Leeds (i think), so get out and have a look.

Yep North West Leeds...  A few people i follow on twitter have had 7 or 8 nights straight, one lives on the norfolk coast, so no excuse not go have a look...  just after 11 and from around half 2 in the morning seem to be the windows at the moment.

I've not done an early bird yet.. and its been total cloud for a few days on an evening.. but it looks a good season for them!

It's just a mobile phone holder...

but could I use it for astro...  hmmmmmm

Of course I can!!!

That's better!

Hi all..

During my last observing session, i had to swap out mounts, as the RA tracking on the GP was misbehaving, I could hear the motor ticking along but with the 5kg or so frac and accessories it was failing to move.. I worked the problem, is it balance, too much weight etc... but i came to the conclusion the 20 something year old motor is probably just giving up after years of diligent service!  Sad times..

So this weekend i decided to clean it up, and order an EQ5 goto system to install.. something i've been reluctant to do as i like my vintage green mount, and don't want to spoil its look with non matching plastic components (even though i wouldn't actually mind goto... i know right)

As i removed the the RA housing and ran the motors at 32x and free hand, even with no load, the gears binded, and i was crest fallen, almost like it was out of line...  i removed the motor, and checked, looked like new, this mount has been really well looked after by its previous custodians!

So resigned to the upgrade i started to put the pieces back together, when at the last breath i noticed the motor cog wheel had slip of the flat part of the motor shaft, the little grub screw had worked loose and it was causing the issue! 

Huuuuurrrrrrraaaahhhh!

A quick realignment and tighten the grub, and we are back in business.. So close to a needles spend (in some ways, i'd still fancy goto!)

I have form for this, i once replaced a TV because it didn't work when i lived by myself, only to find out my partner had unplugged it and not plugged it back in.. In my defense i had no reason to suspect she'd messed with plugs.. and it was an old unit.. but still!

Has anyone else done something similar, jumped for an expensive replacement, for the sake of a quick cheap fix, by mistake obviosuly!

Anyway the GP's fine, that's all that matters!

Ta

Fozzie