Elara

Many thanks for your comments and link John!

I’ve read reports on the Pentax XW 30-R and they are very positive; it’s good to read that you might  invest yourself given a similar consideration on production location etc. 

Graham

With limited experience of using a ‘range’ of eyepieces compared to those who have done so over many, many  years  ( so far for me Tak and TeleVue and Leica; 4mm -25mm) I’m considering another eyepiece for my 100mm scope; the list below provide I think (corrections are welcomed) tFOV’s of 2.6 degrees to 3.4 degrees and exit pupils around 4mm, ER of 18-20. I like to stick with made in Japan/Europe and USA eyepieces where possible, but if there are thoughts on ‘other manufacturers’, feel free, as that may prove helpful to others too and give me ‘pause’ to consider them. Budget covers the Pentax and Masuyama but the Nagler may be a few £’s too much. I like to search out objects within the capability of my 100mm scope, using the very useful Interstellarum Sky Guide/ Atlas ( nothing wrong with a bit of analogue!) Skies local to me are Bortle 4, regularly Fair to Good 6-7.

Pentax XW 30-R

TeleVue Nagler 5 31mm

Masuyama 85 32mm

Thanks in advance if you’ve use(d) these EP’s and or others (oh, and to Don P. for his excellent Buyers Guide to EP’s which helped in my final selection)

Graham

I’m ‘resurrecting’ this thread so to speak; mainly to thank the OP and others who contributed.

Based on what I read here, and on experience provided by my local Astro. Group, I took the step of buying a 65mm Baader ASSF AstroSolar Spotting Scope Filter ( BAASSF) . Service from the supplier ( RVO ) was excellent and the filter(s) arrived last weekend ( Sunday!). I can’t say I was impressed by the idea of ‘Velcro’ed straps, but I managed to overcome any anxiety/hesitancy, fit the filter fairly easily to my Baader Vario Finder (BVF), and start viewing the Sun!
AR3446 was at 5 o’clock and I used a Tak LE 24mm first, before using a TV Nagler Zoom to focus in and see more detail. The BVF is fairly sharp, and contrast is ‘reasonable’. I definitely enjoyed the views! In the third sentence above you’ll see I talked of: filter(s). I’d also bought a 80mm BAASSF, with the idea of using it with my newly acquired Tak FC-76DCU; however, the niggle over the ‘Velcro’ed straps remained, and I have sent that filter back, with a credit toward future purchase of a 30mm ish eyepiece ( see my post elsewhere).
All in all an enjoyable experience. I’d add that I also tried a 1.25” Baader Solar Continuum Filter, which experienced users know gives a ‘green’ image but still detailed. I’m a visual observer only, so no photos of the Sun itself, just the setup used. Thank you again for the very useful advice.

Clear skies/good seeing! 

Graham

A further update:

After a few more weeks of waiting I got an email alert to tell me that the new ‘parts’ were on their way. Serge included a special aluminium ‘tool’ (see photos ) for removing the existing inner ring, parting it from the magnetic ‘encoder’ ring. 

This morning, a phone call from Serge…

Using a vice to hold the aluminium tool, with a rubber hammer, I tapped gently on a wooden dowel, to force the inner plastic ring ‘out’, leaving just the magnetic ring, which I then fitted onto the new, wider diameter inner; hey presto, both done and very easily.

The fit was MUCH better and I could sense that there would be absolutely NO play compared to the original ones. I tightened everything up, per instructions, and checked via SETTINGS / ‘TEST’ on the Nexus DSC Pro: both Alt / Az responded accordingly. It’s overcast today, but the Clear Outside app. is predicting a suitable sky on Friday evening/after midnight, into Saturday. I’ll let those interested know how I get on with alignment and eventual use.

Super service from Serge/Astro Devices, so far so good; thanks to FLO  for their interest and offers of help!

#1. Aluminium ‘tool’

#2. Showing ‘inner’ pushed through, and magnetic encoder ring removed 

I’ve just come across this thread and your images of the Moon, ( a favourite to observe; visual only) and I’d echo what @PatrickO and others have previously said - these are superb lunar images. I’m working my way through the Lunar 100 and back in February I got an ‘amazing’ view of no.17 Schroters Valley; it was almost 3D due to its close position to the terminator?

Keep them coming and thanks for the link to your Moon map! - I’ll use it as a reference (split screen) whilst watching the amazing video images from this site.

Clear skies/great seeing…

Graham

A quick update:

Serge called me this morning, the upshot of which is : he is working on a solution! 
I’ll post results as and when, so for those interested, and or with the same mount, bear with me .

I’d add, as a general comment, that I/we are very fortunate to have suppliers/distributors around the world, like Serge, who care that their ‘products’ work as advertised, and that their customers are satisfied! 

Thanks Keith.

Another attempt last night, and by loosening and re-tightening I’ve managed to fix the problem with the Alt Axis. The IFU recommends that you DON’T over tighten and I’m pleased to say that the Alt. encoder disk assembly is without movement, but with some ‘turn’ remaining in the Allen head screw, if needed ( hopefully not!) 

I’ll try a repeat with the Az. later today and let you/others know how I get on.

As far as I can tell each white disk looks to be the same size. Obvs. I was careful not to mix them up during original assembly.

Great service from FLO who emailed and were concerned to see that I get a solution. I haven’t heard back from Serge; I know he’s busy and it may just be me anyway!

Again, appreciate your suggestions and input!

Cheers 👍

Graham

As you can see ( hopefully ) despite significant tightening the discs remain loose.

Really appreciate your input.

