ChrisLX200

I would agree these are excellent scopes for the money, and are a much better option (IMHO) than an equivalent SCT for DSO AP. I would say though that the 8" and larger OTAs are to be preferred - not just because they _are_ bigger but because even the 8" is easy to mount/guide and the price difference is modest. I have the metal tube 8" version and it shows much promise. Sadly, what with other new gear to get working together with horrible weather for the past 2 months I've hardly had chance to use it at all. I spent more time playing with the collimation than taking images. Below is one of only two actual 'fitst light' images I've captured using it, and what impresses me is the useful image scale I get with the 490EX camera, and the good definition. This is only 4 x 900s luminance subs but I wish I could collect a full LRGB set (preferably without aircraft trails...)

ChrisH

I meant to add - the optics are well secured in the tube and I found I could generate a model using my 10-Micron mount of 5" RMS, which means I can use the scope unguided (as indeed it was for the above image). I don't think I could have got away with doing that with an SCT.

Edit: Oh poo. That was the wrong image... I wondered where the diffraction spikes had gone! I'll leave it there though (it's a cropped image from the 5" refractor but more subs than with the 8" RC). So. Ahem. The AA 8" RC image is below:

Not seen that one before, but there's always someone with a bright idea - and if American, trying to make money out of it. A Howie Glatter holographic laser seems to do a pretty good job for me.

ChrisH

Lovely scope Chris

Looks like the pillar / pier doubles as a bird table too

Thanks John, in days gone by that shelf was used to hold a laptop, nowadays I image from a nice warm control room :-)  The shelf is still useful at times though.

ChrisH

Here's my NP127is :-)

ChrisH

Says clear here tonight but it seems very unlikely to me looking at the sat images. Maybe all that cloud will suddenly evaporate or something.

ChrisH

Here's a photo of the ep's, I understand 17mm was also available so will keep my eye open for one.

Nice collection - but you need the 22mm as well

ChrisH

That would be awsome Chris inasmuch as i can do stuff like that, i'm currently pretty much limited to screwdrivers and a 5 pound lump hammer for my choice of tools at the moment

I might have a spare toothed wheel I could use for this, I'll check my stock later and let you know what sizes I have... Waiting for a parcel delivery at the moment which is late arriving...

ChrisH

12v stepper, easydriver and arduino. I want mine to drive the 10:1 reducer on my crayford. Closest i've found is a pulley with 3mm bore.

Yes that's what I needed. In the end I bought one with a 3mm bore and drilled it out further to about 6mm, then installed a bush having a 2.5mm bore. If you need help sorting something like that out Dave give me a shout.

ChrisH

The BBC were a total failure last night in predicting clear skies for my region, CO was better. I really don't know where the BBC got their forecast from because the clues from satellite images as to what would happen were obvious.

ChrisH

I can't figure these forecasts and where they get their predictions from. The BBC and ScopeNights both say clear all night for me, ClearOutside says cloudy all night. Completely at odds with each other. I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on Sat24 as I usually do...

ChrisH

Miyauchi 20 X 100

Fujinon 16 X 70

Fujinon 10 X 70

Nikon 10 X 42

That's a nice collection of binos  

ChrisH

My 22mm Vixen Silver-top is my most used eyepiece, mainly because I made it parfocal with my guider. They are excellent workhorse eyepieces.

ChrisH

They (various sources of forecast) all pretty much failed for me also. It was difficult to be precise though because a stream of cloud and rain was moving erratically N up the west side of the country. The real situation was shown on Sat24 satellite images and that is what I tend to use these days, but extrapolating even a few hours in advance is still tricky.

ChrisH

Just a thought, but as a dedicated astro weather site, wouldn't it make more sense to split the 24 hour period per row at midday rather than midnight? That way you get all of one night on a row, rather than having to look at one row for the night up to midnight, and the next row for the following days small hours.

.....maybe have a toggle to offer the split at midnight or at midday, that way it can be tailored for both nighttime observers or daytime solar observers.

Just an idea, anyone else have an opinion on the above?

Read back four posts!

ChrisH

Look forward to testing it!  Might better for each 24hr day to be centered on mid-night rather than mid-day, so it shows the whole night in one strip?

ChrisH

Gina, have you ever tried to repair those sensors with the odd broken wire? It's tricky, but I once managd to solder (!) back several - but not all - that I had on a Kodak chip a long time ago. Today I would be tempted to try silver-loaded epoxy rather than solder. You do need a quailty binocular microscope and good dexterity (which was an essential part of my job at the time).

ChrisH

CAn you use a soldering iron to apply heat locally? Maybe put a blade into the gap twixt glass/frame and heat, then push the blade in to wedge them apart as you work your way around?

ChrisH

Brilliant image. But... where do you go from here? Your very own DSS perhaps

ChrisH

That's the first time I've seen the larger version, it looks plenty roomy inside. I would beware of standing it on grass for any lengthy period though because the condensation formed on the inside will be enormous. If you can, then stand it either on a groundsheet or perhaps flags or anything impervious. The cover does have vents but that won't be enough to clear the moisture.

ChrisH

Petax 8x42 BCF HRc: Very good and bright for roof prism binos, very sharp with only slight softening at the very edges of FOV.

Minolta 10x50: I spent ages testing binos in the shops before finally selecting this pair. Excellent all around.

Miyauchi 20/30 x 77: lovely angled eyepiece binos for astro work, only issue is the lens shades tend to fall back!

I have other older pairs but these are the ones I actually use.

ChrisH

Well a lot depends on the scope, the headroom is limited. An SCT would fit, or a modest refractor, and ideal for a Dob. Should be wide enough for the tripod legs of the scopes I have. Full dimensions are given on their website. Mine has withstood some very nasty weather over the last month.

ChrisH

Yeah, I have one - but mine has a motorcycle in it

ChrisH

Well for start it is the RA axis (Polar axis) that points at Polaris, the DEC axis points at 90deg to it. Whatever, the DEC axis is also the one that carries the balance weights. The setting circles should be adjustable such that they can bet set to read correctly when the mount's axes are in nominal position.

ChrisH

For purely visual use I would go for a large aperture (and high quality) binocular. From a dark site I could see more galaxies/DSOs using both eyes through my Miyauchi ED binos (20-30x, 80mm) than I could with a 10" LX200 using one eye.  There is something about using both eyes together where the result is better than merely adding the two images together. Recommend you try looking through a pair if you get the chance.

ChrisH

You've excluded a lot of suitable scopes by limiting the choice to the 3 mentioned, especially if photo performance is not a big issue. A lot of money goes into the design and construction of fast, photo-capable APOs that you would not reap the benefit of by using it solely (or even primarily) as a visual instrument. The NP101 for example, offers a very fast focal ratio combined with a flat field which makes it a great imager, and whilst it will perform superbly as a wide-field visual scope too, plonk a WA eyepiece in a longer f/l scope and the effect will be similar - at a big saving. Of the 2 Taks then the 120 is a nice light-weight scope and perfect for visual use. You wouldn't need the FeatherTouch focusser upgrade (which is available as an option on this OTA) unless you want to image with it.

I suggest you look wider though, there are many options open to you in this price bracket. For visual use then aperture rules - a camera doesn't care that much and will happily sit there collecting photons for minutes on end but your eyes are far less patient and many deep-sky objects will be disappointing despite the superb optics.

ChrisH