FenlandPaul

Have a great evening, Derek. Not looking promising here; sleep catchup time I think! Paul

Another inspiring report, Gerry. As Stu says, it's all about the skies and skill of the observer!! I long for the day when I am trying shield myself from stray starlight!! Paul

Great report from off the beaten track. That part of the sky is chock full of interesting stuff.

Pm incoming...

Nice images, Gav - it really was an impressive display today.

Wow, it's huge, isn't it?! I've had my PST now for just over a week and that's by far the largest prom I've seen. Thanks for the heads up Nick!!

That's so not s stupid question, Ade, and I'm looking forward to the answer. I can find my way in the sky at night with a Newt no problem, but I get very confused indeed with my PST in the daytime!! My brain seems to have Newtonian wiring...

It's why weight to use that's the challenge at the moment, John. Keeping my eyes peeled around the house for something useful! Don't have any kitchen weights and I think my wife would be quite cross if I used the digital kitchen scales instead!!

Finished work at lunchtime today and had an hour to use before picking the boys up from school. So I fitted a magnetic knife rack (£6.50 online) to the lower end of my dob in order to slide a weight up and down to achieve better balance when changing between, say, the 32mm Nagler and the 9mm. Drilled two holes in the rack, then lined up on the dob, marked the holes, removed the mirror (a year until a good clean I think) and bolted the rack in line with my carry handles. Ergonomically it might have been better to have it round the tube slightly nearer the observer, but I thought it would look a bit better and put less strain on the axis if it was plumb centre, in line with the handles. Just need some Hammerite now to finish it in black and also find a decent weight to move along it. Saves hanging a small sack filled with bottled sand off the back of it! Couple of pics below: Now we just need some dark skies. Paul

PM incoming...

Great report Piero! Interesting how the HR 2.4mm performed too. Come and use the 12" at some point!! I'm looking forward to the return of dark skies at socially responsible times!' Paul

Lovely!!

Thanks Alan. It's been a couple of years since I had my ST120 so I can't remember entirely. Today's seeing was fairly poor, and my boys having a water fight within 20 yards of true scope probably didn't enhance the comparison. But it fared ok; it will be interesting doing it in the early morning when the seeing is better. As it happens I'm thinking about reacquiring an ST along with a Herschel wedge, so I'm sure that would trump these Baader solar film views!! not sure I'd be getting the dob out in the work car park for a bit of lunchtime solar like I used to with the ST!! Paul

Thought I'd make a filter for my dob by repurposing a Baader filter from my old ST120. Not exactly a slimline solar scope, but it seemed to do the job today! It's hot out there!! Written details should be self-explanatory. Paul

Great report Nick. Hope you have a lot of fun with your Lunt - that's a temptation that has been lurking in the back of my mind for some time!! Great sketches too. Paul