The white disk is definitely being gripped, and isn’t ’rotating’, but the whole unit simply doesn’t stay firmly in either Alt/Az aperture opening of the mount, despite hard tightening. 
I’ll try to upload a video in the next day or two.

No, I wouldn’t call it ‘slipping’ unless I misunderstand your point. The female part isn’t opening out at all,  as far as I can tell, therefore my theory on the diam. of the white disk being the problem?  

Thank you for this, it’s what I’ve been trying but with no success. I’m wondering whether the white chamfered discs are just too wide in diameter to successfully expand the inner enough to create the interference fit necessary?

I’ll drop FLO a line too and await on Serge for his input.

Cheers!

100/800 f8 refractor 

VAMO Traveller Mount 

Gitzo tripod 

It may be that I’m missing something ( very possible with me!)  but I’m having difficulties getting the encoder disks to remain tight in both Alt and Az configuration. No matter how many turns of the Allen key, each disk seems to remain ‘loose’, making alignment impossible.

The instructions didn’t show how each individual component fitted together, so I assume I’ve got that bit right?

Has anyone else had this problem and if so, any suggested solutions are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

(An email has gone off to Serge also.)

Thank you for creating this dedicated thread - very helpful!

I’m the new owner of N. DSC Pro with encoders for a VAMO Traveller Mount (hereinafter VTM).

My skill set runs to following instructions ( mainly) and it took me a while to work out how to fit some encoder parts onto the VTM, as the IFU seemed to skip things. I may email Serge, who, prior to purchase (from Astrograph and FLO) was very helpful. I originally thought of buying direct but the savings were minimal.

This N.DSC Pro is firmware version 1.1.24 dated April 2023.

Hopefully I’ll get chance to mount a scope on the VMT in the next few days and try things out!

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far!

I may forward these/your thoughts to his wife/family ( naturally I’ll ask them first) once I see a few more posts and a few more days have passed?

Unlike a number of you I  never met David in person, but had corresponded regarding a OTA for a mirror set I was thinking of.

I’m not sure if this is the right place within the forums, but I do have family permission to post this…

David Lukehurst passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last Thursday.

I’d been in communication with him and eventually received a note from his wife, ( Lindsey) giving me this sad news.

The family are attending to his business matters, but if you were awaiting orders etc please be aware they will have a lot on their ‘plate’ at present.

Welcome to the forum Elisa! You will find lots of information on here and very knowledgeable people to answer any questions.

This is the one I meant to link to, the first page in the thread - apologies! 

57 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

If you are expecting to see galaxies and nebulae visually like in the photographs, you are in for a disappointment.  I think there is a thread some where in this forum on 'what can I expect to see'.   On the other hand, star clusters, globular clusters and double stars will show up well with a small telescope.

If galaxies and nebulae are what you want to see, then you should order a Seestar S50, which is a little over your budget.

Here is the topic ‘what can I expect to see’. I have found it invaluable , hopefully the OP will too. If I were to go back myself (and let’s imagine this is possible in Greece?) I’d join a local Astro society and go to a few star parties before spending anything!

Lots of great comments for you so far…

I’m certain this article is still applicable - there may be an update to it somewhere of course. I found it helpful and hopefully you do too. As mentioned by  @bosun21 and advice I’ve received in the past from the team at FLO : dialelectric mirror diagonal for your scope focal ratio of f/5.9; I think I’m right in saying that at under f/7, prism diagonals can introduce a tiny bit of false colour ( happy to be corrected of course! ).

 https://www.cloudynights.com/articles/cat/articles/mirror-vs-dielectric-vs-prism-diagonal-comparison-r2877

Left eye only  ( so far); fine & threadlike. My optician showed me the area from whence they came at my yearly check up on Friday gone. Bizarrely he advised wearing an eye patch during observing; well, since my right eye is unaffected,for now, I figured I’ll just close the left eye. As someone said earlier in this thread: ‘a pox on them’!

Please can this topic be ‘pinned’ and not ‘flushed’ 🤦‍♂️ as I’ve just joined the ‘floater’ community?

The Vixen 6x30 got its first light albeit for a limited time. Venus, low in the NW here, showed up nicely in the eyepiece, close to centre (Baäder Zoom at 24mm); Vega next, with ζ Lyrae, again centrally; then Arcturus and ζ Boötes before clouds came in around 10:30pm. Seeing conditions weren’t great, but I was pleased with my finder setup efforts . The crosshairs on this finder are thinner than my previous, a Meade 7x50, so, with my limited experience (dataset of two), I can’t add much to that part of the discussion.
Finally, if seeing is better tomorrow (there’s always hope!) I’ll add more, if  there’s relevance.
 

I’ve only just acquired this 6x30 (delivered today) and it gave a very good, sharp image on next doors chimney stack😉 during setup.
I’d be happier if it were right angled, but hey, it matches the vixen tube rings and it didn’t cost the earth ( compared to the rest of the kit!)

It’s forecast to be reasonably clear here for the next two nights, so fingers crossed and I can test it out on the night sky.

1 hour ago, Highburymark said:

As you’ll probably be aware, there are lots of Gitzo Systematics to choose from. They’re wonderful - among the best camera tripods on the market, but still for high powered astronomy, it’s advisable to take the advertised payloads with a certain pinch of salt. I’ve always stuck to the assumption that if your kit doesn’t exceed half the marketed payload, then you should be fine. 

Thank you for that … very useful …

The choices of suitable mounts/tripods,  both grab n go and ‘backyard’, are myriad, so thank goodness for SGL and other ‘cloudy’ places!