DRT

Here is my recently re-acquired ED120 sporting some new CNC rings and a Sky-Watcher EvoGuide ED50 finder scope

As I type this I am ending a session of solar observing with an ED120, an Altair 152, a Quark, a Badder Herschel Wedge, a Lunt50Ha and a full set of eyepieces. I don't feel deprived ? Letting go is simply a function of what you need versus what you want ?

Thanks, Alan. I'm sure I'll cope. Very much a First World Problem ?

Yes, they are Luminos, mostly pre-owned so the whole set for around 65% of retail price, which is good enough for me. Believe me, I have bought and sold more eyepieces than any man should in the past few years (scroll back through this entire thread to see all of them ?) - all I'm doing at the moment is owning a whole set of wide-fields for the price of one Ethos until I'm able to claw back some Green and black ?

That just about sums it up!

The Dob is fitted with a SIPS coma corrector inside the FeatherTouch focuser but I think these might struggle in a few way other than just Coma. I'll just have to put up with it until the day when I can splash out on some green and black again

For a variety of reasons I have had to let all of my TV eyepieces go and have replaced them with this set. From the research I've done my refractors should deal with these well but I'll have to put up with a few issues in my F4 Dob. The space top right is reserved for the matching Barlow if one comes up second hand.

FAKE NEWS!

And how did it go? Did you get any good observing? ?

Yip - me too They are definitely a big improvement on the stock helical focuser.

Very nice, John. Is that a FeatherTouch on the Lunt 50?

Another time, mate - glad it worked out

@Grant, I'm booked on pitch 31 for Saturday night only but unfortunately I won't be able to make it. Feel free to re-allocate the pitch and my food voucher Hope to see you all next year. Cheers Derek

That will be a big blow to the marketing department given that the WiFi feature is what makes it different from other SW mounts of this size

Very nice, Mark. I hope it lives up to expectations.

There is no wrong answer here. Post away, we have all been where you are. Some decide to go nuts and spend a small fortune on exotic glass, others stay very close to where you are for very good reasons. Those with expensive EPs have as much to learn from those who don't than the other way around ?

I don't think so John. By the time I do the adjustment I expect it to be roughly the same length as with the Mk II and that didn't give me any problems. I've also switched from Ethos to Delos eyepieces so that will lighten the load considerably ?

My new SIPS comma corrector arrived from FLO today and is now fitted to the VX12 F4 ? The focuser assembly is now a hefty lump but I must say it is as solid as a rock. I've still to adjust the SIPS to the correct focus point so I'm not sure whether or not the riser will still be necessary but from reading the instructions I suspect it will be. Looking forward to using it and there should be a very nice Paracorr Mk II appearing in the classified section soon ?

I think recommended rather than required. I have run my observation kit without one at the site three times without a problem but if you have a pile of imaging kit attached it is probably sensible to have an RCD in there somewhere.

Very nice, Mark You seem to be making a habit of meeting SGL members at Kings Cross

Thanks, @AdeKing - I might seek one out and give it another go

That looks excellent, Ade. How do you find the ST102 for CA? I had one a couple of years ago and I think it was a dud as there was always a big multi-coloured ring around almost everything I looked at. It would be good to know for sure that mine was at the bad end of the spectrum (pub intended ) as I do fancy something around that size for travelling.

I use a UNI 28 plus a 16" pillar extension with my big fracs and it is absolutely rock solid. I'm sure you'll love it

That looks fantastic, Dave Even the donkey looks impressed!

What is the advantage of the barlow? A laser beam is straight - putting a lens in front of it cannot make it more straight, but it can make it not straight. It also introduces yet another device that might not be perfectly aligned with the light path. I use a Hotech laser very successfully. I can't imaging why I would want to stick it in a barlow